Searching for flares in GALEX data with gPhoton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Million, Chase; Fleming, Scott W.; Brasseur, Clara; Osten, Rachel A.; Bianchi, Luciana; Shiao, Bernie

2017-06-01

The Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) spacecraft observed a large fraction of the sky in two ultraviolet bands using micro-channel plate detectors with time resolutions of less than ten milliseconds. The gPhoton database of calibrated GALEX photon events at MAST has recently enabled a thorough search of this legacy data set for astrophysical variability at cadences shorter than the orbital period of the spacecraft. (https://archive.stsci.edu/prepds/gphoton/) We explore techniques for mining photon-level data for variability on timescales of seconds to minutes with an emphasis on dwarf star flares, which can be probed at lower energies and shorter durations with gPhoton than prior surveys. We present the early results of a systematic search for such events.

HAZMAT. II. Ultraviolet Variability of Low-mass Stars in the GALEX Archive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miles, Brittany E.; Shkolnik, Evgenya L.

2017-08-01

The ultraviolet (UV) light from a host star influences a planet’s atmospheric photochemistry and will affect interpretations of exoplanetary spectra from future missions like the James Webb Space Telescope. These effects will be particularly critical in the study of planetary atmospheres around M dwarfs, including Earth-sized planets in the habitable zone. Given the higher activity levels of M dwarfs compared to Sun-like stars, time-resolved UV data are needed for more accurate input conditions for exoplanet atmospheric modeling. The Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) provides multi-epoch photometric observations in two UV bands: near-ultraviolet (NUV; 1771-2831 Å) and far-ultraviolet (FUV; 1344-1786 Å). Within 30 pc of Earth, there are 357 and 303 M dwarfs in the NUV and FUV bands, respectively, with multiple GALEX observations. Simultaneous NUV and FUV detections exist for 145 stars in both GALEX bands. Our analyses of these data show that low-mass stars are typically more variable in the FUV than the NUV. Median variability increases with later spectral types in the NUV with no clear trend in the FUV. We find evidence that flares increase the FUV flux density far more than the NUV flux density, leading to variable FUV to NUV flux density ratios in the GALEX bandpasses.The ratio of FUV to NUV flux is important for interpreting the presence of atmospheric molecules in planetary atmospheres such as oxygen and methane as a high FUV to NUV ratio may cause false-positive biosignature detections. This ratio of flux density in the GALEX bands spans three orders of magnitude in our sample, from 0.008 to 4.6, and is 1 to 2 orders of magnitude higher than for G dwarfs like the Sun. These results characterize the UV behavior for the largest set of low-mass stars to date.

HAZMAT. II. Ultraviolet Variability of Low-mass Stars in the GALEX Archive

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Miles, Brittany E.; Shkolnik, Evgenya L., E-mail: bmiles@ucsc.edu

The ultraviolet (UV) light from a host star influences a planet’s atmospheric photochemistry and will affect interpretations of exoplanetary spectra from future missions like the James Webb Space Telescope . These effects will be particularly critical in the study of planetary atmospheres around M dwarfs, including Earth-sized planets in the habitable zone. Given the higher activity levels of M dwarfs compared to Sun-like stars, time-resolved UV data are needed for more accurate input conditions for exoplanet atmospheric modeling. The Galaxy Evolution Explorer ( GALEX ) provides multi-epoch photometric observations in two UV bands: near-ultraviolet (NUV; 1771–2831 Å) and far-ultraviolet (FUV;more » 1344–1786 Å). Within 30 pc of Earth, there are 357 and 303 M dwarfs in the NUV and FUV bands, respectively, with multiple GALEX observations. Simultaneous NUV and FUV detections exist for 145 stars in both GALEX bands. Our analyses of these data show that low-mass stars are typically more variable in the FUV than the NUV. Median variability increases with later spectral types in the NUV with no clear trend in the FUV. We find evidence that flares increase the FUV flux density far more than the NUV flux density, leading to variable FUV to NUV flux density ratios in the GALEX bandpasses.The ratio of FUV to NUV flux is important for interpreting the presence of atmospheric molecules in planetary atmospheres such as oxygen and methane as a high FUV to NUV ratio may cause false-positive biosignature detections. This ratio of flux density in the GALEX bands spans three orders of magnitude in our sample, from 0.008 to 4.6, and is 1 to 2 orders of magnitude higher than for G dwarfs like the Sun. These results characterize the UV behavior for the largest set of low-mass stars to date.« less

VizieR Online Data Catalog: AGB stars with GALEX observations (Montez+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montez, R.; Ramstedt, S.; Kastner, J. H.; Vlemmings, W.; Sanchez, E.

2018-01-01

Our sample of AGB stars is derived from numerous AGB samples found in the literature and was originally compiled by Ramstedt+ (2012A&A...543A.147R) to search for X-ray detections associated with AGB stars. The GALEX mission performed a two-band survey of the UV sky. Using a dichromatic beam splitter, GALEX simultaneously observed far-UV (FUV; λeff~1528Å; 1344-1786Å) and near-UV (NUV; λeff~2310Å; 1771-2831Å) in surveys with different depths. The spatial resolution is 4.3" in FUV and 5.3" in NUV. As described in further detail in Morrissey+ (2007ApJS..173..682M), spectroscopic observations place a grism into the converging beam of the telescope to simultaneously disperse all sources onto the detector plane. According to Morrissey+ (2007), the usable ranges of the grism spectra are 1300-1820Å and 1820-3000Å in the FUV and NUV, with average resolutions of 8Å and 20Å, respectively. To supplement our study of the GALEX observations of AGB stars, we collected photometric data from across the electromagnetic spectrum for all the AGB stars considered using SIMBAD and VizieR tools. We aslo collected AAVSO light curves that span the GALEX mission lifetime (2003 May 28 to 2013 June 28) from the AAVSO International Database. (3 data files).

Thermal control design of the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsuyuki, G. T.; Lee, S. C.

2001-01-01

This paper describes the thermal control design of GALEX, an ultraviolet telescope that investigates the UV properties of local galaxies, history of star formation, and global causes of star formation and evolution.

GALEX studies on UV properties of Nearby Early-type Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rhee, J.; Rich, R. M.; Sohn, Y.-J.; Lee, Y.-W.; Gil de Paz, A.; Deharveng, J.-M.; Donas, J.; Boselli, A.; Rey, S.-C.; Yi, S. K.; GALEX Team

2005-12-01

We present the results of surface photometry on the far-UV (FUV) and near-UV (NUV) images of 23 nearby elliptical galaxies and spiral bulges taken from the GALEX (Galaxy Evolution Explorer). Surface brightness profiles of most galaxies are consistent with de Vaucouleurs' r1/4 law except for some cases more consistent with exponential profiles. We analyze the radial profiles of UV color, (FUV - NUV), and Mg2 line index to investigate a correlation between the gradients of UV color and metal abundance for early-type galaxies. UV color gradients are calculated by applying least square fitting to UV color profile up to effective radius, while Mg2 line strength gradients are compiled for 12 galaxies from previous works. For the 12 early-type galaxies, we find that UV color profiles have a trend to become bluer inward and there is a weak correlation between the gradients of UV color and Mg2 line strength in the sense that galaxies with larger UV color gradients tend to have stronger metal abundance gradients. We also explore the properties of the GALEX-measured ultraviolet rising flux in 96 nearby elliptical galaxies, as a function Lick Mg2 index and velocity dispersion. We include 36 galaxies in the Virgo cluster from the sample of Boselli et al (2005). We find no correlation between the Mg2 index, and log σ and FUV-r. This confirms the findings of Rich et al (2005) for a sample of GALEX/SDSS quiescent early-type galaxies. This is true both for the integrated light, and for nuclear colors. We find a weak correlation between Mg2 and FUV-NUV. We gratefully acknowledge NASA's support for construction, operation, and science analysis for the GALEX mission, developed in cooperation with the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales of France and the Korean Ministry of Science and Technology.

Thermal design and test verification of GALAXY evolution explorer (GALEX)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, P. S.; Lee, S. -C.

2002-01-01

This paper describes the thermal control design of GALEX, an ultraviolet telescope that investigates the UV properties of local galaxies, history of star formation, and global causes of star formation and evolution.

A Search for Rapidly Pulsating Hot Subdwarf Stars in the GALEX Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boudreaux, Thomas M.; Barlow, Brad N.; Fleming, Scott W.; Vasquez Soto, Alan; Million, Chase; Reichart, Dan E.; Haislip, Josh B.; Linder, Tyler R.; Moore, Justin P.

2017-08-01

NASA’s Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) provided near- and far-UV observations for approximately 77% of the sky over a 10-year period; however, the data reduction pipeline initially only released single NUV and FUV images to the community. The recently released Python module gPhoton changes this, allowing calibrated time-series aperture photometry to be extracted easily from the raw GALEX data set. Here we use gPhoton to generate light curves for all hot subdwarf B (sdB) stars that were observed by GALEX, with the intention of identifying short-period, p-mode pulsations. We find that the spacecraft’s short visit durations, uneven gaps between visits, and dither pattern make the detection of hot subdwarf pulsations difficult. Nonetheless, we detect UV variations in four previously known pulsating targets and report their UV pulsation amplitudes and frequencies. Additionally, we find that several other sdB targets not previously known to vary show promising signals in their periodograms. Using optical follow-up photometry with the Skynet Robotic Telescope Network, we confirm p-mode pulsations in one of these targets, LAMOST J082517.99+113106.3, and report it as the most recent addition to the sdBV r class of variable stars.

A Search for Rapidly Pulsating Hot Subdwarf Stars in the GALEX Survey

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Boudreaux, Thomas M.; Barlow, Brad N.; Soto, Alan Vasquez

NASA’s Galaxy Evolution Explorer ( GALEX ) provided near- and far-UV observations for approximately 77% of the sky over a 10-year period; however, the data reduction pipeline initially only released single NUV and FUV images to the community. The recently released Python module gPhoton changes this, allowing calibrated time-series aperture photometry to be extracted easily from the raw GALEX data set. Here we use gPhoton to generate light curves for all hot subdwarf B (sdB) stars that were observed by GALEX , with the intention of identifying short-period, p-mode pulsations. We find that the spacecraft’s short visit durations, uneven gapsmore » between visits, and dither pattern make the detection of hot subdwarf pulsations difficult. Nonetheless, we detect UV variations in four previously known pulsating targets and report their UV pulsation amplitudes and frequencies. Additionally, we find that several other sdB targets not previously known to vary show promising signals in their periodograms. Using optical follow-up photometry with the Skynet Robotic Telescope Network, we confirm p-mode pulsations in one of these targets, LAMOST J082517.99+113106.3, and report it as the most recent addition to the sdBV{sub r} class of variable stars.« less

Galex Lyman-alpha Emitters: Physical Properties, Luminosity Bimodality, And Morphologies.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mallery, Ryan P.

2010-01-01

The Galaxy Evolution Explorer spectroscopic survey has uncovered a large statistically significant sample of Lyman-alpha emitters at z sim0.3. ACS imaging of these sources in the COSMOS and AEGIS deep fields reveals that these Lyman-alpha emitters consist of two distinct galaxy morphologies, face on spiral galaxies and compact starburst/merging systems. The morphology bimodality also results in a bimodal distribution of optical luminosity. A comparison between the UV photometry and MIPS 24 micron detections of these sources indicates that they are bluer, and have less dust extinction than similar star forming galaxies that lack Lyman-alpha detection. Our findings show how the global gas and dust distribution of star forming galaxies inhibits Lyman-alpha emission in star forming galaxies. GALEX is a NASA Small Explorer, launched in April 2003. We gratefully acknowledge NASA's support for construction, operation, and science analysis for the GALEX mission, developed in cooperation with the CNES of France and the Korean Ministry of Science and Technology.

A GALEX-BASED SEARCH FOR THE SPARSE YOUNG STELLAR POPULATION IN THE TAURUS-AURIGAE STAR FORMING REGION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gómez de Castro, Ana I.; Lopez-Santiago, Javier; López-Martínez, Fatima

2015-02-01

In this work, we identify 63 bona fide new candidates to T Tauri stars (TTSs) in the Taurus-Auriga region, using its ultraviolet excess as our baseline. The initial data set was defined from the GALEX all sky survey (AIS). The GALEX satellite obtained images in the near-ultraviolet (NUV) and far-ultraviolet (FUV) bands where TTSs show a prominent excess compared with main-sequence or giants stars. GALEX AIS surveyed the Taurus-Auriga molecular complex, as well as a fraction of the California Nebula and the Perseus complex; bright sources and dark clouds were avoided. The properties of TTSs in the ultraviolet (GALEX), opticalmore » (UCAC4), and infrared (2MASS) have been defined using the TTSs observed with the International Ultraviolet Explorer reference sample. The candidates were identified by means of a mixed ultraviolet-optical-infrared excess set of colors; we found that the FUV-NUV versus J–K color-color diagram is ideally suited for this purpose. From an initial sample of 163,313 bona fide NUV sources, a final list of 63 new candidates to TTSs in the region was produced. The search procedure has been validated by its ability to detect all known TTSs in the area surveyed: 31 TTSs. Also, we show that the weak-lined TTSs are located in a well-defined stripe in the FUV-NUV versus J–K diagram. Moreover, in this work, we provide a list of TTSs photometric standards for future GALEX-based studies of the young stellar population in star forming regions.« less

GALEX Wide-field Ultraviolet Imaging of NGC 5128 (Centaurus-A)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neff, S. G.; Shiminovich, D.; Martin, C. D.

2004-01-01

We present new wide-field ultraviolet (UV) observations of the nearby active galaxy NGC 5128 (Centaurus A). The GALEX images provide 3.5 sec - 5.5 sec resolution over a 1.2 degree field, in two broad bands (1350- 1800A and 1800-3000A, centered at 1550A and 2200A). We detect ultraviolet emission associated with the radio and X-ray jets in both bands, extending out to a distance of approx. 40kpc from the galaxy nucleus. We compare the radio, X-ray, and UV jets, and discuss the feasibility of jet-induced star formation. We show how the UV emission relates to the optical filaments: HI and CO clouds, stellar shells, X-ray arcs, and young star chains previously reported by other authors. In the central region of NGC 5128, we detect UV emission from young super-star-clusters and associated ionized gas located along the near edge and on the upper surface of the dusty warped disk. All of the UV emission in the galaxy appears to result from intense star formation in the disk; none appears to be associated with the old stellar population of the main galaxy body, and no UV emission from the AGN is detected. We estimate the numbers and ages of the massive young stars present, and the associated ionized gas masses. Finally, we compare Cen-A to high redshift radio galaxies which were much more numerous in the earlier universe. The GALEX satellite is a NASA Small Explorer, launched in April 2003. We gratefully acknowledge NASA's support for construction, operation, and science analysis for the GALEX mission.

SEARCHING FOR YOUNG M DWARFS WITH GALEX

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shkolnik, Evgenya L.; Weinberger, Alycia J.; Liu, Michael C.

2011-01-20

The census of young moving groups in the solar neighborhood is significantly incomplete in the low-mass regime. We have developed a new selection process to find these missing members based on the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) All-Sky Imaging Survey (AIS). For stars with spectral types {approx}>K5 (R - J {approx}> 1.5) and younger than {approx}300 Myr, we show that near-UV (NUV) and far-UV (FUV) emission is greatly enhanced above the quiescent photosphere, analogous to the enhanced X-ray emission of young low-mass stars seen by ROSAT but detectable to much larger distances with GALEX. By combining GALEX data with optical (HSTmore » Guide Star Catalog) and near-IR (2MASS) photometry, we identified an initial sample of 34 young M dwarf candidates in a 1000 deg{sup 2} region around the {approx}10 Myr TW Hydra Association (TWA). Low-resolution spectroscopy of 30 of these found 16 which had H{alpha} in emission, which were then followed up at high resolution to search for spectroscopic evidence of youth and to measure their radial velocities. Four objects have low surface gravities, photometric distances and space motions consistent with TWA, but the non-detection of Li indicates that they may be too old to belong to this moving group. One object (M3.5, 93 {+-} 19 pc) appears to be the first known accreting low-mass member of the {approx}15 Myr Lower Centaurus Crux OB association. Two objects exhibit all the characteristics of the known TWA members, and thus we designate them as TWA 31 (M4.2, 110 {+-} 11 pc) and TWA 32 (M6.3, 53 {+-} 5 pc). TWA 31 shows extremely broad (447 km s{sup -1}) H{alpha} emission, making it the sixth member of TWA found to have ongoing accretion. TWA 32 is resolved into a 0.''6 binary in Keck laser guide star adaptive optics imaging. Our search should be sensitive down to spectral types of at least M4-M5 in TWA and thus the small numbers of new member is puzzling. This might indicate TWA has an atypical mass function or that the presence

GALEX Imaging Study of the HI Filaments in M81 Group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yun, Min

We propose to obtain sensitive, wide-field GALEX NUV and FUV images of the area surrounding the central four main members of the M81 group (M81, M82, NGC~2976, NGC~3077) as an integral part of our multi-wavelength observational program to explore the star formation activity, associated radiation field, and details of galaxy evolution/transformation within the group. We will add two pointings adjacent to the Cy-1 program pointing of the M81-M82 field by Huchra et al. (GI1-071) to the same depth (sufficient to detect star formation activity expected for a mean HI column density of a few times 10^18 per cm^2 with S/N>5) to cover most of the 3 degree diameter region we have imaged in 21cm HI line using the VLA, DRAO, and GBT. By combining with our imaging data from IR (Spitzer Cy-2), optical/IR (SDSS, 2MASS), and CO (FCRAO) surveys, we will conduct an extensive quantitative analysis on the distribution of cold gas and dust and star formation activity traced in UV and IR associated with the extensive array of HI tidal streamers. Because of its proximity, M81 group is one of the few extragalactic systems where such analysis can be made at spatial resolution of 100 pc or better. The high quality HI, CO, and dust maps (plus the dyanmical models for the group interactions) make this group an exceptional laboratory for determining the star formation and tidal dwarf formation process.

The Ultraviolet Sky: classification and properties of UV sources from the GALEX surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bianchi, L.; Rodriguez, L.; Herald, J.; Efremova, B.; GALEX Team

2005-12-01

We use UV imaging data from the GALEX (Galaxy Evolution Explorer) surveys, matched to other surveys at longer wavelengths, to classify sources and infer their physical parameters by comparing their measured UV - optical - IR colors to model colors. Our results significantly increase the statistics of some classes of astrophysical objects, such as Milky Way (MW) hot stars and low-redshift QSOs, and provide an unprecedented census of White Dwarfs in the MW. Results from follow-up spectroscopy of UV-selected sources are also presented. (see http://dolomiti.pha.jhu.edu for details ) We gratefully acknowledge NASA's support for construction, operation and data analysis of the GALEX mission, developed in cooperation with the French CNES and Korean Ministry of Science and Technology.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: GALEX BCG galaxies sample properties (Boissier+, 2018)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boissier, S.; Cucciati, O.; Boselli, A.; Mei, S.; Ferrarese, L.

2018-01-01

Tables 2 to 5 from the paper, providing the properties of a sample of 166 BCG galaxies with UV photometry from GALEX. In table 3 -9.999999 indicates galaxies for which no values is provided. (4 data files).

GI-conf: A configuration tool for the GI-cat distributed catalog

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papeschi, F.; Boldrini, E.; Bigagli, L.; Mazzetti, P.

2009-04-01

In this work we present a configuration tool for the GI-cat. In an Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) framework, GI-cat implements a distributed catalog service providing advanced capabilities, such as: caching, brokering and mediation functionalities. GI-cat applies a distributed approach, being able to distribute queries to the remote service providers of interest in an asynchronous style, and notifies the status of the queries to the caller implementing an incremental feedback mechanism. Today, GI-cat functionalities are made available through two standard catalog interfaces: the OGC CSW ISO and CSW Core Application Profiles. However, two other interfaces are under testing: the CIM and the EO Extension Packages of the CSW ebRIM Application Profile. GI-cat is able to interface a multiplicity of discovery and access services serving heterogeneous Earth and Space Sciences resources. They include international standards like the OGC Web Services -i.e. OGC CSW, WCS, WFS and WMS, as well as interoperability arrangements (i.e. community standards) such as: UNIDATA THREDDS/OPeNDAP, SeaDataNet CDI (Common Data Index), GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) services, and SibESS-C infrastructure services. GI-conf implements user-friendly configuration tool for GI-cat. This is a GUI application that employs a visual and very simple approach to configure both the GI-cat publishing and distribution capabilities, in a dynamic way. The tool allows to set one or more GI-cat configurations. Each configuration consists of: a) the catalog standards interfaces published by GI-cat; b) the resources (i.e. services/servers) to be accessed and mediated -i.e. federated. Simple icons are used for interfaces and resources, implementing a user-friendly visual approach. The main GI-conf functionalities are: • Interfaces and federated resources management: user can set which interfaces must be published; besides, she/he can add a new resource, update or remove an already federated

The ultraviolet view of the Magellanic Clouds from GALEX: A first look at the LMC source catalog

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simons, Raymond; Thilker, David; Bianchi, Luciana; Wyder, Ted

2014-03-01

The Galaxy Evolution Exporer (GALEX) has performed unprecedented imaging surveys of the Magellanic Clouds (MC) and their surrounding areas including the Magellanic Bridge (MB) in near-UV (NUV, 1771-2831 Å) and far-UV (FUV, 1344-1786 Å) bands at 5″ resolution. Substantially more area was covered in the NUV than FUV, particularly in the bright central regions, because of the GALEX FUV detector failure. The 5σ depth of the NUV imaging varies between 20.8 and 22.7 (ABmag). Such imaging provides the first sensitive view of the entire content of hot stars in the Magellanic System, revealing the presence of young populations even in sites with extremely low star-formation rate surface density like the MB, owing to high sensitivity of the UV data to hot stars and the dark sky at these wavelengths. The density of UV sources is quite high in many areas of the LMC and SMC. Crowding limits the quality of source detection and photometry from the standard mission pipeline processing. We performed custom-photometry of the GALEX data in the MC survey region (<15° from the LMC, <10° from the SMC). After merging multiple detections of sources in overlapping images, the resulting catalog we have produced for the LMC contains nearly six million unique NUV point sources within 15° and is briefly presented herein. This paper provides a first look at the GALEX MC survey and highlights some of the science investigations that the entire catalog and imaging dataset will make possible.

The GALEX/S4G Surface Brightness and Color Profiles Catalog. I. Surface Photometry and Color Gradients of Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouquin, Alexandre Y. K.; Gil de Paz, Armando; Muñoz-Mateos, Juan Carlos; Boissier, Samuel; Sheth, Kartik; Zaritsky, Dennis; Peletier, Reynier F.; Knapen, Johan H.; Gallego, Jesús

2018-02-01

We present new spatially resolved surface photometry in the far-ultraviolet (FUV) and near-ultraviolet (NUV) from images obtained by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) and IRAC1 (3.6 μm) photometry from the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S4G). We analyze the radial surface brightness profiles μ FUV, μ NUV, and μ [3.6], as well as the radial profiles of (FUV ‑ NUV), (NUV ‑ [3.6]), and (FUV ‑ [3.6]) colors in 1931 nearby galaxies (z < 0.01). The analysis of the 3.6 μm surface brightness profiles also allows us to separate the bulge and disk components in a quasi-automatic way and to compare their light and color distribution with those predicted by the chemo-spectrophotometric models for the evolution of galaxy disks of Boissier & Prantzos. The exponential disk component is best isolated by setting an inner radial cutoff and an upper surface brightness limit in stellar mass surface density. The best-fitting models to the measured scale length and central surface brightness values yield distributions of spin and circular velocity within a factor of two of those obtained via direct kinematic measurements. We find that at a surface brightness fainter than μ [3.6] = 20.89 mag arcsec‑2, or below 3 × 108 M ⊙ kpc‑2 in stellar mass surface density, the average specific star formation rate (sSFR) for star-forming and quiescent galaxies remains relatively flat with radius. However, a large fraction of GALEX Green Valley galaxies show a radial decrease in sSFR. This behavior suggests that an outside-in damping mechanism, possibly related to environmental effects, could be testimony of an early evolution of galaxies from the blue sequence of star-forming galaxies toward the red sequence of quiescent galaxies.

ULTRAVIOLET PROPERTIES OF GALACTIC GLOBULAR CLUSTERS WITH GALEX. II. INTEGRATED COLORS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dalessandro, Emanuele; Ferraro, Francesco R.; Lanzoni, Barbara

2012-11-01

We present ultraviolet (UV) integrated colors of 44 Galactic globular clusters (GGCs) observed with the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) in both FUV and NUV bands. This database is the largest homogeneous catalog of UV colors ever published for stellar systems in our Galaxy. The proximity of GGCs makes it possible to resolve many individual stars even with the somewhat low spatial resolution of GALEX. This allows us to determine how the integrated UV colors are driven by hot stellar populations, primarily horizontal branch stars and their progeny. The UV colors are found to be correlated with various parameters commonly usedmore » to define the horizontal branch morphology. We also investigate how the UV colors vary with parameters like metallicity, age, helium abundance, and concentration. We find for the first time that GCs associated with the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy have (FUV - V) colors systematically redder than GGCs with the same metallicity. Finally, we speculate about the presence of an interesting trend, suggesting that the UV color of GCs may be correlated with the mass of the host galaxy, in the sense that more massive galaxies possess bluer clusters.« less

VizieR Online Data Catalog: GALEX/S4G surface brightness profiles. I. (Bouquin+, 2018)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouquin, A. Y. K.; Gil de, Paz A.; Munoz-Mateos, J. C.; Boissier, S.; Sheth, K.; Zaritsky, D.; Peletier, R. F.; Knapen, J. H.; Gallego, J.

2018-03-01

The Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S4GALEX FUV and NUV images and related data products for 1931 S4G galaxies that had been observed in at least one of these two UV bands. We collected imaging data from all kinds of surveys, such as the All-sky Imaging Survey, Medium Imaging Survey, Deep Imaging Survey, and Nearby Galaxy Survey, as well as from Guest Investigator (GIs/GIIs) Programs. (5 data files).

New UV-source catalogs, UV spectral database, UV variables and science tools from the GALEX surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bianchi, Luciana; de la Vega, Alexander; Shiao, Bernard; Bohlin, Ralph

2018-03-01

We present a new, expanded and improved catalog of Ultraviolet (UV) sources from the GALEX All-Sky Imaging survey: GUVcat_AIS (Bianchi et al. in Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser. 230:24, 2017). The catalog includes 83 million unique sources (duplicate measurements and rim artifacts are removed) measured in far-UV and near-UV. With respect to previous versions (Bianchi et al. in Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 411:2770 2011a, Adv. Space Res. 53:900-991, 2014), GUVcat_AIS covers a slightly larger area, 24,790 square degrees, and includes critical corrections and improvements, as well as new tags, in particular to identify sources in the footprint of extended objects, where pipeline source detection may fail and custom-photometry may be necessary. The UV unique-source catalog facilitates studies of density of sources, and matching of the UV samples with databases at other wavelengths. We also present first results from two ongoing projects, addressing respectively UV variability searches on time scales from seconds to years by mining the GALEX photon archive, and the construction of a database of ˜120,000 GALEX UV spectra (range ˜1300-3000 Å), including quality and calibration assessment and classification of the grism, hence serendipitous, spectral sources.

THE GALEX/S{sup 4}G UV–IR COLOR–COLOR DIAGRAM: CATCHING SPIRAL GALAXIES AWAY FROM THE BLUE SEQUENCE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bouquin, Alexandre Y. K.; Gil de Paz, Armando; Gallego, Jesús

We obtained GALEX FUV, NUV, and Spitzer/IRAC 3.6 μm photometry for >2000 galaxies, available for 90% of the S{sup 4}G sample. We find a very tight GALEX blue sequence (GBS) in the (FUV–NUV) versus (NUV–[3.6]) color–color diagram, which is populated by irregular and spiral galaxies, and is mainly driven by changes in the formation timescale (τ) and a degeneracy between τ and dust reddening. The tightness of the GBS provides an unprecedented way of identifying star-forming galaxies and objects that are just evolving to (or from) what we call the GALEX green valley (GGV). At the red end of the GBS, atmore » (NUV–[3.6]) > 5, we find a wider GALEX red sequence (GRS) mostly populated by E/S0 galaxies that has a perpendicular slope to that of the GBS and of the optical red sequence. We find no such dichotomy in terms of stellar mass (measured by M{sub [3.6]}) since both massive (M{sub ⋆}>10{sup 11}M{sub ⊙}) blue- and red-sequence galaxies are identified. The type that is proportionally more often found in the GGV is the S0-Sa’s, and most of these are located in high-density environments. We discuss evolutionary models of galaxies that show a rapid transition from the blue to the red sequence on a timescale of 10{sup 8} yr.« less

GI bleeding - slideshow

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About GI Motility

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Accretion and Diffusion in the DAZ White Dwarf GALEX J1931+0117

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vennes, Stéphane; Kawka, Adéla; Németh, Péter

2011-03-01

We present an analysis of high-dispersion and high signal-to-noise ratio spectra of the DAZ white dwarf GALEX J1931+0117. The spectra obtained with the VLT-Kueyen/UV-Visual Echelle Spectrograph show several well-resolved Si II spectral lines enabling a study of pressure effects on line profiles. We observed large Stark shifts in silicon lines in agreement with laboratory measurements. A model atmosphere analysis shows that the magnesium, silicon and iron abundances exceed solar abundances, while the oxygen and calcium abundances are below solar. Also, we compared the observed line profiles to synthetic spectra computed with variable accretion rates and vertical abundance distributions assuming diffusion steady-state. The inferred accretion rates vary from Ṁ = 2×106 for calcium to 2×109 g s-1 for oxygen and indicate that the accretion flow is dominated by oxygen, silicon and iron while being deficient in carbon, magnesium and calcium. The lack of radial velocity variations between two measurement epochs suggests that GALEX J1931+0117 is probably not in a close binary and that the source of the accreted material resides in a debris disc.

Deep X-ray and UV Surveys of Galaxies with Chandra, XMM-Newton, and GALEX

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hornschemeier, Ann

2006-01-01

Only with the deepest Chandra surveys has X-ray emission from normal and star forming galaxies (as opposed to AGN, which dominate the X-ray sky) been accessible at cosmologically interesting distances. The X-ray emission from accreting binaries provide a critical glimpse into the binary phase of stellar evolution and studies of the hot gas reservoir constrain past star formation. UV studies provide important, sensitive diagnostics of the young star forming populations and provide the most mature means for studying galaxies at 2 < zeta < 4. This talk will review current progress on studying X-ray emission in concert with UV emission from normal/star-forming galaxies at higher redshift. We will also report on our new, deep surveys with GALEX and XMM-Newton in the nearby Coma cluster. These studies are relevant to DEEP06 as Coma is the nearest rich cluster of galaxies and provides an important benchmark for high-redshift studies in the X-ray and UV wavebands. The 30 ks GALEX (note: similar depth to the GALEX Deep Imaging Survey) and the 110 ks XMM observations provide extremely deep coverage of a Coma outskirts field, allowing the construction of the UV and X-ray luminosity function of galaxies and important constraints on star formation scaling relations such as the X-ray-Star Formation Rate correlation and the X-ray/Stellar Mass correlation. We will discuss what we learn from these deep observations of Coma, including the recently established suppression of the X-ray emission from galaxies in the Coma outskirts that is likely associated with lower levels of past star formation and/or the results of tidal gas stripping.

Upper GI Bleeding in Children

MedlinePlus

Upper GI Bleeding in Children What is upper GI Bleeding? Irritation and ulcers of the lining of the esophagus, stomach or duodenum can result in upper GI bleeding. When this occurs the child may vomit ...

The Timescale-dependent Color Variability of Quasars Viewed with /GALEX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Fei-Fan; Wang, Jun-Xian; Cai, Zhen-Yi; Sun, Yu-Han

2016-11-01

In a recent work by Sun et al., the color variation of quasars, namely the bluer-when-brighter trend, was found to be timescale dependent using the SDSS g/r band light curves in Stripe 82. Such timescale dependence, I.e., bluer variation at shorter timescales, supports the thermal fluctuation origin of the UV/optical variation in quasars, and can be modeled well with the inhomogeneous accretion disk model. In this paper, we extend the study to much shorter wavelengths in the rest frame (down to extreme UV) using GALaxy Evolution eXplorer (GALEX) photometric data of quasars collected in two ultraviolet bands (near-UV and far-UV). We develop Monte Carlo simulations to correct for possible biases due to the considerably larger photometric uncertainties in the GALEX light curves (particularly in the far-UV, compared with the SDSS g/r bands), which otherwise could produce artificial results. We securely confirm the previously discovered timescale dependence of the color variability with independent data sets and at shorter wavelengths. We further find that the slope of the correlation between the amplitude of the color variation and timescale appears even steeper than predicted by the inhomogeneous disk model, which assumes that disk fluctuations follow a damped random walk (DRW) process. The much flatter structure function observed in the far-UV compared with that at longer wavelengths implies deviation from the DRW process in the inner disk, where rest-frame extreme UV radiation is produced.

THE DETECTION RATE OF EARLY UV EMISSION FROM SUPERNOVAE: A DEDICATED GALEX/PTF SURVEY AND CALIBRATED THEORETICAL ESTIMATES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ganot, Noam; Gal-Yam, Avishay; Ofek, Eran O.

The radius and surface composition of an exploding massive star, as well as the explosion energy per unit mass, can be measured using early UV observations of core-collapse supernovae (SNe). We present the first results from a simultaneous GALEX/PTF search for early ultraviolet (UV) emission from SNe. Six SNe II and one Type II superluminous SN (SLSN-II) are clearly detected in the GALEX near-UV (NUV) data. We compare our detection rate with theoretical estimates based on early, shock-cooling UV light curves calculated from models that fit existing Swift and GALEX observations well, combined with volumetric SN rates. We find thatmore » our observations are in good agreement with calculated rates assuming that red supergiants (RSGs) explode with fiducial radii of 500 R{sub ⊙}, explosion energies of 10{sup 51} erg, and ejecta masses of 10 M{sub ⊙}. Exploding blue supergiants and Wolf–Rayet stars are poorly constrained. We describe how such observations can be used to derive the progenitor radius, surface composition, and explosion energy per unit mass of such SN events, and we demonstrate why UV observations are critical for such measurements. We use the fiducial RSG parameters to estimate the detection rate of SNe during the shock-cooling phase (<1 day after explosion) for several ground-based surveys (PTF, ZTF, and LSST). We show that the proposed wide-field UV explorer ULTRASAT mission is expected to find >85 SNe per year (∼0.5 SN per deg{sup 2}), independent of host galaxy extinction, down to an NUV detection limit of 21.5 mag AB. Our pilot GALEX/PTF project thus convincingly demonstrates that a dedicated, systematic SN survey at the NUV band is a compelling method to study how massive stars end their life.« less

The Detection Rate of Early UV Emission from Supernovae: A Dedicated Galex/PTF Survey and Calibrated Theoretical Estimates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganot, Noam; Gal-Yam, Avishay; Ofek, Eran. O.; Sagiv, Ilan; Waxman, Eli; Lapid, Ofer; Kulkarni, Shrinivas R.; Ben-Ami, Sagi; Kasliwal, Mansi M.; The ULTRASAT Science Team; Chelouche, Doron; Rafter, Stephen; Behar, Ehud; Laor, Ari; Poznanski, Dovi; Nakar, Ehud; Maoz, Dan; Trakhtenbrot, Benny; WTTH Consortium, The; Neill, James D.; Barlow, Thomas A.; Martin, Christofer D.; Gezari, Suvi; the GALEX Science Team; Arcavi, Iair; Bloom, Joshua S.; Nugent, Peter E.; Sullivan, Mark; Palomar Transient Factory, The

2016-03-01

The radius and surface composition of an exploding massive star, as well as the explosion energy per unit mass, can be measured using early UV observations of core-collapse supernovae (SNe). We present the first results from a simultaneous GALEX/PTF search for early ultraviolet (UV) emission from SNe. Six SNe II and one Type II superluminous SN (SLSN-II) are clearly detected in the GALEX near-UV (NUV) data. We compare our detection rate with theoretical estimates based on early, shock-cooling UV light curves calculated from models that fit existing Swift and GALEX observations well, combined with volumetric SN rates. We find that our observations are in good agreement with calculated rates assuming that red supergiants (RSGs) explode with fiducial radii of 500 R ⊙, explosion energies of 1051 erg, and ejecta masses of 10 M ⊙. Exploding blue supergiants and Wolf-Rayet stars are poorly constrained. We describe how such observations can be used to derive the progenitor radius, surface composition, and explosion energy per unit mass of such SN events, and we demonstrate why UV observations are critical for such measurements. We use the fiducial RSG parameters to estimate the detection rate of SNe during the shock-cooling phase (<1 day after explosion) for several ground-based surveys (PTF, ZTF, and LSST). We show that the proposed wide-field UV explorer ULTRASAT mission is expected to find >85 SNe per year (˜0.5 SN per deg2), independent of host galaxy extinction, down to an NUV detection limit of 21.5 mag AB. Our pilot GALEX/PTF project thus convincingly demonstrates that a dedicated, systematic SN survey at the NUV band is a compelling method to study how massive stars end their life.

White Dwarfs in the GALEX Survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kawka, Adela; Vennes, Stephane

2007-01-01

We have cross-correlated the 2dF QSO Redshift Survey (2QZ) white dwarf catalog with the GALEX 2nd Data Release and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data release 5 to obtain ultraviolet photometry (FUV, NUV) for approximately 700 objects and optical photometry (ugriz) for approximately 800 objects. We have compared the optical-ultraviolet colors to synthetic white dwarf colors to obtain temperature estimates for approximately 250 of these objects. These white dwarfs have effective temperatures ranging from 10 000 K (cooling age of about 1Gyr) up to about 40000 K (cooling age of about 3 Myrs), with a few that have even higher temperatures. We found that to distinguish white dwarfs from other stellar luminosity classes both optical and ultraviolet colors are necessary, in particular for the hotter objects where there is contamination from B and 0 main-sequence stars. Using this sample we build a luminosity function for the DA white dwarfs with Mv < 12 mag.

Talking about GI Disorders

MedlinePlus

... Lifestyle Changes Strategies for Improving Bowel Habits Improving Sleep Quality Kids & Dietary Fiber Fruit Juice Surgery Laxatives Living with GI Disorders Talking About GI Disorders Personal Stories Social Security Benefits ...

The Galex Time Domain Survey. I. Selection And Classification of Over a Thousand Ultraviolet Variable Sources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gezari, S.; Martin, D. C.; Forster, K.; Neill, J. D.; Huber, M.; Heckman, T.; Bianchi, L.; Morrissey, P.; Neff, S. G.; Seibert, M.;

The GALEX Time Domain Survey. I. Selection and Classification of Over a Thousand Ultraviolet Variable Sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gezari, S.; Martin, D. C.; Forster, K.; Neill, J. D.; Huber, M.; Heckman, T.; Bianchi, L.; Morrissey, P.; Neff, S. G.; Seibert, M.; Schiminovich, D.; Wyder, T. K.; Burgett, W. S.; Chambers, K. C.; Kaiser, N.; Magnier, E. A.; Price, P. A.; Tonry, J. L.

2013-03-01

We present the selection and classification of over a thousand ultraviolet (UV) variable sources discovered in ~40 deg2 of GALEX Time Domain Survey (TDS) NUV images observed with a cadence of 2 days and a baseline of observations of ~3 years. The GALEX TDS fields were designed to be in spatial and temporal coordination with the Pan-STARRS1 Medium Deep Survey, which provides deep optical imaging and simultaneous optical transient detections via image differencing. We characterize the GALEX photometric errors empirically as a function of mean magnitude, and select sources that vary at the 5σ level in at least one epoch. We measure the statistical properties of the UV variability, including the structure function on timescales of days and years. We report classifications for the GALEX TDS sample using a combination of optical host colors and morphology, UV light curve characteristics, and matches to archival X-ray, and spectroscopy catalogs. We classify 62% of the sources as active galaxies (358 quasars and 305 active galactic nuclei), and 10% as variable stars (including 37 RR Lyrae, 53 M dwarf flare stars, and 2 cataclysmic variables). We detect a large-amplitude tail in the UV variability distribution for M-dwarf flare stars and RR Lyrae, reaching up to |Δm| = 4.6 mag and 2.9 mag, respectively. The mean amplitude of the structure function for quasars on year timescales is five times larger than observed at optical wavelengths. The remaining unclassified sources include UV-bright extragalactic transients, two of which have been spectroscopically confirmed to be a young core-collapse supernova and a flare from the tidal disruption of a star by dormant supermassive black hole. We calculate a surface density for variable sources in the UV with NUV < 23 mag and |Δm| > 0.2 mag of ~8.0, 7.7, and 1.8 deg-2 for quasars, active galactic nuclei, and RR Lyrae stars, respectively. We also calculate a surface density rate in the UV for transient sources, using the effective

Learn About GI Motility

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GALEX: a UV telescope to map the star formation history of the universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milliard, Bruno; Grange, Robert; Martin, Christopher; Schiminovich, David

2017-11-01

The NASA Small Mission EXplorer GALEX (PI: C.Martin, Caltech) is under development at JPL for launch late 2001. It has been designed to map the history of star formation in the Universe over the redshift range 0-2, a major era where galaxies and gas content evolved dramatically. The expected depth and imaging quality matches the Palomar Observatory Surveys, allowing GALEX to provide the astronomical community with a database of FUV photometric and spectroscopic observations of several million galaxies in the nearby and distant Universe. The 1.24 degree FOV, 50 cm aperture compact Ritchey-Chrétien telescope is equipped with two 65 mm photon-counting detectors. It will perform several surveys of different coverage and depths, that will take advantage of a high throughput UV-transmissive Grism newly developed in France to easily switch between imagery and field spectroscopy modes. A thin aspherized fused silica dichroic component provides simultaneous observations in two UV bands (135-185 nm and 185-300 nm) as well as correction for field aberrations. We shall briefly present the mission science goals, and will describe the optical concept, along with the guidelines and compromises used for its optimization in the context of the "Faster, Better, Cheaper" NASA philosophy, and give a brief development status report.

A Novel Method for Age Estimation in Solar-Type Stars Through GALEX FUV Magnitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ho, Kelly; Subramonian, Arjun; Smith, Graeme; Shouru Shieh

2018-01-01

Utilizing an inverse association known to exist between Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) far ultraviolet (FUV) magnitudes and the chromospheric activity of F, G, and K dwarfs, we explored a method of age estimation in solar-type stars through GALEX FUV magnitudes. Sample solar-type star data were collected from refereed publications and filtered by B-V and absolute visual magnitude to ensure similarities in temperature and luminosity to the Sun. We determined FUV-B and calculated a residual index Q for all the stars, using the temperature-induced upper bound on FUV-B as the fiducial. Plotting current age estimates for the stars against Q, we discovered a strong and significant association between the variables. By applying a log-linear transformation to the data to produce a strong correlation between Q and loge Age, we confirmed the association between Q and age to be exponential. Thus, least-squares regression was used to generate an exponential model relating Q to age in solar-type stars, which can be used by astronomers. The Q-method of stellar age estimation is simple and more efficient than existing spectroscopic methods and has applications to galactic archaeology and stellar chemical composition analysis.

Enabling interoperability in Geoscience with GI-suite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boldrini, Enrico; Papeschi, Fabrizio; Santoro, Mattia; Nativi, Stefano

2015-04-01

GI-suite is a brokering framework targeting interoperability of heterogeneous systems in the Geoscience domain. The framework is composed by different brokers each one focusing on a specific functionality: discovery, access and semantics (i.e. GI-cat, GI-axe, GI-sem). The brokering takes place between a set of heterogeneous publishing services and a set of heterogeneous consumer applications: the brokering target is represented by resources (e.g. coverages, features, or metadata information) required to seamlessly flow from the providers to the consumers. Different international and community standards are now supported by GI-suite, making possible the successful deployment of GI-suite in many international projects and initiatives (such as GEOSS, NSF BCube and several EU funded projects). As for the publisher side more than 40 standards and implementations are supported (e.g. Dublin Core, OAI-PMH, OGC W*S, Geonetwork, THREDDS Data Server, Hyrax Server, etc.). The support for each individual standard is provided by means of specific GI-suite components, called accessors. As for the consumer applications side more than 15 standards and implementations are supported (e.g. ESRI ArcGIS, Openlayers, OGC W*S, OAI-PMH clients, etc.). The support for each individual standard is provided by means of specific profiler components. The GI-suite can be used in different scenarios by different actors: - A data provider having a pre-existent data repository can deploy and configure GI-suite to broker it and making thus available its data resources through different protocols to many different users (e.g. for data discovery and/or data access) - A data consumer can use GI-suite to discover and/or access resources from a variety of publishing services that are already publishing data according to well-known standards. - A community can deploy and configure GI-suite to build a community (or project-specific) broker: GI-suite can broker a set of community related repositories and

Trust in prescription drug brand websites: website trust cues, attitude toward the website, and behavioral intentions.

PubMed

Huh, Jisu; Shin, Wonsun

2014-01-01

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) prescription drug brand websites, as a form of DTC advertising, are receiving increasing attention due to the growing number and importance as an ad and a consumer information source. This study examined consumer trust in a DTC website as an important factor influencing consumers' attitude toward the website and behavioral intention. Applying the conceptual framework of website trust, the particular focus of investigation was the effect of the website trust cue factor on consumers' perceived DTC website trust and subsequent attitudinal and behavioral responses. Results show a significant relation between the website trust cue factor and consumers' perceived DTC website trust. Perceived DTC website trust, in turn, was found to be significantly associated with consumers' attitude toward the DTC website and behavioral intention.

GALEX Study of the UV Variability of Nearby Galaxies and a Deep Probe of the UV Luminosity Function

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schlegel, Eric

2005-01-01

The proposal has two aims - a deep exposure of NGC 300, about a factor of 10 deeper than the GALEX all-sky survey; and an examination of the UV variability. The data were received just prior to a series of proposal deadlines in early spring. A subsequent analysis delay includes a move from SAO to the University of Texas - San Antonio. Nevertheless, we have merged the data into a single deep exposure as well as undertaking a preliminary examination of the variability. No UV halo is present as detected in the GALEX observation of M83. No UV bursts are visible; however a more stringent limit will only be obtained through a differencing of the sub-images. Papers: we expect 2 papers at about 12 pages/paper to flow from this project. The first paper will report on the time variability while the second will focus on the deep UV image obtained from stacking the individual observations.

Hot Subdwarf Stars Among the Objects Rejected from the PG Catalog: a First Assessment Using GALEX Photometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wade, Richard A.; Stark, M. A.; Green, Richard F.; Durrell, Patrick R.

2009-01-01

The hot subdwarf (sd) stars in the Palomar Green (PG) catalog of ultraviolet excess (UVX) objects play a key role in investigations of the frequency and types of binary companions and the distribution of orbital periods. These are important for establishing whether and by which channels the sd stars arise from interactions in close binary systems. It has been suggested that the list of PG sd stars is biased by the exclusion of many stars in binaries, whose spectra show the Ca I1 K line in absorption. A total of 1125 objects that were photometrically selected as candidates were ultimately rejected from the final PG catalog using this K-line criterion. We study 88 of these 'PG-Rejects' (PGRs), to assess whether there are significant numbers of unrecognized sd stars in binaries among the PGR objects. The presence of a sd should cause a large UVX, compared with the cool K-line star. We assemble GALEX, Johnson V, and 2MASS photometry and compare the colors of these PGR objects with those of known sd stars, cool single stars, and hot+cool binaries. Sixteen PGRs were detected in both the far- and near-ultraviolet GALEX passbands. Eleven of these, plus the 72 cases with only an upper limit in the far-ultraviolet band, are interpreted as single cool stars, appropriately rejected by the PG spectroscopy. Of the remaining five stars, three are consistent with being sd stars paired with a cool main sequence companion, while two may be single stars or composite systems of another type. We discuss the implications of these findings for the 1125 PGR objects as a whole. An enlarged study is desirable to increase confidence in these first results and to identify individual sd+cool binaries or other composites for follow-up study. The GALEX AIS data have sufficient sensitivity to carry out this larger study.

HAZMAT. III. The UV Evolution of Mid- to Late-M Stars with GALEX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, Adam C.; Shkolnik, Evgenya L.

2018-03-01

Low-mass stars are currently the most promising targets for detecting and characterizing habitable planets in the solar neighborhood. However, the ultraviolet (UV) radiation emitted by such stars can erode and modify planetary atmospheres over time, drastically affecting their habitability. Thus, knowledge of the UV evolution of low-mass stars is critical for interpreting the evolutionary history of any orbiting planets. Shkolnik & Barman used photometry from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) to show how UV emission evolves for early-type M stars (>0.35 M ⊙). In this paper, we extend their work to include both a larger sample of low-mass stars with known ages as well as M stars with lower masses. We find clear evidence that mid- and late-type M stars (0.08–0.35 M ⊙) do not follow the same UV evolutionary trend as early-Ms. Lower-mass M stars retain high levels of UV activity up to field ages, with only a factor of 4 decrease on average in GALEX NUV and FUV flux density between young (<50 Myr) and old (∼5 Gyr) stars, compared to a factor of 11 and 31 for early-Ms in NUV and FUV, respectively. We also find that the FUV/NUV flux density ratio, which can affect the photochemistry of important planetary biosignatures, is mass- and age-dependent for early-Ms, but remains relatively constant for the mid- and late-type Ms in our sample.

Special Report - Post 9/11 GI Bill

Science.gov Websites

For the first time in history, servicemembers enrolled in the Post-9/11 GI Bill program will be able , see the Dept. of Veteran's Affairs Web site. Top Stories Officials Tout Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits this fall under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, officials are continuing an active outreach effort to ensure

The effects of the WISE/ GALEX photometry for the SED-fitting with M31 star clusters and candidates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Zhou; Wang, Song

2017-10-01

Spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting of stellar population synthesis models is an important and popular way to constrain the physical parameters—e.g., the ages, metallicities, masses for stellar population analysis. The previous works suggest that both blue-bands and red-bands photometry works for the SED-fitting. Either blue-domained or red-domained SED-fitting usually lead to the unreliable or biased results. Meanwhile, it seems that extending the wavelength coverage could be helpful. Since the Galaxy Evolution Explorer ( GALEX) and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) provide the FUV/NUV and mid-infrared W1/W2 band data, we extend the SED-fitting to a wider wavelength coverage. In our work, we analyzed the effect of adding the FUV/NUV and W1/W2 band to the optical and near-infrared UBVRIJHK bands for the fitting with the (Bruzual and Charlot in Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 344, 1000, 2003) (BC03) models and galev models. It is found that the FUV/NUV bands data affect the fitting results of both ages and metallicities much more significantly than that of the WISE W1/W2 band with the BC03 models. While for the galev models, the effect of the WISE W1/W2 band for the metallicity fitting seems comparable to that of GALEX FUV/NUV bands, but for age the effect of the W1/W2 band seems less crucial than that of the FUV/NUV bands. Thus we conclude that the GALEX FUV/NUV bands are more crucial for the SED-fitting of ages and metallicities, than the other bands, and the high-quality UV data (with high photometry precision) are required.

Cost effectiveness of surveillance for GI cancers.

PubMed

Omidvari, Amir-Houshang; Meester, Reinier G S; Lansdorp-Vogelaar, Iris

2016-12-01

Gastrointestinal (GI) diseases are among the leading causes of death in the world. To reduce the burden of GI diseases, surveillance is recommended for some diseases, including for patients with inflammatory bowel diseases, Barrett's oesophagus, precancerous gastric lesions, colorectal adenoma, and pancreatic neoplasms. This review aims to provide an overview of the evidence on cost-effectiveness of surveillance of individuals with GI conditions predisposing them to cancer, specifically focussing on the aforementioned conditions. We searched the literature and reviewed 21 studies. Despite heterogeneity of studies in terms of settings, study populations, surveillance strategies and outcomes, most reviewed studies suggested at least some surveillance of patients with these GI conditions to be cost-effective. For some high-risk conditions frequent surveillance with 3-month intervals was warranted, while for other conditions, surveillance may only be cost-effective every 10 years. Further studies based on more robust effectiveness evidence are needed to inform and optimise surveillance programmes for GI cancers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Expression and characterization of duck enteritis virus gI gene

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background At present, alphaherpesviruses gI gene and its encoding protein have been extensively studied. It is likely that gI protein and its homolog play similar roles in virions direct cell-to-cell spread of alphaherpesviruses. But, little is known about the characteristics of DEV gI gene. In this study, we expressed and presented the basic properties of the DEV gI protein. Results The special 1221-bp fragment containing complete open reading frame(ORF) of duck enteritis virus(DEV) gI gene was extracted from plasmid pMD18-T-gI, and then cloned into prokaryotic expression vector pET-32a(+), resulting in pET-32a(+)-gI. After being confirmed by PCR, restriction endonuclease digestion and sequencing, pET-32a(+)-gI was transformed into E.coli BL21(DE3) competent cells for overexpression. DEV gI gene was successfully expressed by the addition of isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactopyranoside(IPTG). SDS-PAGE showed that the recombinant protein His6-tagged gI molecular weight was about 61 kDa. Subsequently, the expressed product was applied to generate specific antibody against gI protein. The specificity of the rabbit immuneserum was confirmed by its ability to react with the recombinant protein His6-tagged gI. In addition, real time-PCR was used to determine the the levels of the mRNA transcripts of gI gene, the results showed that the DEV gI gene was transcribed most abundantly during the late phase of infection. Furthermore, indirect immunofluorescence(IIF) was established to study the gI protein expression and localization in DEV-infected duck embryo fibroblasts (DEFs), the results confirmed that the protein was expressed and located in the cytoplasm of the infected cells, intensively. Conclusions The recombinant prokaryotic expression vector of DEV gI gene was constructed successfully. The gI protein was successfully expressed by E.coli BL21(DE3) and maintained its antigenicity very well. The basic information of the transcription and intracellular localization of gI gene

Lower GI Series

MedlinePlus

... may ask the person to change position several times to evenly coat the large intestine with the barium • if the health care provider has ordered a double-contrast lower GI series, the radiologist will inject air through the tube ...

Release of the gPhoton Database of GALEX Photon Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fleming, Scott W.; Million, Chase; Shiao, Bernie; Tucker, Michael; Loyd, R. O. Parke

2016-01-01

The GALEX spacecraft surveyed much of the sky in two ultraviolet bands between 2003 and 2013 with non-integrating microchannel plate detectors. The Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST) has made more than one trillion photon events observed by the spacecraft available, stored as a 130 TB database, along with an open-source, python-based software package to query this database and create calibrated lightcurves or images from these data at user-defined spatial and temporal scales. In particular, MAST users can now conduct photometry at the intra-visit level (timescales of seconds and minutes). The software, along with the fully populated database, was officially released in Aug. 2015, and improvements to both software functionality and data calibration are ongoing. We summarize the current calibration status of the gPhoton software, along with examples of early science enabled by gPhoton that include stellar flares, AGN, white dwarfs, exoplanet hosts, novae, and nearby galaxies.

UV/Optical Detections of Candidate Tidal Disruption Events by GALEX and CFHTLS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gezari, S.; Basa, S.; Martin, D. C.; Bazin, G.; Forster, K.; Milliard, B.; Halpern, J. P.; Friedman, P. G.; Morrissey, P.; Neff, S. G.; Schiminovich, D.; Seibert, M.; Small, T.; Wyder, T. K.

2008-04-01

We present two luminous UV/optical flares from the nuclei of apparently inactive early-type galaxies at z = 0.37 and 0.33 that have the radiative properties of a flare from the tidal disruption of a star. In this paper we report the second candidate tidal disruption event discovery in the UV by the GALEX Deep Imaging Survey and present simultaneous optical light curves from the CFHTLS Deep Imaging Survey for both UV flares. The first few months of the UV/optical light curves are well fitted with the canonical t-5/3 power-law decay predicted for emission from the fallback of debris from a tidally disrupted star. Chandra ACIS X-ray observations during the flares detect soft X-ray sources with Tbb = (2-5) × 105 K or Γ > 3 and place limits on hard X-ray emission from an underlying AGN down to LX(2-10 keV) lesssim 1041 ergs s-1. Blackbody fits to the UV/optical spectral energy distributions of the flares indicate peak flare luminosities of gtrsim1044-1045 ergs s-1. The temperature, luminosity, and light curves of both flares are in excellent agreement with emission from a tidally disrupted main-sequence star onto a central black hole of several times 107 M⊙. The observed detection rate of our search over ~2.9 deg2 of GALEX Deep Imaging Survey data spanning from 2003 to 2007 is consistent with tidal disruption rates calculated from dynamical models, and we use these models to make predictions for the detection rates of the next generation of optical synoptic surveys. Some of the data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

Imbalanced Learning for RR Lyrae Stars Based on SDSS and GALEX Databases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jingyi; Zhang, Yanxia; Zhao, Yongheng

2018-03-01

We apply machine learning and Convex-Hull algorithms to separate RR Lyrae stars from other stars like main-sequence stars, white dwarf stars, carbon stars, CVs, and carbon-lines stars, based on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX). In low-dimensional spaces, the Convex-Hull algorithm is applied to select RR Lyrae stars. Given different input patterns of (u ‑ g, g ‑ r), (g ‑ r, r ‑ i), (r ‑ i, i ‑ z), (u ‑ g, g ‑ r, r ‑ i), (g ‑ r, r ‑ i, i ‑ z), (u ‑ g, g ‑ r, i ‑ z), and (u ‑ g, r ‑ i, i ‑ z), different convex hulls can be built for RR Lyrae stars. Comparing the performance of different input patterns, u ‑ g, g ‑ r, i ‑ z is the best input pattern. For this input pattern, the efficiency (the fraction of true RR Lyrae stars in the predicted RR Lyrae sample) is 4.2% with a completeness (the fraction of recovered RR Lyrae stars in the whole RR Lyrae sample) of 100%, increases to 9.9% with 97% completeness and to 16.1% with 53% completeness by removing some outliers. In high-dimensional spaces, machine learning algorithms are used with input patterns (u ‑ g, g ‑ r, r ‑ i, i ‑ z), (u ‑ g, g ‑ r, r ‑ i, i ‑ z, r), (NUV ‑ u, u ‑ g, g ‑ r, r ‑ i, i ‑ z), and (NUV ‑ u, u ‑ g, g ‑ r, r ‑ i, i ‑ z, r). RR Lyrae stars, which belong to the class of interest in our paper, are rare compared to other stars. For the highly imbalanced data, cost-sensitive Support Vector Machine, cost-sensitive Random Forest, and Fast Boxes is used. The results show that information from GALEX is helpful for identifying RR Lyrae stars, and Fast Boxes is the best performer on the skewed data in our case.

Advanced GI Surgery Training-a Roadmap for the Future: the White Paper from the SSAT Task Force on Advanced GI Surgery Training.

PubMed

Hutter, Matthew M; Behrns, Kevin E; Soper, Nathaniel J; Michelassi, Fabrizio

2017-04-01

There is the need for well-trained advanced GI surgeons. The super specialization seen in academic and large community centers may not be applicable for surgeons practicing in other settings. The pendulum that has been swinging toward narrow specialization is swinging the other way, as many trained subspecialists are having a harder time finding positions after fellowship, and if they do find a position, the majority of their practice can actually be advanced GI surgery and not exclusively their area of focused expertise. Many hospitals/practices desire surgeons who are competent and specifically credentialed to perform a variety of advanced GI procedures from the esophagus through the anus. Furthermore, broader exposure in training may provide complementary and overlapping skills that may lead to an even better trained GI surgeon compared to someone whose experience is limited to just the liver and pancreas, or to just the colon and rectum, or to only bariatric and foregut surgery. With work hour restrictions and limitations on autonomy for current trainees in residency, many senior trainees have not developed the skills and knowledge to allow them to be competent and comfortable in the broad range of GI surgery. Such training should reflect the needs of the patients and their diseases, and reflect what many practicing surgeons are currently doing, and what many trainees say they would like to do, if there were such fellowship pathways available to them. The goal is to train advanced GI surgeons who are competent and proficient to operate throughout the GI tract and abdomen with open, laparoscopic, and endoscopic techniques in acute and elective situations in a broad variety of complex GI diseases. The program may be standalone, or prepare a surgeon for additional subspecialty training (transition to fellowship and/or to practice). This group of surgeons should be distinguished from subspecialist surgeons who focus in a narrow area of GI surgery. Advanced GI

Characterizing Extragalactic Star Formation with GALEX Legacy Photometric Analysis of UV-Bright Stellar Complexes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thilker, David

At the close of nearly a decade of observing, GALEX has accumulated an unprecedented archive of ultraviolet (UV) images revealing both the scope and intricacy of star formation (SF) in many thousands of galaxies inhabiting the local universe. If the observed hierarchical SF morphology can be quantified systematically, and physically interpreted with multi-wavelength ancillary data and modeling, then the low redshift GALEX legacy will approach completion. However, the GALEX GR6 pipeline database contains a highly incomplete census of young stellar complexes even for very well-studied galaxies. We propose to apply a dedicated photometry algorithm that has been optimized for measuring the properties of irregularly shaped sources in crowded galaxy images containing spatially variant, diffuse intra-clump emission. Structures will be selected in the UV, but we will compile UV-visible-MIR SEDs for each detection utilizing Pan-STARRS1+SDSS and WISE data. These SEDs will then be fit using population-synthesis models to derive estimated stellar mass, age, and extinction. Processing will be completed for the entire diameter-limited GALEX Large Galaxy Atlas (GLGA) sample of 20,000+ galaxies, at a variety of standardized spatial resolutions. Although the precise categorization of the cataloged substructures will depend on galaxy distance, the outcome of our analysis will be a catalog similar to the stellar association surveys of past decades for very nearby galaxies based on resolved stars (e.g. van den Bergh 1964, Hodge 1986, Efremov et al. 1987), except that our investigation will probe a galaxy sample of dramatically larger size using the integrated UV light from such groupings of young stars. Our algorithm is multi-scale in nature and will thus preserve the hierarchical properties of the stellar distribution, by linking sub-clumps to their larger-scale parent feature(s). The resulting database will be a fundamental resource for follow-up multi-wavelength studies probing SF

Colors of Dwarf Ellipticals from GALEX to WISE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schombert, James M.

2018-02-01

Multicolor photometry is presented for a sample of 60 dwarf ellipticals (dE’s) selected by morphology. The sample uses data from GALEX, SDSS, and WISE to investigate the colors in the NUV, ugri, and W1 (3.4 μm) filters. We confirm the blueward shift in the color–magnitude relation (CMR) for dE’s, compared to the CMR for bright ellipticals, as seen in previous studies. However, we find that the deviation in color across the UV to near-IR for dE’s is a strong signal of a younger age for dE’s, one that indicates decreasing mean age with lower stellar mass. Lower mass dE’s are found to have mean ages of 4 Gyr and mean [Fe/H] values of ‑1.2. Age and metallicity increase tothe most massive dE’s, with mean ages similar to normal ellipticals (12 Gyr) and their lowest metallicities ([Fe/H] = ‑0.3). Deduced initial star formation rates for dE’s, combined with their current metallicities and central stellar densities, suggest a connection between field low surface brightness (LSB) dwarfs and cluster dE’s, where the cluster environment halts star formation for dE’s, triggering a separate evolutionary path.

Extending the GI Brokering Suite to Support New Interoperability Specifications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boldrini, E.; Papeschi, F.; Santoro, M.; Nativi, S.

2014-12-01

The GI brokering suite provides the discovery, access, and semantic Brokers (i.e. GI-cat, GI-axe, GI-sem) that empower a Brokering framework for multi-disciplinary and multi-organizational interoperability. GI suite has been successfully deployed in the framework of several programmes and initiatives, such as European Union funded projects, NSF BCube, and the intergovernmental coordinated effort Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). Each GI suite Broker facilitates interoperability for a particular functionality (i.e. discovery, access, semantic extension) among a set of brokered resources published by autonomous providers (e.g. data repositories, web services, semantic assets) and a set of heterogeneous consumers (e.g. client applications, portals, apps). A wide set of data models, encoding formats, and service protocols are already supported by the GI suite, such as the ones defined by international standardizing organizations like OGC and ISO (e.g. WxS, CSW, SWE, GML, netCDF) and by Community specifications (e.g. THREDDS, OpenSearch, OPeNDAP, ESRI APIs). Using GI suite, resources published by a particular Community or organization through their specific technology (e.g. OPeNDAP/netCDF) can be transparently discovered, accessed, and used by different Communities utilizing their preferred tools (e.g. a GIS visualizing WMS layers). Since Information Technology is a moving target, new standards and technologies continuously emerge and are adopted in the Earth Science context too. Therefore, GI Brokering suite was conceived to be flexible and accommodate new interoperability protocols and data models. For example, GI suite has recently added support to well-used specifications, introduced to implement Linked data, Semantic Web and precise community needs. Amongst the others, they included: DCAT: a RDF vocabulary designed to facilitate interoperability between Web data catalogs. CKAN: a data management system for data distribution, particularly used by

Harvesting implementation for the GI-cat distributed catalog

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boldrini, Enrico; Papeschi, Fabrizio; Bigagli, Lorenzo; Mazzetti, Paolo

2010-05-01

GI-cat framework implements a distributed catalog service supporting different international standards and interoperability arrangements in use by the geoscientific community. The distribution functionality in conjunction with the mediation functionality allows to seamlessly query remote heterogeneous data sources, including OGC Web Services - e.e. OGC CSW, WCS, WFS and WMS, community standards such as UNIDATA THREDDS/OPeNDAP, SeaDataNet CDI (Common Data Index), GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) services and OpenSearch engines. In the GI-cat modular architecture a distributor component carry out the distribution functionality by query delegation to the mediator components (one for each different data source). Each of these mediator components is able to query a specific data source and convert back the results by mapping of the foreign data model to the GI-cat internal one, based on ISO 19139. In order to cope with deployment scenarios in which local data is expected, an harvesting approach has been experimented. The new strategy comes in addition to the consolidated distributed approach, allowing the user to switch between a remote and a local search at will for each federated resource; this extends GI-cat configuration possibilities. The harvesting strategy is designed in GI-cat by the use at the core of a local cache component, implemented as a native XML database and based on eXist. The different heterogeneous sources are queried for the bulk of available data; this data is then injected into the cache component after being converted to the GI-cat data model. The query and conversion steps are performed by the mediator components that were are part of the GI-cat framework. Afterward each new query can be exercised against local data that have been stored in the cache component. Considering both advantages and shortcomings that affect harvesting and query distribution approaches, it comes out that a user driven tuning is required to take the best

The GI Bilk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Risener, Randall

1976-01-01

What to do about the billion-dollar GI Bill overpayment problem is a question confronting many community college administrators and the Veterans' Administration. Legal and administrative technicalities are reviewed, and it is suggested that many Vietnam era veterans may have no qualms about accepting checks from a government they feel has betrayed…

Colors of Ellipticals from GALEX to Spitzer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schombert, James M.

2016-12-01

Multi-color photometry is presented for a large sample of local ellipticals selected by morphology and isolation. The sample uses data from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX), Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), Two Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS), and Spitzer to cover the filters NUV, ugri, JHK and 3.6 μm. Various two-color diagrams, using the half-light aperture defined in the 2MASS J filter, are very coherent from color to color, meaning that galaxies defined to be red in one color are always red in other colors. Comparison to globular cluster colors demonstrates that ellipticals are not composed of a single age, single metallicity (e.g., [Fe/H]) stellar population, but require a multi-metallicity model using a chemical enrichment scenario. Such a model is sufficient to explain two-color diagrams and the color-magnitude relations for all colors using only metallicity as a variable on a solely 12 Gyr stellar population with no evidence of stars younger than 10 Gyr. The [Fe/H] values that match galaxy colors range from -0.5 to +0.4, much higher (and older) than population characteristics deduced from Lick/IDS line-strength system studies, indicating an inconsistency between galaxy colors and line indices values for reasons unknown. The NUV colors have unusual behavior, signaling the rise and fall of the UV upturn with elliptical luminosity. Models with blue horizontal branch tracks can reproduce this behavior, indicating the UV upturn is strictly a metallicity effect.

Research on website construction based on website group platform of Chengdu sport institution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Zunyu

2018-04-01

This paper describes the necessity of website construction based on the website group of Chengdu sport institute, and discusses the technical features of the website group, Based on the website group platform architecture, the key technologies such as Web Service, AJAX, RSS and other key technologies are used to realize the construction of the website. Based on the website group platform architecture of the site, it effectively solves the information isolated island between the sites, and realizes the information sharing and resource integration. It is also more convenient that site and other sites have composed of site group integrated operation and maintenance.

The Galaxy Color-Magnitude Diagram in the Local Universe from GALEX and SDSS Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wyder, T. K.; GALEX Science Team

2005-12-01

We present the relative density of galaxies in the local universe as a function of their r-band absolute magnitudes and ultraviolet minus r-band colors. The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) main galaxy sample selected in the r-band was matched with a sample of galaxies from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) Medium Imaging Survey in both the far-UV (FUV) and near-UV (NUV) bands. Simlar to previous optical studies, the distribution of galaxies in (FUV-r) and (NUV-r) is bimodal with well-defined blue and red sequences. We compare the distribution of galaxies in these colors with both the D4000 index measured from the SDSS spectra as well as the SDSS (u-r) color.

Gi Proteins Regulate Adenylyl Cyclase Activity Independent of Receptor Activation

PubMed Central

Melsom, Caroline Bull; Ørstavik, Øivind; Osnes, Jan-Bjørn; Skomedal, Tor; Levy, Finn Olav; Krobert, Kurt Allen

2014-01-01

Background and purpose Despite the view that only β2- as opposed to β1-adrenoceptors (βARs) couple to Gi, some data indicate that the β1AR-evoked inotropic response is also influenced by the inhibition of Gi. Therefore, we wanted to determine if Gi exerts tonic receptor-independent inhibition upon basal adenylyl cyclase (AC) activity in cardiomyocytes. Experimental approach We used the Gs-selective (R,R)- and the Gs- and Gi-activating (R,S)-fenoterol to selectively activate β2ARs (β1AR blockade present) in combination with Gi inactivation with pertussis toxin (PTX). We also determined the effect of PTX upon basal and forskolin-mediated responses. Contractility was measured ex vivo in left ventricular strips and cAMP accumulation was measured in isolated ventricular cardiomyocytes from adult Wistar rats. Key results PTX amplified both the (R,R)- and (R,S)-fenoterol-evoked maximal inotropic response and concentration-dependent increases in cAMP accumulation. The EC50 values of fenoterol matched published binding affinities. The PTX enhancement of the Gs-selective (R,R)-fenoterol-mediated responses suggests that Gi regulates AC activity independent of receptor coupling to Gi protein. Consistent with this hypothesis, forskolin-evoked cAMP accumulation was increased and inotropic responses to forskolin were potentiated by PTX treatment. In non-PTX-treated tissue, phosphodiesterase (PDE) 3 and 4 inhibition or removal of either constitutive muscarinic receptor activation of Gi with atropine or removal of constitutive adenosine receptor activation with CGS 15943 had no effect upon contractility. However, in PTX-treated tissue, PDE3 and 4 inhibition alone increased basal levels of cAMP and accordingly evoked a large inotropic response. Conclusions and implications Together, these data indicate that Gi exerts intrinsic receptor-independent inhibitory activity upon AC. We propose that PTX treatment shifts the balance of intrinsic Gi and Gs activity upon AC towards Gs

Upper Gastrointestinal (GI) Series

MedlinePlus

... abdomen or ask you to change position several times to evenly coat your upper GI tract with the barium. If you are having a double-contrast study, you will swallow gas-forming crystals that mix with the barium coating your stomach. ...

Internet food marketing on popular children's websites and food product websites in Australia.

PubMed

Kelly, Bridget; Bochynska, Katarzyna; Kornman, Kelly; Chapman, Kathy

2008-11-01

The aim of the present study was to describe the nature and extent of food marketing on popular children's websites and food product websites in Australia. Food product websites (n 119) and popular children's websites (n 196) were selected based on website traffic data and previous research on frequently marketed food brands. Coding instruments were developed to capture food marketing techniques. All references to food on popular children's websites were also classified as either branded or non-branded and according to food categories. Websites contained a range of marketing features. On food product websites these marketing features included branded education (79.0% of websites), competitions (33.6%), promotional characters (35.3%), downloadable items (35.3%), branded games (28.6%) and designated children's sections (21.8%). Food references on popular children's websites were strongly skewed towards unhealthy foods (60.8% v. 39.2% healthy food references; P<0.001), with three times more branded food references for unhealthy foods. Branded food references displayed similar marketing features to those identified on food product websites. Internet food marketing uses a range of techniques to ensure that children are immersed in brand-related information and activities for extended periods, thereby increasing brand familiarity and exposure. The relatively unregulated marketing environment and increasing use of the Internet by children point to the potential increase in food marketing via this medium. Further research is required to investigate the impact of Internet food marketing on children's food preferences and consumption, and regulatory options to protect children.

Piroxicam-β-Cyclodextrin: A GI Safer Piroxicam

PubMed Central

Scarpignato, C

2013-01-01

Although NSAIDs are very effective drugs, their use is associated with a broad spectrum of adverse reactions in the liver, kidney, cardiovascular (CV) system, skin and gut. Gastrointestinal (GI) side effects are the most common and constitute a wide clinical spectrum ranging from dyspepsia, heartburn and abdominal discomfort to more serious events such as peptic ulcer with life-threatening complications of bleeding and perforation. The appreciation that CV risk is also increased further complicates the choices of physicians prescribing anti-inflammatory therapy. Despite prevention strategies should be implemented in patients at risk, gastroprotection is often underused and adherence to treatment is generally poor. A more appealing approach would be therefore to develop drugs that are devoid of or have reduced GI toxicity. Gastro-duodenal mucosa possesses many defensive mechanisms and NSAIDs have a deleterious effect on most of them. This results in a mucosa less able to cope with even a reduced acid load. NSAIDs cause gastro-duodenal damage, by two main mechanisms: a physiochemical disruption of the gastric mucosal barrier and systemic inhibition of gastric mucosal protection, through inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX, PG endoperoxide G/H synthase) activity of the GI mucosa. However, against a background of COX inhibition by anti-inflammatory doses of NSAIDs, their physicochemical properties, in particular their acidity, underlie the topical effect leading to short-term damage. It has been shown that esterification of acidic NSAIDs suppresses their gastrotoxicity without adversely affecting anti-inflammatory activity. Another way to develop NSAIDs with better GI tolerability is to complex these molecules with cyclodextrins (CDs), giving rise to so-called “inclusion complexes” that can have physical, chemical and biological properties very different from either those of the drug or the cyclodextrin. Complexation of NSAIDs with β-cyclodextrin potentially leads

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Rapidly pulsating sdB stars search with GALEX (Boudreaux+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boudreaux, T. M.; Barlow, B. N.; Fleming, S. W.; Soto, A. V.; Million, C.; Reichart, D. E.; Haislip, J. B.; Linder, T. R.; Moore, J. P.

2018-04-01

Here we present a search for short-period hot subdwarf B (sdB) pulsations in the archived GALEX data set using gPhoton (Million+ 2016ApJ...833..292M). An initial sample of 5613 hot subdwarfs (Geier+ 2017, J/A+A/600/A50), which represents a good approximation of all cataloged hot subdwarf stars, was down-selected based on magnitudes, coordinates, and total exposure time available in the gPhoton database, described fully in Section 2. These selection criteria yielded 1881 targets upon which we focused our investigation. Calibrated light curves with time bins of 30s were generated for each target using gPhoton. (4 data files).

GeoNetwork powered GI-cat: a geoportal hybrid solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baldini, Alessio; Boldrini, Enrico; Santoro, Mattia; Mazzetti, Paolo

2010-05-01

To the aim of setting up a Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI) the creation of a system for the metadata management and discovery plays a fundamental role. An effective solution is the use of a geoportal (e.g. FAO/ESA geoportal), that has the important benefit of being accessible from a web browser. With this work we present a solution based integrating two of the available frameworks: GeoNetwork and GI-cat. GeoNetwork is an opensource software designed to improve accessibility of a wide variety of data together with the associated ancillary information (metadata), at different scale and from multidisciplinary sources; data are organized and documented in a standard and consistent way. GeoNetwork implements both the Portal and Catalog components of a Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) defined in the OGC Reference Architecture. It provides tools for managing and publishing metadata on spatial data and related services. GeoNetwork allows harvesting of various types of web data sources e.g. OGC Web Services (e.g. CSW, WCS, WMS). GI-cat is a distributed catalog based on a service-oriented framework of modular components and can be customized and tailored to support different deployment scenarios. It can federate a multiplicity of catalogs services, as well as inventory and access services in order to discover and access heterogeneous ESS resources. The federated resources are exposed by GI-cat through several standard catalog interfaces (e.g. OGC CSW AP ISO, OpenSearch, etc.) and by the GI-cat extended interface. Specific components implement mediation services for interfacing heterogeneous service providers, each of which exposes a specific standard specification; such components are called Accessors. These mediating components solve providers data modelmultiplicity by mapping them onto the GI-cat internal data model which implements the ISO 19115 Core profile. Accessors also implement the query protocol mapping; first they translate the query requests expressed

Information contained in miscarriage-related websites and the predictive value of website scoring systems.

PubMed

Hardwick, J Christopher R; MacKenzie, Fiona M

2003-01-10

To identify websites providing information about early pregnancy loss and compare this information with published guidelines from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG). The value of 'Silberg' and 'Health on the net (HON)' website scoring systems in predicting the information provided via websites identified was assessed. A cross-sectional survey. Nineteen websites identified via two search engines (http://www.lycos.co.uk and http://www.msn.co.uk). Websites were searched for specific information in a structured manner and then scored by two independent observers against the website scoring systems and against a scoring system derived from guidelines published by the RCOG. Website scores against the scoring systems and against RCOG guidelines. Information concerning miscarriage contained within these websites was poor and scored accordingly against the RCOG guidelines (median score, 4.5/8). The website scoring systems did not predict the RCOG scores for a website (HON score R(S)=0.193 (95% confidence interval from -0.286 to 0.595), Silberg score, R(S)=0.035 (95% confidence interval from -0.426 to 0.482)). Few relevant websites were identified despite searching a large number via two search engines. The websites found did not answer our specific questions and consequently scored poorly against the RCOG guidelines. RCOG scores did not correlate with either scoring system. Web-based information for women attending with early pregnancy complications needs to be easily accessed and comprehensive. Written information given to women when seen with early pregnancy complications should include details of available comprehensive websites. Professional organisations, colleges or Government agencies should provide this type of information.

Plasma Dictionary Website

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Correll, Don; Heeter, Robert; Alvarez, Mitch

2000-10-01

In response to many inquiries for a list of plasma terms, a database driven Plasma Dictionary website (plasmadictionary.llnl.gov) was created that allows users to submit new terms, search for specific terms or browse alphabetic listings. The Plasma Dictionary website contents began with the Fusion & Plasma Glossary terms available at the Fusion Energy Educational website (fusedweb.llnl.gov). Plasma researchers are encouraged to add terms and definitions. By clarifying the meanings of specific plasma terms, it is envisioned that the primary use of the Plasma Dictionary website will be by students, teachers, researchers, and writers for (1) Enhancing literacy in plasma science, (2) Serving as an educational aid, (3) Providing practical information, and (4) Helping clarify plasma writings. The Plasma Dictionary website has already proved useful in responding to a request from the CRC Press (www.crcpress.com) to add plasma terms to its CRC physics dictionary project (members.aol.com/physdict/).

COLORS OF ELLIPTICALS FROM GALEX TO SPITZER

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schombert, James M., E-mail: jschombe@uoregon.edu

2016-12-01

Multi-color photometry is presented for a large sample of local ellipticals selected by morphology and isolation. The sample uses data from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer ( GALEX ), Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), Two Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS), and Spitzer to cover the filters NUV , ugri , JHK and 3.6 μ m. Various two-color diagrams, using the half-light aperture defined in the 2MASS J filter, are very coherent from color to color, meaning that galaxies defined to be red in one color are always red in other colors. Comparison to globular cluster colors demonstrates that ellipticals are not composedmore » of a single age, single metallicity (e.g., [Fe/H]) stellar population, but require a multi-metallicity model using a chemical enrichment scenario. Such a model is sufficient to explain two-color diagrams and the color–magnitude relations for all colors using only metallicity as a variable on a solely 12 Gyr stellar population with no evidence of stars younger than 10 Gyr. The [Fe/H] values that match galaxy colors range from −0.5 to +0.4, much higher (and older) than population characteristics deduced from Lick/IDS line-strength system studies, indicating an inconsistency between galaxy colors and line indices values for reasons unknown. The NUV colors have unusual behavior, signaling the rise and fall of the UV upturn with elliptical luminosity. Models with blue horizontal branch tracks can reproduce this behavior, indicating the UV upturn is strictly a metallicity effect.« less

gPhoton: The GALEX Photon Data Archive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Million, Chase; Fleming, Scott W.; Shiao, Bernie; Seibert, Mark; Loyd, Parke; Tucker, Michael; Smith, Myron; Thompson, Randy; White, Richard L.

2016-12-01

gPhoton is a new database product and software package that enables analysis of GALEX ultraviolet data at the photon level. The project’s stand-alone, pure-Python calibration pipeline reproduces the functionality of the original mission pipeline to reduce raw spacecraft data to lists of time-tagged, sky-projected photons, which are then hosted in a publicly available database by the Mikulski Archive at Space Telescope. This database contains approximately 130 terabytes of data describing approximately 1.1 trillion sky-projected events with a timestamp resolution of five milliseconds. A handful of Python and command-line modules serve as a front end to interact with the database and to generate calibrated light curves and images from the photon-level data at user-defined temporal and spatial scales. The gPhoton software and source code are in active development and publicly available under a permissive license. We describe the motivation, design, and implementation of the calibration pipeline, database, and tools, with emphasis on divergence from prior work, as well as challenges created by the large data volume. We summarize the astrometric and photometric performance of gPhoton relative to the original mission pipeline. For a brief example of short time-domain science capabilities enabled by gPhoton, we show new flares from the known M-dwarf flare star CR Draconis. The gPhoton software has permanent object identifiers with the ASCL (ascl:1603.004) and DOI (doi:10.17909/T9CC7G). This paper describes the software as of version v1.27.2.

gPhoton: THE GALEX PHOTON DATA ARCHIVE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Million, Chase; Fleming, Scott W.; Shiao, Bernie

gPhoton is a new database product and software package that enables analysis of GALEX ultraviolet data at the photon level. The project’s stand-alone, pure-Python calibration pipeline reproduces the functionality of the original mission pipeline to reduce raw spacecraft data to lists of time-tagged, sky-projected photons, which are then hosted in a publicly available database by the Mikulski Archive at Space Telescope. This database contains approximately 130 terabytes of data describing approximately 1.1 trillion sky-projected events with a timestamp resolution of five milliseconds. A handful of Python and command-line modules serve as a front end to interact with the database andmore » to generate calibrated light curves and images from the photon-level data at user-defined temporal and spatial scales. The gPhoton software and source code are in active development and publicly available under a permissive license. We describe the motivation, design, and implementation of the calibration pipeline, database, and tools, with emphasis on divergence from prior work, as well as challenges created by the large data volume. We summarize the astrometric and photometric performance of gPhoton relative to the original mission pipeline. For a brief example of short time-domain science capabilities enabled by gPhoton, we show new flares from the known M-dwarf flare star CR Draconis. The gPhoton software has permanent object identifiers with the ASCL (ascl:1603.004) and DOI (doi:10.17909/T9CC7G). This paper describes the software as of version v1.27.2.« less

[Websites of dental practices evaluated].

PubMed

Poorterman, J H G; Tjiook, S P; Moeijes, S F S; Brand, H S

2014-05-01

In 2013, a dental practice without a website is almost unthinkable. Using a sample of309 dentists drawn from the list of members of the Dutch Dental Association in 2012, a study was carried out to find out whether the dental practice of the general dental practitioner had a website. The content of each website was subsequently inventoried using a questionnaire. Eighty-nine percent of the dental practices had a website. The content of the websites, however, varied enormously. An element such as the professional registration number with a reference to the professional register were absent in 73% of the websites and the date of the most recent update of the website was mentioned only once. The name of the dentist, his or her professional qualification and an email address were missing on respectively 9%, 20% and 9% of the websites. Contracts of the practice with insurance companies were rarely clearly indicated. The websites of many practices would benefit considerably from a significant improvement.

Impact of Perceived Website Service Quality on Customer E-Loyalty on a Lodging Website

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jeon, Myunghee

2009-01-01

Customer loyalty on websites, "e-loyalty", is reflected on customer behavior, regardless of online or offline business. Specifically, it is believed that customer loyalty on a website is strongly associated with website service quality. This study rigorously reviewed previously reported research in the website service quality dimensions and…

Gi proteins regulate adenylyl cyclase activity independent of receptor activation.

PubMed

Melsom, Caroline Bull; Ørstavik, Øivind; Osnes, Jan-Bjørn; Skomedal, Tor; Levy, Finn Olav; Krobert, Kurt Allen

2014-01-01

Despite the view that only β2- as opposed to β1-adrenoceptors (βARs) couple to G(i), some data indicate that the β1AR-evoked inotropic response is also influenced by the inhibition of Gi. Therefore, we wanted to determine if Gi exerts tonic receptor-independent inhibition upon basal adenylyl cyclase (AC) activity in cardiomyocytes. We used the Gs-selective (R,R)- and the Gs- and G(i)-activating (R,S)-fenoterol to selectively activate β2ARs (β1AR blockade present) in combination with Gi inactivation with pertussis toxin (PTX). We also determined the effect of PTX upon basal and forskolin-mediated responses. Contractility was measured ex vivo in left ventricular strips and cAMP accumulation was measured in isolated ventricular cardiomyocytes from adult Wistar rats. PTX amplified both the (R,R)- and (R,S)-fenoterol-evoked maximal inotropic response and concentration-dependent increases in cAMP accumulation. The EC50 values of fenoterol matched published binding affinities. The PTX enhancement of the Gs-selective (R,R)-fenoterol-mediated responses suggests that Gi regulates AC activity independent of receptor coupling to Gi protein. Consistent with this hypothesis, forskolin-evoked cAMP accumulation was increased and inotropic responses to forskolin were potentiated by PTX treatment. In non-PTX-treated tissue, phosphodiesterase (PDE) 3 and 4 inhibition or removal of either constitutive muscarinic receptor activation of Gi with atropine or removal of constitutive adenosine receptor activation with CGS 15943 had no effect upon contractility. However, in PTX-treated tissue, PDE3 and 4 inhibition alone increased basal levels of cAMP and accordingly evoked a large inotropic response. Together, these data indicate that Gi exerts intrinsic receptor-independent inhibitory activity upon AC. We propose that PTX treatment shifts the balance of intrinsic G(i) and Gs activity upon AC towards Gs, enhancing the effect of all cAMP-mediated inotropic agents.

Common data items in seven European oesophagogastric cancer surgery registries: towards a European upper GI cancer audit (EURECCA Upper GI).

PubMed

de Steur, W O; Henneman, D; Allum, W H; Dikken, J L; van Sandick, J W; Reynolds, J; Mariette, C; Jensen, L; Johansson, J; Kolodziejczyk, P; Hardwick, R H; van de Velde, C J H

2014-03-01

Seven countries (Denmark, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, United Kingdom) collaborated to initiate a EURECCA (European Registration of Cancer Care) Upper GI project. The aim of this study was to identify a core dataset of shared items in the different data registries which can be used for future collaboration between countries. Item lists from all participating Upper GI cancer registries were collected. Items were scored 'present' when included in the registry, or when the items could be deducted from other items in the registry. The definition of a common item was that it was present in at least six of the seven participating countries. The number of registered items varied between 40 (Poland) and 650 (Ireland). Among the 46 shared items were data on patient characteristics, staging and diagnostics, neoadjuvant treatment, surgery, postoperative course, pathology, and adjuvant treatment. Information on non-surgical treatment was available in only 4 registries. A list of 46 shared items from seven participating Upper GI cancer registries was created, providing a basis for future quality assurance and research in Upper GI cancer treatment on a European level. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ILRS Website Update

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Noll, Carey E.; Torrence, Mark H.; Pollack, Nathan H.; Tyahla, Lori J.

2013-01-01

The ILRS website, http://ilrs.gsfc.nasa.gov, is the central source of information for all aspects of the service. The website provides information on the organization and operation of the ILRS and descriptions of ILRS components data, and products. Furthermore, the website provides an entry point to the archive of these data products available through the data centers. Links are provided to extensive information on the ILRS network stations including performance assesments and data quality evaluations. Descriptions of suported satellite missions (current, future, and past) are provided to aid in station acquisition and data analysis. The website was reently redesigned. Content was reviewed during the update process, ensuring information is current and useful. This poster will provide specific examples of key sections, applicaitons, and webpages.

ILRS Website Redesign

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Noll, C.; Lee, L.; Torrence, M.

2011-01-01

The International Laser Ranging Service (ILRS) website, http://ilrs.gsfc.nasa.gov, is the central source of information for all aspects of the service. The website provides information on the organization and operation of ILRS and descriptions of ILRS components, data, and products. Furthermore, the website and provides an entry point to the archive of these data and products available through the data centers. Links are provided to extensive information on the ILRS network stations including performance assessments and data quality evaluations. Descriptions of supported satellite missions (current, future, and past) are provided to aid in station acquisition and data analysis. The current format for the ILRS website has been in use since the early years of the service. Starting in 2010, the ILRS Central Bureau began efforts to redesign the look and feel for the website. The update will allow for a review of the contents, ensuring information is current and useful. This poster will detail the proposed design including specific examples of key sections and webpages.

Engaging patients through your website.

PubMed

Snyder, Kimberlee; Ornes, Lynne L; Paulson, Pat

2014-01-01

Legislation requires the healthcare industry to directly engage patients through technology. This paper proposes a model that can be used to review hospital websites for features that engage patients in their healthcare. The model describes four levels of patient engagement in website design. The sample consisted of 130 hospital websites from hospitals listed on 2010 and 2011 Most Wired Hospitals. Hospital websites were analyzed for features that encouraged patient interaction with their healthcare according to the levels in the model. Of the four levels identified in the model, websites ranged from "informing" to "collaborative" in website design. There was great variation of features offered on hospital websites with few being engaging and interactive. © 2012 National Association for Healthcare Quality.

Lower GI Series (Barium Enema)

MedlinePlus

... You may be asked to change position several times to evenly coat the large intestine with the barium. If you are having a double-contrast lower GI series, the radiologist will inject air through the tube ...

The Effects of Website Information Utility on the Outcomes of User-Website Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hasley, Joseph Paul

2010-01-01

This study investigates the relationships between website information content utility and various outcomes of user interactions with e-tail websites. Although previous research has consistently identified high quality information content as a critical factor of successful e-commerce websites, those studies have not reported how to identify the…

School Executive Website Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thiede, Robert

2009-01-01

The School Executive Website will be a one-stop, online site for officials who are looking for educational data, best practices, product reviews, school documents, professional opinions, and/or job-related networking. The format of the website is designed in certain sections similar to other current and popular websites, such as Angie's List.com,…

Evaluating Dermatology Residency Program Websites.

PubMed

Ashack, Kurt A; Burton, Kyle A; Soh, Jonathan M; Lanoue, Julien; Boyd, Anne H; Milford, Emily E; Dunnick, Cory; Dellavalle, Robert P

2016-03-16

Internet resources play an important role in how medical students access information related to residency programs.Evaluating program websites is necessary in order to provide accurate information for applicants and provide information regarding areas of website improvement for programs. To date, dermatology residency websites (D  WS) have not been evaluated.This paper evaluates dermatology residency websites based on availability of predefined measures. Using the FREIDA (Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database) Online database, authors searched forall accredited dermatology program websites. Eligible programs were identified through the FREIDA Online database and had a functioning website. Two authors independently extracted data with consensus or third researcher resolution of differences. This data was accessed and archived from July 15th to July 17th, 2015.Primary outcomes measured were presence of content on education, resident and faculty information, program environment, applicant recruitment, schedule, salary, and website quality evaluated using an online tool (WooRank.com). Out of 117 accredited dermatology residencies, 115 had functioning webpages. Of these, 76.5% (75) had direct links found on the FRIEDA Online database. Most programs contained information on education, faculty, program environment, and applicant recruitment. However, website quality and marketing effectiveness were highly variable; most programs were deemed to need improvements in the functioning of their webpages. Also, additional information on current residents and about potential away rotations were lacking from most websites with only 52.2% (60) and 41.7% (48) of programs providing this content, respectively. A majority of dermatology residency websites contained adequate information on many of the factors we evaluated. However, many were lacking in areas that matter to applicants. We hope this report will encourage dermatology residencyprograms

The SalGI restriction endonuclease. Purification and properties

PubMed Central

Maxwell, Anthony; Halford, Stephen E.

1982-01-01

The type II restriction endonuclease SalGI has been purified to near homogeneity. At least 80% of the protein remaining after the final stage of the preparation is SalGI restriction endonuclease; no contaminating nucleases remain detectable. The principal form of the protein under both native and denaturing conditions is a monomer of Mr about 29000. The optimal conditions for both enzyme stability and enzyme activity have been determined. ImagesFig. 1. PMID:6285898

What does viewing a pro-anorexia website do? An experimental examination of website exposure and moderating effects.

PubMed

Bardone-Cone, Anna M; Cass, Kamila M

2007-09-01

This study experimentally examined the effects of viewing a pro-anorexia website. Following construction of a prototypic pro-anorexia website, 235 female undergraduates were randomly assigned to view either the pro-anorexia website or one of two comparison websites related to female fashion (using average-sized models) or home décor. Post-website affect, cognitions, and behavioral expectations were examined along with moderator effects. Study participants exposed to the pro-anorexia website had greater negative affect, lower social self-esteem, and lower appearance self-efficacy post-website than those who viewed a comparison website. Additionally, they perceived themselves as heavier, reported a greater likelihood of exercising and thinking about their weight in the near future, and engaged in more image comparison. Minimal support was found for moderator effects. Results provide an empirical basis for concern (expressed by clinicians, researchers, the media) that pro-anorexia websites are a troubling new form of thin-ideal exposure that warrants further examination. (c) 2007 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

CoGI: Towards Compressing Genomes as an Image.

PubMed

Xie, Xiaojing; Zhou, Shuigeng; Guan, Jihong

2015-01-01

Genomic science is now facing an explosive increase of data thanks to the fast development of sequencing technology. This situation poses serious challenges to genomic data storage and transferring. It is desirable to compress data to reduce storage and transferring cost, and thus to boost data distribution and utilization efficiency. Up to now, a number of algorithms / tools have been developed for compressing genomic sequences. Unlike the existing algorithms, most of which treat genomes as one-dimensional text strings and compress them based on dictionaries or probability models, this paper proposes a novel approach called CoGI (the abbreviation of Compressing Genomes as an Image) for genome compression, which transforms the genomic sequences to a two-dimensional binary image (or bitmap), then applies a rectangular partition coding algorithm to compress the binary image. CoGI can be used as either a reference-based compressor or a reference-free compressor. For the former, we develop two entropy-based algorithms to select a proper reference genome. Performance evaluation is conducted on various genomes. Experimental results show that the reference-based CoGI significantly outperforms two state-of-the-art reference-based genome compressors GReEn and RLZ-opt in both compression ratio and compression efficiency. It also achieves comparable compression ratio but two orders of magnitude higher compression efficiency in comparison with XM--one state-of-the-art reference-free genome compressor. Furthermore, our approach performs much better than Gzip--a general-purpose and widely-used compressor, in both compression speed and compression ratio. So, CoGI can serve as an effective and practical genome compressor. The source code and other related documents of CoGI are available at: http://admis.fudan.edu.cn/projects/cogi.htm.

Community Colleges: Key to Vietnam Era GI Bill Shortfall.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horan, J. Michael

The Vietnam Era GI Bill was clearly influenced by the social and educational success of World War II veterans, but also reflected the policy objectives of equity and access of the 1960's. A 1987 monograph by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reported that 60% of all Vietnam Era veterans received some training benefit from the GI Bill, but…

Promoting diversity through program websites: A multicultural content analysis of school psychology program websites.

PubMed

Smith, Leann V; Blake, Jamilia J; Graves, Scott L; Vaughan-Jensen, Jessica; Pulido, Ryne; Banks, Courtney

2016-09-01

The recruitment of culturally and linguistically diverse students to graduate programs is critical to the overall growth and development of school psychology as a field. Program websites serve as an effective recruitment tool for attracting prospective students, yet there is limited research on how school psychology programs use their websites to recruit diverse students. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether school psychology program websites include sufficient levels of diversity-related content critical for attracting diverse applicants. The website content of 250 professional psychology programs (165 school psychology training programs and 85 clinical and counseling psychology programs) were examined for the presence of themes of diversity and multiculturalism that prospective racially/ethnically and linguistically diverse students deem important for selecting a graduate program. Results indicated that school psychology programs had less diversity-related content on their program's website relative to clinical and counseling psychology programs.' Implications for improving recruitment of racially/ethnically and linguistically diverse students through websites are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

The potential of hospital Website marketing.

PubMed

Sanchez, P M

2000-01-01

In recent years, hospital website marketing has witnessed explosive growth. Industry experts cite an almost 100% growth in hospital website marketing over the last several years. At one time lagging in the adoption of Internet technology, hospitals have now begun making significant strides in catching up with other industries. In spite of the general proliferation of hospital websites, however, the full potential of the Internet with its unique characteristics has yet to be realized. In this paper, current trends fueling the growth of hospital website marketing are first explored. Secondly, barriers to realizing the potential of website marketing are investigated. Finally, recommendations for improving hospital website marketing are developed.

Experience of maintaining laboratory educational website's sustainability

PubMed Central

Dimenstein, Izak B.

2016-01-01

Laboratory methodology websites are specialized niche websites. The visibility of a niche website transforms it into an authority site on a particular “niche of knowledge.” This article presents some ways in which a laboratory methodology website can maintain its sustainability. The optimal composition of the website includes a basic content, a blog, and an ancillary part. This article discusses experimenting with the search engine optimization query results page. Strategic placement of keywords and even phrases, as well as fragmentation of the post's material, can improve the website's visibility to search engines. Hyperlinks open a chain reaction of additional links and draw attention to the previous posts. Publications in printed periodicals are a substantial part of a niche website presence on the Internet. Although this article explores a laboratory website on the basis of our hands-on expertise maintaining “Grossing Technology in Surgical Pathology” (www.grossing-technology.com) website with a high volume of traffic for more than a decade, the recommendations presented here for developing an authority website can be applied to other professional specialized websites. The authority websites visibility and sustainability are preconditions for aggregating them in a specialized educational laboratory portal. PMID:27688928

Experience of maintaining laboratory educational website's sustainability.

PubMed

Dimenstein, Izak B

2016-01-01

Laboratory methodology websites are specialized niche websites. The visibility of a niche website transforms it into an authority site on a particular "niche of knowledge." This article presents some ways in which a laboratory methodology website can maintain its sustainability. The optimal composition of the website includes a basic content, a blog, and an ancillary part. This article discusses experimenting with the search engine optimization query results page. Strategic placement of keywords and even phrases, as well as fragmentation of the post's material, can improve the website's visibility to search engines. Hyperlinks open a chain reaction of additional links and draw attention to the previous posts. Publications in printed periodicals are a substantial part of a niche website presence on the Internet. Although this article explores a laboratory website on the basis of our hands-on expertise maintaining "Grossing Technology in Surgical Pathology" (www.grossing-technology.com) website with a high volume of traffic for more than a decade, the recommendations presented here for developing an authority website can be applied to other professional specialized websites. The authority websites visibility and sustainability are preconditions for aggregating them in a specialized educational laboratory portal.

The GALEX Ultraviolet Virgo Cluster Survey (GUViCS). VII. Brightest cluster galaxy UV upturn and the FUV-NUV color up to redshift 0.35

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boissier, S.; Cucciati, O.; Boselli, A.; Mei, S.; Ferrarese, L.

2018-03-01

Context. At low redshift, early-type galaxies often exhibit a rising flux with decreasing wavelength in the 1000-2500 Å range, called "UV upturn". The origin of this phenomenon is debated, and its evolution with redshift is poorly constrained. The observed GALEX FUV-NUV color can be used to probe the UV upturn approximately to redshift 0.5. Aim. We provide constraints on the existence of the UV upturn up to redshift 0.4 in the brightest cluster galaxies (BCG) located behind the Virgo cluster, using data from the GUViCS survey. Methods: We estimate the GALEX far-UV (FUV) and near-UV (NUV) observed magnitudes for BCGs from the maxBCG catalog in the GUViCS fields. We increase the number of nonlocal galaxies identified as BCGs with GALEX photometry from a few tens of galaxies to 166 (64 when restricting this sample to relatively small error bars). We also estimate a central color within a 20 arcsec aperture. By using the r-band luminosity from the maxBCG catalog, we can separate blue FUV-NUV due to recent star formation and candidate upturn cases. We use Lick indices to verify their similarity to redshift 0 upturn cases. Results: We clearly detect a population of blue FUV-NUV BCGs in the redshift range 0.10-0.35, vastly improving the existing constraints at these epochs by increasing the number of galaxies studied, and by exploring a redshift range with no previous data (beyond 0.2), spanning one more Gyr in the past. These galaxies bring new constraints that can help distinguish between assumptions concerning the stellar populations causing the UV upturn phenomenon. The existence of a large number of UV upturns around redshift 0.25 favors the existence of a binary channel among the sources proposed in the literature. Tables 2-5 are available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/611/A42

The quality of orthodontic practice websites.

PubMed

Parekh, J; Gill, D S

2014-05-01

To evaluate orthodontic practice websites for the reliability of information presented, accessibility, usability for patients and compliance to General Dental Council (GDC) regulations on ethical advertising. World Wide Web. The term 'orthodontic practice' was entered into three separate search engines. The 30 websites from the UK were selected and graded according to the LIDA tool (a validated method of evaluating healthcare websites) for accessibility, usability of the website and reliability of information on orthodontic treatment. The websites were then evaluated against the GDC's Principles for ethical advertising in nine different criteria. On average, each website fulfilled six out of nine points of the GDC's criteria, with inclusion of a complaints policy being the most poorly fulfilled criteria. The mean LIDA score (a combination of usability, reliability and accessibility) was 102/144 (standard deviation 8.38). The websites scored most poorly on reliability (average 43% SD 11.7), with no single website reporting a clear, reliable method of content production. Average accessibility was 81% and usability 73%. In general, websites did not comply with GDC guidelines on ethical advertising. Furthermore, practitioners should consider reporting their method of information production, particularly when making claims about efficiency and speed of treatment in order to improve reliability.

IBS and Non-GI Functional Disorders

MedlinePlus

... than is considered normal). Most diagnostic tests (laboratory tests, radiology, endoscopy, and isotope scans) are designed to identify structural problems, but not disorders of function. There are many examples of functional disorders in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. ...

Legal Aspects of a School Library Website

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Tom

2009-01-01

School library websites enhance and explain the services provided by the library. Most schools have a library website. Jurkowski (2004) reviewed thirty-four school library websites and ranked the most common features: website links, databases, policies, Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC), and websites by subject. These features give patrons a…

Refocusing website marketing: physician-patient relationships.

PubMed

Sanchez, Peter M

2002-01-01

Physician websites have become commonplace in the world of health care marketing. Most, if not all of these websites, focus on practice enhancement tactics as a means of increasing office traffic in an increasingly competitive environment. Websites developed in this way fail to tap the interactive potential of website technology and provide little support for the development of physician-patient relationships. In this paper, we extend a model of medical service care so as to refocus attention on the importance of physician-patient relationships and the role websites can play in this process.

Norovirus in feces and nasopharyngeal swab of children with and without acute gastroenteritis symptoms: First report of GI.5 in Brazil and GI.3 in nasopharyngeal swab.

PubMed

Dábilla, Nathânia; Nunes Vieira Almeida, Tâmera; Carvalho Rebouças Oliveira, Anniely; Kipnis, André; Neres Silva, Thairiny; Souza Fiaccadori, Fabíola; Teixeira de Sousa, Teresinha; de Paula Cardoso, Divina das Dôres; Souza, Menira

2017-02-01

Noroviruses (NoVs) are an important cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE), worldwide. To evaluate the frequency, viral load and molecular profile of NoV in fecal and nasopharyngeal swab samples from hospitalized children, and to determine children's secretor status. From May 2014 to May 2015, 219 children were included in the study, 96 with gastroenteric symptoms and 123 without gastroenteric symptoms. All fecal and nasopharyngeal swab samples were screened by TaqMan RT-qPCR duplex (GI/GII NoV) and quality samples were characterized by genomic sequencing. Norovirus positivity rate in feces was 15.4% in asymptomatic and 18.8% in the symptomatic group. The median viral loads in feces were 2.69×10 8 GC/g and 4.32×10 7 GC/g from children with or without AGE symptoms, respectively. In nasopharyngeal swab samples, the NoV positivity was 11.4% in symptomatic children, with a median viral load of 2.20×10 7 GC/mL and 6.5% in asymptomatic children, with an average viral load of 1.73×10 6 GC/mL. In only two cases NoV was detected in both samples. A considerable genomic variability was observed in feces, with six genotypes being detected, as follows: GII.4, GII.6, GI.3 and GII.3, GI.2 and GI.5. Two GI.3 was detected in nasopharyngeal swab. Our data reveal considerable NoV frequencies in both nasopharyngeal and fecal samples from symptomatic and asymptomatic children. Higher viral loads were detected in samples from AGE symptomatic children, when compared to asymptomatic children. High genomic variability was observed, with this being the first report of GI.5 NoV in Brazil and of GI.3 in nasopharyngeal swab samples. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Desirable attributes of public educational websites.

PubMed

Whitbeck, Caroline

2005-07-01

Certain attributes are particularly desirable for public educational websites, and websites for ethics education in particular. Among the most important of these attributes is wide accessibility through adherence to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards for HTML code. Adherence to this standard produces webpages that can be rendered by a full range of web browsers, including Braille and speech browsers. Although almost no academic websites, including ethics websites, and even fewer commercial websites are accessible by W3C standards, as illustrated by the Online Ethics Center for Engineering and Science , even websites created on limited budgets and with an undergraduate student staff can fulfill these standards. Other desirable attributes, such as provision of annotation for all links and the use of annotated links to give the user alternate ways of ordering and organizing content, are important for making full use of the educational possibilities of hypermedia for websites.

Quality and content of dental practice websites.

PubMed

Nichols, L C; Hassall, D

2011-04-09

To investigate the quality and content of dental practice websites by constructing an audit framework based on regulations, guidance and expert advice, and applying this framework to a random sample of UK dental practices' websites. An audit framework was constructed and in-depth data collected from a random sample of 150 UK dental practices. Thirty-five percent of dental practices in this study were found to have websites. Compliance with rules and regulations regarding dental practice websites was generally poor. Use of advised content for practice promotion was variable. Many websites were poorly optimised. Eighty-nine percent of the websites advertised tooth whitening, despite the issues surrounding its legality; 25% of the websites advertised Botox even though advertising of prescription only medicines is illegal. Some websites gave misleading information about the specialist status of their dentists. Those responsible for dental practice websites need to be aware of a wide range of regulations and guidance, and are advised to follow expert advice on content and optimisation in order to maximise the potential of their websites.

Evaluating compliance to a low glycaemic index (GI) diet in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

PubMed

Egan, Nicola; Read, Anna; Riley, Paddy; Atiomo, William

2011-03-08

A low Glycaemic Index (GI) diet may decrease some long-term health risks in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) such as endometrial cancer. This study was performed to assess compliance to a low GI diet in women with PCOS. Food diaries prospectively collected over 6 months from women on a low GI diet or healthy eating diet were analysed retrospectively. The women were recruited for a pilot randomised control trial investigating whether a low GI diet decreased the risk of Endometrial Cancer. Nine women with PCOS completed 33 food diaries (17 from women on a low GI diet and 16 from women on a healthy eating diet) recording 3023 food items (low GI group:n = 1457; healthy eating group:n = 1566). Data was analysed using Foster-Powell international values inserted into an SPSS database as no scientifically valid established nutrition software was found. The main outcome measures were mean item GI and Glyacemic Load (GL), mean meal GL, percentage high GI foods and mean weight loss. Women allocated the low GI diet had a statistically significant lower GI of food items (33.67 vs 36.91, p < 0.05), lower percentage of high GI foods (4.3% vs 12.1%, p < 0.05) and lower GL of food items and meals. Women with PCOS on a low GI diet consumed food items with a significantly lower mean GI and GL compared to the healthy eating diet group. Longer term compliance needs evaluation in subsequent studies to ascertain that this translates to reduced long term health risks. ISRCTN: ISRCTN86420258.

Panchromatic properties of 99000 galaxies detected by SDSS, and (some by) ROSAT, GALEX, 2MASS, IRAS, GB6, FIRST, NVSS and WENSS surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Obrić, M.; Ivezić, Ž.; Best, P. N.; Lupton, R. H.; Tremonti, C.; Brinchmann, J.; Agüeros, M. A.; Knapp, G. R.; Gunn, J. E.; Rockosi, C. M.; Schlegel, D.; Finkbeiner, D.; Gaćeša, M.; Smolčić, V.; Anderson, S. F.; Voges, W.; Jurić, M.; Siverd, R. J.; Steinhardt, W.; Jagoda, A. S.; Blanton, M. R.; Schneider, D. P.

2006-08-01

We discuss the panchromatic properties of 99088 galaxies selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 1 `main' spectroscopic sample (a flux-limited sample for 1360deg2). These galaxies are positionally matched to sources detected by ROSAT, Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX), two-Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS), Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS), Green Bank GB6 survey (GB6), Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-centimetres (FIRST), NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) and Westerbork Northern Sky Survey (WENSS). The matching fraction varies from <1 per cent for ROSAT and GB6 to ~40 per cent for GALEX and 2MASS. In addition to its size, the advantages of this sample are well-controlled selection effects, faint flux limits and the wealth of measured parameters, including accurate X-ray to radio photometry, angular sizes and optical spectra. We find strong correlations between the detection fraction at other wavelengths and optical properties such as flux, colours and emission-line strengths. For example, ~2/3 of SDSS `main' galaxies classified as active galactic nucleus (AGN) using emission-line strengths are detected by 2MASS, while the corresponding fraction for star-forming galaxies (SFs) is only ~1/10. Similarly, over 90 per cent of galaxies detected by IRAS display strong emission lines in their optical spectra, compared to ~50 per cent for the whole SDSS sample. Using GALEX, SDSS and 2MASS data, we construct the ultraviolet-infrared (UV-IR) broad-band spectral energy distributions for various types of galaxies, and find that they form a nearly one-parameter family. For example, the SDSS u- and r-band data, supplemented with redshift, can be used to `predict' K-band magnitudes measured by 2MASS with an rms scatter of only 0.2mag. When a dust content estimate determined from SDSS spectra with the aid of models is also utilized, this scatter decreases to 0.1mag and can be fully accounted for by measurement uncertainties. We demonstrate that this

An audit of alcohol brand websites.

PubMed

Gordon, Ross

2011-11-01

The study investigated the nature and content of alcohol brand websites in the UK. The research involved an audit of the websites of the 10 leading alcohol brands by sales in the UK across four categories: lager, spirits, Flavoured Alcoholic Beverages and cider/perry. Each site was visited twice over a 1-month period with site features and content recorded using a pro-forma. The content of websites was then reviewed against the regulatory codes governing broadcast advertising of alcohol. It was found that 27 of 40 leading alcohol brands had a dedicated website. Sites featured sophisticated content, including sports and music sections, games, downloads and competitions. Case studies of two brand websites demonstrate the range of content features on such sites. A review of the application of regulatory codes covering traditional advertising found some content may breach the codes. Study findings illustrate the sophisticated range of content accessible on alcohol brand websites. When applying regulatory codes covering traditional alcohol marketing channels it is apparent that some content on alcohol brand websites would breach the codes. This suggests the regulation of alcohol brand websites may be an issue requiring attention from policymakers. Further research in this area would help inform this process. © 2010 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Effects of Dietary Yogurt on the Healthy Human Gastrointestinal (GI) Microbiome

PubMed Central

Lisko, Daniel J.; Johnston, G. Patricia; Johnston, Carl G.

2017-01-01

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract performs key functions that regulate the relationship between the host and the microbiota. Research has shown numerous benefits of probiotic intake in the modulation of immune responses and human metabolic processes. However, unfavorable attention has been paid to temporal changes of the microbial composition and diversity of the GI tract. This study aimed to investigate the effects of yogurt consumption on the GI microbiome bacteria community composition, structure and diversity during and after a short-term period (42 days). We used a multi-approach combining classical fingerprinting techniques (T-RFLPs), Sanger analyses and Illumina MiSeq 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to elucidate bacterial communities and Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria populations within healthy adults that consume high doses of yogurt daily. Results indicated that overall GI microbial community and diversity was method-dependent, yet we found individual specific changes in bacterial composition and structure in healthy subjects that consumed high doses of yogurt throughout the study. PMID:28212267

Pressure shifts and abundance gradients in the atmosphere of the DAZ white dwarf GALEX J193156.8+011745

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vennes, S.; Kawka, A.; Németh, P.

2011-06-01

We present a detailed model atmosphere analysis of high-dispersion and high signal-to-noise ratio spectra of the heavily polluted DAZ white dwarf GALEX J1931+0117. The spectra obtained with the Very Large Telescope (VLT)-Kueyen/UV-Visual Echelle Spectrograph show several well-resolved Si II spectral lines enabling a study of pressure effects on line profiles. We observed large Stark shifts in silicon lines in agreement with theoretical predictions and laboratory measurements. Taking into account Stark shifts in the calculation of synthetic spectra, we reduced the scatter in individual line radial velocity measurements from ˜3 to ≲1 km s-1. We present revised abundances of O, Mg, Si, Ca and Fe based on a critical review of line-broadening parameters and oscillator strengths. The new measurements are generally in agreement with our previous analysis with the exception of magnesium with a revised abundance of a factor of 2 lower than previously estimated. The magnesium, silicon and iron abundances exceed solar abundances, but the oxygen and calcium abundances are below solar. Also, we compared the observed line profiles to synthetic spectra computed with variable accretion rates and vertical abundance distributions assuming diffusive steady state. The inferred accretion rates vary from ? for calcium to 2 × 109 g s-1 for oxygen. We find that the accretion flow must be oxygen rich while being deficient in calcium relative to solar abundances. The lack of radial velocity variations between two measurement epochs suggests that GALEX J1931+0117 is probably not in a close binary and that the source of the accreted material resides in a debris disc. Based on observations made with European Southern Observatory (ESO) telescopes at the La Silla Paranal Observatory under programme 283.D-5060.

Theoretical Foundations for Website Design Courses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Kristin

2002-01-01

Considers how theoretical foundations in website design courses can facilitate students learning the genres of Internet communication. Proposes ways that theories can be integrated into website design courses. Focuses on two students' website portfolios and ways they utilize genre theory and activity theory discussed in class to produce websites…

With GI Bill's Billions at Stake, Colleges Compete to Lure Veterans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sander, Libby

2012-01-01

As the Post-9/11 GI Bill nears its fourth year, with more than 550,000 veterans enrolled in thousands of institutions, advocacy groups, lawmakers, and President Obama warn that veterans are vulnerable in a higher-education marketplace eager for their GI Bill dollars--with some purveyors, particularly for-profits, recruiting aggressively. The…

Upper Gastrointestinal (GI) Tract X-Ray (Radiography)

MedlinePlus

... to drinking barium, some patients are also given baking-soda crystals (similar to Alka-Seltzer) to further ... contrast upper GI series. The patient will swallow baking-soda crystals that create gas in the stomach ...

Defining Information Quality Into Health Websites: A Conceptual Framework of Health Website Information Quality for Educated Young Adults

PubMed Central

LeRouge, Cynthia; Smith, K Jody; De Leo, Gianluca

2017-01-01

Background Today’s health care environment encourages health care consumers to take an active role in managing their health. As digital natives, young educated adults do much of their health information management through the Internet and consider it a valid source of health advice. However, the quality of information on health websites is highly variable and dynamic. Little is known about the understandings and perceptions that young educated adults have garnered on the quality of information on health websites used for health care–related purposes. Objective To fill this gap, the aim of this study was to develop a conceptual framework of health website information quality with quality dimensions (ie, criteria) and associated quality drivers (ie, attributes) specified in the context of young educated adults’ use of health websites for health care–related purposes. This aim was achieved by (1) identifying information quality dimensions of health websites from the perspective of young educated adults; (2) identifying the importance ratings of these quality dimensions; and (3) constructing a framework of health website information quality with quality dimensions and associated drivers specified in the context of young educated adults’ use of health websites for health care–related purposes. Methods The study employed both qualitative and quantitative methods. Methods included semistructured group interviews and an individual quality assessment exercise grounded in visiting various websites and responding to Likert scale questions regarding the importance ratings of information quality dimensions and open-ended questions with specifying website quality drivers. Study participants included junior and senior undergraduate and graduate students in business, allied health, and public health majors. Qualitative, open-coding procedures were used to develop the conceptual framework reflecting the participants’ means of assessing information quality on health

Cosmetic websites Scotland: legal or lurid.

PubMed

Gunn, Eilidh G M; Loh, Charles Yuen Yung; Athanassopoulos, Thanassi

2014-08-01

The provision of cosmetic interventions and their advertising have recently come under intense scrutiny in the wake of the PIP scandal and Keogh report. A study of Scottish websites offering esthetic procedures was conducted to determine adherence to the advertising standards and regulations currently in place. Regulations are provided by the Advertising Standards Authority, Committee on Advertising Practice, Independent Healthcare Advisory Services and General Medical Council. An Internet search was then conducted to search for providers of non-surgical and surgical cosmetic procedures. Overall 125 websites were reviewed. 109 local and 16 national with 17 websites associated with cosmetic surgeons. 26 websites failed to adhere to regulations. Failure was related to advertising of POM on the homepage or dropdown menu (20), offering enticements inappropriately (6). 26.6% of websites did not display qualifications of the practitioners. Only 16.6% of websites described the specific and the non-specific side effects of "anti-wrinkle injections" and only 12.5% mentioned alternative treatments. The majority of websites reviewed adhered to current advertising standards. Plastic surgeons provide a small percentage of cosmetic procedures. Greater regulation at the point of product entry and of all esthetic practitioners is required. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Accessible Websites--What Is Out There?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waight, Mary; Oldreive, Warren

2016-01-01

This study aims to outline a time-related study to identify UK websites providing information for people with learning disabilities and to evaluate the websites to determine strengths and weaknesses. Following a brief review of literature, a series of criteria were drawn up to evaluate websites for people with learning disabilities. Eighty-three…

Characteristics and Quality of Autism Websites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reichow, Brian; Halpern, Jason I.; Steinhoff, Timothy B.; Letsinger, Nicole; Naples, Adam; Volkmar, Fred R.

2012-01-01

The World Wide Web is a common method for obtaining information on autism spectrum disorders, however, there are no guidelines for finding websites with high quality. We conducted two studies examining the characteristics and/or quality of autism websites in 2009 and 2010. We found websites with a .gov top-level domain had a statistically…

Perceptions of Special Education Doctoral Websites: A Multiyear Investigation of Website Usability and Navigability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sundeen, Todd; Garland, Krista Vince; Wienke, Wilfred

2015-01-01

Today's graduate students are highly skilled in using technology, so university websites are often the most influential resource students access for gathering information about university programs. Graduate students in special education reviewed select university and special education doctoral program websites across the United States. An…

Defining Information Quality Into Health Websites: A Conceptual Framework of Health Website Information Quality for Educated Young Adults.

PubMed

Tao, Donghua; LeRouge, Cynthia; Smith, K Jody; De Leo, Gianluca

2017-10-06

Today's health care environment encourages health care consumers to take an active role in managing their health. As digital natives, young educated adults do much of their health information management through the Internet and consider it a valid source of health advice. However, the quality of information on health websites is highly variable and dynamic. Little is known about the understandings and perceptions that young educated adults have garnered on the quality of information on health websites used for health care-related purposes. To fill this gap, the aim of this study was to develop a conceptual framework of health website information quality with quality dimensions (ie, criteria) and associated quality drivers (ie, attributes) specified in the context of young educated adults' use of health websites for health care-related purposes. This aim was achieved by (1) identifying information quality dimensions of health websites from the perspective of young educated adults; (2) identifying the importance ratings of these quality dimensions; and (3) constructing a framework of health website information quality with quality dimensions and associated drivers specified in the context of young educated adults' use of health websites for health care-related purposes. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative methods. Methods included semistructured group interviews and an individual quality assessment exercise grounded in visiting various websites and responding to Likert scale questions regarding the importance ratings of information quality dimensions and open-ended questions with specifying website quality drivers. Study participants included junior and senior undergraduate and graduate students in business, allied health, and public health majors. Qualitative, open-coding procedures were used to develop the conceptual framework reflecting the participants' means of assessing information quality on health websites. Five dimensions of information

WWII GI Bill and Its Effect on Low Education Levels: Did the World War II GI Bill Have an Effect on High School Completion, Poverty, and Employment?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Megan D.

2017-01-01

Did the World War II (WWII) GI Bill increase the probability of completing high school and further affect the probability of poverty and employment for the cohorts for whom it benefited? This paper studies whether the GI Bill, one of the largest public financial aid policies for education, affected low education levels in addition to its…

The Science@NASA Websites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koczor, Ronald J.; Phillips. Tony; Rose, M. Franklin (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The Science@NASA websites represent a significant stride forward in communicating NASA science to the general public via the Internet. Using a family of websites aimed at science-attentive adults, high school students, middle school students and educators, the Science@NASA activity presents selected stories of on-going NASA science, giving context to otherwise dry press releases and scientific reports.

Galex and Pan-STARRS1 Discovery of SN IIP 2010aq: The First Few Days After Shock Breakout in a Red Supergiant Star

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-01

compare the late- time (φ > 3 d) UV/optical light curve of SN 2010aq with two nearby Type IIP SNe well studied in the UV and optical with the Swift satellite ...following SN shock breakout in a red supergiant star. SN 2010aq was discovered in joint monitoring between the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) Time ...simultaneous UV and optical photometry allows us to fit for a progenitor star radius of 700± 200R, the size of a red supergiant star. An excess in UV emission

Website accessibility in the tourism industry: an analysis of official national tourism organization websites around the world.

PubMed

Domínguez Vila, Trinidad; Alén González, Elisa; Darcy, Simon

2017-08-09

To analyze the accessibility of official national tourism organization websites of countries around the world, in order to establish possible common patterns and rankings of those with exemplary practice through to those with the highest number of issues. The purpose for undertaking such an analysis is to provide a quasi-indicator of inclusive organizational practice for online accessibility for both destination managers and their accessible tourism consumers - domestic and overseas people with disability visiting the websites. The official tourism websites of 210 countries included in the latest World Tourism Organization report were analyzed. A website accessibility evaluation tool (website accessible test) was used in the analysis, according to AA and AAA levels of conformance to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 requirements. Different patterns compliance to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 were established for the clusters, which were rather similar for both AA and AAA conformance levels. The main issues in the least accessible websites were also identified, mainly focused on the following guidelines: navigable, compatible, adaptability, text alternatives and also referred to other assistive technologies. Once the main issues were established several alternatives are suggested to address them, such as implementing more prescriptive laws and regulations, complying with mandatory benchmark standards and/or having external agencies audit website designs. However, in addition to using benchmark standards, efforts to improve this situation should also be made by programmers, who should also rely on preexistent experiences and develop more dynamic knowledge. This knowledge may include text alternatives for any nontext content; creation of content that can be presented in different ways without losing information; provide ways to help users navigate, find content, determine where they are and navigate websites to maximize compatibility with assistive

Communication about vaccinations in Italian websites

PubMed Central

Tafuri, Silvio; Gallone, Maria S; Gallone, Maria F; Zorico, Ivan; Aiello, Valeria; Germinario, Cinzia

2014-01-01

Babies’ parents and people who look for information about vaccination often visit anti-vaccine movement’s websites, blogs by naturopathic physicians or natural and alternative medicine practitioners. The aim of this work is to provide a quantitative analysis on the type of information available to Italian people regarding vaccination and a quality analysis of websites retrieved through our searches. A quality score was created to evaluate the technical level of websites. A research was performed through Yahoo, Google, and MSN using the keywords “vaccine” and “vaccination,” with the function “OR” in order to identify the most frequently used websites. The 2 keywords were input in Italian, and the first 15 pages retrieved by each search engine were analyzed. 149 websites were selected through this methodology. Fifty-three per cent of the websites belonged to associations, groups, or scientific companies, 32.2% (n = 48) consisted of a personal blog and 14.8% (n = 22) belonged to some of the National Health System offices. Among all analyzed websites, 15.4% (n = 23) came from anti-vaccine movement groups. 37.6% reported webmaster name, 67.8% webmaster e-mail, 28.6% indicated the date of the last update and 46.6% the author’s name. The quality score for government sites was higher on average than anti-vaccine websites; although, government sites don’t use Web 2.0 functions, as the forums. National Health System institutions who have to promote vaccination cannot avoid investing in web communication because it cannot be managed by private efforts but must be the result of Public Health, private and scientific association, and social movement synergy. PMID:24607988

SSAT Presidential Address 2017 "Passion and the GI Surgeon".

PubMed

Soper, Nathaniel J

2018-01-01

Gastrointestinal (GI) surgery is a dynamic, exciting field that has dramatically evolved over the past three decades. According to a survey of leaders in GI surgery, the development of minimally invasive surgery has been the most significant advance during this period of time. The author traces his pursuit of minimally invasive surgery and its impact on his career satisfaction. Discovering one's passion within surgery and developing "flow" during operative procedures is important to help prevent burnout. Surgical educators must transmit this sense of passion to their trainees such that they can understand the true meaning of the surgical vocation.

Promoting Diversity through Program Websites: A Multicultural Content Analysis of School Psychology Program Websites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Leann V.; Blake, Jamilia J.; Graves, Scott L.; Vaughan-Jensen, Jessica; Pulido, Ryne; Banks, Courtney

2016-01-01

The recruitment of culturally and linguistically diverse students to graduate programs is critical to the overall growth and development of school psychology as a field. Program websites serve as an effective recruitment tool for attracting prospective students, yet there is limited research on how school psychology programs use their websites to…

Naproxen-PC: a GI safe and highly effective anti-inflammatory.

PubMed

Lichtenberger, L M; Romero, J J; Dial, E J; Moore, J E

2009-02-01

We have been developing a family of phosphatidylcholine (PC)-associated NSAIDs, which appear to have improved GI safety and therapeutic efficacy in both rodent model systems and pilot clinical trials. As naproxen has been demonstrated to be associated with the lowest cardiovascular adverse events in comparison with both COX-2 selective inhibitors and conventional NSAIDs, we have been developing a Naproxen-PC formulation for evaluation in animal models and clinical trials. We have determined that an oil-based formulation of naproxen and triple strength soy lecithin provides excellent GI protection in both: 1) an acute NSAID-induced intestinal bleeding model in rats pretreated with L-NAME that are intragastrically administered a single dose of naproxen (at a dose of 50 mg/kg) vs the equivalent dose of Naproxen-PC; and 2) a more chronic model (at a naproxen dose of 25 mg/kg BID) in rats that have pre-existing hindpaw inflammation (induced with a intradermal injection of Complete Freund's Adjuvant/CFA). Both models demonstrate the superior GI safety of Naproxen-PC vs naproxen while this novel formulation had significant anti-inflammatory efficacy to reduce hindpaw edema and the generation of PGE(2) in the collected joint synovial fluid. Naproxen-PC appears to induce significantly less GI injury and bleeding in two rodent model systems while maintaining anti-inflammatory and COX-inhibitory activity.

Loss of Gi G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Signaling in Osteoblasts Accelerates Bone Fracture Healing.

PubMed

Wang, Liping; Hsiao, Edward C; Lieu, Shirley; Scott, Mark; O'Carroll, Dylan; Urrutia, Ashley; Conklin, Bruce R; Colnot, Celine; Nissenson, Robert A

2015-10-01

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are key regulators of skeletal homeostasis and are likely important in fracture healing. Because GPCRs can activate multiple signaling pathways simultaneously, we used targeted disruption of G(i) -GPCR or activation of G(s) -GPCR pathways to test how each pathway functions in the skeleton. We previously demonstrated that blockade of G(i) signaling by pertussis toxin (PTX) transgene expression in maturing osteoblastic cells enhanced cortical and trabecular bone formation and prevented age-related bone loss in female mice. In addition, activation of G(s) signaling by expressing the G(s) -coupled engineered receptor Rs1 in maturing osteoblastic cells induced massive trabecular bone formation but cortical bone loss. Here, we test our hypothesis that the G(i) and G(s) pathways also have distinct functions in fracture repair. We applied closed, nonstabilized tibial fractures to mice in which endogenous G(i) signaling was inhibited by PTX, or to mice with activated G(s) signaling mediated by Rs1. Blockade of endogenous G(i) resulted in a smaller callus but increased bone formation in both young and old mice. PTX treatment decreased expression of Dkk1 and increased Lef1 mRNAs during fracture healing, suggesting a role for endogenous G(i) signaling in maintaining Dkk1 expression and suppressing Wnt signaling. In contrast, adult mice with activated Gs signaling showed a slight increase in the initial callus size with increased callus bone formation. These results show that G(i) blockade and G(s) activation of the same osteoblastic lineage cell can induce different biological responses during fracture healing. Our findings also show that manipulating the GPCR/cAMP signaling pathway by selective timing of G(s) and G(i) -GPCR activation may be important for optimizing fracture repair. © 2015 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

GiNA, an Efficient and High-Throughput Software for Horticultural Phenotyping.

PubMed

Diaz-Garcia, Luis; Covarrubias-Pazaran, Giovanny; Schlautman, Brandon; Zalapa, Juan

2016-01-01

Traditional methods for trait phenotyping have been a bottleneck for research in many crop species due to their intensive labor, high cost, complex implementation, lack of reproducibility and propensity to subjective bias. Recently, multiple high-throughput phenotyping platforms have been developed, but most of them are expensive, species-dependent, complex to use, and available only for major crops. To overcome such limitations, we present the open-source software GiNA, which is a simple and free tool for measuring horticultural traits such as shape- and color-related parameters of fruits, vegetables, and seeds. GiNA is multiplatform software available in both R and MATLAB® programming languages and uses conventional images from digital cameras with minimal requirements. It can process up to 11 different horticultural morphological traits such as length, width, two-dimensional area, volume, projected skin, surface area, RGB color, among other parameters. Different validation tests produced highly consistent results under different lighting conditions and camera setups making GiNA a very reliable platform for high-throughput phenotyping. In addition, five-fold cross validation between manually generated and GiNA measurements for length and width in cranberry fruits were 0.97 and 0.92. In addition, the same strategy yielded prediction accuracies above 0.83 for color estimates produced from images of cranberries analyzed with GiNA compared to total anthocyanin content (TAcy) of the same fruits measured with the standard methodology of the industry. Our platform provides a scalable, easy-to-use and affordable tool for massive acquisition of phenotypic data of fruits, seeds, and vegetables.

GiNA, an Efficient and High-Throughput Software for Horticultural Phenotyping

PubMed Central

Diaz-Garcia, Luis; Covarrubias-Pazaran, Giovanny; Schlautman, Brandon; Zalapa, Juan

2016-01-01

Traditional methods for trait phenotyping have been a bottleneck for research in many crop species due to their intensive labor, high cost, complex implementation, lack of reproducibility and propensity to subjective bias. Recently, multiple high-throughput phenotyping platforms have been developed, but most of them are expensive, species-dependent, complex to use, and available only for major crops. To overcome such limitations, we present the open-source software GiNA, which is a simple and free tool for measuring horticultural traits such as shape- and color-related parameters of fruits, vegetables, and seeds. GiNA is multiplatform software available in both R and MATLAB® programming languages and uses conventional images from digital cameras with minimal requirements. It can process up to 11 different horticultural morphological traits such as length, width, two-dimensional area, volume, projected skin, surface area, RGB color, among other parameters. Different validation tests produced highly consistent results under different lighting conditions and camera setups making GiNA a very reliable platform for high-throughput phenotyping. In addition, five-fold cross validation between manually generated and GiNA measurements for length and width in cranberry fruits were 0.97 and 0.92. In addition, the same strategy yielded prediction accuracies above 0.83 for color estimates produced from images of cranberries analyzed with GiNA compared to total anthocyanin content (TAcy) of the same fruits measured with the standard methodology of the industry. Our platform provides a scalable, easy-to-use and affordable tool for massive acquisition of phenotypic data of fruits, seeds, and vegetables. PMID:27529547

Website for popularization of meteorology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Špoler Čanić, K.; Rasol, D.

2012-04-01

Little meteorological workshop (LMW) is an educational project that has started in 2007 at the Science Festival in Zagreb, Croatia. In 2009 began a new phase of the project which was introduction of the LMW as an extracurricular school activity for pupils. To reach more users the authors of the LMW published a booklet of experiments which were conducted at the workshops in schools. Furthermore, a website (www.malameteo.com) that shows how to make those experiments was developed. The website has some more educational information as well. Here, the content of the website will be presented.

Technical Information/Website Preservation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

PintoRey, Christian R.

2010-01-01

This document reviews the work of the author in NASA's Motivating Undergraduates in Science and Technology (MUST) internship. The intern worked on the Space Shuttles hydraulic systems (i.e., Auxiliary Power Units (APU's) and Hydraulic Pump Units (HPU's)), and website preservation of the hydraulic technology captured in websites relating to the coming.the Space Shuttle Retirement. Several figures and pictures show an overview of the orbiter's hydraulic systems

GiA Roots: software for the high throughput analysis of plant root system architecture.

PubMed

Galkovskyi, Taras; Mileyko, Yuriy; Bucksch, Alexander; Moore, Brad; Symonova, Olga; Price, Charles A; Topp, Christopher N; Iyer-Pascuzzi, Anjali S; Zurek, Paul R; Fang, Suqin; Harer, John; Benfey, Philip N; Weitz, Joshua S

2012-07-26

Characterizing root system architecture (RSA) is essential to understanding the development and function of vascular plants. Identifying RSA-associated genes also represents an underexplored opportunity for crop improvement. Software tools are needed to accelerate the pace at which quantitative traits of RSA are estimated from images of root networks. We have developed GiA Roots (General Image Analysis of Roots), a semi-automated software tool designed specifically for the high-throughput analysis of root system images. GiA Roots includes user-assisted algorithms to distinguish root from background and a fully automated pipeline that extracts dozens of root system phenotypes. Quantitative information on each phenotype, along with intermediate steps for full reproducibility, is returned to the end-user for downstream analysis. GiA Roots has a GUI front end and a command-line interface for interweaving the software into large-scale workflows. GiA Roots can also be extended to estimate novel phenotypes specified by the end-user. We demonstrate the use of GiA Roots on a set of 2393 images of rice roots representing 12 genotypes from the species Oryza sativa. We validate trait measurements against prior analyses of this image set that demonstrated that RSA traits are likely heritable and associated with genotypic differences. Moreover, we demonstrate that GiA Roots is extensible and an end-user can add functionality so that GiA Roots can estimate novel RSA traits. In summary, we show that the software can function as an efficient tool as part of a workflow to move from large numbers of root images to downstream analysis.

Understanding self-harm and suicide websites: a qualitative interview study of young adult website users.

PubMed

Baker, Darren; Fortune, Sarah

2008-01-01

Self-harm and suicide websites have been heavily criticized both in the literature and the wider media, despite the fact that very little is known about them. To date, no study has interviewed users of these sites about them. This qualitative study aims to explore the accounts of young adults who engage in self-harming and suicidal behaviors and use websites dedicated to these issues, in order to develop a broader understanding of these websites and to identify potential implications for future research. In-depth interviews were conducted via e-mail with 10 participants, who were recruited directly from self-harm and suicide websites. Using discourse analysis, we identified three main ways in which participants wrote about the sites. They constructed them as sources of empathy and understanding, as communities, and as a way of coping with social and psychological distress. These discourses gave users access to important, socially valued identities, such as being understood, belonging to a community and coping with their problems. If health professionals and researchers hope to understand people who use self-harm and suicide websites, and engage them in their services, they must take a more balanced view and not focus solely on the possible risks associated with using such sites.

Forskolin-free cAMP assay for Gi-coupled receptors.

PubMed

Gilissen, Julie; Geubelle, Pierre; Dupuis, Nadine; Laschet, Céline; Pirotte, Bernard; Hanson, Julien

2015-12-01

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent the most successful receptor family for treating human diseases. Many are poorly characterized with few ligands reported or remain completely orphans. Therefore, there is a growing need for screening-compatible and sensitive assays. Measurement of intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) levels is a validated strategy for measuring GPCRs activation. However, agonist ligands for Gi-coupled receptors are difficult to track because inducers such as forskolin (FSK) must be used and are sources of variations and errors. We developed a method based on the GloSensor system, a kinetic assay that consists in a luciferase fused with cAMP binding domain. As a proof of concept, we selected the succinate receptor 1 (SUCNR1 or GPR91) which could be an attractive drug target. It has never been validated as such because very few ligands have been described. Following analyses of SUCNR1 signaling pathways, we show that the GloSensor system allows real time, FSK-free detection of an agonist effect. This FSK-free agonist signal was confirmed on other Gi-coupled receptors such as CXCR4. In a test screening on SUCNR1, we compared the results obtained with a FSK vs FSK-free protocol and were able to identify agonists with both methods but with fewer false positives when measuring the basal levels. In this report, we validate a cAMP-inducer free method for the detection of Gi-coupled receptors agonists compatible with high-throughput screening. This method will facilitate the study and screening of Gi-coupled receptors for active ligands. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Website Sharing in Online Health Communities: A Descriptive Analysis.

PubMed

Nath, Chinmoy; Huh, Jina; Adupa, Abhishek Kalyan; Jonnalagadda, Siddhartha R

2016-01-13

An increasing number of people visit online health communities to seek health information. In these communities, people share experiences and information with others, often complemented with links to different websites. Understanding how people share websites can help us understand patients' needs in online health communities and improve how peer patients share health information online. Our goal was to understand (1) what kinds of websites are shared, (2) information quality of the shared websites, (3) who shares websites, (4) community differences in website-sharing behavior, and (5) the contexts in which patients share websites. We aimed to find practical applications and implications of website-sharing practices in online health communities. We used regular expressions to extract URLs from 10 WebMD online health communities. We then categorized the URLs based on their top-level domains. We counted the number of trust codes (eg, accredited agencies' formal evaluation and PubMed authors' institutions) for each website to assess information quality. We used descriptive statistics to determine website-sharing activities. To understand the context of the URL being discussed, we conducted a simple random selection of 5 threads that contained at least one post with URLs from each community. Gathering all other posts in these threads resulted in 387 posts for open coding analysis with the goal of understanding motivations and situations in which website sharing occurred. We extracted a total of 25,448 websites. The majority of the shared websites were .com (59.16%, 15,056/25,448) and WebMD internal (23.2%, 5905/25,448) websites; the least shared websites were social media websites (0.15%, 39/25,448). High-posting community members and moderators posted more websites with trust codes than low-posting community members did. The heart disease community had the highest percentage of websites containing trust codes compared to other communities. Members used websites to

Website Sharing in Online Health Communities: A Descriptive Analysis

PubMed Central

Nath, Chinmoy; Huh, Jina; Adupa, Abhishek Kalyan

2016-01-01

Background An increasing number of people visit online health communities to seek health information. In these communities, people share experiences and information with others, often complemented with links to different websites. Understanding how people share websites can help us understand patients’ needs in online health communities and improve how peer patients share health information online. Objective Our goal was to understand (1) what kinds of websites are shared, (2) information quality of the shared websites, (3) who shares websites, (4) community differences in website-sharing behavior, and (5) the contexts in which patients share websites. We aimed to find practical applications and implications of website-sharing practices in online health communities. Methods We used regular expressions to extract URLs from 10 WebMD online health communities. We then categorized the URLs based on their top-level domains. We counted the number of trust codes (eg, accredited agencies’ formal evaluation and PubMed authors’ institutions) for each website to assess information quality. We used descriptive statistics to determine website-sharing activities. To understand the context of the URL being discussed, we conducted a simple random selection of 5 threads that contained at least one post with URLs from each community. Gathering all other posts in these threads resulted in 387 posts for open coding analysis with the goal of understanding motivations and situations in which website sharing occurred. Results We extracted a total of 25,448 websites. The majority of the shared websites were .com (59.16%, 15,056/25,448) and WebMD internal (23.2%, 5905/25,448) websites; the least shared websites were social media websites (0.15%, 39/25,448). High-posting community members and moderators posted more websites with trust codes than low-posting community members did. The heart disease community had the highest percentage of websites containing trust codes compared to

Molecular epidemiology of GI and GII noroviruses in sewage: 1-year surveillance in eastern China.

PubMed

Zhou, N; Lin, X; Wang, S; Tao, Z; Xiong, P; Wang, H; Liu, Y; Song, Y; Xu, A

2016-10-01

To determine the concentration and molecular epidemiology of GI and GII noroviruses in sewage in China. Twenty-three raw sewage samples were collected in the cities of Jinan and Linyi, eastern China in 2014. GI and GII noroviruses were positive in all samples after TaqMan-based quantitative PCR. The mean concentrations of GI and GII noroviruses were 4·52 × 10(4) and 7·88 × 10(4) genome copies per litre respectively. After reverse transcription-PCR, cloning and sequencing, 16 genotypes were identified. GI.6 (69·6%), GI.2 (65·2%), GII.13 (65·2%), GII.6 (60·9%) and GII.17 (60·9%) were the most common GI and GII genotypes. A recombination event was observed in two GI.6 sequences. GII.4 sequences belonged to Sydney 2012 and Den Haag 2006b variant. Interestingly, the novel GII.17 Kawasaki308 variant was detected. These results reveal that multiple norovirus genotypes cocirculated in the local population. The risk of acute gastroenteritis outbreak is high in the two cities due to the detection of GII.17 Kawasaki308 variant and the high concentration of norovirus in raw sewage. This study demonstrates sewage surveillance can be a useful approach to monitor norovirus circulating in the population. © 2016 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

How Japanese students characterize information from web-sites.

PubMed

Iwahara, A; Yamada, M; Hatta, T; Kawakami, A; Okamoto, M

2000-12-01

How 352 Japanese university students regard web-site information was investigated by two kinds of survey. Application of correspondence analysis and cluster analysis to the questionnaire responses to the web-site advertisement showed students regarded a web-site as a new alien medium which is different from current media. Students regarded web-sites as simply complicated, intellectual, and impermanent, or not memorable. Students got precise information from web-sites but they did not use it in making decisions to purchase goods.

Five Steps to an Accessible Classroom Website

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amundson, Linda

2009-01-01

When teachers or technology coordinators publish a website, they are providing a product for a diverse group of people. That's why website design should follow accessibility guidelines. Websites should be accessible to those with visual, hearing, movement, cognitive, and speech disabilities. Good design means greater accessibility for all. This…

Quality evaluation of Persian nutrition and diet therapy websites.

PubMed

Gholizadeh, Zahra; Papi, Ahmad; Ashrafi-Rizi, Hasan; Shahrzadi, Leila; Hasanzadeh, Akbar

2017-01-01

Nowadays websites are among the most important information sources used by most people. With the spread of websites, especially those related to health issues, the number of their visitors also increases, more than half of which are about nutritional information. Therefore, quality analysis of nutrition and diet therapy websites is of outmost importance. This study aims to evaluate the quality of Persian nutrition and diet therapy websites. The current work is a survey study and uses an applied study method. The statistical population consists of 51 Persian websites about nutrition and diet therapy and census method was used in order to study them. Data gathering was done using a checklist and with direct visit to each website. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used to analyse the gathered data with the help of SPSS 21 software. Findings showed that content (66.7%), organization (82.4%), user friendly interfaces (52.9%) and total quality (70.6%) of most websites had a mediocre score while the design score for most of the websites (70.6%) was acceptable also organizational websites had better design, organization and quality compared to private websites. The three websites with the highest general quality score were the websites of "Novel Diet Therapy," "Behsite" and "Dr. BehdadiPour" (jointly) and "Dr. Kermani" respectively. Also in the dimension of content the factors of goal, relevance and credibility, in the dimension of design the factors of color, text and sound, pictures and videos, in the dimension of organization the factors of stability and indexing and in the dimension of user friendliness the factors of confidentiality, credibility and personalization had the highest scores. The results showed that the design score was higher than other scores. Also the general quality score of the websites was mediocre and was not desirable. Also websites didn't have suitable scores in every factor. Since most people search the internet for nutritional and diet

Robotic surgery claims on United States hospital websites.

PubMed

Jin, Linda X; Ibrahim, Andrew M; Newman, Naeem A; Makarov, Danil V; Pronovost, Peter J; Makary, Martin A

2011-11-01

To examine the prevalence and content of robotic surgery information presented on websites of U.S. hospitals. We completed a systematic analysis of 400 randomly selected U.S. hospital websites in June of 2010. Data were collected on the presence and location of robotic surgery information on a hospital's website; use of images or text provided by the manufacturer; use of direct link to manufacturer website; statements of clinical superiority; statements of improved cancer outcome; mention of a comparison group for a statement; citation of supporting data and mention of specific risks. Forty-one percent of hospital websites described robotic surgery. Among these, 37% percent presented robotic surgery on their homepage, 73% used manufacturer-provided stock images or text, and 33% linked to a manufacturer website. Statements of clinical superiority were made on 86% of websites, with 32% describing improved cancer control, and 2% described a reference group. No hospital website mentioned risks. Materials provided by hospitals regarding the surgical robot overestimate benefits, largely ignore risks and are strongly influenced by the manufacturer. © 2011 National Association for Healthcare Quality.

Evaluation of otolaryngology residency program websites.

PubMed

Svider, Peter F; Gupta, Amar; Johnson, Andrew P; Zuliani, Giancarlo; Shkoukani, Mahdi A; Eloy, Jean Anderson; Folbe, Adam J

2014-10-01

Prior to applying or interviewing, most prospective applicants turn to the Internet when evaluating residency programs, making maintenance of a comprehensive website critical. While certain "intangibles" such as reputation may not be communicated effectively online, residency websites are invaluable for conveying other aspects of a program. Prior analyses have reported that certain criteria such as research experience and didactics are important considerations for applicants. To evaluate the comprehensiveness of otolaryngology residency websites. Review of otolaryngology residency program websites. Websites of 99 civilian residency programs were searched for the presence of 23 criteria. Presence of 23 criteria for application process, incentives, instruction, research, clinical training, and other. Only 5 programs contained at least three-quarters of the criteria analyzed; on average programs reported less than 50% of information sought. Among the 99 residency program websites, a description of the following criteria was noted: comprehensive faculty listing (88%), didactics (80%), contact e-mail (77%), current residents (74%), description of facilities (70%), intern schedule (70%), research requirements (69%), otolaryngology rotation schedule (64%), other courses (61%), ERAS (Electronic Residency Application Service) link (55%), year-to-year responsibility progression (47%), call schedule (40%), active/past research projects (37%), area information (34%), message from the program director (33%) or chair (23%), selection criteria (30%), salary (directly on site) (23%), surgical statistics (18%), parking (9%), and meal allowance (7%). The mean (SD) percentage present of factors encompassing "clinical training" was 55% (23%), significantly higher than the mean (SD) percentage of factors covered under the "incentives" category (19% [11%]; P = .01). The proportion of overall criteria present on websites did not differ on organizing programs by region (range, 42

Quality comparison of websites related to developmental disabilities.

PubMed

Reichow, Brian; Shefcyk, Allison; Bruder, Mary Beth

2013-10-01

The Internet is commonly used to seek health-related information, but little is known about the quality of websites on developmental disabilities. Therefore, we sought to evaluate the characteristics and quality of websites located by searching ten common terms related to developmental disabilities and explore relations between website characteristics and website quality in order to make recommendations on ways to ensure locating good online information. We located 208 unique websites in our November 2012 US searches of Google and Bing. Two independent coders evaluated 10 characteristics of the websites and two different coders assessed the quality of the websites. From the 208 websites, 104 (50%) provided relevant information about the disability being searched. Of these 104 websites, those found to be of highest quality were least likely to be a sponsored result, contain advertisements, be from a for-profit company, and did contain references to peer-reviewed publications or had a top-level domain of .gov or .org. Individuals with developmental disabilities and their family members who choose to obtain disability-related information online should remain vigilant to ensure that they locate high-quality and accurate information and should not replace information obtained from health-care professionals and educational specialists with information found online. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Readability of websites containing information on dental implants.

PubMed

Jayaratne, Yasas S N; Anderson, Nina K; Zwahlen, Roger A

2014-12-01

It is recommended that health-related materials for patients be written at sixth grade level or below. Many websites oriented toward patient education about dental implants are available, but the readability of these sites has not been evaluated. To assess readability of patient-oriented online information on dental implants. Websites containing patient-oriented information on dental implants were retrieved using the Google search engine. Individual and mean readability/grade levels were calculated using standardized formulas. Readability of each website was classified as easy (≤ 6th-grade level) or difficult (≥ 10th grade level). Thirty nine websites with patient-oriented information on dental implant were found. The average readability grade level of these websites was 11.65 ± 1.36. No website scored at/below the recommended 6th grade level. Thirty four of 39 websites (87.18%) were difficult to read. The number of characters, words, and sentences on these sites varied widely. All patient-oriented websites on dental implants scored above the recommended grade level, and majority of these sites were "difficult" in their readability. There is a dire need to create patient information websites on implants, which the majority can read. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Heuristic Evaluation of Three Jordanian University Websites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hasan, Layla

2013-01-01

Generally, universities have complex and large websites, which include a collection of many sub-sites related to the different parts of universities (e.g. registration unit, faculties, departments). Managers of academic institutions and educational websites need to know types of usability problems that could be found on their websites. This would…

An Assessment of Radiology Residency Program Websites.

PubMed

Hansberry, David R; Bornstein, Jonathan; Agarwal, Nitin; McClure, Kristen E; Deshmukh, Sandeep P; Long, Suzanne

2018-04-01

When prospective radiology residents decide where to apply to residency, many will use the Internet as a resource to garner information. Therefore, it is important for residency programs to produce and maintain an informative and comprehensive website. Here, we review 179 radiology residency program websites for 19 criteria including various aspects related to the residency application process, benefits, didactics, research, clinical training, and faculty leadership. We evaluated 179 radiology residency program websites for the inclusion of 19 different criteria. Criteria for information not available directly on the website and links with no information were considered not present. Only 12 of the 179 (6.7%) program websites had at least 80% of the 19 criteria. In addition, 41 programs (23%) had less than 50% of the criteria listed on their websites. Websites ranged from having 16% of the criteria to as much as 95%. Although previous studies have shown that prospective radiology resident applicants are influenced by intangibles like current resident satisfaction and academic reputation, they have also shown that applicants are influenced by the educational curriculum, clinical training, program resources, research opportunities, and quality of faculty. Therefore, it is imperative to provide online resources for prospective candidates in an attempt for residency programs to remain competitive in recruiting high-quality US medical student graduates. These findings suggest there is room for improving the comprehensiveness of information provided on radiology residency program websites. Copyright © 2017 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of web accessibility of consumer health information websites.

PubMed

Zeng, Xiaoming; Parmanto, Bambang

2003-01-01

The objectives of the study are to construct a comprehensive framework for web accessibility evaluation, to evaluate the current status of web accessibility of consumer health information websites and to investigate the relationship between web accessibility and property of the websites. We selected 108 consumer health information websites from the directory service of a Web search engine. We used Web accessibility specifications to construct a framework for the measurement of Web Accessibility Barriers (WAB) of website. We found that none of the websites is completely accessible to people with disabilities, but governmental and educational health information websites exhibit better performance on web accessibility than other categories of websites. We also found that the correlation between the WAB score and the popularity of a website is statistically significant.

77 FR 22068 - Proposed Information Collection (Post-9/11 GI Bill Education Longitudinal Study Survey) Activity...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-12

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS [OMB Control No. 2900-New (Post-9/11 GI Bill Longitudinal Study Survey)] Proposed Information Collection (Post-9/11 GI Bill Education Longitudinal Study Survey) Activity... information needed to determine the long-term outcomes of Veterans participating in VBA's Post-9/11GI Bill...

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Palomar/MSU and SDSS-DR7 M dwarfs with GALEX obs. (Jones+, 2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, D. O.; West, A. A.

2016-03-01

To compare magnetic activity in the optical with UV activity, we matched the SDSS Data Release 7 (DR7; Abazajian et al. 2009, II/294) M dwarf spectroscopic catalog (West et al. 2011, J/AJ/141/97; R~2000) to GALEX data from Data Releases 6 and 7 (NUV: ~1750-2750Å and FUV: ~1350-1750Å; see II/312). The DR7 M dwarf catalog consists of 70841 SDSS M dwarfs with spectral types verified by eye. We supplemented the SDSS sample with the Palomar/MSU Nearby-Star Spectroscopic Survey (PMSU; Reid et al. 1995, III/198), which contains 1684 nearby low-mass stars (1415 M dwarfs) as part of the northern sample (δ>-30°) and 282 nearby low-mass stars (228 M dwarfs) as part of the southern sample. (2 data files).

GI-POP: a combinational annotation and genomic island prediction pipeline for ongoing microbial genome projects.

PubMed

Lee, Chi-Ching; Chen, Yi-Ping Phoebe; Yao, Tzu-Jung; Ma, Cheng-Yu; Lo, Wei-Cheng; Lyu, Ping-Chiang; Tang, Chuan Yi

2013-04-10

Sequencing of microbial genomes is important because of microbial-carrying antibiotic and pathogenetic activities. However, even with the help of new assembling software, finishing a whole genome is a time-consuming task. In most bacteria, pathogenetic or antibiotic genes are carried in genomic islands. Therefore, a quick genomic island (GI) prediction method is useful for ongoing sequencing genomes. In this work, we built a Web server called GI-POP (http://gipop.life.nthu.edu.tw) which integrates a sequence assembling tool, a functional annotation pipeline, and a high-performance GI predicting module, in a support vector machine (SVM)-based method called genomic island genomic profile scanning (GI-GPS). The draft genomes of the ongoing genome projects in contigs or scaffolds can be submitted to our Web server, and it provides the functional annotation and highly probable GI-predicting results. GI-POP is a comprehensive annotation Web server designed for ongoing genome project analysis. Researchers can perform annotation and obtain pre-analytic information include possible GIs, coding/non-coding sequences and functional analysis from their draft genomes. This pre-analytic system can provide useful information for finishing a genome sequencing project. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enabling the development of Community Extensions to GI-cat - the SIB-ESS-C case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bigagli, L.; Meier, N.; Boldrini, E.; Gerlach, R.

2009-04-01

GI-cat is a Java software package that implements discovery and access services for disparate geospatial resources. An instance of GI-cat provides a single point of service for querying and accessing remote, as well as local, heterogeneous sources of geospatial information, either through standard interfaces, or taking advantage of GI-cat advanced features, such as incremental responses, query feedback, etc. GI-cat supports a number of de-iure and de-facto standards, but can also be extended to additional community catalog/inventory services, by defining appropriate mediation components. The GI-cat and the SIB-ESS-C development teams collaborated in the development of a mediator to the Siberian Earth Science System Cluster (SIB-ESS-C), a web-based infrastructure to support the communities of environmental and Earth System research in Siberia. This activity resulted in the identification of appropriate technologies and internal mechanisms supporting the development of GI-cat extensions, that are the object of this work. GI-cat is actually built up of a modular framework of SOA components, that can be variously arranged to fit the needs of a community of users. For example, a particular GI-cat instance may be configured to provide discovery functionalities onto an OGC WMS; or to adapt a THREDDS catalog to the standard OGC CSW interface; or to merge a number of CDI repositories into a single, more efficient catalog. The flexibility of GI-cat framework is achieved thanks to its design, that follows the Tree of Responsibility (ToR) pattern and the Uniform Pipe and Filter architectural style. This approach allows the building of software blocks that can be flexibly reused and composed in multiple ways. In fact, the components that make up any GI-cat configuration all implement two common interfaces (i.e. IChainNode and ICatalogService), that support chaining one component to another . Hence, it would suffice to implement those interfaces (plus an appropriate factory

Successful Statewide Walking Program Websites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teran, Bianca Maria; Hongu, Nobuko

2012-01-01

Statewide Extension walking programs are making an effort to increase physical activity levels in America. An investigation of all 20 of these programs revealed that 14 use websites as marketing and educational tools, which could prove useful as the popularity of Internet communities continues to grow. Website usability information and an analysis…

Updates of ARI Databases for Tracking Army and College Fund (ACF), Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) Usage for 2012-2013, and Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefit Usage for 2015

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-01-02

Research Note 2017-03 Updates of ARI Databases for Tracking Army and College Fund (ACF), Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) Usage for 2012-2013...and Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefit Usage for 2015 Winnie Young Human Resources Research Organization Personnel...Assessment Research Unit Tonia Heffner, Chief January 2017 United States Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences

Evaluation of Web Accessibility of Consumer Health Information Websites

PubMed Central

Zeng, Xiaoming; Parmanto, Bambang

2003-01-01

The objectives of the study are to construct a comprehensive framework for web accessibility evaluation, to evaluate the current status of web accessibility of consumer health information websites and to investigate the relationship between web accessibility and property of the websites. We selected 108 consumer health information websites from the directory service of a Web search engine. We used Web accessibility specifications to construct a framework for the measurement of Web Accessibility Barriers (WAB) of website. We found that none of the websites is completely accessible to people with disabilities, but governmental and educational health information websites exhibit better performance on web accessibility than other categories of websites. We also found that the correlation between the WAB score and the popularity of a website is statistically significant. PMID:14728272

GI-SVM: A sensitive method for predicting genomic islands based on unannotated sequence of a single genome.

PubMed

Lu, Bingxin; Leong, Hon Wai

2016-02-01

Genomic islands (GIs) are clusters of functionally related genes acquired by lateral genetic transfer (LGT), and they are present in many bacterial genomes. GIs are extremely important for bacterial research, because they not only promote genome evolution but also contain genes that enhance adaption and enable antibiotic resistance. Many methods have been proposed to predict GI. But most of them rely on either annotations or comparisons with other closely related genomes. Hence these methods cannot be easily applied to new genomes. As the number of newly sequenced bacterial genomes rapidly increases, there is a need for methods to detect GI based solely on sequences of a single genome. In this paper, we propose a novel method, GI-SVM, to predict GIs given only the unannotated genome sequence. GI-SVM is based on one-class support vector machine (SVM), utilizing composition bias in terms of k-mer content. From our evaluations on three real genomes, GI-SVM can achieve higher recall compared with current methods, without much loss of precision. Besides, GI-SVM allows flexible parameter tuning to get optimal results for each genome. In short, GI-SVM provides a more sensitive method for researchers interested in a first-pass detection of GI in newly sequenced genomes.

Quality evaluation of Persian nutrition and diet therapy websites

PubMed Central

Gholizadeh, Zahra; Papi, Ahmad; Ashrafi-rizi, Hasan; Shahrzadi, Leila; Hasanzadeh, Akbar

2017-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Nowadays websites are among the most important information sources used by most people. With the spread of websites, especially those related to health issues, the number of their visitors also increases, more than half of which are about nutritional information. Therefore, quality analysis of nutrition and diet therapy websites is of outmost importance. This study aims to evaluate the quality of Persian nutrition and diet therapy websites. METHODS: The current work is a survey study and uses an applied study method. The statistical population consists of 51 Persian websites about nutrition and diet therapy and census method was used in order to study them. Data gathering was done using a checklist and with direct visit to each website. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used to analyse the gathered data with the help of SPSS 21 software. RESULTS: Findings showed that content (66.7%), organization (82.4%), user friendly interfaces (52.9%) and total quality (70.6%) of most websites had a mediocre score while the design score for most of the websites (70.6%) was acceptable also organizational websites had better design, organization and quality compared to private websites. The three websites with the highest general quality score were the websites of “Novel Diet Therapy,” “Behsite” and “Dr. BehdadiPour” (jointly) and “Dr. Kermani” respectively. Also in the dimension of content the factors of goal, relevance and credibility, in the dimension of design the factors of color, text and sound, pictures and videos, in the dimension of organization the factors of stability and indexing and in the dimension of user friendliness the factors of confidentiality, credibility and personalization had the highest scores. CONCLUSION: The results showed that the design score was higher than other scores. Also the general quality score of the websites was mediocre and was not desirable. Also websites didn’t have suitable scores in every factor

The Top Ten Websites in Critical Care Medicine Education Today.

PubMed

Wolbrink, Traci A; Rubin, Lucy; Burns, Jeffrey P; Markovitz, Barry

2018-01-01

The number of websites for the critical care provider is rapidly growing, including websites that are part of the Free Open Access Med(ical ed)ucation (FOAM) movement. With this rapidly expanding number of websites, critical appraisal is needed to identify quality websites. The last major review of critical care websites was published in 2011, and thus a new review of the websites relevant to the critical care clinician is necessary. A new assessment tool for evaluating critical care medicine education websites, the Critical Care Medical Education Website Quality Evaluation Tool (CCMEWQET), was modified from existing tools. A PubMed and Startpage search from 2007 to 2017 was conducted to identify websites relevant to critical care medicine education. These websites were scored based on the CCMEWQET. Ninety-seven websites relevant for critical care medicine education were identified and scored, and the top ten websites were described in detail. Common types of resources available on these websites included blog posts, podcasts, videos, online journal clubs, and interactive components such as quizzes. Almost one quarter of websites (n = 22) classified themselves as FOAM websites. The top ten websites most often included an editorial process, high-quality and appropriately attributed graphics and multimedia, scored much higher for comprehensiveness and ease of access, and included opportunities for interactive learning. Many excellent online resources for critical care medicine education currently exist, and the number is likely to continue to increase. Opportunities for improvement in many websites include more active engagement of learners, upgrading navigation abilities, incorporating an editorial process, and providing appropriate attribution for graphics and media.

[Content analysis of websites directed to low back pain].

PubMed

Gülcü, Nebahat; Bulut, Sefa

2010-04-01

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the websites directed at providing information about low back pain with respect to their content and quality. The websites were detected by scanning the words 'low back pain' from the Turkish pages module of the Google search portal. One hundred and fifty websites introduced on the first 20 pages were evaluated; the 65 websites determined to fulfill the desired criteria were analyzed in detail. Twenty of the 65 websites were excluded due to low quality, extraction from another website, sales promotion-related books/products, or qualified as news. In the majority of websites, no site administrator was indicated. When an administrator was indicated, the common specialities were physical therapists (13%), neurosurgeons (8%) and anesthesiologists (4%). Ten of the websites (22%) provided a pain definition close to international standards, whereas pain classification was available on most of the websites (84%). There was no mention of methods of pain scoring on any of them. Treatment modalities for which information was given included mostly behavioral, physical and pharmacological therapies, respectively. Complementary techniques, in order, included acupuncture, yoga and bioenergy. On 10 websites, text was supported with medical photographs, and videos were available on two. None of the websites had a provision for selection of other languages. Websites directed to low back pain should be enriched with respect to scientific content, thereby serving to increase the level of social education related to pain management.

Myths, fallacies and practical pearls in GI lab

PubMed Central

Kumar, Pradeep

2014-01-01

Many prevalent practices and guidelines related to Gastrointestinal endoscopy and procedural sedation are at odds with the widely available scientific-physiological and clinical outcome data. In many institutions, strict policy of pre-procedural extended fasting is still rigorously enforced, despite no evidence of increased incidence of aspiration after recent oral intake prior to sedation. Supplemental oxygen administration in the setting of GI procedural sedation has been increasingly adopted as reported in the medical journals, despite clear evidence that supplemental oxygen blunts the usefulness of pulse oximetry in timely detection of sedation induced hypoventilation, leading to increased number of adverse cardiopulmonary outcomes. Use of Propofol by Gastroenterologist-Nurse team is erroneously considered dangerous and often prohibited in various institutions, at the same time worldwide reports of remarkable safety and patient satisfaction continue to be published, dating back more than a decade. Of patient monitoring practices that have been advocated to be standard, many merely add cost, not value. Advances in the technology often are not incorporated in a timely manner in guidelines or clinical practices, e.g., Capsule endoscopy or electrocautery during GI procedures do not interfere with proper functioning of the current pacemakers or defibrillators. Orthopedic surgeons have continued to recommend prophylactic antibiotics for joint replacement patients prior to GI procedures, without any evidence of need. These myths are explored for a succint review to prompt a change in clinical practices and institutional policies. PMID:25512767

Website Structure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Larry S.

2009-01-01

This dissertation reports the results of an exploratory data analysis investigation of the relationship between the structures used for information organization and access and the associated storage structures within state government websites. Extending an earlier claim that hierarchical directory structures are both the preeminent information…

75 FR 66193 - Post-9/11 GI Bill 2010-2011 Tuition and Fee In-State Maximums

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-27

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Post-9/11 GI Bill 2010-2011 Tuition and Fee In-State Maximums... advise the public of the Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition and fee in-State maximum rates for the 2010- 2011... maximum amounts listed below to determine the amounts payable for training pursued under the Post-9/11 GI...

Websites in Japan: A Qualitative Analysis

PubMed

Okuhara, Tsuyoshi; Ishikawa, Hirono; Okada, Masahumi; Kato, Mio; Kiuchi, Takahiro

2018-02-26

Background: Cancer screening rates are lower in Japan than in Western countries. Meanwhile, anti-cancer-screening activists take to the internet to spread their messages that cancer screening has little or no efficacy, poses substantial health risks such as side effects from radiation exposure, and that people should forgo cancer screening. We applied a qualitative approach to explore the beliefs underlying the messages of anti-cancer-screening websites, by focusing on perceived value the beliefs provided to those who held them. Methods: We conducted online searches using Google Japan and Yahoo! Japan, targeting websites we classified as “pro,” “anti,” or “neutral” depending on their claims. We applied a dual analytic approach- inductive thematic analysis and deductive interpretative analysis- to the textual data of the anti websites. Results: Of the 88 websites analyzed, five themes that correspond to beliefs were identified: destruction of common knowledge, denial of standard cancer control, education about right cancer control, education about hidden truths, and sense of superiority that only I know the truth. Authors of anti websites ascribed two values (“safety of people” and “self-esteem”) to their beliefs. Conclusion: The beliefs of authors of anti-cancer-screening websites were supposed to be strong. It would be better to target in cancer screening promotion not outright screening refusers but screening hesitant people who are more amenable to changing their attitudes toward screening. The possible means to persuade them were discussed. Creative Commons Attribution License

Characteristics of Arabic Websites with information on autism.

PubMed

Alnemary, Fahad M; Alnemary, Faisal M; Alamri, Abdulrahman S; Alamri, Yassar A

2017-04-01

To explore the characteristics of Arabic websites with information on autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The word autism in Arabic was entered into 2 popular search engines in September 2013 to locate the top 80 websites featuring the term. Websites were sorted using 10 characteristics, previously used to evaluate the characteristics of English websites with information on ASD. Most websites were registered using a .com top-level domain (69%), were an individual`s site, forum, or blog (44%), and were updated after September 2012 (60%); they contained images or texts that seemed to persuade viewers to purchase products (43%); they provided information with the name of author(s) (64%); they described the basic characteristics of ASD; and they promoted various types of treatments, most of which lack empirical support (63%). However, few websites contained information with references to peer review resources (3%) or a warning statement that such information should not replace the opinion of a qualified professional (8%). Internet users may not find Arabic websites to be reliable sources to obtain information on ASD. Given the increased use of the internet, creation of websites that contain trusted information on ASD could potentially aid parents in accessing available services, help them learn about empirically validated interventions, and enable them to advocate for their children`s rights.

Dental practice websites: creating a Web presence.

PubMed

Miller, Syrene A; Forrest, Jane L

2002-07-01

Web technology provides an opportunity for dentists to showcase their practice philosophy, quality of care, office setting, and staff in a creative manner. Having a Website provides a practice with innovative and cost-effective communications and marketing tools for current and potential patients who use the Internet. The main benefits of using a Website to promote one's practice are: Making office time more productive, tasks more timely, follow-up less necessary Engaging patients in an interactive and visual learning process Providing online forms and procedure examples for patients Projecting a competent and current image Tracking the usage of Web pages. Several options are available when considering the development of a Website. These options range in cost based on customization of the site and ongoing support services, such as site updates, technical assistance, and Web usage statistics. In most cases, Websites are less expensive than advertising in the phone book. Options in creating a Website include building one's own, employing a company that offers Website templates, and employing a company that offers customized sites. These development options and benefits will continue to grow as individuals access the Web and more information and sites become available.

GI-axe: an access broker framework for the geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boldrini, E.; Nativi, S.; Santoro, M.; Papeschi, F.; Mazzetti, P.

2012-12-01

The efficient and effective discovery of heterogeneous geospatial resources (e.g. data and services) is currently addressed by implementing "Discovery Brokering components"—such as GI-cat which is successfully used by the GEO brokering framework. A related (and subsequent) problem is the access of discovered resources. As for the discovery case, there exists a clear challenge: the geospatial Community makes use of heterogeneous access protocols and data models. In fact, different standards (and best practices) are defined and used by the diverse Geoscience domains and Communities of practice. Besides, through a client application, Users want to access diverse data to be jointly used in a common Geospatial Environment (CGE): a geospatial environment characterized by a spatio-temporal CRS (Coordinate Reference System), resolution, and extension. Users want to define a CGE and get the selected data ready to be used in such an environment. Finally, they want to download data according to a common encoding (either binary or textual). Therefore, it is possible to introduce the concept of "Access Brokering component" which addresses all these intermediation needs, in a transparent way for both clients (i.e. Users) and access servers (i.e. Data Providers). This work presents GI-axe: a flexible Access Broker which is capable to intermediate the different access standards and to get data according to a CGE, previously specified by the User. In doing that, GI-axe complements the capabilities of the brokered access servers, in keeping with the brokering principles. Let's consider a sample use case of a User needing to access a global temperature dataset available online on a THREDDS Data Server and a rainfall dataset accessible through a WFS—she/he may have obtained the datasets as a search result from a discovery broker. Distribution information metadata accompanying the temperature dataset further indicate that a given OPeNDAP service has to be accessed to retrieve it

Ana and the Internet: a review of pro-anorexia websites.

PubMed

Norris, Mark L; Boydell, Katherine M; Pinhas, Leora; Katzman, Debra K

2006-09-01

The purpose of this article is to describe the content of pro-anorexia websites, both qualitatively and quantitatively. An Internet search protocol was developed to identify pro-anorexia websites. A grounded theory approach was used to generate themes from Internet-based information. Basic descriptive analysis was employed to report on key website characteristics. Twenty pro-anorexia websites met inclusion criteria. Saturation of themes was achieved after review of 12 websites. Key website characteristics included purpose of website (75%), information about webmaster (67%), website disclaimers (58%), and information on "tips and tricks" (67%). Religious metaphors, lifestyle descriptions, and "thinspiration" (inspirational photo galleries and quotes that aim to serve as motivators for weight loss) were frequently present. A total of 10 themes were generated. The most prevalent themes included control, success, and perfection. Health-care providers and caregivers should be aware of pro-anorexia websites and their content, as these websites contain information that promote and support anorexia nervosa. Copyright (c) 2006 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Strategies to improve healthcare websites.

PubMed

Johnson, Constance; Peterson, Susan K; Turley, James P; Ensor, Joe; Amos, Christopher; Spitz, Margaret; Levin, Bernard; Berry, Donald

2006-01-01

Healthcare websites that are influential in healthcare decision-making must be evaluated for accuracy, readability and understandability by the average population. Most existing frameworks for designing and evaluating interactive websites focus on the utility and usability of the site. Although these are significant to the design of the basic site, they are not sufficient. We have developed an iterative framework that considers additional attributes.

Combustion Branch Website Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bishop, Eric

2004-01-01

The NASA combustion branch is a leader in developing and applying combustion science to focused aerospace propulsion systems concepts. It is widely recognized for unique facilities, analytical tools, and personnel. In order to better communicate the outstanding research being done in this Branch to the public and other research organization, a more substantial website was desired. The objective of this project was to build an up-to-date site that reflects current research in a usable and attractive manner. In order to accomplish this, information was requested from all researchers in the Combustion branch, on their professional skills and on the current projects. This information was used to fill in the Personnel and Research sections of the website. A digital camera was used to photograph all personnel and these photographs were included in the personnel section as well. The design of the site was implemented using the latest web standards: xhtml and external css stylesheets. This implementation conforms to the guidelines recommended by the w3c. It also helps to ensure that the web site is accessible by disabled users, and complies with Section 508 Federal legislation (which mandates that all Federal websites be accessible). Graphics for the new site were generated using the gimp (www.gimp.org) an open-source graphics program similar to Adobe Photoshop. Also, all graphics on the site were of a reasonable size (less than 20k, most less than 2k) so that the page would load quickly. Technologies such as Macromedia Flash and Javascript were avoided, as these only function on some clients which have the proper software installed or enabled. The website was tested on different platforms with many different browsers to ensure there were no compatibility issues. The website was tested on windows with MS IE 6, MSIE 5 , Netscape 7, Mozilla and Opera. On a Mac, the site was tested with MS IE 5 , Netscape 7 and Safari.

Experience with a Spanish-language laparoscopy website.

PubMed

Moreno-Sanz, Carlos; Seoane-González, Jose B

2006-02-01

Although there are no clearly defined electronic tools for continuing medical education (CME), new information technologies offer a basic platform for presenting training content on the internet. Due to the shortage of websites about minimally invasive surgery in the Spanish language, we set up a topical website in Spanish. This study considers the experience with the website between April 2001 and January 2005. To study the activity of the website, the registry information was analyzed descriptively using the log files of the server. To study the characteristics of the users, we searched the database of registered users. We found a total of 107,941 visits to our website and a total of 624,895 page downloads. Most visits to the site were made from Spanish-speaking countries. The most frequent professional profile of the registered users was that of general surgeon. The development, implementation, and evaluation of Spanish-language CME initiatives over the internet is promising but presents challenges.

Characteristics of Arabic Websites with information on autism

PubMed Central

Alnemary, Fahad M.; Alnemary, Faisal M.; Alamri, Abdulrahman S.; Alamri, Yassar A.

2017-01-01

Objectives: To explore the characteristics of Arabic websites with information on autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods: The word autism in Arabic was entered into 2 popular search engines in September 2013 to locate the top 80 websites featuring the term. Websites were sorted using 10 characteristics, previously used to evaluate the characteristics of English websites with information on ASD. Results: Most websites were registered using a.com top-level domain (69%), were an individual’s site, forum, or blog (44%), and were updated after September 2012 (60%); they contained images or texts that seemed to persuade viewers to purchase products (43%); they provided information with the name of author(s) (64%); they described the basic characteristics of ASD; and they promoted various types of treatments, most of which lack empirical support (63%). However, few websites contained information with references to peer review resources (3%) or a warning statement that such information should not replace the opinion of a qualified professional (8%). Conclusion: Internet users may not find Arabic websites to be reliable sources to obtain information on ASD. Given the increased use of the internet, creation of websites that contain trusted information on ASD could potentially aid parents in accessing available services, help them learn about empirically validated interventions, and enable them to advocate for their children’s rights. PMID:28416788

Quality Assessment of Information on Bariatric Surgery Websites.

PubMed

Vetter, Diana; Ruhwinkel, Hendrik; Raptis, Dimitri A; Bueter, Marco

2018-05-01

The aim of this study was to assess the quality of patient information on bariatric surgery in the internet using the modified Ensuring Quality Information for Patients (EQIP) tool. Systematic review of information on bariatric surgery in the internet by entering common search terms into five search engines. The top 100 websites of every search term and search engine were assessed using the validated EQIP tool (maximum score, 36), which entails points for content, structure, and identification data of a given website. Websites at or above the 99th percentile were analyzed separately (n = 8). The median EQIP score of all included websites (n = 463) was 17 (IQR 15-19). While information on the medical problem, the indication for surgery, or the treatment alternatives was present in 84% of all websites, only 10% of the included websites contained adequate information on postoperative complications. Although quantitative information on incidence (37.5%) and treatment of complications (12.5%) was significantly better in the top 99th percentile websites, the content of relevant information such as occurrence and treatment of complications was still very limited. The overall quality of patient information on bariatric surgery in the internet is relatively poor. Especially incidence of complications and their treatment are rarely reported even on websites with a 99th percentile EQIP score.

Distributed Timing and Localization (DiGiTaL)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

D'Amico, Simone; Hunter, Roger C.; Baker, Christopher

2017-01-01

The Distributed Timing and Localization (DiGiTaL) system provides nano satellite formations with unprecedented,centimeter-level navigation accuracy in real time and nanosecond-level time synchronization. This is achieved through the integration of a multi-constellation Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver, a Chip-Scale Atomic Clock (CSAC), and a dedicated Inter-Satellite Link (ISL). In comparison, traditional single spacecraft GNSS navigation solutions are accurate only to the meter-level due to the sole usage of coarse pseudo-range measurements. To meet the strict requirements of future miniaturized distributed space systems, DiGiTaL uses powerful error-cancelling combinations of raw carrier-phase measurements which are exchanged between the swarming nano satellites through a decentralized network. A reduced-dynamics estimation architecture on board each individual nano satellite processes the resulting millimeter-level noise measurements to reconstruct the fullformation state with high accuracy.

The Content and Interactivity of Health Support Group Websites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrison, Sandra; Barlow, Julie; Williams, Gareth

2007-01-01

Objective: To assess the online contents and interactivity provided by health support group (HSG) websites representing a range of chronic diseases. Design: Survey of 80 HSG websites. Method: A checklist of website content was developed rating the level of information and advice, interactivity and online support provided by each HSG website. Each…

Two distinct structures of alpha-conotoxin GI in aqueous solution.

PubMed

Maslennikov, I V; Sobol, A G; Gladky, K V; Lugovskoy, A A; Ostrovsky, A G; Tsetlin, V I; Ivanov, V T; Arseniev, A S

1998-06-01

The detailed analysis of conformational space of alpha-conotoxin GI in aqueous solution has been performed on the basis of two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy data using multiconformational approach. As the result, two topologically distinct interconvertible sets of GI conformations (populations of 78% and 22%) have been found. A common feature of the two sets is the Asn4-Cys7 beta-turn. The Gly8 to Tyrll region has a structure of right-handed helical turn in the major set and two sequential bends in the minor one. N-terminus and C-terminus also have different orientations, anti-parallel in the major conformational set and parallel in the minor one. An average pairwise rmsd for backbone heavy atoms is 0.56 A in the major set, 0.23 A in the minor, and 1.85 A between the structures of the two sets. The X-ray structure of GI [Guddat, L. W., Martin, J. A., Shan, L., Edmundson, A. B. & Gray, W. R. (1996) Biochemistry 35, 11329 - 11335] has the same folding pattern as the major NMR set, the average backbone rmsd between the two structures being 0.77 A.

An evaluation of general practice websites in the UK.

PubMed

Howitt, Alistair; Clement, Sarah; de Lusignan, Simon; Thiru, Krish; Goodwin, Daryl; Wells, Sally

2002-10-01

General practice websites are an emerging phenomenon, but there have been few critical evaluations of their content. Previously developed rating instruments to assess medical websites have been criticized for failing to report their reliability and validity. The purpose of this study was to develop a rating instrument for assessing UK general practice websites, and then to evaluate them critically. The STaRNet Website Assessment Tool (SWAT) was developed listing criteria that general practice websites may meet, which was then used to evaluate a random sample of websites drawn from an electronic database. A second assessor rated a subsample of the sites to assess the tool's inter-rater reliability. The setting was an information technology group of a general practice research network using a random sample of 108 websites identified from the database. The main outcome measures were identification of rating criteria and frequency counts from the website rating instrument. Ninety (93.3%) sites were accessible, of which 84 were UK general practice websites. Criteria most frequently met were those describing the scope of the website and their functionality. Apart from e-mail to practices, criteria related to electronic communication were rarely met. Criteria relating to the quality of information were least often met. Inter-rater reliability kappa values for the items in the tool ranged from -0.06 to 1.0 (mean 0.59). Values were >0.6 for 15 out of 25 criteria assessed in 40 sites which were rated by two assessors. General practice websites offer a wide range of information. They are technically satisfactory, but do not exploit fully the potential for electronic doctor-patient communication. The quality of information they provide is poor. The instrument may be developed as a template for general practices producing or revising their own websites.

Prospective Associations Between Intervention Components and Website Engagement in a Publicly Available Physical Activity Website: The Case of 10,000 Steps Australia

PubMed Central

Corry, Kelly; Van Itallie, Anetta; Vandelanotte, Corneel; Caperchione, Cristina; Mummery, W Kerry

2012-01-01

Background Effectiveness of and engagement with website-delivered physical activity interventions is moderate at best. Increased exposure to Internet interventions is reported to increase their effectiveness; however, there is a lack of knowledge about which specific intervention elements are able to maintain website engagement. Objective To prospectively study the associations of website engagement and exposure to intervention components for a publicly available physical activity website (10,000 Steps Australia). Methods Between June and July 2006 a total of 348 members of 10,000 Steps completed a Web-based survey to collect demographic characteristics. Website engagement was subsequently assessed over a 2-year period and included engagement data on website components; individual challenges, team challenges, and virtual walking buddies; and indicators of website engagement (average steps logged, days logging steps, and active users). Results On average participants logged steps on 169 (SD 228.25) days. Over a 2-year period this equated to an average of 1.6 logons per week. Binary logistic regression showed that individuals who participated in individual challenges were more likely to achieve an average of 10,000 steps per day (odds ratio [OR] = 2.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.45–5.40), log steps on a higher than average number of days (OR = 6.81, 95% CI 2.87–13.31), and remain an active user (OR = 4.36, 95% CI 2.17–8.71). Additionally, those using virtual walking buddies (OR = 5.83, 95% CI 1.27–26.80) and of older age logged steps on a higher than average number of days. No significant associations were found for team challenges. Conclusions Overall engagement with the 10,000 Steps website was high, and the results demonstrate the relative effectiveness of interactive components to enhance website engagement. However, only exposure to the interactive individual challenge feature was positively associated with all website engagement indicators. More

United States Federal Health Care Websites: A Multimethod Evaluation of Website Accessibility for Individuals with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brobst, John L.

2012-01-01

The problem addressed by this study is the observed low levels of compliance with federal policy on website accessibility. The study examines the two key federal policies that promote website accessibility, using a side-by-side policy analysis technique. The analysis examines the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 508 of the…

Website Redesign: A Case Study.

PubMed

Wu, Jin; Brown, Janis F

2016-01-01

A library website redesign is a complicated and at times arduous task, requiring many different steps including determining user needs, analyzing past user behavior, examining other websites, defining design preferences, testing, marketing, and launching the site. Many different types of expertise are required over the entire process. Lessons learned from the Norris Medical Library's experience with the redesign effort may be useful to others undertaking a similar project.

Online Sellers’ Website Quality Influencing Online Buyers’ Purchase Intention

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shea Lee, Tan; Ariff, Mohd Shoki Md; Zakuan, Norhayati; Sulaiman, Zuraidah; Zameri Mat Saman, Muhamad

2016-05-01

The increase adoption of Internet among young users in Malaysia provides high prospect for online seller. Young users aged between 18 and 25 years old are important to online sellers because they are actively involved in online purchasing and this group of online buyers is expected to dominate future online market. Therefore, examining online sellers’ website quality and online buyers’ purchase intention is crucial. Based on the Theory of planned behavior (TPB), a conceptual model of online sellers’ website quality and purchase intention of online buyers was developed. E-tailQ instrument was adapted in this study which composed of website design, reliability/fulfillment, security, privacy & trust, and customer service. Using online questionnaire and convenience sampling procedure, primary data were obtained from 240 online buyers aged between 18 to 25 years old. It was discovered that website design, website reliability/fulfillment, website security, privacy & trust, and website customer service positively and significantly influence intention of online buyers to continuously purchase via online channels. This study concludes that online sellers’ website quality is important in predicting online buyers’ purchase intention. Recommendation and implication of this study were discussed focusing on how online sellers should improve their website quality to stay competitive in online business.

The impact of career websites: what's the evidence?

PubMed

Howieson, Cathy; Semple, Sheila

2013-06-01

Careers provision for young people in the UK is being re-formulated on the basis of a central role for career websites but this policy is based on unproven assumptions about their value. In this article we consider the use and impact of the two main career websites in Scotland on pupils' career management skills. We found that pupils at risk of not achieving positive post-school destinations were less likely to use the websites, as were minority ethnic pupils. Although similar in functions, the two websites differed in their effect: one had no impact while the other impacted on only one aspect of pupils' career management skills. Careers policy needs to be informed by more extensive research on career websites.

The impact of career websites: what's the evidence?

PubMed Central

Howieson, Cathy; Semple, Sheila

2013-01-01

Careers provision for young people in the UK is being re-formulated on the basis of a central role for career websites but this policy is based on unproven assumptions about their value. In this article we consider the use and impact of the two main career websites in Scotland on pupils' career management skills. We found that pupils at risk of not achieving positive post-school destinations were less likely to use the websites, as were minority ethnic pupils. Although similar in functions, the two websites differed in their effect: one had no impact while the other impacted on only one aspect of pupils’ career management skills. Careers policy needs to be informed by more extensive research on career websites. PMID:24009406

Development of an Online Library of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Gastroenterology: The GI-PRO Database

PubMed Central

Khanna, Puja; Agarwal, Nikhil; Khanna, Dinesh; Hays, Ron D.; Chang, Lin; Bolus, Roger; Melmed, Gil; Whitman, Cynthia B.; Kaplan, Robert M.; Ogawa, Rikke; Snyder, Bradley; Spiegel, Brennan M.R.

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVES Because gastrointestinal (GI) illnesses can cause physical, emotional, and social distress, patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are used to guide clinical decision making, conduct research, and seek drug approval. It is important to develop a mechanism for identifying, categorizing, and evaluating the over 100 GI PROs that exist. Here we describe a new, National Institutes of Health (NIH)-supported, online PRO clearinghouse—the GI-PRO database. METHODS Using a protocol developed by the NIH Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS®), we performed a systematic review to identify English-language GI PROs. We abstracted PRO items and developed an online searchable item database. We categorized symptoms into content “bins” to evaluate a framework for GI symptom reporting. Finally, we assigned a score for the methodological quality of each PRO represented in the published literature (0–20 range; higher indicates better). RESULTS We reviewed 15,697 titles (κ > 0.6 for title and abstract selection), from which we identified 126 PROs. Review of the PROs revealed eight GI symptom “bins”: (i) abdominal pain, (ii) bloat/gas, (iii) diarrhea, (iv) constipation, (v) bowel incontinence/soilage, (vi) heartburn/reflux, (vii) swallowing, and (viii) nausea/vomiting. In addition to these symptoms, the PROs covered four psychosocial domains: (i) behaviors, (ii) cognitions, (iii) emotions, and (iv) psychosocial impact. The quality scores were generally low (mean 8.88±4.19; 0 (min)−20 (max)). In addition, 51% did not include patient input in developing the PRO, and 41% provided no information on score interpretation. CONCLUSIONS GI PROs cover a wide range of biopsychosocial symptoms. Although plentiful, GI PROs are limited by low methodological quality. Our online PRO library (www.researchcore.org/gipro/) can help in selecting PROs for clinical and research purposes. PMID:24343547

Emergency Contraception Website

MedlinePlus

Text Only Full media Version Get Emergency Contraception NOW INFO about Emergency Contraception Q&A about Emergency Contraception Español | Arabic Find a Morning After Pill Provider Near You This website is ...

A Retrospective Look at Website Accessibility over Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hackett, Stephanie; Parmanto, Bambang; Zeng, Xiaoming

2005-01-01

Websites were retrospectively analysed to study the effects that technological advances in web design have had on accessibility for persons with disabilities. A random sample of general websites and a convenience sample of US government websites were studied and compared for the years 1997-2002. Web accessibility barrier (WAB) and complexity…

Using Bayesian modelling to investigate factors governing antibiotic-induced Candida albicans colonization of the GI tract

PubMed Central

Shankar, Jyoti; Solis, Norma V.; Mounaud, Stephanie; Szpakowski, Sebastian; Liu, Hong; Losada, Liliana; Nierman, William C.; Filler, Scott G.

2015-01-01

Receipt of broad-spectrum antibiotics enhances Candida albicans colonization of the GI tract, a risk factor for haematogenously-disseminated candidiasis. To understand how antibiotics influence C. albicans colonization, we treated mice orally with vancomycin or a combination of penicillin, streptomycin, and gentamicin (PSG) and then inoculated them with C. albicans by gavage. Only PSG treatment resulted in sustained, high-level GI colonization with C. albicans. Furthermore, PSG reduced bacterial diversity in the colon much more than vancomycin. Both antibiotic regimens significantly reduced IL-17A, IL-21, IL-22 and IFN-γ mRNA levels in the terminal ileum but had limited effect on the GI fungal microbiome. Through a series of models that employed Bayesian model averaging, we investigated the associations between antibiotic treatment, GI microbiota, and host immune response and their collective impact on C. albicans colonization. Our analysis revealed that bacterial genera were typically associated with either C. albicans colonization or altered cytokine expression but not with both. The only exception was Veillonella, which was associated with both increased C. albicans colonization and reduced IL-21 expression. Overall, antibiotic-induced changes in the bacterial microbiome were much more consistent determinants of C. albicans colonization than either the GI fungal microbiota or the GI immune response. PMID:25644850

A SOA broker solution for standard discovery and access services: the GI-cat framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boldrini, Enrico

2010-05-01

GI-cat ideal users are data providers or service providers within the geoscience community. The former have their data already available through an access service (e.g. an OGC Web Service) and would have it published through a standard catalog service, in a seamless way. The latter would develop a catalog broker and let users query and access different geospatial resources through one or more standard interfaces and Application Profiles (AP) (e.g. OGC CSW ISO AP, CSW ebRIM/EO AP, etc.). GI-cat actually implements a broker components (i.e. a middleware service) which carries out distribution and mediation functionalities among "well-adopted" catalog interfaces and data access protocols. GI-cat also publishes different discovery interfaces: the OGC CSW ISO and ebRIM Application Profiles (the latter coming with support for the EO and CIM extension packages) and two different OpenSearch interfaces developed in order to explore Web 2.0 possibilities. An extended interface is also available to exploit all available GI-cat features, such as interruptible incremental queries and queries feedback. Interoperability tests performed in the context of different projects have also pointed out the importance to enforce compatibility with existing and wide-spread tools of the open source community (e.g. GeoNetwork and Deegree catalogs), which was then achieved. Based on a service-oriented framework of modular components, GI-cat can effectively be customized and tailored to support different deployment scenarios. In addition to the distribution functionality an harvesting approach has been lately experimented, allowing the user to switch between a distributed and a local search giving thus more possibilities to support different deployment scenarios. A configurator tool is available in order to enable an effective high level configuration of the broker service. A specific geobrowser was also naturally developed, for demonstrating the advanced GI-cat functionalities. This client

How to improve medical education website design.

PubMed

Sisson, Stephen D; Hill-Briggs, Felicia; Levine, David

2010-04-21

The Internet provides a means of disseminating medical education curricula, allowing institutions to share educational resources. Much of what is published online is poorly planned, does not meet learners' needs, or is out of date. Applying principles of curriculum development, adult learning theory and educational website design may result in improved online educational resources. Key steps in developing and implementing an education website include: 1) Follow established principles of curriculum development; 2) Perform a needs assessment and repeat the needs assessment regularly after curriculum implementation; 3) Include in the needs assessment targeted learners, educators, institutions, and society; 4) Use principles of adult learning and behavioral theory when developing content and website function; 5) Design the website and curriculum to demonstrate educational effectiveness at an individual and programmatic level; 6) Include a mechanism for sustaining website operations and updating content over a long period of time. Interactive, online education programs are effective for medical training, but require planning, implementation, and maintenance that follow established principles of curriculum development, adult learning, and behavioral theory.

About This Website

Cancer.gov

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) website serves to disseminate authoritative, evidence-based, and up-to-date information about cancer and NCI-supported cancer research. Much of the information is available for content reuse and syndication.

G.I. Taylor and the Trinity Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deakin, Michael A. B.

2011-01-01

The story is often told of the calculation by G.I. Taylor of the yield of the first ever atomic bomb exploded in New Mexico in 1945. It has indeed become a staple of the classroom whenever dimensional analysis is taught. However, while it is true that Taylor succeeded in calculating this figure at a time when it was still classified, most versions…

Content and Quality of Information Provided on Canadian Dementia Websites

PubMed Central

Dillon, Whitney A.; Prorok, Jeanette C.; Seitz, Dallas P.

2013-01-01

Purpose Information about dementia is important for persons with dementia (PWD) and their caregivers and the Internet has become the key source of health information. We reviewed the content and quality of information provided on Canadian websites for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Methods We used the terms “dementia” and “Alzheimer” in Google to identify Canadian dementia websites. The contents of websites were compared to 16 guideline recommendations provided in Canadian Consensus Conference on Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia. The quality of information provided on websites was evaluated using the DISCERN instrument. The content and quality of information provided on selected websites were then described. Results Seven websites were identified, three of which provided relatively comprehensive and high-quality information on dementia. Websites frequently provided information about diagnosis of dementia, its natural course, and types of dementia, while other topics were less commonly addressed. The quality of information provided on the websites varied, and many websites had several areas where the quality of information provided was relatively low according to the DISCERN instrument. Conclusions There is variation in the content and quality of dementia websites, although some websites provide high-quality and relatively comprehensive information which would serve as a useful resource for PWD, caregivers, and healthcare providers. Improvements in the content and quality of information provided on AD websites would provide PWD and their caregivers with access to better information. PMID:23440180

Internet poker websites and pathological gambling prevention policy.

PubMed

Khazaal, Yasser; Chatton, Anne; Bouvard, Audrey; Khiari, Hiba; Achab, Sophia; Zullino, Daniele

2013-03-01

Despite the widespread increase in online poker playing and the risk related to excessive poker playing, research on online poker websites is still lacking with regard to pathological gambling prevention strategies offered by the websites. The aim of the present study was to assess the pathological gambling-related prevention strategies of online poker websites. Two keywords ("poker" and "poker help") were entered into two popular World Wide Web search engines. The first 20 links related to French and English online poker websites were assessed. Seventy-four websites were assessed with a standardized tool designed to rate sites on the basis of accountability, interactivity, prevention strategies, marketing, and messages related to poker strategies. Prevention strategies appeared to be lacking. Whereas a substantial proportion of the websites offered incitation to gambling such as betting "tips," few sites offered strategies to prevent or address problem gambling. Furthermore, strategies related to poker, such as probability estimation, were mostly reported without acknowledging their limitations. Results of this study suggest that more adequate prevention strategies for risky gambling should be developed for online poker.

Impact of a dermatology wiki website on dermatology education.

PubMed

Karimkhani, Chante; Boyers, Lindsay N; Ellis, Lixia Z; Brice, Sylvia; Chen, David L; Dunnick, Cory A; Dellavalle, Robert P

2015-01-15

The Dermatology Education Wiki (dermwiki) website serves as a resource platform for medical students and residents. The readily accessible interface provides dermatology articles, survival guides, didactic lectures, and links to faculty talks as well as research opportunities. To assess medical student and resident satisfaction with the dermwiki website. Fourth-year medical students taking a dermatology elective were provided with a temporary password to access relevant dermwiki information. A satisfaction survey was created to assess whether medical students found the website helpful. Second- and third-year dermatology residents were also surveyed to compare satisfaction scores prior to and after the introduction of the dermwiki website. End-of-rotation medical student exam scores were tabulated and compared to the average scores from years prior to the development of the dermwiki website. Medical students rated the dermatology elective with the dermwiki website higher than rotations without a wiki (8.12 vs 7.31). Students planning to go into dermatology were more satisfied with the dermwiki website, reported accessing the website more frequently (11 times vs 9.5 times), and reported more time spent studying (12.2 hours vs 6.7 hours) than students not going into dermatology. End-of-rotation medical student exam scores did not differ from those prior to the development of the demwiki website. Ten second- and third-year dermatology residents unanimously stated that they were more satisfied with the program after the institution of the dermwiki website. Overall, addition of the dermwiki website to the dermatology elective curriculum has improved medical student and resident satisfaction scores. The improvement is greater among students planning to enter the field of dermatology. This study serves as a model for the incorporation of internet-based interactive tools to transform and supplement the learning environment.

Eight Questions About Physician-Rating Websites: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Sander, Uwe; Pisch, Frank

2013-01-01

Background Physician-rating websites are currently gaining in popularity because they increase transparency in the health care system. However, research on the characteristics and content of these portals remains limited. Objective To identify and synthesize published evidence in peer-reviewed journals regarding frequently discussed issues about physician-rating websites. Methods Peer-reviewed English and German language literature was searched in seven databases (Medline (via PubMed), the Cochrane Library, Business Source Complete, ABI/Inform Complete, PsycInfo, Scopus, and ISI web of knowledge) without any time constraints. Additionally, reference lists of included studies were screened to assure completeness. The following eight previously defined questions were addressed: 1) What percentage of physicians has been rated? 2) What is the average number of ratings on physician-rating websites? 3) Are there any differences among rated physicians related to socioeconomic status? 4) Are ratings more likely to be positive or negative? 5) What significance do patient narratives have? 6) How should physicians deal with physician-rating websites? 7) What major shortcomings do physician-rating websites have? 8) What recommendations can be made for further improvement of physician-rating websites? Results Twenty-four articles published in peer-reviewed journals met our inclusion criteria. Most studies were published by US (n=13) and German (n=8) researchers; however, the focus differed considerably. The current usage of physician-rating websites is still low but is increasing. International data show that 1 out of 6 physicians has been rated, and approximately 90% of all ratings on physician-rating websites were positive. Although often a concern, we could not find any evidence of "doctor-bashing". Physicians should not ignore these websites, but rather, monitor the information available and use it for internal and ex-ternal purpose. Several shortcomings limit the

77 FR 39344 - Agency Information (Post-9/11 GI Bill Education Longitudinal Study Survey) Activity Under OMB Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-02

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS [OMB Control No. 2900-New (Post-9/11 GI Bill Longitudinal Study Survey)] Agency Information (Post-9/11 GI Bill Education Longitudinal Study Survey) Activity Under OMB...-9/11 GI Bill Longitudinal Study Survey) in any correspondence For Further Information or a Copy of...

Hypoglycemia: Role of Hypothalamic Glucose-Inhibited (GI) Neurons in Detection and Correction.

PubMed

Zhou, Chunxue; Teegala, Suraj B; Khan, Bilal A; Gonzalez, Christina; Routh, Vanessa H

2018-01-01

Hypoglycemia is a profound threat to the brain since glucose is its primary fuel. As a result, glucose sensors are widely located in the central nervous system and periphery. In this perspective we will focus on the role of hypothalamic glucose-inhibited (GI) neurons in sensing and correcting hypoglycemia. In particular, we will discuss GI neurons in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) which express neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and in the perifornical hypothalamus (PFH) which express orexin. The ability of VMH nNOS-GI neurons to depolarize in low glucose closely parallels the hormonal response to hypoglycemia which stimulates gluconeogenesis. We have found that nitric oxide (NO) production in low glucose is dependent on oxidative status. In this perspective we will discuss the potential relevance of our work showing that enhancing the glutathione antioxidant system prevents hypoglycemia associated autonomic failure (HAAF) in non-diabetic rats whereas VMH overexpression of the thioredoxin antioxidant system restores hypoglycemia counterregulation in rats with type 1 diabetes.We will also address the potential role of the orexin-GI neurons in the arousal response needed for hypoglycemia awareness which leads to behavioral correction (e.g., food intake, glucose administration). The potential relationship between the hypothalamic sensors and the neurocircuitry in the hindbrain and portal mesenteric vein which is critical for hypoglycemia correction will then be discussed.

miR-MaGiC improves quantification accuracy for small RNA-seq.

PubMed

Russell, Pamela H; Vestal, Brian; Shi, Wen; Rudra, Pratyaydipta D; Dowell, Robin; Radcliffe, Richard; Saba, Laura; Kechris, Katerina

2018-05-15

Many tools have been developed to profile microRNA (miRNA) expression from small RNA-seq data. These tools must contend with several issues: the small size of miRNAs, the small number of unique miRNAs, the fact that similar miRNAs can be transcribed from multiple loci, and the presence of miRNA isoforms known as isomiRs. Methods failing to address these issues can return misleading information. We propose a novel quantification method designed to address these concerns. We present miR-MaGiC, a novel miRNA quantification method, implemented as a cross-platform tool in Java. miR-MaGiC performs stringent mapping to a core region of each miRNA and defines a meaningful set of target miRNA sequences by collapsing the miRNA space to "functional groups". We hypothesize that these two features, mapping stringency and collapsing, provide more optimal quantification to a more meaningful unit (i.e., miRNA family). We test miR-MaGiC and several published methods on 210 small RNA-seq libraries, evaluating each method's ability to accurately reflect global miRNA expression profiles. We define accuracy as total counts close to the total number of input reads originating from miRNAs. We find that miR-MaGiC, which incorporates both stringency and collapsing, provides the most accurate counts.

Academic health sciences library Website navigation: an analysis of forty-one Websites and their navigation tools.

PubMed

Brower, Stewart M

2004-10-01

The analysis included forty-one academic health sciences library (HSL) Websites as captured in the first two weeks of January 2001. Home pages and persistent navigational tools (PNTs) were analyzed for layout, technology, and links, and other general site metrics were taken. Websites were selected based on rank in the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, with regional and resource libraries given preference on the basis that these libraries are recognized as leaders in their regions and would be the most reasonable source of standards for best practice. A three-page evaluation tool was developed based on previous similar studies. All forty-one sites were evaluated in four specific areas: library general information, Website aids and tools, library services, and electronic resources. Metrics taken for electronic resources included orientation of bibliographic databases alphabetically by title or by subject area and with links to specifically named databases. Based on the results, a formula for determining obligatory links was developed, listing items that should appear on all academic HSL Web home pages and PNTs. These obligatory links demonstrate a series of best practices that may be followed in the design and construction of academic HSL Websites.

Bromelain-induced apoptosis in GI-101A breast cancer cells.

PubMed

Dhandayuthapani, Sivanesan; Perez, Honey Diaz; Paroulek, Alexandra; Chinnakkannu, Panneerselvam; Kandalam, Umadevi; Jaffe, Mark; Rathinavelu, Appu

2012-04-01

Bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme extracted from the stems and the immature fruits of pineapple that was found to be antitumorigenic in different in vitro models. Bromelain has been reported to promote apoptosis, particularly in breast cancer cells, with the up-regulation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase and p38 kinase. Our study was designed to determine if bromelain could induce apoptosis in GI-101A breast cancer cells. GI-101A cells were treated with increasing concentrations of bromelain for 24 hours. The effect of bromelain for inducing cell death via activation of the apoptosis mechanism in GI-101A cells was further determined by using caspase-9 and caspase-3 assays along with the M30-Apoptosense assay to measure cytokeratin 18 (CK18) levels in the cytoplasm of the cultured cancer cells. A dose-dependent increase in the activities of caspase-9 and caspase-3 coinciding with elevation of CK18 levels was found in bromelain-treated cells compared with control cells. Furthermore, the apoptosis induction by bromelain was confirmed by DNA fragmentation analysis and 4,6'-diamino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride fluorescence staining of the nucleus. Our results indicate an increase in apoptosis-related cell death in breast cancer cells with increasing concentrations of bromelain.

Health Websites: Accessibility and Usability for American Sign Language Users

PubMed Central

Kushalnagar, Poorna; Naturale, Joan; Paludneviciene, Raylene; Smith, Scott R.; Werfel, Emily; Doolittle, Richard; Jacobs, Stephen; DeCaro, James

2015-01-01

To date, there have been efforts towards creating better health information access for Deaf American Sign Language (ASL) users. However, the usability of websites with access to health information in ASL has not been evaluated. Our paper focuses on the usability of four health websites that include ASL videos. We seek to obtain ASL users’ perspectives on the navigation of these ASL-accessible websites, finding the health information that they needed, and perceived ease of understanding ASL video content. ASL users (N=32) were instructed to find specific information on four ASL-accessible websites, and answered questions related to: 1) navigation to find the task, 2) website usability, and 3) ease of understanding ASL video content for each of the four websites. Participants also gave feedback on what they would like to see in an ASL health library website, including the benefit of added captioning and/or signer model to medical illustration of health videos. Participants who had lower health literacy had greater difficulty in finding information on ASL-accessible health websites. This paper also describes the participants’ preferences for an ideal ASL-accessible health website, and concludes with a discussion on the role of accessible websites in promoting health literacy in ASL users. PMID:24901350

Health websites: accessibility and usability for American sign language users.

PubMed

Kushalnagar, Poorna; Naturale, Joan; Paludneviciene, Raylene; Smith, Scott R; Werfel, Emily; Doolittle, Richard; Jacobs, Stephen; DeCaro, James

2015-01-01

To date, there have been efforts toward creating better health information access for Deaf American Sign Language (ASL) users. However, the usability of websites with access to health information in ASL has not been evaluated. Our article focuses on the usability of four health websites that include ASL videos. We seek to obtain ASL users' perspectives on the navigation of these ASL-accessible websites, finding the health information that they needed, and perceived ease of understanding ASL video content. ASL users (n = 32) were instructed to find specific information on four ASL-accessible websites, and answered questions related to (a) navigation to find the task, (b) website usability, and (c) ease of understanding ASL video content for each of the four websites. Participants also gave feedback on what they would like to see in an ASL health library website, including the benefit of added captioning and/or signer model to medical illustration of health videos. Participants who had lower health literacy had greater difficulty in finding information on ASL-accessible health websites. This article also describes the participants' preferences for an ideal ASL-accessible health website, and concludes with a discussion on the role of accessible websites in promoting health literacy in ASL users.

PatientViewpoint: a website for patient-reported outcomes assessment.

PubMed

Snyder, Claire F; Jensen, Roxanne; Courtin, S Orion; Wu, Albert W

2009-09-01

To develop a prototype website to collect patient-reported outcomes in outpatient clinical oncology and link the data with the electronic medical record (EMR). A multidisciplinary Research Network, including experts in outcomes research, clinical oncology, nursing, social work, information technology, EMRs, behavioral science, decision science, clinical trials, law, and a cancer survivor, was formed to design the prototype website. The Research Network developed the initial website specifications, elicited feedback from patients (n = 20) and clinicians (n = 7), constructed the website, and conducted usability testing (n = 10). Clinicians reported that the website could improve clinical practice if it was not burdensome and were most interested in tracking change over time. Patients were interested in using the website because of the potential to facilitate communication with their clinicians. Patients emphasized the importance of short and simple surveys and a user-friendly interface. The PatientView-oint website was designed to meet these specifications. Usability testing suggested that patients had few problems accessing and using the site. Preliminary reports from clinicians and patients suggest that a website to collect PROs and link them with the EMR could help improve the quality of cancer care. Further pilot-testing will evaluate the use, usefulness, and acceptability of PatientViewpoint.

Interactive Learning Units on Museum Websites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chong, Cordelia; Smith, Diantha

2017-01-01

Though it is well known that museums should embrace digital learning, many museum websites have not fully utilized digital learning resources, especially in interactive ways. In fact, in a survey of 225 websites of selected U.S. cultural institutions that have informal science education at the heart of their operations, we found that just 5% of…

Development of the Nutrition4Kids website.

PubMed

Williams, Michelle S

2012-01-01

According to the 2009 National Vital Statistics Report, cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the United States. Researchers have determined that consuming a diet low in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is a common risk factor associated with the risk of developing several types of cancer including stomach, colorectal, breast, and pancreatic. Currently, there are few websites devoted to increasing students' knowledge about the role of a healthy diet in cancer prevention. The Nutrition4Kids website is a unique health education tool that targets youth aged 10 to 14 years. The website content and design were based on the Health Belief Model, the Information-Motivation and Behavioral Skills Model, and the principles of health literacy. The information included on the website was based on recommendations from the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund. The website contains nutrition information, recipes that emphasize the consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and interactive games. The primary objectives of the Nutrition4Kids website are to 1) increase students' knowledge of how poor dietary habits can affect their health, 2) increase students' knowledge of healthy dietary habits that can reduce their risk for cancer, 3) increase students' ability to prepare healthy, well-balanced meals and snacks, 4) increase students' ability to discuss healthy eating with their family and friends, and 5) increase students' knowledge of nutrients that have healthful benefits.

Encyclopedia of Explosives and Related Items. Volume 10

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-01-01

trinitroethyl stearate 6 E330 Ethyiphosphorodimethylamidycyanadate se Ethyl-substituted acid amides, N-trinitro derivs GA chemical warfare agent 2.C 167; 6...6 GI Galex 6 G8-G9 GA (chemical warfare agent ) 6 G 1 Galil rifle 6 G9 GA see Dimethylaminocyanophosphoric acid Galil rifle 6 G9 5 D1308-D1309 Gabeaud...G45 Gas volumes produced on expln or detonation Gelatina explosiva de guerra 6 G45 of expls 6 G36-G41 Gelatina gomma 6 G45 Gas warfare agents 2 C165

Websites on Bladder Cancer: an Appropriate Source of Patient Information?

PubMed

Salem, Johannes; Paffenholz, Pia; Bolenz, Christian; von Brandenstein, Melanie; Cebulla, Angelika; Haferkamp, Axel; Kuru, Timur; Lee, Cheryl T; Pfister, David; Tsaur, Igor; Borgmann, Hendrik; Heidenreich, Axel

2018-01-08

A growing number of patients search for health information online. An early investigation of websites about bladder cancer (BCa) revealed mostly incomplete and particularly inaccurate information. We analyzed the quality, readability, and popularity of the most frequented websites on BCa. An Internet search on www.google.com was performed for the term "bladder cancer." After selecting the most frequented websites for patient information, HONcode quality certification, Alexa popularity rank, and readability scores (according to US grade levels) were investigated. A 36-point checklist was used to assess the content according to the EAU guidelines on BCa, which was categorized into seven topics. The popularity of the 49 websites analyzed was average, with a median Alexa popularity rank of 41,698 (interquartile range [IQR] 7-4,671,246). The readability was rated difficult with 11 years of school education needed to understand the information. Thirteen (27%) websites were HONcode certified. Out of 343 topics (seven EAU guideline topics each on 49 websites), 79% were mentioned on the websites. Of these, 10% contained incorrect information, mostly outdated or biased, and 34% contained incomplete information. Publically provided websites mentioned more topics per website (median [IQR] 7 [5.5-7] vs. 5.5 [3.3-7]; p = 0.022) and showed less incorrect information (median [IQR] 0 [0-1] vs. 1 [0-1]; p = 0.039) than physician-provided websites. Our study revealed mostly correct but partially incomplete information on BCa websites for patients. Physicians and public organizations should strive to keep their website information up-to-date and unbiased to optimize patients' health literacy.

Designing attractive gamification features for collaborative storytelling websites.

PubMed

Hsu, Shang Hwa; Chang, Jen-Wei; Lee, Chun-Chia

2013-06-01

Gamification design is considered as the predictor of collaborative storytelling websites' success. Although aforementioned studies have mentioned a broad range of factors that may influence gamification, they neither depicted the actual design features nor relative attractiveness among them. This study aims to identify attractive gamification features for collaborative storytelling websites. We first constructed a hierarchical system structure of gamification design of collaborative storytelling websites and conducted a focus group interview with eighteen frequent users to identify 35gamification features. After that, this study determined the relative attractiveness of these gamification features by administrating an online survey to 6333 collaborative storytelling websites users. The results indicated that the top 10 most attractive gamification features could account for more than 50% of attractiveness among these 35 gamification features. The feature of unpredictable time pressure is important to website users, yet not revealed in previous relevant studies. Implications of the findings were discussed.

Can social policy influence socioeconomic disparities? Korean War GI Bill eligibility and markers of depression.

PubMed

Vable, Anusha M; Canning, David; Glymour, M Maria; Kawachi, Ichiro; Jimenez, Marcia P; Subramanian, Subu V

2016-02-01

The Korean War GI Bill provided socioeconomic benefits to veterans; however, its association with health is unclear; we hypothesize GI Bill eligibility is associated with fewer depressive symptoms and smaller disparities. Data from 246 Korean War GI Bill eligible veterans and 240 nonveterans from the Health and Retirement Study were matched on birth year, southern birth, race, height, and childhood health using coarsened exact matching. Number of depressive symptoms in 2010 (average age = 78 years) was assessed using a modified, validated Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale, dichotomized to reflect elevated depressive symptoms. Regression analyses were stratified into low (at least one parent < 8 years schooling/missing data, n = 167) or high (both parents ≥ 8 years schooling, n = 319) childhood socioeconomic status (cSES) groups. Korean War GI Bill eligibility predicted fewer depressive symptoms among individuals from low cSES backgrounds [β = -0.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) = (-1.18, -0.09), P = .022]. Socioeconomic disparities were smaller among veterans than nonveterans for number of depressive symptoms [β = -0.76, 95% CI = (-1.33, -0.18), P = .010] and elevated depressive symptoms [β = -11.7, 95% CI = (-8.2, -22.6), P = .035]. Korean War GI Bill eligibility predicted smaller socioeconomic disparities in depression markers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

107: REVIEW OF THE QUALITY HOSPITALS WEBSITES IN KHORASAN RAZAVI PROVINCE

PubMed Central

Dastani, Meisam; Sattari, Masoume

2017-01-01

Background and aims The aim of the present study is to present a clear vision of the quality status of Khorasan Razavi hospitals websites in four dimensions of content, performance, management and usage of the website. Methods This is a survey study. The sample consisted of 49 hospital websites of Khorasan Razavi province. The instrument was used check list including 21 components and four criteria (content, performance, management and how to use the website). Its validity and reliability have proved through previous studies. Also, the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results The findings showed that only %59 of hospitals in Khorasan Razavi, has been active website. The overall Status of website showed that the most popular websites of the situation, too weak (%51), moderate (%26.5) and weak (%16.3), respectively. In relation to criteria content, study, management and how to usage of the website and design, the findings showed that %40.8 of websites had an unfavorable condition. Of the 16 high quality website selected, only three websites Sina Hospital in Mashhad, Javdoll-Aemeh in Mashhad and Razavi were in good condition and the other of the websites had weak condition. Conclusion The results of this study indicate that, yet most websites do not regard minimal medical standards and also, they could not establish good relationships with their audiences. In fact, in Iran, still regard to the quality and performance of websites has not been one of the priorities for improving service quality in hospitals. The findings of this study can be effective in the identification and development of hospital websites quality criteria in terms of design, content, performance and management and how to use.

Assessing website pharmacy drug quality: safer than you think?

PubMed

Bate, Roger; Hess, Kimberly

2010-08-13

Internet-sourced drugs are often considered suspect. The World Health Organization reports that drugs from websites that conceal their physical address are counterfeit in over 50 percent of cases; the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) works with the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) to regularly update a list of websites likely to sell drugs that are illegal or of questionable quality. This study examines drug purchasing over the Internet, by comparing the sales of five popular drugs from a selection of websites stratified by NABP or other ratings. The drugs were assessed for price, conditions of purchase, and basic quality. Prices and conditions of purchase varied widely. Some websites advertised single pills while others only permitted the purchase of large quantities. Not all websites delivered the exact drugs ordered, some delivered no drugs at all; many websites shipped from multiple international locations, and from locations that were different from those advertised on the websites. All drug samples were tested against approved U.S. brand formulations using Raman spectrometry. Many (17) websites substituted drugs, often in different formulations from the brands requested. These drugs, some of which were probably generics or perhaps non-bioequivalent copy versions, could not be assessed accurately. Of those drugs that could be assessed, none failed from "approved", "legally compliant" or "not recommended" websites (0 out of 86), whereas 8.6% (3 out of 35) failed from "highly not recommended" and unidentifiable websites. Of those drugs that could be assessed, all except Viagra(R) passed spectrometry testing. Of those that failed, few could be identified either by a country of manufacture listed on the packaging, or by the physical location of the website pharmacy. If confirmed by future studies on other drug samples, then U.S. consumers should be able to reduce their risk by relying on credentialing agencies recommended lists and by using

Creating Dynamic Websites Using jQuery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller-Francisco, Emily

2010-01-01

As e-resource systems and web coordinator for Southern Oregon University, the author is deeply involved with the university library's website. In the latest revision of this website, the author knew she needed to jazz it up a little. With screen real estate on the main page at a premium, the author hoped to use a tabbed box and an accordion-style…

Internationalization and localization: evaluating and testing a Website for Asian users.

PubMed

Rau, Pei-Luen Patrick; Liang, Sheau-Farn Max

2003-01-15

The objective of this study was to combine internationalization and localization of Websites and improvement of Website usability with user-centred design methods. This study designed for internationalization and localization of Websites for Asian users, and implemented usability engineering into every phase of Website usability testing, based on the internationalization and localization perspectives of the honeywell.com/your home Website. The first step was to develop the usage scenarios. Three Asian usability specialists carried out one heuristic evaluation session for the current honeywell.com/your home Website. The usability problems were analysed and possible solutions to these problems were discussed. In the next phase, cluster analysis was utilized to test current information architecture. The results provided options for future information architecture development for this Website. Finally, a performance measurement test was conducted to investigate the performance for Asian users. Based on the results, suggestions for improving the Website usability from the localization perspective were provided. The results demonstrate the user-centred design (UCD) approach and stress international and local issues in Website development to Website designers.

How the Website Usability Elements Impact Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aljukhadar, Muhammad; Senecal, Sylvain

This research builds on the results of a large scale study in which participants performed an informational task on one of 59 websites spanning various industries to examine how the website usability elements (graphical attractiveness, information, interactivity, trust, and ease of use) drive users’ attitudes and intentions toward the website and how these effects vary according to site experience and end product tangibility. Results show that while the effects of site interactivity and graphical attractiveness were more influential for services sites, the effects of site information and trust were stronger for tangibles sites. Alternatively, compared to returning site visitors, first-time visitors perceived the website as less easy to use, needed more time to accomplish the online task, and based positive attitudes and intentions more strongly on the site information and interactivity. The results of a second study performed in a proximate culture largely corroborate these findings.

Website for rhinoplasty and facial plastic surgery.

PubMed

Becker, Daniel G

2006-02-01

The Internet has become an important avenue for facial plastic surgeons to make potential patients aware of their practice. It is important for the facial plastic surgeon to understand how the Internet is used by patients and how it can complement a physician's practice. The website unavoidably has a marketing aspect. Although there are no statistics available, certainly a substantial number of patients use the Internet as a primary source for both learning about cosmetic surgical procedures and also to locate a physician. A practice website can provide potential patients with important logistical information; it also provides an opportunity to educate the potential patient about the surgical procedures provided. A website can be an important aspect of the overall practice image. An increasing number of individuals visit the website of their physician or potential physician, so it is important that attention is given to this aspect of a practice.

Design and implementation of website information disclosure assessment system.

PubMed

Cho, Ying-Chiang; Pan, Jen-Yi

2015-01-01

Internet application technologies, such as cloud computing and cloud storage, have increasingly changed people's lives. Websites contain vast amounts of personal privacy information. In order to protect this information, network security technologies, such as database protection and data encryption, attract many researchers. The most serious problems concerning web vulnerability are e-mail address and network database leakages. These leakages have many causes. For example, malicious users can steal database contents, taking advantage of mistakes made by programmers and administrators. In order to mitigate this type of abuse, a website information disclosure assessment system is proposed in this study. This system utilizes a series of technologies, such as web crawler algorithms, SQL injection attack detection, and web vulnerability mining, to assess a website's information disclosure. Thirty websites, randomly sampled from the top 50 world colleges, were used to collect leakage information. This testing showed the importance of increasing the security and privacy of website information for academic websites.

Academic health sciences library Website navigation: an analysis of forty-one Websites and their navigation tools

PubMed Central

Brower, Stewart M.

2004-01-01

Background: The analysis included forty-one academic health sciences library (HSL) Websites as captured in the first two weeks of January 2001. Home pages and persistent navigational tools (PNTs) were analyzed for layout, technology, and links, and other general site metrics were taken. Methods: Websites were selected based on rank in the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, with regional and resource libraries given preference on the basis that these libraries are recognized as leaders in their regions and would be the most reasonable source of standards for best practice. A three-page evaluation tool was developed based on previous similar studies. All forty-one sites were evaluated in four specific areas: library general information, Website aids and tools, library services, and electronic resources. Metrics taken for electronic resources included orientation of bibliographic databases alphabetically by title or by subject area and with links to specifically named databases. Results: Based on the results, a formula for determining obligatory links was developed, listing items that should appear on all academic HSL Web home pages and PNTs. Conclusions: These obligatory links demonstrate a series of best practices that may be followed in the design and construction of academic HSL Websites. PMID:15494756

An analysis of cluster headache information provided on internet websites.

PubMed

Peterlin, B Lee; Gambini-Suarez, Eduardo; Lidicker, Jeffrey; Levin, Morris

2008-03-01

To evaluate the quality of websites providing cluster headache information for patients and healthcare providers. The Internet has become an increasingly important source of healthcare information. However, limited data exist regarding the quality of websites providing headache information. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in February 2007. Websites providing cluster headache information were determined on the search engine MetaCrawler and classified as either patient oriented or healthcare provider oriented. The overall quality of each site was evaluated using a score system. Readability was evaluated using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Readability Score (FKRS). Website quality was analyzed based on ownership, purpose, authorship, author qualifications, attribution, interactivity, and currency. The technical quality of the cluster headache information was analyzed based on content specific to cluster headache. The final ranking, based on the sum of the ranks of all 3 categories, was determined and then contrasted between the patient-oriented and healthcare professional-oriented websites using 2-sample t-tests. Of the first 40 websites found on MetaCrawler, 72.5% were advertisements, unrelated to headache, or repeated websites. Although the standard US writing averages are at a seventh to eighth grade level, the mean FKRS of all sites was at a 12th grade level of difficulty, with no significant difference between the patient-oriented or healthcare provider-oriented websites (P = .54). Of a total possible 14 points, the overall mean quality component score was 9.9 for all sites; and of a total possible 23 points, the overall mean technical component score was 13.9. There was no significant difference for either the quality or technical component scores between patient-oriented or healthcare provider-oriented websites (P = .45 and P = .80, respectively). There are numerous cluster headache websites that can be found on the Internet. The quality of most of

Quality of malaria information provided on Internet travel operator websites.

PubMed

Bazaz, Rohit; Green, Edward; Green, Steve T

2010-09-01

Over the past 20 years, there has been a steady growth in the number of reported cases of malaria in the UK. With increasing Internet flight sales over recent years, online travel operator websites may be the only place many travellers could conceivably receive pre-travel malaria prevention advice. 29 Travel operator websites which allow for online flight purchases to malarious areas from the UK, identified using a Google(®) web search and the website of the International Air Transport Association, were assessed for the existence, accuracy and accessibility of malaria prevention advice available through internal and external website links. Eight (28%) websites provided malaria prevention information on their own pages. Five (17%) websites contained country specific malaria information relevant to the requested destination, including variation of malaria risk within that country and accurate destination specific chemoprophylaxis advice. No malaria information was available, either on internal or external links, on 8 (28%) websites. On average, it took 2.4 additional mouse clicks to access malaria information during the online flight booking process. Six of the 29 websites (21%) allowed for access to information with only 1 click. Malaria prevention information on online travel operator websites is most often absent or inadequate. Even on websites where such information is of good quality, it can be difficult to access. The travel industry should introduce and enforce guidelines for the malaria information provided by online travel operators. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Do cancer-specific websites meet patient's information needs?

PubMed

Warren, Emily; Footman, Katharine; Tinelli, Michela; McKee, Martin; Knai, Cécile

2014-04-01

To evaluate commonly used cancer websites' information provision, we developed and applied an Information Comprehensiveness Tool to breast and prostate cancer websites. We first collated questions from a systematic literature review on patient information needs. We then classified the questions in terms of spectrum of care, theme, and nature of question. "Breast cancer" and "prostate cancer" were typed into Google, and websites listed on the first page of results were selected. Two researchers, blind to each others' scores, assessed the same websites using the coding system. Each question was scored on a 3-point scale as not (0%), partially (50%) and fully (100%) answered by two researchers. Average scores were calculated across all questions. Inter-rater reliability was assessed. We identified 79 general, 5 breast, and 5 prostate cancer questions. Inter-rater reliability was good, with an intraclass coefficient of 0.756 (95% CIs 0.729-0.781). 17 questions were not answered thoroughly by any website. Questions about "future planning", "monitoring", and "decision-making" were discussed least. Biomedical questions scored highest. More comprehensive information needs to be provided on breast and prostate cancer websites. This ICT can improve cancer information online and enable patients to engage more actively regarding their information needs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fear of GI symptoms has an important impact on quality of life in patients with moderate-to-severe IBS.

PubMed

Lackner, Jeffrey M; Gudleski, Gregory D; Ma, Chang-Xing; Dewanwala, Akriti; Naliboff, Bruce

2014-11-01

Because irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional medical condition for which there is no curative therapy, treatment goals emphasize relieving gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and optimizing the quality of life (QOL). This study sought to characterize the magnitude of the associations between QOL impairment, fear of IBS symptoms, and confounding variables. Subjects included 234 Rome III-diagnosed IBS patients (mean age, 41 years, 79%, female) without comorbid organic GI disease who were referred to two specialty care clinics of an National Institutes of Health trial for IBS. Subjects completed a testing battery that included the IBS-specific QOL (IBS-QOL), SF-12 (generic QOL), the UCLA GI Symptom Severity Scale, the Visceral Sensitivity Index, Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Brief Symptom Inventory. Multiple linear regression was used to develop a model for predicting QOL. Data supported an overall model that included sociodemographic, clinical (e.g., current severity of GI symptoms), and psychosocial (e.g., fear of GI symptoms, distress, neuroticism) variables, accounting for 48.7% of the variance in IBS-QOL (F=15.1, P <0.01). GI symptom fear was the most robust predictor of IBS-QOL (β=-0.45 P <0.01), accounting for 14.4% of the total variance. Patients' fear that GI symptoms have aversive consequences, is a predictor of QOL impairment that cannot be fully explained by the severity of their GI symptoms, overall emotional well-being, neurotic personality style, or other clinical features of IBS. An understanding of the unique impact that GI symptom fears have on QOL can inform treatment planning and help gastroenterologists to better manage more severe IBS patients seen in tertiary care clinics.

Tranexamic Acid for Lower GI Hemorrhage: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Smith, Stephen R; Murray, David; Pockney, Peter G; Bendinelli, Cino; Draganic, Brian D; Carroll, Rosemary

2018-01-01

Lower GI hemorrhage is a common source of morbidity and mortality. Tranexamic acid is an antifibrinolytic that has been shown to reduce blood loss in a variety of clinical conditions. Information regarding the use of tranexamic acid in treating lower GI hemorrhage is lacking. The aim of this trial was to determine the clinical efficacy of tranexamic acid when used for lower GI hemorrhage. This was a prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial. The study was conducted at a tertiary referral university hospital in Australia. Consecutive patients aged >18 years with lower GI hemorrhage requiring hospital admission from November 2011 to January 2014 were screened for trial eligibility (N = 265). A total of 100 patients were recruited after exclusions and were randomly assigned 1:1 to either tranexamic acid or placebo. The primary outcome was blood loss as determined by reduction in hemoglobin levels. The secondary outcomes were transfusion rates, transfusion volume, intervention rates for bleeding, length of hospital stay, readmission, and complication rates. There was no difference between groups with respect to hemoglobin drop (11 g/L of tranexamic acid vs 13 g/L of placebo; p = 0.9445). There was no difference with respect to transfusion rates (14/49 tranexamic acid vs 16/47 placebo; p = 0.661), mean transfusion volume (1.27 vs 1.93 units; p = 0.355), intervention rates (7/49 vs 13/47; p = 0.134), length of hospital stay (4.67 vs 4.74 d; p = 0.934), readmission, or complication rates. No complications occurred as a direct result of tranexamic acid use. A larger multicenter trial may be required to determine whether there are more subtle advantages with tranexamic acid use in some of the secondary outcomes. Tranexamic acid does not appear to decrease blood loss or improve clinical outcomes in patients presenting with lower GI hemorrhage in the context of this trial. see Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/A453.

Educational websites--Bioinformatics Tools II.

PubMed

Lomberk, Gwen

2009-01-01

In this issue, the highlighted websites are a continuation of a series of educational websites; this one in particular from a couple of years ago, Bioinformatics Tools [Pancreatology 2005;5:314-315]. These include sites that are valuable resources for many research needs in genomics and proteomics. Bioinformatics has become a laboratory tool to map sequences to databases, develop models of molecular interactions, evaluate structural compatibilities, describe differences between normal and disease-associated DNA, identify conserved motifs within proteins, and chart extensive signaling networks, all in silico. Copyright 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel and IAP.

Accessibility Testing of Social Websites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lányi, Cecilia Sik

There is no doubt that social websites have become one of the greatest inventions of the twenty-first century. Maintaining social connections, getting new and new friends, online entertainment: these are the very things we expect a good portal to provide. The concept of the social websites is that upon registration users share a desired amount of personal data with other users and after that they build a so called friend network using their acquaintances as building elements. The more acquaintances are present the more information is accessible during a certain period of time.

What do Internet-based alcohol treatment websites offer?

PubMed

Toll, Benjamin A; Sobell, Linda C; D'Arienzo, Justin; Sobell, Mark B; Eickleberry-Goldsmith, Lori; Toll, Heather J

2003-12-01

The Internet was searched for websites that advertised or provided treatment or help for alcohol problems. Websites were evaluated for the types of treatment offered and whether the treatment had an empirical basis. While a wide range of treatments were advertised, very few websites offered online services. In addition, very few sites provided or advertised alcohol treatment programs that were empirically based. Recommendations for future Internet-based health care and treatment are offered.

Determining the Effectiveness of a Culturally Customized School Website

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garabedian Stork, Michele

2012-01-01

This applied dissertation was designed to determine the extent to which the website of the targeted middle school was culturally responsive. Data collected were the number and percentage of participants who perceived the website information as helpful, the number and percentage of participants who believed that the website provided opportunities…

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) as biomarker(s) for prognosis and diagnosis of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers.

PubMed

Macha, Muzafar A; Seshacharyulu, Parthasarathy; Krishn, Shiv Ram; Pai, Priya; Rachagani, Satyanarayana; Jain, Maneesh; Batra, Surinder K

2014-01-01

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers remain one of the most common malignancies and are the second common cause of cancer deaths worldwide. The limited effectiveness of therapy for patients with advanced stage and recurrent disease is a reflection of an incomplete understanding of the molecular basis of GI carcinogenesis. Major advancements have improved our understanding of pathology and pathogenesis of GI cancers, but high mortality rates, unfavorable prognosis and lack of clinical predictive biomarkers provide an impetus to investigate new sensitive and specific diagnostic and prognostic markers for GI cancers. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short (19-24 nucleotides) noncoding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level thus playing an important role in modulating various biological processes including, but not limited to developmental processes, proliferation, apoptosis, metabolism, differentiation, epithelial-mechenchymal transition and are involved in the initiation and progression of various human cancers. Unique miRNA expression profiles have been observed in various cancer types at different stages, suggesting their potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Due to their tumor-specific and tissue-specific expression profiles, stability, robust clinical assays for detection in serum as well as in formalin-fixed tissue samples, miRNAs have emerged as attractive candidates for diagnostic and prognostic applications. This review summarizes recent research supporting the utility of miRNAs as novel diagnostic and prognostic tools for GI cancers.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) as Biomarker(s) for Prognosis and Diagnosis of Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancers

PubMed Central

Macha, Muzafar A.; Seshacharyulu, Parthasarathy; Krishn, Shiv Ram; Pai, Priya; Rachagani, Satyanarayana; Jain, Maneesh; Batra, Surinder K.

2014-01-01

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers remain one of the most common malignancies and are the second common cause of cancer deaths worldwide. The limited effectiveness of therapy for patients with advanced stage and recurrent disease is a reflection of an incomplete understanding of the molecular basis of GI carcinogenesis. Major advancements have improved our understanding of pathology and pathogenesis of GI cancers, but high mortality rates, unfavorable prognosis and lack of clinical predictive biomarkers provide an impetus to investigate new sensitive and specific diagnostic and prognostic markers for GI cancers. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short (19–24 nucleotides) noncoding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level thus playing an important role in modulating various biological processes including, but not limited, to developmental processes, proliferation, apoptosis, metabolism, differentiation, epithelial-mechenchymal transition and are involved in the initiation and progression of various human cancers. Unique miRNA expression profiles have been observed in various cancer types at different stages, suggesting their potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Due to their tumor-specific and tissue-specific expression profiles, stability, robust clinical assays for detection in serum as well as in formalin-fixed tissue samples, miRNAs have emerged as attractive candidates for diagnostic and prognostic applications. This review summarizes recent research supporting the utility of miRNAs as novel diagnostic and prognostic tools for GI cancers. PMID:24479799

Creating a Pilot Educational Psychiatry Website: Opportunities, Barriers, and Next Steps.

PubMed

Torous, John; O'Connor, Ryan; Franzen, Jamie; Snow, Caitlin; Boland, Robert; Kitts, Robert

2015-11-05

While medical students and residents may be utilizing websites as online learning resources, medical trainees and educators now have the opportunity to create such educational websites and digital tools on their own. However, the process and theory of building educational websites for medical education have not yet been fully explored. To understand the opportunities, barriers, and process of creating a novel medical educational website. We created a pilot psychiatric educational website to better understand the options, opportunities, challenges, and processes involved in the creation of a psychiatric educational website. We sought to integrate visual and interactive Web design elements to underscore the potential of such Web technology. A pilot website (PsychOnCall) was created to demonstrate the potential of Web technology in medical and psychiatric education. Creating an educational website is now technically easier than ever before, and the primary challenge no longer is technology but rather the creation, validation, and maintenance of information for such websites as well as translating text-based didactics into visual and interactive tools. Medical educators can influence the design and implementation of online educational resources through creating their own websites and engaging medical students and residents in the process.

[Recurrent epidemics of gastroenteritis caused by norovirus GI.3 in a small hotel].

PubMed

Soini, Jani; Hemminki, Kaisa; Pirnes, Aija; Roivainen, Merja; Al-Hello, Haider; Maunula, Leena; Kauppinen, Ari; Miettinen, Likka; Smit, Pieter W; Huusko, Sari; Toikkanen, Salla; Rimhanen-Finne, Ruska

2016-01-01

Recurrent cases of gastroenteritis occurred in a small hotel. The causative agent of disease could not be detected. The cause and the source of the disease were established through epidemiological investigations and laboratory diagnosis. The causative agent of the disease was norovirus GI.3. Norovirus GI was detected in the water from the well and on surfaces at the hotel. Both epidemiological investigations and laboratory diagnostics are needed in resolving epidemics. Continuous development of laboratory methods is important.

An evaluation of websites to help neurosurgical trainees learn histopathology.

PubMed

Jeffree, R L

2013-10-01

Knowledge of histopathology is essential for good neurosurgical practice but current pressures on neurosurgical trainees' time restrict opportunities to learn histopathology by traditional methods. The internet offers a possible alternative resource. The aim of this project was to assess the existing, free, internet-based resources for learning histology and histopathology, from the perspective of a neurosurgical trainee. English language websites were evaluated by an expert, and by neurosurgical trainees, for the range of content, academic credibility, quality of the histopathological images, quality of supporting content, educational features and the usability. Thirty-nine websites were examined in detail by the author. Although many websites were useful, no individual website met all the requirements. Five neuropathology websites were clearly superior to the others. These were then assessed by neurosurgical trainees. The results of the assessment, a brief resume of each website, and the characteristics of a good website for the surgical trainees to learn pathology are discussed. The best websites featured a large number of high-quality images, accurate, detailed clinical and pathophysiological information, labelling or description of individual images, and organisation by organ system. Free internet sites can offer a valuable learning resource to supplement textbooks and clinical pathology sessions.

Investigating a Student-Driven Taxonomy for Library Website Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hulseberg, Anna; Monson, Sarah

2011-01-01

Libraries spend countless hours developing websites to connect users and resources. However, how much do we really know about what website terminology and features are meaningful to our patrons? And how can we best organize websites to facilitate access to resources? This article examines these questions by presenting a case study of a…

Websites of Note

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parslow, Graham R.

2011-01-01

This article features websites related to biochemistry and molecular biology education. They include: (1) Scitable (www.nature.com/scitable); (2) Educause (www.educause.edu); (3) The Journal of Computer Assisted Learning (onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1365-2729); (4) European Conference on eLearning…

[Gas gangrene of the abdominal wall due to underlying GI pathology: seven cases].

PubMed

Monneuse, O; Gruner, L; Barth, X; Malick, P; Timsit, M; Gignoux, B; Tissot, E

2007-01-01

Gas gangrene of the abdominal wall is a rare clinical occurrence with high rates of morbidity and mortality. The primary source of the infection is often unknown. To analyze the primary underlying intestinal etiologies and diagnostic approaches of gas gangrene of the abdominal wall, and to highlight specific treatment problems, particularly that of constructing a colostomy exteriorized through a massively infected abdominal wall. Seven cases of abdominal wall gas gangrene due to a gastrointestinal etiology were identified. (Cases arising from proctologic sources or related to recent abdominal surgery were excluded.) During the same period, 39 other patients presenting with abdominal wall gangrene from non-intestinal sources were treated. The etiologies were: perforated sigmoid diverticulitis (n=2), perforated appendicitis (n=1), acute pancreatitis with associated cecal perforation (n=1), and perforated colorectal cancer (n=3). Four of the seven patients died despite treatment (mortality of 57%). The clinical presentations of these seven cases demonstrate that a GI source must be suspected whenever a patient presents with abdominal wall gas gangrene, even when there are no specific GI symptoms. Imaging, particularly with CT scan, is essential both to visualize the extent of tissue necrosis and to reveal underlying primary GI pathology. This optimizes the surgical approach both by allowing for complete debridement and drainage of infected tissue, and by focussing the intervention on correction of the underlying primary GI source of infection.

Availability of drug information on community pharmacy websites in Tennessee.

PubMed

Borja-Hart, Nancy; Hohmeier, Kenneth C

2017-06-01

This study reports the availability and type of drug information resources on community pharmacy websites in Tennessee. A list of pharmacies was obtained from the Tennessee Board of Pharmacy. All community pharmacies located in Tennessee with a website were evaluated. Community pharmacy websites that listed a drug information resource were further analysed into pharmacy type and drug information provider. One hundred and sixty-nine websites were evaluated. Thirty-six websites listed a drug information resource. Fifty per cent of those sites used the drug information provider RxWiki. Other providers included drugs.com, First Data Bank, A.D.A.M., RxList, Gold Standard Multimedia and Express Scripts. Community pharmacy websites are underutilized as a provider for credible drug information for the public. © 2017 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Vaccine-criticism on the internet: new insights based on French-speaking websites.

PubMed

Ward, Jeremy K; Peretti-Watel, Patrick; Larson, Heidi J; Raude, Jocelyn; Verger, Pierre

2015-02-18

The internet is playing an increasingly important part in fueling vaccine related controversies and in generating vaccine hesitant behaviors. English language Antivaccination websites have been thoroughly analyzed, however, little is known of the arguments presented in other languages on the internet. This study presents three types of results: (1) Authors apply a time tested content analysis methodology to describe the information diffused by French language vaccine critical websites in comparison with English speaking websites. The contents of French language vaccine critical websites are very similar to those of English language websites except for the relative absence of moral and religious arguments. (2) Authors evaluate the likelihood that internet users will find those websites through vaccine-related queries on a variety of French-language versions of google. Queries on controversial vaccines generated many more vaccine critical websites than queries on vaccination in general. (3) Authors propose a typology of vaccine critical websites. Authors distinguish between (a) websites that criticize all vaccines ("antivaccine" websites) and websites that criticize only some vaccines ("vaccine-selective" websites), and between (b) websites that focus on vaccines ("vaccine-focused" websites) and those for which vaccines were only a secondary topic of interest ("generalist" websites). The differences in stances by groups and websites affect the likelihood that they will be believed and by whom. This study therefore helps understand the different information landscapes that may contribute to the variety of forms of vaccine hesitancy. Public authorities should have better awareness and understanding of these stances to bring appropriate answers to the different controversies about vaccination. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Websites for the busy primary care practitioner.

PubMed

Wall, Alison

2007-01-01

The author, a practising health visitor, recommends some relevant and reliable websites for health professionals needing information. The internet is increasingly used by health professionals and clients. Health professionals need to be able to obtain information quickly to keep well informed, but need to be discerning about the likely reliability of the information they receive from websites. They should take care, particularly when looking at websites on prescribing, to check that the information is accurate and up to date. They should also be aware that clients may be receiving misinformation if they rely on internet sources that are not well balanced, objective or research-based.

Creating Science Websites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trimble, Leslie

2017-01-01

Building a website allows students to find and evaluate resources, pose and answer scientific questions, and connect class content to real-world problems and possible solutions. Writing explanations for a particular audience, instead of only the teacher, requires students to state concepts clearly, leading to increased comprehension. Finding the…

Consumer input into research: the Australian Cancer Trials website.

PubMed

Dear, Rachel F; Barratt, Alexandra L; Crossing, Sally; Butow, Phyllis N; Hanson, Susan; Tattersall, Martin Hn

2011-06-26

The Australian Cancer Trials website (ACTO) was publicly launched in 2010 to help people search for cancer clinical trials recruiting in Australia, provide information about clinical trials and assist with doctor-patient communication about trials. We describe consumer involvement in the design and development of ACTO and report our preliminary patient evaluation of the website. Consumers, led by Cancer Voices NSW, provided the impetus to develop the website. Consumer representative groups were consulted by the research team during the design and development of ACTO which combines a search engine, trial details, general information about trial participation and question prompt lists. Website use was analysed. A patient evaluation questionnaire was completed at one hospital, one week after exposure to the website. ACTO's main features and content reflect consumer input. In February 2011, it covered 1, 042 cancer trials. Since ACTO's public launch in November 2010, until the end of February 2011, the website has had 2, 549 new visits and generated 17, 833 page views. In a sub-study of 47 patient users, 89% found the website helpful for learning about clinical trials and all respondents thought patients should have access to ACTO. The development of ACTO is an example of consumers working with doctors, researchers and policy makers to improve the information available to people whose lives are affected by cancer and to help them participate in their treatment decisions, including consideration of clinical trial enrolment. Consumer input has ensured that the website is informative, targets consumer priorities and is user-friendly. ACTO serves as a model for other health conditions.

Creating a Pilot Educational Psychiatry Website: Opportunities, Barriers, and Next Steps

PubMed Central

O'Connor, Ryan; Franzen, Jamie; Snow, Caitlin; Boland, Robert; Kitts, Robert

2015-01-01

Background While medical students and residents may be utilizing websites as online learning resources, medical trainees and educators now have the opportunity to create such educational websites and digital tools on their own. However, the process and theory of building educational websites for medical education have not yet been fully explored. Objective To understand the opportunities, barriers, and process of creating a novel medical educational website. Methods We created a pilot psychiatric educational website to better understand the options, opportunities, challenges, and processes involved in the creation of a psychiatric educational website. We sought to integrate visual and interactive Web design elements to underscore the potential of such Web technology. Results A pilot website (PsychOnCall) was created to demonstrate the potential of Web technology in medical and psychiatric education. Conclusions Creating an educational website is now technically easier than ever before, and the primary challenge no longer is technology but rather the creation, validation, and maintenance of information for such websites as well as translating text-based didactics into visual and interactive tools. Medical educators can influence the design and implementation of online educational resources through creating their own websites and engaging medical students and residents in the process. PMID:27731837

Evaluation of websites that contain information relating to malaria in pregnancy.

PubMed

Hamwela, V; Ahmed, W; Bath, P A

2018-04-01

The study identified available websites on malaria in pregnancy on the World Wide Web and sought to evaluate their readability and information quality. A purposeful sample of websites were selected which provided information on Malaria in pregnancy. A total of 31 websites were identified from searches using Google, Yahoo and Bing search engines. Two generic tools (Discern and HON), one specific tool designed to assess information quality of malaria in pregnancy and readability tests (Flesch Reading Ease and Flesh-Kincaid Grade level) were used to evaluate the websites. Most of the websites scored below 50% with the HON Code tool, with most lacking information on the symptoms. One website scored over 70 with the reading ease with two (2) achieving a score of 7 for the reading level test. The readability of the websites was too advanced for an ordinary consumer. The results of this study indicated that the information quality of malaria in pregnancy websites varied from fair to medium. It was also found that the readability of the websites was too advanced for an ordinary consumer. These findings suggest that most websites are not comprehensive in addressing all the relevant aspects of malaria in pregnancy. Copyright © 2018 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Australian health professionals' health website recommendation trends.

PubMed

Usher, Wayne T

2011-08-01

This study was concerned with indentifying motivations and trends associated with a health website recommendation from eight of Australia's major health professions to the health consumer. Health professions included in this study are: psychiatrists, general practitioners, social workers, dietitians, chiropractors, physiotherapists, optometrists and pharmacists. An online survey (www.limesurvey.org) was developed from a common set of questions negotiated between all eight health professions. Survey questions were constructed in an attempt to identify participants' reasons for or against recommending a health website to a patient. A 5-point scale (not, slightly, neutral, moderately, strongly) to measure influence was used throughout the question set. This study indicates that Australian general practitioners (GPs) were the highest Australian health professionals to undertake a health website recommendation (86%), followed by psychiatrists (80%), with the lowest being physiotherapists (42%) and optometrists (33%). A profile of the Australian health professional who recommends a health website is identified as male, aged above 50 years, has had more than 10 years experience, works in a major city, is in private practice and has patient numbers exceeding 500 in a 12-month period (2009). Recommendations from this study include the need to develop mechanisms that identify high-quality online medical information and the development and implementation of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses which up-skill health professionals concerning the recommendation of health websites for health care delivery.

Foot and Ankle Fellowship Websites: An Assessment of Accessibility and Quality.

PubMed

Hinds, Richard M; Danna, Natalie R; Capo, John T; Mroczek, Kenneth J

2017-08-01

The Internet has been reported to be the first informational resource for many fellowship applicants. The objective of this study was to assess the accessibility of orthopaedic foot and ankle fellowship websites and to evaluate the quality of information provided via program websites. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) and the Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA) fellowship databases were accessed to generate a comprehensive list of orthopaedic foot and ankle fellowship programs. The databases were reviewed for links to fellowship program websites and compared with program websites accessed from a Google search. Accessible fellowship websites were then analyzed for the quality of recruitment and educational content pertinent to fellowship applicants. Forty-seven orthopaedic foot and ankle fellowship programs were identified. The AOFAS database featured direct links to 7 (15%) fellowship websites with the independent Google search yielding direct links to 29 (62%) websites. No direct website links were provided in the FREIDA database. Thirty-six accessible websites were analyzed for content. Program websites featured a mean 44% (range = 5% to 75%) of the total assessed content. The most commonly presented recruitment and educational content was a program description (94%) and description of fellow operative experience (83%), respectively. There is substantial variability in the accessibility and quality of orthopaedic foot and ankle fellowship websites. Recognition of deficits in accessibility and content quality may assist foot and ankle fellowships in improving program information online. Level IV.

Applying usability testing techniques to improve a health promotion website.

PubMed

Hinchliffe, Anetta; Mummery, W Kerry

2008-04-01

Use of the Internet for health promotion is increasing; however, the lack of published research regarding website usability suggests that health promotion websites are being developed without consultation with their users or formal evaluation. This study conducted usability testing of an existing health promotion website to inform modifications and to identify common usability themes that should be addressed by organisations developing or maintaining a health promotion website. A combination of qualitative and quantitative techniques were implemented during the usability testing sessions to gather data from users while completing tasks on the website. Techniques included performance measures (time taken), direct observation (participant observation) and subjective user preferences (questionnaire and interview). Improvements to the website were measured in terms of reduced problems reported, reduced time taken to complete tasks and increased subjective reports. Seven usability themes emerged from the data: design, feedback, format, instructions, navigation, terminology and learnability. This study demonstrates the application of usability testing to the design and modification of a health promotion website and illustrates the areas or themes that can be used as a framework for testing and modification.

Craniofacial Surgery Fellowship Websites.

PubMed

Silvestre, Jason; Agarwal, Divyansh; Taylor, Jesse A

2016-06-01

Applicants for craniofacial surgery fellowships utilize Internet-based resources like the San Francisco (SF) Match to manage applications. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accessibility and content of craniofacial surgery fellowship websites (CSFWs). A list of available craniofacial surgery fellowships was compiled from directories of the American Society of Craniofacial Surgery (ACSFS) and SF Match. Accessibility of CSFWs was assessed via links from these directories and a Google search. Craniofacial surgery fellowship websites were evaluated on education and recruitment content and compared via program characteristics. Twenty-four of the 28 US-based craniofacial surgery fellowship programs had a CSFW (86%). The ACSFS and SF Match databases had limited CSFW accessibility, but a Google search revealed most CSFWs had the top search result (76%). In total, CSFWs provided an average of 39% of education and recruitment variables. While most programs provided fellowship program descriptions (96%), application links (96%), and faculty listings (83%), relatively few provided rotation schedules (13%), fellow selection process information (13%), or interview dates (8%). CSFW content did not vary by program location, faculty size, accreditation status, or institutional affiliations (P > 0.05). Craniofacial surgery fellowships often lack readily accessible websites from national program lists and have limited information for interested applicants. The consistent lack of online information across programs suggests future opportunities exist to improve these educational resources.

Website Quality, Expectation, Confirmation, and End User Satisfaction: The Knowledge-Intensive Website of the Korean National Cancer Information Center

PubMed Central

Koo, Chulmo; Wati, Yulia; Park, Keeho

2011-01-01

Background The fact that patient satisfaction with primary care clinical practices and physician-patient communications has decreased gradually has brought a new opportunity to the online channel as a supplementary service to provide additional information. Objective In this study, our objectives were to examine the process of cognitive knowledge expectation-confirmation from eHealth users and to recommend the attributes of a “knowledge-intensive website.”. Knowledge expectation can be defined as users’ existing attitudes or beliefs regarding expected levels of knowledge they may gain by accessing the website. Knowledge confirmation is the extent to which user’s knowledge expectation of information systems use is realized during actual use. In our hypothesized research model, perceived information quality, presentation and attractiveness as well as knowledge expectation influence knowledge confirmation, which in turn influences perceived usefulness and end user satisfaction, which feeds back to knowledge expectation. Methods An empirical study was conducted at the National Cancer Center (NCC), Republic of Korea (South Korea), by evaluating its official website. A user survey was administered containing items to measure subjectively perceived website quality and expectation-confirmation attributes. A study sample of 198 usable responses was used for further analysis. We used the structural equation model to test the proposed research model. Results Knowledge expectation exhibited a positive effect on knowledge confirmation (beta = .27, P < .001). The paths from information quality, information presentation, and website attractiveness to knowledge confirmation were also positive and significant (beta = .24, P < .001; beta = .29, P < .001; beta = .18, P < .001, respectively). Moreover, the effect of knowledge confirmation on perceived usefulness was also positively significant (beta = .64, P < .001). Knowledge expectation together with knowledge confirmation

New science catalogs of UV sources from the GALEX sky surveys, matched to optical-IR surveys. Related science tools, models, and first results on the characterization of evolved Galactic stellar populations.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bianchi, Luciana; Shiao, Bernie; Thilker, David; Barr, Robert; Girardi, Leo

2018-01-01

GUVcat is a new, expanded and improved catalog of Ultraviolet (UV) sources from the GALEX surveys (Bianchi et al. 2017, ApJ Suppl, 230, 24; arXiv:1704.05903). It contains 83million unique sources measured in FUV and NUV (duplicate measurements and rim artifacts removed) at AIS depth (about FUV < 20, NUV<20.8 ABmag). It covers an area of 24,790 sq.deg., larger than that of previous versions (e.g., Bianchi et al. 2011 MNRAS 411, 2770; Bianchi et al.2014 J. ASR. 53, 900). In GUVcat we cured 640 fields improperly coadded by the GALEX pipeline, and implemented other improvements and new tags, e.g. to mark sources in the footprint of nearby extended galaxies or crowded clusters.The UV unique-source catalog facilitates studies of density of sources, and matching with catalogs at other wavelegths. We matched GUVcat with SDSS and Pan-STARRS surveys, which provide five optical bands each, and used the UV-to-optical colors to classify sources by astrophysical class, and to characterize classes of stellar sources to which UV data are uniquely sensitive, such as hot white dwarfs (WD), including elusive types of binaries. We compared the content of Galactic sources with Milky Way models, computed with different prescriptions. We also matched GUVcat with the first Gaia source and Gaia TGAS releases, which add precise position and G-band photometry for the bright sources, and direct distance measurements for a few very bright sources. GALEX spectra are also available and included in the analysis. Follow-up observations with HST are ongoing for an exploratory subsample.The source catalogs and related tools are available from the uvsky web site http://dolomiti.pha.jhu.edu/uvsky/#GUVcat . GUVcat_AIS is also available from MAST casjobs and soon from Vizier. A useful tool for calculating the effective area coverage of GUVcat, and of the matched catalogs, in user-chosen regions of the sky, is also available at the above url.Acknowledgements: Partial support for this work was provided by

Analytical Study of Physics Education Websites' Content

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elayyan, Shaher R.

2016-01-01

The current study is compatible with the scientific mobility in dealing with the Internet as a source of knowledge. It aims to introduce the Physics Education Websites (PEWs) and guide their followers toward the most credibility of them by analyzing their content. The sample consisted of (36) websites which were selected according to specific…

Using School Websites to Support Parent Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piper, Tracy

2012-01-01

A middle school of 1,000 students is a busy place. With dwindling resources and increased accountability, a well-designed school website is vital. Students and parents visit high quality websites through a variety of devices and expect equally high quality school-to-home communication. With the support of a professional web design company, the…

redMaGiC: selecting luminous red galaxies from the DES Science Verification data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rozo, E.

We introduce redMaGiC, an automated algorithm for selecting Luminous Red Galaxies (LRGs). The algorithm was developed to minimize photometric redshift uncertainties in photometric large-scale structure studies. redMaGiC achieves this by self-training the color-cuts necessary to produce a luminosity-thresholded LRG sam- ple of constant comoving density. Additionally, we demonstrate that redMaGiC photo-zs are very nearly as accurate as the best machine-learning based methods, yet they require minimal spectroscopic training, do not suffer from extrapolation biases, and are very nearly Gaussian. We apply our algorithm to Dark Energy Survey (DES) Science Verification (SV) data to produce a redMaGiC catalog sampling the redshiftmore » range z ϵ [0.2,0.8]. Our fiducial sample has a comoving space density of 10 -3 (h -1Mpc) -3, and a median photo-z bias (z spec z photo) and scatter (σ z=(1 + z)) of 0.005 and 0.017 respectively.The corresponding 5σ outlier fraction is 1.4%. We also test our algorithm with Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 8 (DR8) and Stripe 82 data, and discuss how spectroscopic training can be used to control photo-z biases at the 0.1% level.« less

Consumer input into research: the Australian Cancer Trials website

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The Australian Cancer Trials website (ACTO) was publicly launched in 2010 to help people search for cancer clinical trials recruiting in Australia, provide information about clinical trials and assist with doctor-patient communication about trials. We describe consumer involvement in the design and development of ACTO and report our preliminary patient evaluation of the website. Methods Consumers, led by Cancer Voices NSW, provided the impetus to develop the website. Consumer representative groups were consulted by the research team during the design and development of ACTO which combines a search engine, trial details, general information about trial participation and question prompt lists. Website use was analysed. A patient evaluation questionnaire was completed at one hospital, one week after exposure to the website. Results ACTO's main features and content reflect consumer input. In February 2011, it covered 1, 042 cancer trials. Since ACTO's public launch in November 2010, until the end of February 2011, the website has had 2, 549 new visits and generated 17, 833 page views. In a sub-study of 47 patient users, 89% found the website helpful for learning about clinical trials and all respondents thought patients should have access to ACTO. Conclusions The development of ACTO is an example of consumers working with doctors, researchers and policy makers to improve the information available to people whose lives are affected by cancer and to help them participate in their treatment decisions, including consideration of clinical trial enrolment. Consumer input has ensured that the website is informative, targets consumer priorities and is user-friendly. ACTO serves as a model for other health conditions. PMID:21703017

Communication about vaccinations in Italian websites: a quantitative analysis.

PubMed

Tafuri, Silvio; Gallone, Maria S; Gallone, Maria F; Zorico, Ivan; Aiello, Valeria; Germinario, Cinzia

2014-01-01

Babies' parents and people who look for information about vaccination often visit anti-vaccine movement's websites, blogs by naturopathic physicians or natural and alternative medicine practitioners. The aim of this work is to provide a quantitative analysis on the type of information available to Italian people regarding vaccination and a quality analysis of websites retrieved through our searches. A quality score was created to evaluate the technical level of websites. A research was performed through Yahoo, Google, and MSN using the keywords "vaccine" and "vaccination," with the function "OR" in order to identify the most frequently used websites. The 2 keywords were input in Italian, and the first 15 pages retrieved by each search engine were analyzed. 149 websites were selected through this methodology. Fifty-three per cent of the websites belonged to associations, groups, or scientific companies, 32.2% (n = 48) consisted of a personal blog and 14.8% (n = 22) belonged to some of the National Health System offices. Among all analyzed websites, 15.4% (n = 23) came from anti-vaccine movement groups. 37.6% reported webmaster name, 67.8% webmaster e-mail, 28.6% indicated the date of the last update and 46.6% the author's name. The quality score for government sites was higher on average than anti-vaccine websites; although, government sites don't use Web 2.0 functions, as the forums.: National Health System institutions who have to promote vaccination cannot avoid investing in web communication because it cannot be managed by private efforts but must be the result of Public Health, private and scientific association, and social movement synergy.

Spanish language content on reproductive endocrinology and infertility practice websites.

PubMed

Londra, Laura C; Tobler, Kyle J; Omurtag, Kenan R; Donohue, Michael B

2014-11-01

To analyze the use of Spanish language translation on the websites of reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) practices in the context of evidence of underuse of infertility services by minority populations. Cross-sectional survey of websites from REI practices. Not applicable. None. None. Assessment of the relationship between having a Spanish-translated website and REI practice characteristics. Variables included concurrent use of social media, size of the practice, Spanish-speaking practitioner in the practice, being a private or a university-based practice, being in a mandated insurance state, and being in an area with different levels of percentage of Hispanic population, adjusted for annual income levels of the population. Of the 376 REI practice websites analyzed, 101 (27%) offered at least some information in Spanish. We identified 97 Spanish-speaking practitioners at 71 REI practices. Having a Spanish-translated website was significantly associated with the practice's use of social media, having an international/out-of-town web page, and having a Spanish-speaking physician in the practice. The size of the practice, as measured in number of cycles reported per year, was not associated with having a translated website. In practices located in the top 60 metropolitan areas by Hispanic population, the odds of having a Spanish-translated website were only related to the percentage of Hispanic population after adjusting for state-mandated insurance and average annual income level of the Hispanic population. Sixty-six of the websites with Spanish-translated content had been automatically translated. An additional eight websites were partially translated automatically. REI practices in metropolitan areas with a higher percentage of Hispanics were more likely to reach out to this minority population by translating their website content into Spanish. These practices were also more likely to use social media. Future studies are needed to determine whether

Exploring websites on cancer clinical trials: an empirical review.

PubMed

Simon, Christian; Hegedus, Sarah

2005-10-01

The Internet houses tens of thousands of cancer-related websites, a growing number of which are devoted in some way to cancer clinical research. To date, little is known about the range, content, and general quality of these websites. This study selected the first 100 websites returned after searching the Internet for "cancer clinical trial" (CCT). Of these, 66 websites were examined page by page to characterize their range, content, and general quality. The study found evidence of considerable diversity among CCT-related websites. Many may be useful to clinical investigators or patients interested in participating in CCTs. However, a proportion were difficult to navigate and understand, lacked confidentiality and other assurances, and raised questions about cost, access, and the potential for biasing study samples. Further research is needed to determine the opportunities and drawbacks presented by online efforts to enhance knowledge of and access to cancer clinical trials.

Using Websites Wisely

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coiro, Julie; Fogleman, Jay

2011-01-01

Online resources can deepen student learning--if teachers design the right tasks and learner supports. In this article, the authors look at instructional websites teachers will want to use with their students. They focus on three types of web-based learning environments--(1) informational reading systems; (2) interactive learning systems; and (3)…

Shuttle Case Study Collection Website Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ransom, Khadijah S.; Johnson, Grace K.

2012-01-01

As a continuation from summer 2012, the Shuttle Case Study Collection has been developed using lessons learned documented by NASA engineers, analysts, and contractors. Decades of information related to processing and launching the Space Shuttle is gathered into a single database to provide educators with an alternative means to teach real-world engineering processes. The goal is to provide additional engineering materials that enhance critical thinking, decision making, and problem solving skills. During this second phase of the project, the Shuttle Case Study Collection website was developed. Extensive HTML coding to link downloadable documents, videos, and images was required, as was training to learn NASA's Content Management System (CMS) for website design. As the final stage of the collection development, the website is designed to allow for distribution of information to the public as well as for case study report submissions from other educators online.

Endoscopic management and outcomes of pregnant women hospitalized for nonvariceal upper GI bleeding: a nationwide analysis.

PubMed

Nguyen, Geoffrey C; Dinani, Amreen M; Pivovarov, Kevin

2010-11-01

Upper GI endoscopy has an important diagnostic and therapeutic role in the management of nonvariceal upper GI bleeding (NVUGB). To characterize nationwide patterns of utilization of upper GI endoscopy in pregnant women with NVUGB and to assess health outcomes. Retrospective cohort study. Participating hospitals from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, 1998-2007. Pregnant and age-matched nonpregnant women admitted for NVUGB. The study population was classified as pregnant women with NVUGB (n = 1210) and nonpregnant women with NVUGB (n = 6050). Rate of upper GI endoscopy, maternal mortality, fetal death/complications, and premature delivery. Pregnant women were less likely than nonpregnant women to undergo upper GI endoscopy (26% vs 69%; P < .0001) even after adjustment for comorbidities, transfusion requirement, and the presence of hypovolemic shock (adjusted odds ratio, 0.19; 95% confidence interval, 0.16-0.22). Among those who underwent endoscopy, pregnant women were less likely to undergo the procedure within 24 hours of admission (50% vs 57%; P = .02). Mortality was lower among pregnant women compared with nonpregnant women (0% vs 0.6%; P = .006). In comparing outcomes between those who did and did not undergo endoscopy, there was no difference in fetal loss (0.2% vs 0.6%), fetal distress/complications (2.7% vs 2.6%), or premature delivery (7.3% vs 6.4%). The study was based on administrative data. A conservative nonendoscopic approach is common in the management of pregnant women with NVUGB and is not associated with worse maternal or fetal outcomes. Upper GI endoscopy is, however, safe when judiciously implemented in the actively bleeding patient. Copyright © 2010 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Epidemiological Trends of GI Cancers in Patients Visiting a Tertiary Care Hospital in Chandigarh, North India.

PubMed

Sharma, Munesh K; Singh, Tarundeep; Pandey, Avdesh K; Kankaria, Ankita

2015-01-01

Cancer has become an epidemic disease. Nearly ten million new cancer cases are diagnosed annually in the world and out of these about half are from the developing world. To appropriately plan for treatment, management and prevention of the disease, it becomes necessary to study the trends about morbidity caused by cancers. Data for patients diagnosed with any form of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers was extracted from records maintained in the outpatient department registers of the Oncology Department of Government Medical College and Hospital in Chandigarh from 1999 to 2012. Trends were analysed for different categories of GI cancers for the period of 12 years. In present study GI cancers accounted for 23 % of all registered cases (n-9603) of carcinomas. Males predominated for all GI cancers except in the gall bladder. Gastrointestinal cancers as a proportion of total cancers increased from 21% in 1999 to 25.9% in 2012 with a significant increasing trend in our series (χ2 for linear trend=9.36, p<0.003). Cancers of the tonsil, oral cavity and pharynx taken together showed an increasing trend over the years (χ2 for trend=55.2, p<0.001) whereas cancers of the lower GI (χ2=19.6, p<0.0001) and gall bladder (χ2=19.5, p<0.0001) showed a declining trend in our series. GI cancers form a significant proportion of all cancers reporting to our data. In depth studies to ascertain the reasons for the changing trends are required to design intervention programs. Further information is necessary from cancer registries and from the hospital records of oncology departments.

Quality of Prostate Cancer Treatment Information on Cancer Center Websites.

PubMed

Dulaney, Caleb; Barrett, Olivia Claire; Rais-Bahrami, Soroush; Wakefield, Daniel; Fiveash, John; Dobelbower, Michael

2016-04-20

Cancer center websites are trusted sources of internet information about treatment options for prostate cancer. The quality of information on these websites is unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of information on cancer center websites addressing prostate cancer treatment options, outcomes, and toxicity. We evaluated the websites of all National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers to determine if sufficient information was provided to address eleven decision-specific knowledge questions from the validated Early Prostate Cancer Treatment Decision Quality Instrument. We recorded the number of questions addressed, the number of clicks to reach the prostate cancer-specific webpage, evaluation time, and Spanish and mobile accessibility. Correlation between evaluation time and questions addressed were calculated using the Pearson coefficient. Sixty-three websites were reviewed. Eighty percent had a prostate cancer-specific webpage reached in a median of three clicks. The average evaluation time was 6.5 minutes. Information was available in Spanish on 24% of sites and 59% were mobile friendly. Websites provided sufficient information to address, on average, 19% of questions. No website addressed all questions. Evaluation time correlated with the number of questions addressed (R(2) = 0.42, p < 0.001). Cancer center websites provide insufficient information for men with localized prostate cancer due to a lack of information about and direct comparison of specific treatment outcomes and toxicities. Information is also less accessible in Spanish and on mobile devices. These data can be used to improve the quality and accessibility of prostate cancer treatment information on cancer center websites.

Developing Multiple Literacies in a Website Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spence, Lucy K.

2009-01-01

Jacky, an 11-year-old biliterate Latina, was the subject of this case study. She used her home funds of knowledge to become computer literate through the development of a website focused on Mexican heritage. The website, created via funds of knowledge drawn from the community, in turn involved families and the local community in computer…

NOAA Office of Exploration and Research > Public Affairs > Website & Social

Science.gov Websites

Partners Materials NOAA Initiatives Partnerships Evaluation Public Affairs Overview Website & Social Media News Room OER Symposium Overview Website & Social Media News Room OER Symposium Public Affairs Website & Social Media Home About OER Overview Organization Guiding Documents Organizational Structure

Is current surgery resident and GI fellow training adequate to pass FES?

PubMed

Gardner, Aimee K; Scott, Daniel J; Willis, Ross E; Van Sickle, Kent; Truitt, Michael S; Uecker, John; Brown, Kimberly M; Marks, Jeffrey M; Dunkin, Brian J

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the adequacy of current surgical residency and gastroenterology (GI) fellowship flexible endoscopy training as measured by performance on the FES examination. Fifth-year general surgery residents and GI fellows across six institutions were invited to participate. All general surgery residents had met ACGME/ABS case volume requirements as well as additional institution-specific requirements for endoscopy. All participants completed FES testing at the end of their respective academic year. Procedure volumes were obtained from ACGME case logs. Curricular components for each specialty and institution were recorded. Forty-eight (28 surgery and 20 GI) trainees completed the examination. Average case numbers for residents were 76 ± 26 colonoscopies and 45 ± 12 EGDs. Among GI fellows, PGY4 s (N = 10) reported 99 ± 64 colonoscopies and 147 ± 79 EGDs. PGY5 s (N = 3) reported 462 ± 307 colonoscopies and 411 ± 260 EGDs. PGY6 GI fellows (N = 7) reported 515 ± 111 colonoscopies and 418 ± 146 EGDs. The overall pass rate for all participants was 75 %, with 68 % of residents and 85 % of fellows passing both the cognitive and skills components. For surgery residents, pass rates were 75 % for manual skills and 85.7 % for cognitive. On the skills examination, Task 2 (loop reduction) was associated with the lowest performance. Skills scores correlated with both colonoscopy (r = 0.46, p < 0.001) and EGD experience (r = 0.46, p < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristics curves were examined among the resident cohort. The minimum number of total cases associated with passing the FES skills component was 103. Significant variability existed in curricular components across institutions. These data suggest that current flexible endoscopy training may not be sufficient for all trainees to pass the examination. Implementing additional components of the FEC may prove beneficial in achieving more uniform pass

Vaccine criticism: Presence and arguments on French-speaking websites.

PubMed

Nugier, A; Limousi, F; Lydié, N

2018-02-01

To evaluate the presence of vaccine criticism on the French Web and to analyze strategies and arguments used by opponents of vaccination. The most frequently used keywords associated with the terms "vaccination" and "vaccine" on Google.fr in September 2013 were identified and searched for individually on Google.fr. The links presented in the first three pages of results were reviewed to identify the most frequent providers of information. The proportion of critical content was determined by website type and a content analysis was performed. The main preoccupations about vaccination were general concerns; <1% of searches were guided by negative keywords. Institutional websites, healthcare websites, news websites and anti-vaccine websites were the most frequent providers of results. The proportion of anti-vaccine websites among the results was 11% for a neutral search and 24% for a search guided by negative keywords. Critical content was observed in other types of website. Six major strategies and categories of arguments used by opponents of vaccination were identified: the manipulation of science, the use of shocking images and an appeal to emotions via testimonies, a general vaccination conspiracy, the individual's freedom of choice not respected, an unnatural act and a negative benefit/risk balance. It seems important to monitor online vaccination debates, to develop an institutional presence that meets the needs of Internet users and to help them develop a critical view. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Orchestrating change: The thyroid hormones and GI-tract development in flatfish metamorphosis.

PubMed

Gomes, A S; Alves, R N; Rønnestad, I; Power, D M

2015-09-01

Metamorphosis in flatfish (Pleuronectiformes) is a late post-embryonic developmental event that prepares the organism for the larval-to-juvenile transition. Thyroid hormones (THs) play a central role in flatfish metamorphosis and the basic elements that constitute the thyroid axis in vertebrates are all present at this stage. The advantage of using flatfish to study the larval-to-juvenile transition is the profound change in external morphology that accompanies metamorphosis making it easy to track progression to climax. This important lifecycle transition is underpinned by molecular, cellular, structural and functional modifications of organs and tissues that prepare larvae for a successful transition to the adult habitat and lifestyle. Understanding the role of THs in the maturation of organs and tissues with diverse functions during metamorphosis is a major challenge. The change in diet that accompanies the transition from a pelagic larvae to a benthic juvenile in flatfish is associated with structural and functional modifications in the gastrointestinal tract (GI-tract). The present review will focus on the maturation of the GI-tract during metamorphosis giving particular attention to organogenesis of the stomach a TH triggered event. Gene transcripts and biological processes that are associated with GI-tract maturation during Atlantic halibut metamorphosis are identified. Gene ontology analysis reveals core biological functions and putative TH-responsive genes that underpin TH-driven metamorphosis of the GI-tract in Atlantic halibut. Deciphering the specific role remains a challenge. Recent advances in characterizing the molecular, structural and functional modifications that accompany the appearance of a functional stomach in Atlantic halibut are considered and future research challenges identified. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Can Social Policy Influence Socio-Economic Disparities? Korean War GI Bill Eligibility and Markers of Depression

PubMed Central

Vable, Anusha M.; Canning, David; Glymour, M. Maria; Kawachi, Ichiro; Jimenez, Marcia P.; Subramanian, S. V.

2017-01-01

Background The Korean War GI Bill provided socio-economic benefits to veterans, however its association with health is unclear; we hypothesize GI Bill eligibility is associated with fewer depressive symptoms and smaller disparities. Methods Data from 246 Korean War GI Bill eligible veterans and 240 non-veterans from the Health and Retirement Study were matched on birth year, southern birth, race, height, and childhood health using coarsened exact matching. Number of depressive symptoms in 2010 (average age=78) were assessed using a modified, validated Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale, dichotomized to reflect elevated depressive symptoms. Regression analyses were stratified into low (at least one parent < 8 years schooling / missing data, N=167) or high (both parents ≥ 8 years schooling, N=319) childhood socio-economic status (cSES) groups. Results Korean War GI Bill eligibility predicted fewer depressive symptoms among individuals from low cSES backgrounds [β=-0.64, 95% Confidence Interval (CI):(-1.18, -0.09), p=0.022]. Socio-economic disparities were smaller among veterans than non-veterans for number of depressive symptoms [β=-0.76, 95% (CI):(-1.33, -0.18), P = 0.010] and elevated depressive symptoms [β=-11.7, 95%CI:(-8.2, -22.6), P = 0.035]. Conclusions Korean War GI Bill eligibility predicted smaller socio-economic disparities in depression markers. PMID:26778285

Pre_GI: a global map of ontological links between horizontally transferred genomic islands in bacterial and archaeal genomes

PubMed Central

Pierneef, Rian; Cronje, Louis; Bezuidt, Oliver; Reva, Oleg N.

2015-01-01

Abstract The Predicted Genomic Islands database (Pre_GI) is a comprehensive repository of prokaryotic genomic islands (islands, GIs) freely accessible at http://pregi.bi.up.ac.za/index.php . Pre_GI, Version 2015, catalogues 26 744 islands identified in 2407 bacterial/archaeal chromosomes and plasmids. It provides an easy-to-use interface which allows users the ability to query against the database with a variety of fields, parameters and associations. Pre_GI is constructed to be a web-resource for the analysis of ontological roads between islands and cartographic analysis of the global fluxes of mobile genetic elements through bacterial and archaeal taxonomic borders. Comparison of newly identified islands against Pre_GI presents an alternative avenue to identify their ontology, origin and relative time of acquisition. Pre_GI aims to aid research on horizontal transfer events and materials through providing data and tools for holistic investigation of migration of genes through ecological niches and taxonomic boundaries. Database URL: http://pregi.bi.up.ac.za/index.php , Version 2015 PMID:26200753

The GI Bill of Rights Legacy to American Colleges.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ford, Brenda J.; Miller, Michael T.

The Servicemen's Readjustment Act, nicknamed the "GI Bill of Rights," influenced a social change in America and its higher education system that could be compared to that caused by the Industrial Revolution. Making college a realistic expectation for many Americans, it also made future generations look upon a college education as an…

Design and Implementation of Website Information Disclosure Assessment System

PubMed Central

Cho, Ying-Chiang; Pan, Jen-Yi

2015-01-01

Internet application technologies, such as cloud computing and cloud storage, have increasingly changed people’s lives. Websites contain vast amounts of personal privacy information. In order to protect this information, network security technologies, such as database protection and data encryption, attract many researchers. The most serious problems concerning web vulnerability are e-mail address and network database leakages. These leakages have many causes. For example, malicious users can steal database contents, taking advantage of mistakes made by programmers and administrators. In order to mitigate this type of abuse, a website information disclosure assessment system is proposed in this study. This system utilizes a series of technologies, such as web crawler algorithms, SQL injection attack detection, and web vulnerability mining, to assess a website’s information disclosure. Thirty websites, randomly sampled from the top 50 world colleges, were used to collect leakage information. This testing showed the importance of increasing the security and privacy of website information for academic websites. PMID:25768434

Genuine Onion: Simple, Fast, Flexible, and Cheap Website Authentication

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-21

Genuine onion : Simple, Fast, Flexible, and Cheap Website Authentication Paul Syverson U.S. Naval Research Laboratory paul.syverson@nrl.navy.mil...access to Internet websites. Tor is also used to access sites on the . onion virtual domain. The focus of . onion use and discussion has traditionally... onion system can be used to provide an entirely separate benefit: basic website authentication. We also argue that not only can onionsites provide

Evaluating asthma websites using the Brief DISCERN instrument.

PubMed

Banasiak, Nancy Cantey; Meadows-Oliver, Mikki

2017-01-01

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the quality of sponsored and unsponsored asthma websites using the Brief DISCERN instrument and to evaluate whether the Health On the Net Code of Conduct (HONcode) logo was present, thereby indicating that the site met the criteria. The Internet is an important source of health information for patients and their families. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the quality of sponsored and unsupported asthma websites. A secondary aim was to determine the readability and reading ease of the materials for each website along with the grade level. We queried seven Internet search engines using the keyword "asthma." The websites were evaluated using the six-item Brief DISCERN instrument and by ascertaining whether the HONcode quality label was present. The websites were also evaluated for readability employing Flesch-Kincaid grade level and Flesch reading ease tools using Microsoft Office Word 2013 software. A total of 22 unique websites were included in the study. Approximately 68% of the websites reviewed had a Brief DISCERN cutoff score of ≥16. The overall Brief DISCERN scores ranged from 6 to 30, and the mean score was 17.32 (SD =6.71). The Flesch-Kincaid grade level scores ranged from 2.9 to 15.4, and the average reading grade score was 9.49 (SD =2.7). The Flesch reading ease scores ranged from 17 to 82.7, with a mean reading ease score of 53.57 (SD =15.03). Sites with a HONcode quality label had significantly higher Brief DISCERN scores than those without one ( t =2.3795; df =20; p =0.02). Brief DISCERN scores revealed that there is quality asthma information for children and their families available on the Internet. The grade level ranged between 2.9 and 15.4 among the websites. However, the mean grade level scores were 9.3-9.89, which is high for the average consumer. Access to accurate information via the Internet, with appropriate readability, may enable pediatric asthma patients and their caregivers

Evaluating asthma websites using the Brief DISCERN instrument

PubMed Central

Banasiak, Nancy Cantey; Meadows-Oliver, Mikki

2017-01-01

Purpose The primary purpose of this study was to examine the quality of sponsored and unsponsored asthma websites using the Brief DISCERN instrument and to evaluate whether the Health On the Net Code of Conduct (HONcode) logo was present, thereby indicating that the site met the criteria. The Internet is an important source of health information for patients and their families. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the quality of sponsored and unsupported asthma websites. A secondary aim was to determine the readability and reading ease of the materials for each website along with the grade level. Methods We queried seven Internet search engines using the keyword “asthma.” The websites were evaluated using the six-item Brief DISCERN instrument and by ascertaining whether the HONcode quality label was present. The websites were also evaluated for readability employing Flesch-Kincaid grade level and Flesch reading ease tools using Microsoft Office Word 2013 software. Results A total of 22 unique websites were included in the study. Approximately 68% of the websites reviewed had a Brief DISCERN cutoff score of ≥16. The overall Brief DISCERN scores ranged from 6 to 30, and the mean score was 17.32 (SD =6.71). The Flesch-Kincaid grade level scores ranged from 2.9 to 15.4, and the average reading grade score was 9.49 (SD =2.7). The Flesch reading ease scores ranged from 17 to 82.7, with a mean reading ease score of 53.57 (SD =15.03). Sites with a HONcode quality label had significantly higher Brief DISCERN scores than those without one (t=2.3795; df=20; p=0.02). Conclusion Brief DISCERN scores revealed that there is quality asthma information for children and their families available on the Internet. The grade level ranged between 2.9 and 15.4 among the websites. However, the mean grade level scores were 9.3–9.89, which is high for the average consumer. Access to accurate information via the Internet, with appropriate readability, may enable pediatric

Professionalism and Commercialism on Cosmetic Surgeons' Websites.

PubMed

Park, Sung-Yeon; Park, SangHee

2017-07-01

This study analyzed the homepages of 250 cosmetic surgeons' websites by focusing on the representation of cosmetic surgery providers, cosmetic surgery recipients, and cosmetic surgery practice itself. Based on a literature review, some common elements of the webpages were preidentified as the indicators of professionalism or commercialism. Subsequently, each homepage was scrutinized for their presence and salience. Overall, cosmetic surgeons' websites were high in professionalism and low in commercialism in their representation of the service providers. In depicting the recipients, the websites were moderate in both professionalism and commercialism. The representation of practice was low in professionalism and moderate in commercialism. Implications of these findings for doctors, regulators, and consumer advocates are discussed and directions for future research are proposed.

Choosing Good Websites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webber, Nancy

2004-01-01

Many art teachers use the Web as an information source. Overall, they look for good content that is clearly written concise, accurate, and pertinent. A well-designed site gives users what they want quickly, efficiently, and logically, and does not ask them to assemble a puzzle to resolve their search. How can websites with these qualities be…

Crisis pregnancy center websites: Information, misinformation and disinformation.

PubMed

Bryant, Amy G; Narasimhan, Subasri; Bryant-Comstock, Katelyn; Levi, Erika E

2014-12-01

Most states with 24-h waiting periods prior to abortion provide state resource directories to women seeking abortion. Our objective was to evaluate the information on abortion provided on the websites of crisis pregnancy centers listed in these resource directories. We performed a survey of the websites of crisis pregnancy centers referenced in state resource directories for pregnant women. We searched for these state-provided resource directories online. We contacted state Departments of Health and Human Services for a print copy when a directory could not be found online. The crisis pregnancy center websites were evaluated for the information provided on abortion. Standardized data collection tools were used. Descriptive statistics were generated. Resource directories of 12 states were procured. A total of 254 websites referring to 348 crisis pregnancy centers were identified. Overall, a total of 203/254 [80%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 75%-84%] of websites provided at least one false or misleading piece of information. The most common misleading or false information included on the websites were a declared link between abortion and mental health risks (122/254 sites; 48%, 95% CI 42%-54%), preterm birth (54/254; 21%, 95% CI 17%-27%), breast cancer (51/254; 20%, 95% CI 16%-25%) and future infertility (32/254; 13%, 95% CI 9%-17%). Most crisis pregnancy centers listed in state resource directories for pregnant women provide misleading or false information regarding the risks of abortion. States should not list agencies that provide inaccurate information as resources in their directories. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Community College Website as Virtual Advisor: A Usability Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Margolin, Jonathan; Miller, Shazia Rafiullah; Rosenbaum, James E.

2013-01-01

This study explored whether community college websites are a useful medium for providing knowledge relevant to degree completion. Ten community students used one of three community college websites to answer 10 questions about occupational degree programs. A facilitator asked participants to think aloud while using the website to answer these…

Design element alternatives for stress-management intervention websites.

PubMed

Williams, Reg A; Gatien, Gary; Hagerty, Bonnie

2011-01-01

Typical public and military-sponsored websites on stress and depression tend to be prescriptive. Some require users to complete lengthy questionnaires. Others reproduce printed flyers, papers, or educational materials not adapted for online use. Some websites require users to follow a prescribed path through the material. Stress Gym was developed as a first-level, evidence-based, website intervention to help U.S. military members learn how to manage mild to moderate stress and depressive symptoms using a self-help intervention with progress tracking and 24/7 availablility. It was designed using web-based, health-management intervention design elements that have been proven effective and users reported they prefer. These included interactivity, self-pacing, and pleasing aesthetics. Users learned how to manage stress by accessing modules they choose, and by practicing proven stress management strategies interactively immediately after login. Test results of Stress Gym with Navy members demonstrated that it was effective, with significant decreases in reported perceived stress levels from baseline to follow-up assessment. Stress Gym used design elements that may serve as a model for future websites to emulate and improve upon, and as a template against which to compare and contrast the design and functionality of future online, health-intervention websites. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

redMaGiC: Selecting luminous red galaxies from the DES Science Verification data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rozo, E.; Rykoff, E. S.; Abate, A.

Here, we introduce redMaGiC, an automated algorithm for selecting luminous red galaxies (LRGs). The algorithm was specifically developed to minimize photometric redshift uncertainties in photometric large-scale structure studies. redMaGiC achieves this by self-training the colour cuts necessary to produce a luminosity-thresholded LRG sample of constant comoving density. We demonstrate that redMaGiC photo-zs are very nearly as accurate as the best machine learning-based methods, yet they require minimal spectroscopic training, do not suffer from extrapolation biases, and are very nearly Gaussian. We apply our algorithm to Dark Energy Survey (DES) Science Verification (SV) data to produce a redMaGiC catalogue sampling themore » redshift range z ϵ [0.2, 0.8]. Our fiducial sample has a comoving space density of 10 –3 (h –1 Mpc) –3, and a median photo-z bias (zspec – zphoto) and scatter (σz/(1 + z)) of 0.005 and 0.017, respectively. The corresponding 5σ outlier fraction is 1.4 per cent. We also test our algorithm with Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 8 and Stripe 82 data, and discuss how spectroscopic training can be used to control photo-z biases at the 0.1 per cent level.« less

redMaGiC: Selecting luminous red galaxies from the DES Science Verification data

DOE PAGES

Rozo, E.; Rykoff, E. S.; Abate, A.; ...

2016-05-30

Here, we introduce redMaGiC, an automated algorithm for selecting luminous red galaxies (LRGs). The algorithm was specifically developed to minimize photometric redshift uncertainties in photometric large-scale structure studies. redMaGiC achieves this by self-training the colour cuts necessary to produce a luminosity-thresholded LRG sample of constant comoving density. We demonstrate that redMaGiC photo-zs are very nearly as accurate as the best machine learning-based methods, yet they require minimal spectroscopic training, do not suffer from extrapolation biases, and are very nearly Gaussian. We apply our algorithm to Dark Energy Survey (DES) Science Verification (SV) data to produce a redMaGiC catalogue sampling themore » redshift range z ϵ [0.2, 0.8]. Our fiducial sample has a comoving space density of 10 –3 (h –1 Mpc) –3, and a median photo-z bias (zspec – zphoto) and scatter (σz/(1 + z)) of 0.005 and 0.017, respectively. The corresponding 5σ outlier fraction is 1.4 per cent. We also test our algorithm with Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 8 and Stripe 82 data, and discuss how spectroscopic training can be used to control photo-z biases at the 0.1 per cent level.« less

Structure and Content Analysis for Vocational High School Website in Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subagja, H.; Abdullah, A. G.; Trisno, B.; Nandiyanto, A. B. D.

2017-03-01

Statistics about the condition of the school’s website in Indonesia is still difficult. This study aims to determine website quality in terms of completeness of content’s criteria of Vocational High School (VHS) in West Java, Indonesia. The method used is the content analysis and survey. Content analysis is reviewing the documents comprising the general category, while the survey is a observation process to get the facts from 272 school websites. Aspects of the structure and content of school website are including institutional information, educators and education personnel, curriculum, student, infrastructure, school achievement, and public access. The results of this study showed the average quality of the VHS website in West Java is still low. The recommendations are needed to improve the quality of the school website.

Got Web? Investing in a District Website

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swann, Patricia A.

2006-01-01

School and school district websites began to mushroom in the mid-1990s in what looked like a rush to stake a cyber-claim in a new frontier. As a byproduct, these early experiments also seemed like a good place to let parents know what is going on in the local school district. Today, it is all too easy to find district websites that are little more…

Twelve Essentials of a School District Website

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wohlleb, Jennifer L.

2006-01-01

In this article, the author presents twelve considerations to think about if a school district is planning to redesign or reorganize its website. These are: (1) Your website is your calling card; (2) Don't play hide and seek; (3) Is your mission to promote the mission?; (4) Skip the apple; (5) Keep it simple; (6) Be up to date; (7) Keep your fonts…

Measuring Website Quality: Asymmetric Effect of User Satisfaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kincl, Tomas; Strach, Pavel

2012-01-01

Website quality measurement tools have been largely static and have struggled to determine relevant attributes of user satisfaction. This study compares and contrasts attributes of user satisfaction based on usability guidelines seeking to identify practical easy-to-administer measurement tools. The website users assessed business school homepages…

College Students' Perceived Attributes of Internet Websites and Online Shopping

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seock, Yoo-Kyoung; Norton, Marjorie J. T.

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of attributes of clothing retailers' Internet websites in relation to previous and intended future purchase from the websites. Survey data from 414 U.S. college students, non-married and aged 18-22 with online clothing shopping experience and favorite clothing websites were used. Five clothing…

[Evaluation of an educational website on First Aid].

PubMed

Mori, Satomi; Whitaker, Iveth Yamaguchi; Marin, Heimar de Fátima

2013-08-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the structure, quality of information and usability of a website on First Aid. The evaluation was performed by information technology (IT) and health care professionals and by students, using specific and validated instruments. The kappa method was used to evaluate the agreement of the answers, and Cronbach's α coefficient was used to assess the reliability of the instrument. There was no agreement (0.047) among the answers obtained from the IT professionals, indicating that the structure of the website must be reviewed. There was also no agreement in the evaluation by the health care professionals (-0.062); however, the overall positive scores suggest that the quality of the information of the website is adequate. The assessment of reliability of the instrument to evaluate the navigability rendered a value of α=0.974. Although improvement of the website structure is recommended, the quality of the information is good, and its use has contributed to the apprenticeship of students.

Attrition of Canadian Internet pharmacy websites: what are the implications?

PubMed Central

Veronin, Michael A; Clancy, Kristen M

2013-01-01

Background The unavailability of Internet pharmacy websites may impact a consumer’s drug purchases and health care. Objective To address the issue of attrition, a defined set of Canadian Internet pharmacy websites was examined at three separate time intervals. Methods In February to March 2006, 117 distinct, fully functional “Canadian Internet pharmacy” websites were located using the advanced search options of Google and the uniform resource locator (URL) for each website was recorded. To determine website attrition, each of the 117 websites obtained and recorded from the previous study was revisited at two later periods of time within a 4-year period. Results After approximately 4 years and 5 months, only 59 (50.4%) sites were found in the original state. Thirty-four sites (29.1%) had moved to a new URL address and were not functioning as the original Internet pharmacy. For 24 sites (20.5%) the viewer was redirected to another Canadian Internet pharmacy site. Conclusion Of concern for patients if Internet pharmacy sites were suddenly inaccessible would be the disruption of continuity of care. PMID:23983491

Attrition of Canadian Internet pharmacy websites: what are the implications?

PubMed

Veronin, Michael A; Clancy, Kristen M

2013-01-01

The unavailability of Internet pharmacy websites may impact a consumer's drug purchases and health care. To address the issue of attrition, a defined set of Canadian Internet pharmacy websites was examined at three separate time intervals. In February to March 2006, 117 distinct, fully functional "Canadian Internet pharmacy" websites were located using the advanced search options of Google and the uniform resource locator (URL) for each website was recorded. To determine website attrition, each of the 117 websites obtained and recorded from the previous study was revisited at two later periods of time within a 4-year period. After approximately 4 years and 5 months, only 59 (50.4%) sites were found in the original state. Thirty-four sites (29.1%) had moved to a new URL address and were not functioning as the original Internet pharmacy. For 24 sites (20.5%) the viewer was redirected to another Canadian Internet pharmacy site. Of concern for patients if Internet pharmacy sites were suddenly inaccessible would be the disruption of continuity of care.

Neurosurgery Residency Websites: A Critical Evaluation.

PubMed

Skovrlj, Branko; Silvestre, Jason; Ibeh, Chinwe; Abbatematteo, Joseph M; Mocco, J

2015-09-01

To evaluate the accessibility of educational and recruitment content of Neurosurgery Residency Websites (NRWs). Program lists from the Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA), Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS), and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) were accessed for the 2015 Match. These databases were assessed for accessibility of information and responsive program contacts. Presence of online recruitment and education variables was assessed, and correlations between program characteristics and website comprehensiveness were made. All 103 neurosurgery residency programs had an NRW. The AANS database provided the most number of viable website links with 65 (63%). No links existed for 5 (5%) programs. A minority of programs contacts responded via e-mail (46%). A minority of recruitment (46%) and educational (49%) variables were available on the NRWs. Larger programs, as defined by the number of yearly residency spots and clinical faculty, maintained greater online content than smaller programs. Similar trends were seen with programs affiliated with a ranked medical school and hospital. Multiple prior studies have demonstrated that medical students applying to neurosurgery rely heavily on residency program websites. As such, the paucity of content on NRWs allows for future opportunity to optimize online resources for neurosurgery training. Making sure that individual programs provide relevant content, make the content easier to find and adhere to established web design principles could increase the usability of NRWs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

GI Bill Offers Military Children Relief from College Costs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sander, Libby

2013-01-01

As a new GI Bill moved through Congress in 2008, a handful of influential politicians grew concerned. Would such a generous education program trigger an exodus of service members during two wars? At the Pentagon's urging, the lawmakers proposed a fix: Give troops the option to transfer their benefits to a child or spouse. That policy quickly…

An evaluation of accessibility and content of microsurgery fellowship websites.

PubMed

Hu, Jiayi; Zhen, Meng; Olteanu, Cristina; Avram, Ronen

2016-01-01

Websites for residency and fellowship programs serve as effective educational and recruitment tools. To evaluate the accessibility and content of fellowship websites that are commonly used by microsurgery applicants for career development. A list of one-year microsurgery fellowship websites (MFWs) was compiled by visiting the centralized American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery (ASRM) website, followed by performing an extensive 'Google' search in October 2015. Accessibility of MFWs was assessed. Website content regarding key recruitment and education variables was also comprehensively reviewed. Website content was correlated with program characteristics using t tests and ANOVA (two-tailed; P<0.05 was considered to be statistically significant). A list of 53 eligible programs was compiled. Only 15 of 51 (29%) ASRM program links were functional. On average, the combined content from ASRM website and individual MFWs had 2.91 of 6 recruitment variables and 1.32 of 6 education variables, respectively. The majority of programs listed 'eligibility criteria' (87%) and 'general information' (87%). 'Evaluation criteria' were most poorly reported (4%). Recruitment score was higher for United States programs compared with international counterparts (51% versus 33%, respectively; P=0.02). It was also higher in programs that focus on 'extremity' versus 'breast' (58% versus 37%; P=0.0028). Education scores did not differ according to location, program size, subspecialty of focus or participation in the Microsurgery Match process. Information regarding recruitment and education on most MFWs is scarce. Academic institutions should keep website content up to date and comprehensive to better assist candidates in the application process.

The School Website: Facilitating Communication Engagement and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taddeo, Carmel; Barnes, Alan

2016-01-01

School websites are providing education settings with the opportunity to transform and enhance the schooling experience. However, the perceived importance of school websites and the resources invested in developing and maintaining them varies considerably across settings. There is a need to better understand what constitutes an effective website…

War and Marriage: Assortative Mating and the World War II GI Bill.

PubMed

Larsen, Matthew F; McCarthy, T J; Moulton, Jeremy G; Page, Marianne E; Patel, Ankur J

2015-10-01

World War II and its subsequent GI Bill have been widely credited with playing a transformative role in American society, but there have been few quantitative analyses of these historical events' broad social effects. We exploit between-cohort variation in the probability of military service to investigate how WWII and the GI Bill altered the structure of marriage, and find that it had important spillover effects beyond its direct effect on men's educational attainment. Our results suggest that the additional education received by returning veterans caused them to "sort" into wives with significantly higher levels of education. This suggests an important mechanism by which socioeconomic status may be passed on to the next generation.

Effects of GI meals on intermittent exercise.

PubMed

Hulton, A T; Gregson, W; Maclaren, D; Doran, D A

2012-09-01

Pre-exercise meals or single foods containing low glycaemic index (LGI) carbohydrates (CHO) have been shown to enhance performance prior to prolonged steady state exercise compared to high glycaemic index (HGI) CHO. This study investigated the impact of HGI and LGI pre-exercise meals on intermittent high intensity exercise. Nine male recreational football players performed a football specific protocol followed by a 1 km time trial 3.5 h after ingesting 1 of 2 isoenergetic test meals (HGI: 870.3 kcal, LGI: 889.5 kcal), which were either HGI (GI: 80) or LGI (GI: 44). Blood glucose, fatty acids (FA), glycerol, β-hydroxybutyrate, lactate and insulin were assessed before, during, and after the exercise bout, whilst rates of CHO and fat oxidation were determined at 4 time points during the protocol. No significant differences were found for the 1 km time trial (LGI: 210.2 ± 19.1 s: HGI: 215.8 ± 22.6 s) (mean ± SD), nor for any of the other variables measured (P>0.05) apart from a significant condition effect with FA and significant interaction effects observed for glucose, β-hydroxybutyrate and lactate (P<0.05). These findings suggest that the type of CHO ingested in a pre-match meal has no significant impact on performance or metabolic responses during 90 min of intermittent high intensity exercise. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

A Review of Guidelines on Home Drug Testing Websites for Parents

PubMed Central

Washio, Yukiko; Fairfax-Columbo, Jaymes; Ball, Emily; Cassey, Heather; Arria, Amelia M.; Bresani, Elena; Curtis, Brenda L.; Kirby, Kimberly C.

2014-01-01

Purpose To update and extend prior work reviewing websites that discuss home drug testing for parents and assess the quality of information that the websites provide to assist them to decide when and how to use home drug testing. Methods We conducted a world-wide web search that identified eight websites providing information for parents on home drug testing. We assessed the information on the sites using checklist developed with field experts in adolescent substance abuse and psychosocial interventions that focus on urine testing. Results None of the websites covered all of items on the 24-item checklist, and only three covered at least half of the items (12, 14, and 21 items, respectively). The five remaining websites covered less than half the checklist items. The mean number of items covered by the websites was 11. Conclusions Among the websites that we reviewed, few provided thorough information to parents regarding empirically-supported strategies to effectively use drug testing to intervene on adolescent substance use. Furthermore, most websites did not provide thorough information regarding the risks and benefits to inform parents’ decision to use home drug testing. Empirical evidence regarding efficacy, benefits, risks, and limitations of home drug testing is needed. PMID:25026103

Plain Language to Communicate Physical Activity Information: A Website Content Analysis.

PubMed

Paige, Samantha R; Black, David R; Mattson, Marifran; Coster, Daniel C; Stellefson, Michael

2018-04-01

Plain language techniques are health literacy universal precautions intended to enhance health care system navigation and health outcomes. Physical activity (PA) is a popular topic on the Internet, yet it is unknown if information is communicated in plain language. This study examined how plain language techniques are included in PA websites, and if the use of plain language techniques varies according to search procedures (keyword, search engine) and website host source (government, commercial, educational/organizational). Three keywords ("physical activity," "fitness," and "exercise") were independently entered into three search engines (Google, Bing, and Yahoo) to locate a nonprobability sample of websites ( N = 61). Fourteen plain language techniques were coded within each website to examine content formatting, clarity and conciseness, and multimedia use. Approximately half ( M = 6.59; SD = 1.68) of the plain language techniques were included in each website. Keyword physical activity resulted in websites with fewer clear and concise plain language techniques ( p < .05), whereas fitness resulted in websites with more clear and concise techniques ( p < .01). Plain language techniques did not vary by search engine or the website host source. Accessing PA information that is easy to understand and behaviorally oriented may remain a challenge for users. Transdisciplinary collaborations are needed to optimize plain language techniques while communicating online PA information.

Influence of Genetic Counseling Graduate Program Websites on Student Application Decisions.

PubMed

Ivan, Kristina M; Hassed, Susan; Darden, Alix G; Aston, Christopher E; Guy, Carrie

2017-12-01

This study investigated how genetic counseling educational program websites affect application decisions via an online survey sent to current students and recent graduates. Program leadership: directors, assistant directors, associate directors, were also surveyed to determine where their opinions coincided or differed from those reported by students and recent graduates. Chi square analysis and t-tests were used to determine significance of results. A two-sample t-test was used to compare factors students identified as important on a 5-point Likert scale with those identified by directors. Thematic analysis revealed three major themes students consider important for program websites: easy navigation, website content, and website impression. Directors were interested in how prospective students use their program website and what information they found most useful. Students indicated there were specific programs they chose not to apply to due to the difficulty of using the website for that program. Directors significantly underestimated how important information about application requirements was to students in making application decisions. The information reported herein will help individual genetic counseling graduate programs improve website functionality and retain interested applicants.

Infant Feeding Websites and Apps: A Systematic Assessment of Quality and Content

PubMed Central

Campbell, Karen J; Russell, Catherine G; Elliott, Rosalind; Laws, Rachel; Denney-Wilson, Elizabeth

2015-01-01

Background Internet websites and smartphone apps have become a popular resource to guide parents in their children’s feeding and nutrition. Given the diverse range of websites and apps on infant feeding, the quality of information in these resources should be assessed to identify whether consumers have access to credible and reliable information. Objective This systematic analysis provides perspectives on the information available about infant feeding on websites and smartphone apps. Methods A systematic analysis was conducted to assess the quality, comprehensibility, suitability, and readability of websites and apps on infant feeding using a developed tool. Google and Bing were used to search for websites from Australia, while the App Store for iOS and Google Play for Android were used to search for apps. Specified key words including baby feeding, breast feeding, formula feeding and introducing solids were used to assess websites and apps addressing feeding advice. Criteria for assessing the accuracy of the content were developed using the Australian Infant Feeding Guidelines. Results A total of 600 websites and 2884 apps were screened, and 44 websites and 46 apps met the selection criteria and were analyzed. Most of the websites (26/44) and apps (43/46) were noncommercial, some websites (10/44) and 1 app were commercial and there were 8 government websites; 2 apps had university endorsement. The majority of the websites and apps were rated poor quality. There were two websites that had 100% coverage of information compared to those rated as fair or poor that had low coverage. Two-thirds of the websites (65%) and almost half of the apps (47%) had a readability level above the 8th grade level. Conclusions The findings of this unique analysis highlight the potential for website and app developers to merge user requirements with evidence-based content to ensure that information on infant feeding is of high quality. There are currently no apps available to

How to evaluate the quality of health related websites.

PubMed

Gattoni, Filippo; Sicola, Chiara

2005-03-01

To establish reliable quality criteria for medical websites is of foremost importance in relation to the increasing number of Internet users, both health professionals and lay people, searching for medical information in the mass of these sites. Quality in general refers to a set of features that distinguish one person or thing from others of the same type. The quality of a website is usually related to its content and usability. The first criteria we considered are contents and readability, which must be targeted to the intended type of user. Other important criteria include: transparency, consistency, honesty, references to sources, accountability, respect of privacy, currency of content material, responsibility, and accessibility. Technical criteria are the use of consolidated and standard technologies, soft colours, short page download time. Good medical websites should also follow the suggestions of organizations such as the World Health Organization, the Food and Drug Administration, the European Communities. Another organization, Health On Net Foundation, has issued some guidelines for medical websites, summarized in eight points, fundamental to assign real scientific value to a site. We believe, in agreement with the literature, that it is unnecessary to apply strict rules to medical website developers. We want to stress the importance of guidelines and recommendations to be modified with the development of web technology and the cultural evolution of patient and physicians. In the near future the presence on the Internet of websites certified by national or international medical web authorities will lead users to trust and give their preference to such sites, leading to the self-regulation of website developers and users.

Efficacy of an inhibitor of adhesion molecule expression (GI270384X) in the treatment of experimental colitis.

PubMed

Panés, Julián; Aceituno, Montserrat; Gil, Fèlix; Miquel, Rosa; Piqué, Josep M; Salas, Azucena; McLean, Peter

2007-10-01

Modulation of adhesion molecule expression or function is regarded as a promising therapy for inflammatory conditions. This study evaluates the effects of an inhibitor of adhesion molecule expression (GI270384X) in two experimental models of colitis. Colitis of different severity was induced in C57BL/6J mice by administering 1, 2, or 3% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). GI270384X (3, 10, or 25 mg.kg(-1).day(-1)) was administered as pretreatment or started 3 days after colitis induction. In IL-10-deficient mice, the highest dose was given for 2 wk. The clinical course of colitis, pathological changes, serum inflammatory biomarkers, expression of adhesion molecules, and leukocyte-endothelial cell interactions in colonic venules were measured in mice treated with vehicle or with active drug. In the most severe forms of colitis (2% and 3% DSS and IL-10-deficient mice), the magnitude of colonic inflammation was not modified by treatment with GI270384X. In a less severe form of colitis (1% DSS), GI270384X treatment dose dependently ameliorated the clinical signs of colitis, colonic pathological changes, and serum levels of biomarkers (IL-6 and serum amyloid A). Administration of 25 mg.kg(-1).day(-1) GI270384X abrogated upregulation of ICAM-1 in the inflamed colon but had no effect on VCAM-1 or E-selectin expression. This was associated with a significant reduction in number of rolling and firmly adherent leukocytes in colonic venules. These results indicate that GI270384X is effective in the treatment of experimental colitis of moderate severity. Reduced adhesion molecule expression and leukocyte recruitment to the inflamed intestine contribute to this beneficial effect.

GI Symptoms in Infants Are a Potential Target for Fermented Infant Milk Formulae: A Review

PubMed Central

van de Heijning, Bert J. M.; Berton, Amelie; Bouritius, Hetty; Goulet, Olivier

2014-01-01

Besides pre- and pro-biotic-containing infant formulae, fermented infant formulae are commonly used to relieve or prevent symptoms of gastrointestinal (GI) discomfort in young infants. During the fermentation process in cow’s milk-based formulae, the beneficial bacteria modulate the product by forming several beneficial compounds, which contribute to the alleviation of the symptoms observed. This review summarizes the clinical evidence on the impact of fermented infant formulae on common pediatric GI-symptoms. The potential mechanisms involved are discussed: i.e., the lactose and protein (in-) digestibility, effects on gastric emptying and gut transit and modulation of the colonic microbiota. Although initial evidence indicates a beneficial effect of fermented formulae on GI discomfort in newborns, validation and confirmation of the clinical proof obtained so far is warranted, as well as further research to (more fully) understand the mode of action. PMID:25255831

Measuring the Quality of the Website User Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sauro, Jeff

2016-01-01

Consumers spend an increasing amount of time and money online finding information, completing tasks, or making purchases. The quality of the website experience has become a key differentiator for organizations--affecting whether they purchase and their likelihood to return and recommend a website to friends. Two instruments were created to more…

G.I. Taylor and the Trinity test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deakin, Michael A. B.

2011-12-01

The story is often told of the calculation by G.I. Taylor of the yield of the first ever atomic bomb exploded in New Mexico in 1945. It has indeed become a staple of the classroom whenever dimensional analysis is taught. However, while it is true that Taylor succeeded in calculating this figure at a time when it was still classified, most versions of the story are quite inaccurate historically. The reality is more complex than the usual accounts have it. This article sets out to disentangle fact from fiction.

A portal to validated websites on cosmetic surgery: the design of an archetype.

PubMed

Parikh, A R; Kok, K; Redfern, B; Clarke, A; Withey, S; Butler, P E M

2006-09-01

There has recently been an increase in the usage of the Internet as a source of patient information. It is very difficult for laypersons to establish the accuracy and validity of these medical websites. Although many website assessment tools exist, most of these are not practical.A combination of consumer- and clinician-based website assessment tools was applied to 200 websites on cosmetic surgery. The top-scoring websites were used as links from a portal website that was designed using Microsoft Macromedia Suite.Seventy-one (35.5%) websites were excluded. One hundred fifteen websites (89%) failed to reach an acceptable standard.The provision of new websites has proceeded without quality controls. Patients need to be better educated on the limitations of the Internet. This paper suggests an archetypal model, which makes efficient use of existing resources, validates them, and is easily transferable to different health settings.

Examining E-Loyalty in a Sexual Health Website: Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Nunn, Alexandra; Crutzen, Rik; Haag, Devon; Chabot, Cathy; Carson, Anna; Ogilvie, Gina; Shoveller, Jean

2017-01-01

Background Web-based sexual health resources are typically evaluated in terms of their efficacy. Information is lacking about how sexual health promotion websites are perceived and used. It is essential to understand website use to address challenges with adherence and attrition to Web-based health interventions. An existing theoretical framework for examining loyalty to electronic health (eHealth) interventions has been not yet been applied in the context of sexual health promotion nor has the association between e-loyalty and intended intervention efficacy outcomes been investigated. Objective The objectives of this study were to investigate users’ loyalty toward a sexual health website (ie, e-loyalty), measure user perceptions of the website, and measure the association between e-loyalty and perceived knowledge increase and intent to change behavior. Methods Over 4 months, website users (clients and health care providers) participated in an open, online, cross-sectional survey about their user experiences that measured e-loyalty, user perceptions, and intended website efficacy outcomes. Relationships between user perceptions and e-loyalty were investigated using structural equation modeling (SEM). Associations between e-loyalty and website efficacy outcomes were tested using Spearman rank correlation. Results A total of 173 participants completed user perception questions and were included in the analysis. E-loyalty was high for both clients and providers and was significantly correlated with clients’ perceived knowledge increase (ρ(171)=.30, P<.001), their intent to have safer sex (ρ(171)=.24, P=.01), and their intent to get tested for sexually transmitted infections (ρ(171)=.37, P<.001). The SEM showed that trustworthiness, overall experience, active trust, and effectiveness were directly related to e-loyalty. Finding the website “easy to understand” was significantly related to active trust (ie, participants’ willingness to act upon information

Trajectory Browser Website

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foster, Cyrus; Jaroux, Belgacem A.

2012-01-01

The Trajectory Browser is a web-based tool developed at the NASA Ames Research Center to be used for the preliminary assessment of trajectories to small-bodies and planets and for providing relevant launch date, time-of-flight and V requirements. The site hosts a database of transfer trajectories from Earth to asteroids and planets for various types of missions such as rendezvous, sample return or flybys. A search engine allows the user to find trajectories meeting desired constraints on the launch window, mission duration and delta V capability, while a trajectory viewer tool allows the visualization of the heliocentric trajectory and the detailed mission itinerary. The anticipated user base of this tool consists primarily of scientists and engineers designing interplanetary missions in the context of pre-phase A studies, particularly for performing accessibility surveys to large populations of small-bodies. The educational potential of the website is also recognized for academia and the public with regards to trajectory design, a field that has generally been poorly understood by the public. The website is currently hosted on NASA-internal URL http://trajbrowser.arc.nasa.gov/ with plans for a public release as soon as development is complete.

Quality assessment of websites providing educational content for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

PubMed

Siddhanamatha, Harish Rajashekarappa; Heung, Eric; Lopez-Olivo, Maria de Los Angeles; Abdel-Wahab, Noha; Ojeda-Prias, Ana; Willcockson, Irmgard; Leong, Amye; Suarez-Almazor, Maria Eugenia

2017-06-01

We performed an environmental scan of currently available websites providing educational information about rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and evaluated the quality of these websites. We searched three separate search engines, Google, Bing, and Ask.com, on August 27, 2015, using two search terms, "arthritis" and "rheumatoid." Only patient education websites were included. Two independent investigators evaluated the accuracy, completeness, technical elements, design and esthetics, readability, usability, and accessibility of the websites. The navigation experience was also evaluated by an adult training expert. We identified 46 websites. Nearly all websites (98%) provided accurate information. However, no website covered all essential RA topics. Common essential topics not covered included epidemiology, pathogenesis, treatment and disease monitoring, complications, self-management, risks and benefits of treatment, prognosis, treatment adherence, questions for patients to ask their doctors, and costs. For the technical elements, all websites disclosed their ownership, but the date that the content was last updated was mentioned in only 10 websites, ranging from 2007 to 2015. The mean reading level was grade 12.1 (standard deviation ±2.3). Most websites (78%) were easy to navigate but only 33% were friendly for people with visual and/or hearing impairments. The navigation experience was rated fair or poor in 41% of the websites. Current patient information on the Internet does not comprehensively address all educational needs of patients with RA, and is often outdated. The findings from our study highlight potential areas for improvement in online education materials for patients with RA. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Quality assessment of persian mental disorders websites using the webmedqual scale.

PubMed

Shahrzadi, Leila; Mojiri, Shahin; Janatian, Sima; Taheri, Behjat; Ashrafi-Rizi, Hasan; Shahrzadi, Zeinab; Zahedi, Razieh

2014-06-01

Nowadays, anyone with any level of Internet knowledge can act as producer and distributor of information. It differs from most traditional media of information transmission, lack of information control and lack of quality management to contents. This leads to quality of health information on the internet is doubtful. The object of this study is guidance patients to select valid mental disorders and determine the quality of Persian mental disorders websites. The sample of this study comprised 29 Persian mental disorders websites that were chosen by searching the Google, Yahoo and AltaVista search engines for the Persian equivalents of the three concepts "depression," "anxiety," and "obsession". website was created by individuals or organizations. Data collection was performed with the WebMedQual checklist. Websites was assessed based on indicators as content, authority of source, design, accessibility and availability, links, user support, and confidentiality and privacy (Maximum score for any website was 83, mean score 41.5 and minimum score was 0). Collected data analyzed by one sample T- test in SPSS 20. Findings presented by Mean score and optimal score. Based on the WebMedQual scale the mean score of Persian mental disorders websites in sex constructs including "content" (7.02±2.10), "authority of source" (4.71±1.96),"accessibility and availability" (2.19±0.47), "links" (1.45±0.97), "user support" (4.28±1.33), and"confidentiality and privacy" (2.81±2.81) are poor and below average, but the score for the "design" (9.17± 1.59) is above average. The best website of mental disorders was that of the "IranianPsychological Association". According to the results, only one website obtained the average score, so the quality of Persian mental disorders websites is low. Therefore, it is essential for users to criticize websites' content and not trust them before evaluating them. It is better to use the ranked list websites or search on the internet by help

An Evaluation of Secondary School Physical Education Websites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Grant M.; Tucker, Michael; Hannon, James

2010-01-01

Websites will become increasingly important to physical education departments as they seek to communicate the goals and content of their programs. A well developed website is an educational tool physical educators can use in their efforts to teach students about physical activity and health. The purpose of this study was to determine the…

Evaluation of an educational website for parents of children with ADHD.

PubMed

Ryan, Gemma Sinead; Haroon, Munib; Melvin, Gail

2015-11-01

ADHD is a relatively common neuro-developmental condition characterized by hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention. The provision of timely and accurate information about the condition and about strategies to manage it is vital especially because of widespread misconceptions about it. To see the effect of an educational website on (i) parental perceptions (ii) knowledge levels, and to obtain feedback to optimise user-experience. Parents whose children had ADHD (or were close to diagnosis) were recruited. Following a 30-item baseline knowledge test parents/carers were directed to an educational website on ADHD. After this they were re-contacted for follow up testing and feedback. n=172, 14 were lost to follow up. Ninety-one (59.4 %) participants were known to have accessed the website at follow up. The majority of carers accessed the website just once or twice (32.7%). Of those who did not access the website 65% cited a lack of time as the reason while 29% cited they were unable to access the internet at the time. The majority (74%) of those accessing the site were just browsing for general information. Parents showed increased knowledge post website use p=0.000. Of those accessing the website the majority (85.5%) felt it was relevant to them and would use it again (90.8%). Content analysis of open-ended feedback identified eight core themes including website appearance, content, functionality, perceptions, target audience, usability, usage patterns with areas for improvement noted in four areas. Websites can be used as an adjunct to information given at clinic. Although a majority of parents will access them, there are still barriers to access e.g. time. Websites do seem to improve parent/carer knowledge levels. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Empty Promise: Black American Veterans and the New GI Bill

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ottley, Alford H.

2014-01-01

The 2008 GI Bill offers college funds for veterans. Yet Black male vets are not taking advantage of these benefits. This chapter examines personal and societal problems that hinder access to higher education for Black vets, and suggests some ways adult educators can advocate for these young men.

An evaluation of accessibility and content of microsurgery fellowship websites

PubMed Central

Hu, Jiayi; Zhen, Meng; Olteanu, Cristina; Avram, Ronen

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND Websites for residency and fellowship programs serve as effective educational and recruitment tools. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the accessibility and content of fellowship websites that are commonly used by microsurgery applicants for career development. METHODS A list of one-year microsurgery fellowship websites (MFWs) was compiled by visiting the centralized American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery (ASRM) website, followed by performing an extensive ‘Google’ search in October 2015. Accessibility of MFWs was assessed. Website content regarding key recruitment and education variables was also comprehensively reviewed. Website content was correlated with program characteristics using t tests and ANOVA (two-tailed; P<0.05 was considered to be statistically significant). RESULTS A list of 53 eligible programs was compiled. Only 15 of 51 (29%) ASRM program links were functional. On average, the combined content from ASRM website and individual MFWs had 2.91 of 6 recruitment variables and 1.32 of 6 education variables, respectively. The majority of programs listed ‘eligibility criteria’ (87%) and ‘general information’ (87%). ‘Evaluation criteria’ were most poorly reported (4%). Recruitment score was higher for United States programs compared with international counterparts (51% versus 33%, respectively; P=0.02). It was also higher in programs that focus on ‘extremity’ versus ‘breast’ (58% versus 37%; P=0.0028). Education scores did not differ according to location, program size, subspecialty of focus or participation in the Microsurgery Match process. CONCLUSION Information regarding recruitment and education on most MFWs is scarce. Academic institutions should keep website content up to date and comprehensive to better assist candidates in the application process. PMID:28439508

A systematic evaluation of websites offering information on chronic kidney disease.

PubMed

Lutz, Erin R; Costello, Kaitlin L; Jo, Minjeong; Gilet, Constance A; Hawley, Jennifer M; Bridgman, Jessica C; Song, Mi-Kyung

2014-01-01

In this study, we described the content and characteristics of 40 non-proprietary websites offering information about chronic kidney disease (CKD) and evaluated their information quality using the DISCERN scale and readability using Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid grade level. The areas in which the websites scored the lowest on the DISCERN scale were whether the website discussed knowledge gaps, presented balanced information, and was clear about the information source. Websites that rated higher quality on the DISCERN scale were more difficult to read. The quality and readability of many websites about CKD to be used as meaningful educational resources for patients who desire to learn more about CKD and treatment options remain inadequate.

A Systematic Evaluation of Websites Offering Information on Chronic Kidney Disease

PubMed Central

Lutz, Erin R.; Costello, Kaitlin L.; Jo, Minjeong; Gilet, Constance A.; Hawley, Jennifer M.; Bridgman, Jessica C.; Song, Mi-Kyung

2014-01-01

In this study, we described the content and characteristics of 40 non-proprietary websites offering information about chronic kidney disease (CKD) and evaluated their information quality using the DISCERN scale and readability using Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid grade level. The areas in which the websites scored the lowest on the DISCERN scale were whether the website discussed knowledge gaps, presented balanced information, and was clear about the information source. Websites that rated higher quality on the DISCERN scale were more difficult to read. The quality and readability of many websites about CKD to be used as meaningful educational resources for patients who desire to learn more about CKD and treatment options remain inadequate. PMID:25244890

ANALYSIS OF INFORMATION CONTENT AND GENERAL QUALITY OF OBESITY AND EATING DISORDERS WEBSITES.

PubMed

Hernández-Morante, Juan José; Jiménez-Rodríguez, Diana; Cañavate, Rubén; Conesa-Fuentes, María del Carmen

2015-08-01

nowadays, the Internet is increasingly used by providers as a source of information for eating disorder health issues. However, health information on the Internet remains unregulated and varies in quality, accuracy and readability. the objective of this study was to determine both general and information quality of eating disorder websites, including obesity websites. three key terms (obesity, anorexia and bulimia) were entered into the Google search engine. Websites were assessed using two tests (HonCode certification and Bermudez-Tamayo et al. test) to analyze overall quality, and a third test (DISCERN test) to analyze specifically information quality. there were no significant differences regarding overall quality among the different pathologies studied (p = 0.197), although anorexia websites tended to obtain lower quality scores. Furthermore, all evaluated websites showed significant deficiencies regarding information quality (p = 0.032). Nevertheless, obesity websites showed a significant higher information quality than anorexia websites. the overall quality of eating disorders websites is moderate, but the information quality that they contain is fairly poor. Remarkably, anorexia nervosa websites showed both the lower information and general quality, while bulimia websites showed a higher general quality and obesity websites presented the most reliable information. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Quality of online health information about oral contraceptives from Hebrew-language websites.

PubMed

Neumark, Yehuda; Flum, Lior; Lopez-Quintero, Catalina; Shtarkshall, Ronny

2012-09-24

The Internet is a frequently used source of health information. Adolescents in particular seem to be receptive to online health information (OHI) and often incorporate such information in their decision-making processes. Yet, OHI is often incomplete, inaccurate, or unreliable. This study assessed the quality of Hebrew online (non-user-generated) content on oral contraceptives (OC), with regard to accuracy/completeness, credibility, and usability. Twenty-nine websites in Hebrew, including those of the four Israeli HMOs, were identified and evaluated. The websites were categorized as: HMO, health portal, contraception-specific, promotional-commercial, and life style and women's health. A set of established content parameters was selected by a family planning expert to assess accuracy/completeness. The Health on the Net Foundation Code of Conduct (HONcode) principles were used to assess the websites' reliability. Usability was assessed by applying items selected from the Minervation Validation and the University of Michigan's 'Website Evaluation checklist' scale. Mean scores, standard deviations (SD), and ranges were calculated for all websites and for category-specific websites. Correlation between dimensions and Inter-rater reliability were also examined. The mean score for accuracy/completeness was 50.9% for all websites (SD=30.1%, range 8-100%). Many websites failed to provide complete information, or provided inaccurate information regarding what to do when a pill is missed and when to use back-up methods. The average credibility score for all websites was 70.6% (SD=15.1, range=38=98%). The credibility parameters that were most commonly absent were funding source, authoring, date of content creation and last modification, explicit reference to evidence-based information, and references and citations. The average usability score for all websites was 94.5% (SD=6.9%, range 79-100%). A weak correlation was found between the three quality parameters assessed. Wide

The Woodworker's Website: A Project Management Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jance, Marsha

2014-01-01

A case study that focuses on building a website for a woodworking business is discussed. Project management and linear programming techniques can be used to determine the time required to complete the website project discussed in the case. This case can be assigned to students in an undergraduate or graduate decision modeling or management science…

Visual Presentation and Communication of Croatian Academic Websites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Selthofer, Josipa

2018-01-01

Introduction: The aim of the research is to analyse and compare visual identity elements of Croatian academic Websites with ones of European countries using Hofstede's model of cultural dimensions. The purpose of the research is to point to the influence a culture has on the design of Websites. Method: Graphical elements of university home pages…

Readability and quality assessment of websites related to microtia and aural atresia.

PubMed

Alamoudi, Uthman; Hong, Paul

2015-02-01

Many parents and children utilize the Internet for health-related information, but the quality of these websites can vary. The objective of this study was to assess the quality and readability of microtia and aural atresia related websites. The search engine Google was queried with the terms 'microtia' and 'aural atresia.' The first 30 results were evaluated, and those websites containing original information written in English were reviewed. Quality of content was assessed with the DISCERN instrument, and readability was assessed with the Flesch-Kincaid Reading Grade Level (FKGL) and the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES) tests. Each website was also reviewed for ownership and the date of last update. Sixteen microtia and 14 aural atresia websites were included for full review. The mean DISCERN score for microtia websites was 54.4 (SD=8.3), and for aural atresia websites it was 47.6 (SD=10.7), which indicates 'good' and 'fair' quality of content, respectively. Readability assessments showed an average reading level requiring a grade 10 education on FKGL, and only one microtia (6.3%) and one aural atresia (7.1%) websites were deemed to be at 'reasonable' reading level on FRES. High-quality websites that are considered easily comprehensible to the general public were lacking. Since parents and children may use websites when making treatment decisions, physicians should be aware of the quality of health information pertaining to their area of expertise available on the Internet. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Users' information-seeking behavior on a medical library Website

PubMed Central

Rozic-Hristovski, Anamarija; Hristovski, Dimitar; Todorovski, Ljupco

2002-01-01

The Central Medical Library (CMK) at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, started to build a library Website that included a guide to library services and resources in 1997. The evaluation of Website usage plays an important role in its maintenance and development. Analyzing and exploring regularities in the visitors' behavior can be used to enhance the quality and facilitate delivery of information services, identify visitors' interests, and improve the server's performance. The analysis of the CMK Website users' navigational behavior was carried out by analyzing the Web server log files. These files contained information on all user accesses to the Website and provided a great opportunity to learn more about the behavior of visitors to the Website. The majority of the available tools for Web log file analysis provide a predefined set of reports showing the access count and the transferred bytes grouped along several dimensions. In addition to the reports mentioned above, the authors wanted to be able to perform interactive exploration and ad hoc analysis and discover trends in a user-friendly way. Because of that, we developed our own solution for exploring and analyzing the Web logs based on data warehousing and online analytical processing technologies. The analytical solution we developed proved successful, so it may find further application in the field of Web log file analysis. We will apply the findings of the analysis to restructuring the CMK Website. PMID:11999179

Vaccination Persuasion Online: A Qualitative Study of Two Provaccine and Two Vaccine-Skeptical Websites

PubMed Central

Hausman, Bernice L; Cashion, Margaret; Lucchesi, Nicholas; Patel, Kelsey; Roberts, Jonathan

2015-01-01

Background Current concerns about vaccination resistance often cite the Internet as a source of vaccine controversy. Most academic studies of vaccine resistance online use quantitative methods to describe misinformation on vaccine-skeptical websites. Findings from these studies are useful for categorizing the generic features of these websites, but they do not provide insights into why these websites successfully persuade their viewers. To date, there have been few attempts to understand, qualitatively, the persuasive features of provaccine or vaccine-skeptical websites. Objective The purpose of this research was to examine the persuasive features of provaccine and vaccine-skeptical websites. The qualitative analysis was conducted to generate hypotheses concerning what features of these websites are persuasive to people seeking information about vaccination and vaccine-related practices. Methods This study employed a fully qualitative case study methodology that used the anthropological method of thick description to detail and carefully review the rhetorical features of 1 provaccine government website, 1 provaccine hospital website, 1 vaccine-skeptical information website focused on general vaccine safety, and 1 vaccine-skeptical website focused on a specific vaccine. The data gathered were organized into 5 domains: website ownership, visual and textual content, user experience, hyperlinking, and social interactivity. Results The study found that the 2 provaccine websites analyzed functioned as encyclopedias of vaccine information. Both of the websites had relatively small digital ecologies because they only linked to government websites or websites that endorsed vaccination and evidence-based medicine. Neither of these websites offered visitors interactive features or made extensive use of the affordances of Web 2.0. The study also found that the 2 vaccine-skeptical websites had larger digital ecologies because they linked to a variety of vaccine-related websites

Vaccination persuasion online: a qualitative study of two provaccine and two vaccine-skeptical websites.

PubMed

Grant, Lenny; Hausman, Bernice L; Cashion, Margaret; Lucchesi, Nicholas; Patel, Kelsey; Roberts, Jonathan

2015-05-29

Current concerns about vaccination resistance often cite the Internet as a source of vaccine controversy. Most academic studies of vaccine resistance online use quantitative methods to describe misinformation on vaccine-skeptical websites. Findings from these studies are useful for categorizing the generic features of these websites, but they do not provide insights into why these websites successfully persuade their viewers. To date, there have been few attempts to understand, qualitatively, the persuasive features of provaccine or vaccine-skeptical websites. The purpose of this research was to examine the persuasive features of provaccine and vaccine-skeptical websites. The qualitative analysis was conducted to generate hypotheses concerning what features of these websites are persuasive to people seeking information about vaccination and vaccine-related practices. This study employed a fully qualitative case study methodology that used the anthropological method of thick description to detail and carefully review the rhetorical features of 1 provaccine government website, 1 provaccine hospital website, 1 vaccine-skeptical information website focused on general vaccine safety, and 1 vaccine-skeptical website focused on a specific vaccine. The data gathered were organized into 5 domains: website ownership, visual and textual content, user experience, hyperlinking, and social interactivity. The study found that the 2 provaccine websites analyzed functioned as encyclopedias of vaccine information. Both of the websites had relatively small digital ecologies because they only linked to government websites or websites that endorsed vaccination and evidence-based medicine. Neither of these websites offered visitors interactive features or made extensive use of the affordances of Web 2.0. The study also found that the 2 vaccine-skeptical websites had larger digital ecologies because they linked to a variety of vaccine-related websites, including government websites. They

Variable Quality and Readability of Patient-oriented Websites on Colorectal Cancer Screening.

PubMed

Schreuders, Eline H; Grobbee, Esmée J; Kuipers, Ernst J; Spaander, Manon C W; Veldhuyzen van Zanten, Sander J O

2017-01-01

The efficacy of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening is dependent on participation and subsequent adherence to surveillance. The internet increasingly is used for health information and is important to support decision making. We evaluated the accuracy, quality, and readability of online information on CRC screening and surveillance. A Website Accuracy Score and Polyp Score were developed, which awarded points for various aspects of CRC screening and surveillance. Websites also were evaluated using validated internet quality instruments (Global Quality Score, LIDA, and DISCERN), and reading scores. Two raters independently assessed the top 30 websites appearing on Google.com. Portals, duplicates, and news articles were excluded. Twenty websites were included. The mean website accuracy score was 26 of 44 (range, 9-41). Websites with the highest scores were www.cancer.org, www.bowelcanceraustralia.org, and www.uptodate.com. The median polyp score was 3 of 10. The median global quality score was 3 of 5 (range, 2-5). The median overall LIDA score was 74% and the median DISCERN score was 45, both indicating moderate quality. The mean Flesch-Kincaid grade level was 11th grade, rating the websites as difficult to read, 30% had a reading level acceptable for the general public (Flesch Reading Ease > 60). There was no correlation between the Google rank and the website accuracy score (r s  = -0.31; P = .18). There is marked variation in quality and readability of websites on CRC screening. Most websites do not address polyp surveillance. The poor correlation between quality and Google ranking suggests that screenees will miss out on high-quality websites using standard search strategies. Copyright © 2017 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

What Do Veterans Service Organizations’ Websites Say About Tobacco Control?

PubMed Central

Poston, Walker S.C.; Haddock, Christopher K.; Jahnke, Sara A.; Jitnarin, Nattinee

2013-01-01

Purpose Little is known about Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) and their perspectives on veterans smoking or military tobacco control. Veterans have high smoking rates and many started smoking in the military, where a culture promoting use exists. Design We conducted a cross-sectional qualitative content analysis of VSO websites to classify health topics and identify tobacco-related information. Setting Websites were coded by trained raters from January-June of 2011. Data were entered, cleaned and analyzed from July 2011-January 2012. Participants 24 active VSO websites meeting inclusion criteria were rated independently. Method A comprehensive form was used to code 15 veteran-relevant health topics across multiple content areas/domains within the websites. Raters achieved 94.5% inter-rater agreement over nearly 5,000 data-points. Results A total of 277 health topics were addressed with the top five being Insurance/Tricare/VA issues (28.2%), PTSD (15.5%), disability/amputation/wounds (13.4%), Agent Orange (10.5%), and traumatic brain injury (TBI; 9.0%). Tobacco was mentioned four times (1.4%) across all 24 VSO websites and smoking cessation was never addressed. Conclusions VSO websites provide little information on tobacco-related topics and none offered information about smoking cessation. Given the high rates of tobacco use among veterans and active duty service members, and the interaction between smoking and PTSD symptoms and treatment outcomes, VSOs should consider making tobacco control and smoking cessation higher priority health issues on their websites. PMID:23631454

The effects of viewing pro-eating disorder websites: a systematic review.

PubMed

Talbot, T Sloper

2010-12-01

To determine health-related effects of viewing pro-eating disorder (Pro-ED) websites. A systematic review was carried out addressing: 1. The effect of viewing pro-ED websites on eating disorder behaviour 2. The effect of viewing pro-ED websites on viewers' negative and positive affect. Seven studies were included. Pro-ED viewers compared with controls showed higher levels of dieting and exercise (3 studies, 2 suggesting causation); higher levels of drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction and perfectionism (2 studies, both associative); a reduced likelihood of binging/purging (one study); increased negative affect (two studies); and a positive correlation between viewing pro-ED websites, disease duration and hospitalisations (one study). Viewing pro-ED websites may increase eating disorder behaviour but might not cause it. It may cause increased negative affect after a single short website exposure. For those with eating disorders, viewing is positively correlated with disease duration and hospitalisations. Professionals should be aware of these sites and their potential damage for health.

Examining E-Loyalty in a Sexual Health Website: Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Nunn, Alexandra; Crutzen, Rik; Haag, Devon; Chabot, Cathy; Carson, Anna; Ogilvie, Gina; Shoveller, Jean; Gilbert, Mark

2017-11-02

Web-based sexual health resources are typically evaluated in terms of their efficacy. Information is lacking about how sexual health promotion websites are perceived and used. It is essential to understand website use to address challenges with adherence and attrition to Web-based health interventions. An existing theoretical framework for examining loyalty to electronic health (eHealth) interventions has been not yet been applied in the context of sexual health promotion nor has the association between e-loyalty and intended intervention efficacy outcomes been investigated. The objectives of this study were to investigate users' loyalty toward a sexual health website (ie, e-loyalty), measure user perceptions of the website, and measure the association between e-loyalty and perceived knowledge increase and intent to change behavior. Over 4 months, website users (clients and health care providers) participated in an open, online, cross-sectional survey about their user experiences that measured e-loyalty, user perceptions, and intended website efficacy outcomes. Relationships between user perceptions and e-loyalty were investigated using structural equation modeling (SEM). Associations between e-loyalty and website efficacy outcomes were tested using Spearman rank correlation. A total of 173 participants completed user perception questions and were included in the analysis. E-loyalty was high for both clients and providers and was significantly correlated with clients' perceived knowledge increase (ρ(171)=.30, P<.001), their intent to have safer sex (ρ(171)=.24, P=.01), and their intent to get tested for sexually transmitted infections (ρ(171)=.37, P<.001). The SEM showed that trustworthiness, overall experience, active trust, and effectiveness were directly related to e-loyalty. Finding the website "easy to understand" was significantly related to active trust (ie, participants' willingness to act upon information presented on the website). E-loyalty may be

Patient-targeted websites on overactive bladder: What are our patients reading?

PubMed

Clancy, Aisling A; Hickling, Duane; Didomizio, Laura; Sanaee, May; Shehata, Fady; Zee, Rebekah; Khalil, Hisham

2018-02-01

Patients often turn to the Internet for information on medical conditions. We sought to evaluate the quality and readability of highly visible websites on overactive bladder (OAB). A survey of 42 consecutive patients attending outpatient urogynecology clinics was performed to identify the most commonly used Internet search engines and search terms for information on OAB. The three most commonly used search engines (Google, Bing, and Yahoo!) were then queried using the three most commonly used search terms. The first 20 relevant websites from each search were reviewed. After excluding duplicates, 35 websites were analyzed. Website quality of information on OAB was evaluated using the DISCERN score, JAMA benchmark criteria, and Health on the Net code (HONcode) accreditation status. Readability was assessed using the Simplified Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) and Dale-Chall indices. Websites were classified as advertisement/commercial (31%), health portal (29%), professional (26%), patient group (6%), and other (9%). The overall mean DISCERN score was 44 ± 18 (maximum possible score of 80). Three websites (9%) met all four JAMA benchmark criteria. Seventeen percent of websites provided adequate information on content authorship and contributions. Median SMOG and Dale-Chall indices were 9.9 (IQR 9.3-11.2) and 9.0 (IQR 8.1-9.4), respectively. Nine websites (26%) were HONcode certified. Popular websites on OAB are of low quality, written for a high school to college-level readership, and often lack adequate information to assess the potential for commercial bias. Patients should be cautioned that incomplete and potentially biased information on OAB is prevalent online. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

An analysis of sexual health information on radical prostatectomy websites.

PubMed

Mulhall, John P; Rojaz-Cruz, Cesar; Müller, Alexander

2010-01-01

To define the nature of information posted on websites related to radical prostatectomy (RP), specifically its accuracy and comprehensiveness, as RP is associated with erectile dysfunction (ED). We reviewed 70 robotic RP (RARP) and 20 open RP (ORP) medical centres. Their websites were reviewed for various factors, by two separate reviewers whose reviews were not seen by each other. Websites were graded based on accuracy and comprehensiveness of information by the senior investigator. Of the academic and community-based RARP centres, 55% and 79% had specific websites (P < 0.05); 45% of RARP sites had generic information copied directly from the website of Intuitive Surgical (Sunnyvale, CA, USA; the manufacturer of the robotic system). ED was mentioned by only 54% of RARP sites and 45% of ORP sites; 17% of RARP sites were deemed accurate, compared with 30% of ORP sites (P < 0.05). Just over 1% of RARP sites were considered comprehensive, vs 10% of ORP sites (P < 0.05). A third of RARP sites had a direct link to the Intuitive Surgical website (16% academic vs 53% community, P < 0.05), compared to 10% of open sites (P < 0.05). Of most interest was that half of the RARP sites suggested that ED rates were lower for RARP than for ORP; this compared to ED rates being cited as lower for ORP on 5% of the ORP sites (P < 0.05). Despite the stature of RP as a treatment option for men with prostate cancer, and the recent increase in the use of RARP, the accuracy of information pertaining to sexual health on RP websites is poor, with many making false statements about the long-term outcomes for erectile function. This inadequacy appears to be greater on RARP than on ORP websites.

Parental Evaluation of a Nurse Practitioner-Developed Pediatric Neurosurgery Website.

PubMed

Vogel, Tina Kovacs; Kleib, Manal; Davidson, Sandra J; Scott, Shannon D

2016-04-12

Parents often turn to the Internet to seek health information about their child's diagnosis and condition. Information, support, and resources regarding pediatric neurosurgery are scarce, hard to find, and difficult to comprehend. To address this gap, a pediatric nurse practitioner designed a website called the Neurosurgery Kids Fund (NKF). Analyzing the legitimacy of the NKF website for parents seeking health information and fulfilling their social and resource needs is critical to the website's future development and success. To explore parental usage of the NKF website, track visitor behavior, evaluate usability and design, establish ways to improve user experience, and identify ways to redesign the website. The aim of this study was to assess and evaluate whether a custom-designed health website could meet parents' health information, support, and resource needs. A multimethod approach was used. Google Analytic usage reports were collected and analyzed for the period of April 23, 2013, to November 30, 2013. Fifty-two online questionnaires that targeted the website's usability were collected between June 18, 2014, and July 30, 2014. Finally, a focus group was conducted on August 20, 2014, to explore parents' perceptions and user experiences. Findings were analyzed using an inductive content analysis approach. There were a total of 2998 sessions and 8818 page views, with 2.94 pages viewed per session, a 56.20% bounce rate, an average session duration of 2 minutes 24 seconds, and a 56.24% new sessions rate. Results from 52 eligible surveys included that the majority of NKF users were Caucasian (90%), females (92%), aged 36-45 years (48%), with a university or college degree or diploma (69%). Half plan to use the health information. Over half reported turning to the Internet for health information and spending 2 to 4 hours a day online. The most common reasons for using the NKF website were to (1) gather information about the 2 summer camps, (2) explore the Media

Veterans Going to College: Evaluating the Impact of the Post-9/11 GI Bill on College Enrollment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Liang

2018-01-01

In this study, I used American Community Survey (ACS) 2005-2015 data to examine the enrollment effect of the Post-9/11 GI Bill; the analysis resulted in three main findings: First, although the New GI Bill has increased overall college enrollment by about 3 percentage points on average, the effect was much larger immediately after the bill's…

Trust in health information websites: A systematic literature review on the antecedents of trust.

PubMed

Kim, Yeolib

2016-06-01

Health websites are important sources of information for consumers. In choosing websites, trust in websites largely determines which website to access and how to best utilize the information. Thus, it is critical to understand why consumers trust certain websites and distrust others. A systematic literature review was conducted with the goal of identifying the antecedents of trust in health information websites. After four rounds of screening process, 20 articles between 2000 and 2013 were harvested. Factors that determine trust are classified into individual difference antecedents, website-related antecedents, and consumer-to-website interaction-related antecedents. The most frequently studied antecedents were socio-demographics, information quality, appearance, and perceived reputation of the website. Each antecedent of trust are discussed in detail and future research directions are proposed. © The Author(s) 2014.

Quality of Public Hospitals Websites: A Cross-Sectional Analytical Study in Iran.

PubMed

Salarvand, Shahin; Samadbeik, Mahnaz; Tarrahi, Mohammad Javad; Salarvand, Hamed

2016-04-01

Nowadays, hospitals have turned increasingly towards the Internet and develop their own web presence. Hospital Websites could be operating as effective web resources of information and interactive communication mediums to enhance hospital services to the public. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the quality of websites in Tehran's public hospitals. This cross-sectional analysis involved all public hospitals in Iran's capital city, Tehran, with a working website or subsites between April and June, 2014 (N=59). The websites were evaluated using three validated instruments: a localized checklist, Google page rank, and the Alexa traffic ranking. The mentioned checklist consisted of 112 items divided into five sections: technical characteristics, hospital information and facilities, medical services, interactive on-line services and external activities. Data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistics. The mean website evaluation score was 45.7 out of 224 for selected public hospitals. All the studied websites were in the weak category based on the earned quality scores. There was no statistically significant association between the website evaluation score with Google page rank (P=0.092), Alexa global traffic rank and Alexa traffic rank in Iran (P>0.05). The hospital websites had a lower quality score in the interactive online services and external activities criteria in comparing to other criteria. Due to the low quality level of the studied websites and the importance of hospital portals in providing information and services on the Internet, the authorities should do precise planning for the appreciable improvement in the quality of hospital websites.

Sensitive Detection of α-Conotoxin GI in Human Plasma Using a Solid-Phase Extraction Column and LC-MS/MS.

PubMed

Yu, Shuo; Yang, Bo; Yan, Liangping; Dai, Qiuyun

2017-07-28

α-conotoxin GI, a short peptide toxin in the venom of Conus geographus , is composed of 13 amino acids and two disulfide bonds. It is the most toxic component of Conus geographus venom with estimated lethal doses of 0.029-0.038 mg/kg for humans. There is currently no reported analytical method for this toxin. In the present study, a sensitive detection method was developed to quantify GI in human plasma using a solid-phase extraction (SPE) column (polystyrene-divinyl benzene copolymer) combined with liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) in the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The plasma samples were treated with a protein precipitating solvent (methanol: acetonitrile = 50:50, v / v ). GI in the solvent was efficiently extracted with an SPE column and was further separated by a Grace Alltima HP C 18 (50 × 2.1 mm, 5 μm) column at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. Water (with 2% methanol) acetonitrile (with 0.1% acetic acid) was selected as the mobile phase combination used in a linear gradient system. α-Conotoxin GI was analyzed by an API 4000 triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. In the method validation, the linear calibration curve in the range of 2.0 to 300.0 ng/mL had correlation coefficients ( r ) above 0.996. The recovery was 57.6-66.8% for GI and the internal standard. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 2 ng/mL. The intra- and inter-batch precisions were below 6.31% and 8.61%, respectively, and the accuracies were all within acceptance. GI was stable in a bench-top autosampler through long-term storage and freeze/thaw cycles. Therefore, this method is specific, sensitive and reliable for quantitative analysis of α-conotoxin GI in human plasma.

Post 9/11 Gi Bill: A Proposal for Enhanced Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bordley-Hughes, Shannon L.

2018-01-01

According to the Democratic Staff of the Joint Economic Committee, United States Congress (2017), "over 3.9 million soldiers have served in wartime, since September 11, 2001" ("Gulf War-era II Veterans," para. 1). The Post-9/11 Veterans Assistance Act of 2008 (GI Bill) "offers the 2 million Servicemembers who have served…

A framework for automatic information quality ranking of diabetes websites.

PubMed

Belen Sağlam, Rahime; Taskaya Temizel, Tugba

2015-01-01

Objective: When searching for particular medical information on the internet the challenge lies in distinguishing the websites that are relevant to the topic, and contain accurate information. In this article, we propose a framework that automatically identifies and ranks diabetes websites according to their relevance and information quality based on the website content. Design: The proposed framework ranks diabetes websites according to their content quality, relevance and evidence based medicine. The framework combines information retrieval techniques with a lexical resource based on Sentiwordnet making it possible to work with biased and untrusted websites while, at the same time, ensuring the content relevance. Measurement: The evaluation measurements used were Pearson-correlation, true positives, false positives and accuracy. We tested the framework with a benchmark data set consisting of 55 websites with varying degrees of information quality problems. Results: The proposed framework gives good results that are comparable with the non-automated information quality measuring approaches in the literature. The correlation between the results of the proposed automated framework and ground-truth is 0.68 on an average with p < 0.001 which is greater than the other proposed automated methods in the literature (r score in average is 0.33).

Consumer perceptions of prescription drug websites: a pilot study.

PubMed

Wymer, Walter

2010-04-01

Consumer perceptions of the information content contained on prescription drug websites was of interest in this investigation. Twenty branded prescription drugs were selected because they were evaluated as being poor consumer choices for safety reasons or because better alternatives existed. Study participants visited each of 20 websites for the selected drugs, and then they answered a series of questions for each website, in order to evaluate each website's information content. Participants, without knowing the selected prescription drugs were selected because they were problematic, reported that the drug company information was complete, fully presenting benefit and risk information, without being false or misleading in any respect. Pricing information was generally not provided by drug companies. Alternative medicines, treatments, and behavioral approaches for dealing with an illness or health condition were generally not part of the information provided by drug companies. Public policy implications are also discussed.

How well do websites concerning children's anxiety answer parents' questions about treatment choices?

PubMed

Reynolds, Kristin A; Walker, John R; Walsh, Kate

2015-10-01

The goals of this study were to evaluate the quality of information concerning anxiety disorders in children that is available on the Internet and to evaluate changes in the quality of website information over time. The authors identified websites addressing child anxiety disorders (N = 26) using a Google search and recommendations from an expert in child anxiety. Each website was evaluated on the extent to which it addressed questions that parents consider important, the quality of information, and the reading level. All websites provided adequate information describing treatment options; however, fewer websites had information addressing many questions that are important to parents, including the duration of treatment, what happens when treatment stops, and the benefits and risks of various treatments. Many websites provided inadequate information on pharmacological treatment. Most websites were of moderate quality and had more difficult reading levels than is recommended. Five years after the initial assessment, authors re-analyzed the websites in order to investigate changes in content over time. The content of only six websites had been updated since the original analysis, the majority of which improved on the three aforementioned areas of evaluation. Websites could be strengthened by providing important information that would support parent decision-making. © The Author(s) 2014.

Epigenetic Regulation of the Sex Determination Gene MeGI in Polyploid Persimmon.

PubMed

Akagi, Takashi; Henry, Isabelle M; Kawai, Takashi; Comai, Luca; Tao, Ryutaro

2016-12-01

Epigenetic regulation can add a flexible layer to genetic variation, potentially enabling long-term but reversible cis-regulatory changes to an allele while maintaining its DNA sequence. Here, we present a case in which alternative epigenetic states lead to reversible sex determination in the hexaploid persimmon Diospyros kaki Previously, we elucidated the molecular mechanism of sex determination in diploid persimmon and demonstrated the action of a Y-encoded sex determinant pseudogene called OGI, which produces small RNAs targeting the autosomal gene MeGI, resulting in separate male and female individuals (dioecy). We contrast these findings with the discovery, in hexaploid persimmon, of an additional layer of regulation in the form of DNA methylation of the MeGI promoter associated with the production of both male and female flowers in genetically male trees. Consistent with this model, developing male buds exhibited higher methylation levels across the MeGI promoter than developing female flowers from either monoecious or female trees. Additionally, a DNA methylation inhibitor induced developing male buds to form feminized flowers. Concurrently, in Y-chromosome-carrying trees, the expression of OGI is silenced by the presence of a SINE (short interspersed nuclear element)-like insertion in the OGI promoter. Our findings provide an example of an adaptive scenario involving epigenetic plasticity. © 2016 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

Evaluating the quality of websites relating to diet and eating disorders.

PubMed

Guardiola-Wanden-Berghe, Rocío; Gil-Pérez, Josefa D; Sanz-Valero, Javier; Wanden-Berghe, Carmina

2011-12-01

To verify whether the Credibility Indicator is able to evaluate the quality of websites. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study of websites on diet and anorexia/bulimia, using searches on Google to access the study population. Quality was studied using 22 variables selected by consolidating international proposals. In addition, eight variables belonging to the Credibility Indicator were also studied. Three hundred and fifty four homepages relating to diet and 366 homepages relating to anorexia/bulimia were evaluated. None of the websites met all of the quality criteria; neither did any website satisfy all of the Credibility Indicators. A positive correlation was observed between fulfilment of the Quality items and the Credibility Indicator (R = 0.72; P < 0.001). Significant differences were found in the fulfilment of the Total Quality variables between the websites that had these variables and those that did not (t-test = -9.91, P < 0.001). The quality of websites covering issues of diet and anorexia/bulimia is still poor. The Credibility Indicator is a useful aid when determining the quality of a website. It is evident that identifying authorship and affiliation is an important factor in predicting the quality of the information. © 2011 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2011 Health Libraries Group.

Comprehensive Evaluation Criteria for English Learning Websites Using Expert Validity Surveys

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Ya-Ting C.; Chan, Chia-Ying

2008-01-01

This study aimed to develop a set of evaluation criteria for English learning websites. These criteria can assist English teachers/web designers in designing effective websites for their English courses and can also guide English learners in screening for appropriate and reliable websites to use in increasing their English ability. To fulfill our…

Measuring interactivity on tobacco control websites.

PubMed

Freeman, Becky; Chapman, Simon

2012-08-01

With the increased reach of Web 2.0, Internet users expect webpages to be interactive. No studies have been conducted to assess whether tobacco control-relevant sites have implemented these features. The authors conducted an analysis of an international sample of tobacco control-relevant websites to determine their level of interactivity. The sample included 68 unique websites selected from Google searches in 5 countries, on each country's Google site, using the term smoking. The 68 sites were analyzed for 10 categories of interactive tools. The most common type of interactive content found on 46 (68%) of sites was for multimedia featuring content that was not primarily text based, such as photo galleries, videos, or podcasts. Only 11 (16%) websites-outside of media sites-allowed people to interact and engage with the site owners and other users by allowing posting comments on content and/or hosting forums/discussions. Linkages to social networking sites were low: 17 pages (25%) linked to Twitter, 15 (22%) to Facebook, and 11 (16%) to YouTube. Interactivity and connectedness to online social media appears to still be in its infancy among tobacco control-relevant sites.

Feasibility of a Smartphone website to support antenatal Perineal massage in pregnant women.

PubMed

Takeuchi, Shoko; Horiuchi, Shigeko

2017-10-16

In Japan, 85% of pregnant women do not practice antenatal perineal massage. Therefore, we developed a smartphone website to support the practice of antenatal perineal massage. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the feasibility of our smartphone website. Pregnant women were recruited at five hospitals or clinics in Tokyo, Japan. Participants assigned to the smartphone website group (n = 74) were asked to register on the smartphone website. After completing registration, they could login and use all the contents of the website. After giving birth, participants completed a 5-item questionnaire evaluating the acceptability of the smartphone website. Participants assigned to the leaflet group (n = 71) received a leaflet on antenatal perineal massage and completed a similar 4-item questionnaire evaluating the leaflet. Data were collected from April 2014 to November 2014. Data analysis was performed using chi-square and t-tests to analyze responses to close-ended questions, and content analysis was conducted to analyze responses of open-ended questions. In the smartphone website group, 9 women (12.2%) did not register on the smartphone website. Approximately 80% of the women who responded indicated that the smartphone site was easy to understand and useful for practicing antenatal perineal massage. In the smartphone website group, the reply rate for reporting the frequency of massage was 43.6%. Although the ratings and frequency at which the material was accessed tended to be higher in the smartphone website group than in the leaflet group, there were no significant differences. Most pregnant women in the smartphone website group provided a favorable evaluation for the smartphone website. However, some participants had suggestions for improvement, which need to be incorporated in a revised version of the website. Therefore, the present study's results demonstrate the feasibility of a smartphone website to support the practice of antenatal perineal

[Do we need a chart of quality for websites related to cosmetic surgery?].

PubMed

Smarrito, S; Mitrofanoff, M; Haddad, R; Pavy, B

2003-08-01

Convergence of medicine and Internet may be one of the most remarkable transformations in the health care business. Following the path led by the United States, the number of French websites related to cosmetic surgery is growing rapidly. In this study, we intend to assess the quality of French websites dedicated to cosmetic surgery regarding good quality criteria currently available and recommendations suggested by the French Medical Association. We browsed the main French search engines on the Web that initially answering the following question: how many webpages are available regarding cosmetic surgery and what are the best referenced websites. For each website, we surveyed the following data: author's name and qualification, date of creation and last update, sources of information, level of interactivity, and adherence to a chart of quality such as HON. Eighty-five websites were surveyed and assessed. Forty-five French websites were active websites dedicated to cosmetic surgery. Websites are mainly hosted by private clinics (18 sites = 40%), with informative content. We found that no website adheres to any chart of quality, and the French Society for Plastic Surgery (SOF.C.P.R.E.) is never mentioned. Intrinsic quality criteria for websites (author's identification, last update, sources of information, confidentiality) are only partially present. We recall the key statistics regarding e-health business in the world, the various charts of quality available for medical websites, and recommendations provided by the French Medical Association. We suggest that websites should be available as a service (for information to the patient, for managing the office, for setting up medical records) rather than a poor personal webpage or a showcase. The quality of websites for cosmetic surgery is poor; however, as in the USA, the number of web surfers on medical sites is growing. Online presence of our speciality should evolve. To improve medical websites, collective awareness

PlantGI: a database for searching gene indices in agricultural plants developed at NIAB, Korea

PubMed Central

Kim, Chang Kug; Choi, Ji Weon; Park, DongSuk; Kang, Man Jung; Seol, Young-Joo; Hyun, Do Yoon; Hahn, Jang Ho

2008-01-01

The Plant Gene Index (PlantGI) database is developed as a web-based search system with search capabilities for keywords to provide information on gene indices specifically for agricultural plants. The database contains specific Gene Index information for ten agricultural species, namely, rice, Chinese cabbage, wheat, maize, soybean, barley, mushroom, Arabidopsis, hot pepper and tomato. PlantGI differs from other Gene Index databases in being specific to agricultural plant species and thus complements services from similar other developments. The database includes options for interactive mining of EST CONTIGS and assembled EST data for user specific keyword queries. The current version of PlantGI contains a total of 34,000 EST CONTIGS data for rice (8488 records), wheat (8560 records), maize (4570 records), soybean (3726 records), barley (3417 records), Chinese cabbage (3602 records), tomato (1236 records), hot pepper (998 records), mushroom (130 records) and Arabidopsis (8 records). Availability The database is available for free at http://www.niab.go.kr/nabic/. PMID:18685722

Student satisfaction with a Website designed for three nursing courses.

PubMed

Zwolski, K

2000-01-01

The website described was not designed to replace classroom teaching, but to serve as an additional tool for students attending a traditional course. Based on my experience and the data obtained from the evaluation questionnaire, the following points can be made: students are enthusiastic about the Internet and will access a web page that accompanies a particular course or courses a website can allow for objectives, not normally engendered by traditional methods, to be achieved. These may include, for instance, fostering a sense of community, providing new means of communication between professor and student and serving as a portal to the vast resources of the Internet. A single-theme website can effectively address the learning needs of students at different levels, in this case both undergraduate and graduate students A well-designed website can increase the visibility of the educational institution that sponsors it It is not easy to measure a website's effectiveness in helping students achieve traditional course objectives or its impact on student learning. The questionnaire results confirm students' satisfaction with the website and their belief that it was an important and useful learning tool. This is significant and positive. Future research is needed to measure the degree to which a website can increase learning in a particular area. The site required about 150 hours to construct and about 6-8 hours per week to maintain. This is a considerable amount of faculty time. Although I cannot speak for others, I firmly believe that this is a worthwhile investment. The website is clearly appreciated by students, and it seems logical to conclude that it is fulfilling some learning needs that may not be met by other methods. In addition, it provides the educator with a new vehicle for communication. It is exhilarating to create with new formats and to use expertise in a given area to reach students, foster community, and establish a presence beyond the classroom

Online cancer education and immigrants: effecting culturally appropriate websites.

PubMed

Changrani, Jyotsna; Gany, Francesca

2005-01-01

The online population is becoming increasingly diverse. Cancer information websites are a popular destination. However, culturally-appropriate cancer information websites are lacking. An Internet behavior and preference study was conducted in Caribbean immigrant women. 60 English-speaking Caribbean immigrant women in New York City participated in website review sessions. Three-quarters of the participants used computers regularly. Over 80% accessed the Internet from home. Over 50% felt confident using the Internet. However, only 6% used the Internet to search for health information. A "cultural digital divide" exists. The Internet should be tailored to immigrants to facilitate web-based cancer education.

Identification, Purification and Characterization of Laterosporulin, a Novel Bacteriocin Produced by Brevibacillus sp. Strain GI-9

PubMed Central

Singh, Pradip Kumar; Chittpurna; Ashish; Sharma, Vikas; Patil, Prabhu B.; Korpole, Suresh

2012-01-01

Background Bacteriocins are antimicrobial peptides that are produced by bacteria as a defense mechanism in complex environments. Identification and characterization of novel bacteriocins in novel strains of bacteria is one of the important fields in bacteriology. Methodology/Findings The strain GI-9 was identified as Brevibacillus sp. by 16 S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The bacteriocin produced by strain GI-9, namely, laterosporulin was purified from supernatant of the culture grown under optimal conditions using hydrophobic interaction chromatography and reverse-phase HPLC. The bacteriocin was active against a wide range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. MALDI-TOF experiments determined the precise molecular mass of the peptide to be of 5.6 kDa and N-terminal sequencing of the thermo-stable peptide revealed low similarity with existing antimicrobial peptides. The putative open reading frame (ORF) encoding laterosporulin and its surrounding genomic region was fished out from the draft genome sequence of GI-9. Sequence analysis of the putative bacteriocin gene did not show significant similarity to any reported bacteriocin producing genes in database. Conclusions We have identified a bacteriocin producing strain GI-9, belonging to the genus Brevibacillus sp. Biochemical and genomic characterization of laterosporulin suggests it as a novel bacteriocin with broad spectrum antibacterial activity. PMID:22403615

Identification, purification and characterization of laterosporulin, a novel bacteriocin produced by Brevibacillus sp. strain GI-9.

PubMed

Singh, Pradip Kumar; Chittpurna; Ashish; Sharma, Vikas; Patil, Prabhu B; Korpole, Suresh

2012-01-01

Bacteriocins are antimicrobial peptides that are produced by bacteria as a defense mechanism in complex environments. Identification and characterization of novel bacteriocins in novel strains of bacteria is one of the important fields in bacteriology. The strain GI-9 was identified as Brevibacillus sp. by 16 S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The bacteriocin produced by strain GI-9, namely, laterosporulin was purified from supernatant of the culture grown under optimal conditions using hydrophobic interaction chromatography and reverse-phase HPLC. The bacteriocin was active against a wide range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. MALDI-TOF experiments determined the precise molecular mass of the peptide to be of 5.6 kDa and N-terminal sequencing of the thermo-stable peptide revealed low similarity with existing antimicrobial peptides. The putative open reading frame (ORF) encoding laterosporulin and its surrounding genomic region was fished out from the draft genome sequence of GI-9. Sequence analysis of the putative bacteriocin gene did not show significant similarity to any reported bacteriocin producing genes in database. We have identified a bacteriocin producing strain GI-9, belonging to the genus Brevibacillus sp. Biochemical and genomic characterization of laterosporulin suggests it as a novel bacteriocin with broad spectrum antibacterial activity.

Quality of Public Hospitals Websites: A Cross-Sectional Analytical Study in Iran

PubMed Central

Salarvand, Shahin; Samadbeik, Mahnaz; Tarrahi, Mohammad Javad; Salarvand, Hamed

2016-01-01

Introduction: Nowadays, hospitals have turned increasingly towards the Internet and develop their own web presence. Hospital Websites could be operating as effective web resources of information and interactive communication mediums to enhance hospital services to the public. Aim: Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the quality of websites in Tehran’s public hospitals. Material and methods: This cross-sectional analysis involved all public hospitals in Iran’s capital city, Tehran, with a working website or subsites between April and June, 2014 (N=59). The websites were evaluated using three validated instruments: a localized checklist, Google page rank, and the Alexa traffic ranking. The mentioned checklist consisted of 112 items divided into five sections: technical characteristics, hospital information and facilities, medical services, interactive on-line services and external activities. Data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistics. Results: The mean website evaluation score was 45.7 out of 224 for selected public hospitals. All the studied websites were in the weak category based on the earned quality scores. There was no statistically significant association between the website evaluation score with Google page rank (P=0.092), Alexa global traffic rank and Alexa traffic rank in Iran (P>0.05). The hospital websites had a lower quality score in the interactive online services and external activities criteria in comparing to other criteria. Due to the low quality level of the studied websites and the importance of hospital portals in providing information and services on the Internet, the authorities should do precise planning for the appreciable improvement in the quality of hospital websites. PMID:27147806

An Evaluation and Ranking of Children's Hospital Websites in the United States.

PubMed

Huerta, Timothy R; Walker, Daniel M; Ford, Eric W

2016-08-22

Children's hospitals are faced with the rising need for technological innovation. Their prospective health care consumers, who increasingly depend on the Web and social media for communication and consumer engagement, drive this need. As patients and family members navigate the Web presence of hospitals, it is important for these specialized organizations to present themselves and their services efficiently. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the website content of children's hospitals in order to identify opportunities to improve website design and create benchmarks to judge improvement. All websites associated with a children's hospital were identified using a census list of all children's hospitals in the United States. In March of 2014, each website and its social media were evaluated using a Web crawler that provided a 5-dimensional assessment that included website accessibility, marketing, content, technology, and usability. The 5-dimensional assessment was scored on a scale ranging from 0 to 10 with positive findings rated higher on the scale. Websites were ranked by individual dimensions as well as according to their average ranking across all dimensions. Mean scores of 153 websites ranged from 5.05 to 8.23 across all 5 dimensions. Results revealed that no website scored a perfect 10 on any dimension and that room exists for meaningful improvement. Study findings allow for the establishment of baseline benchmarks for tracking future website and social media improvements and display the need for enhanced Web-based consumer engagement for children's hospitals.

Factors affecting health care workers' adoption of a website with infection control guidelines.

PubMed

Verhoeven, Fenne; Steehouder, Michaël F; Hendrix, Ron M G; van Gemert-Pijnen, Julia E W C

2009-10-01

To identify factors that could affect health care workers' (HCWs) adoption of a website for communicating infection control guidelines. In total, 20 semi-structured interviews were conducted with HCWs in 5 different occupational groups and 4 different hospitals in the Netherlands and Germany. A website communicating guidelines for the prevention and control of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus served as a casus. The HCWs, the majority of whom had prior experience with the website, were asked to give their opinions about factors that hinder or facilitate adoption of the website in practice. The interviews were based on the PRECEDE (Predisposing, Reinforcing, and Enabling Causes in Educational Diagnosis and Evaluation) model complemented by quality criteria for health-related websites. This model encompasses different categories of factors relevant to technology adoption in health care. A total of 361 interview statements were relevant to the four main categories of the PRECEDE model, yielding the following observations: (1) Technological factors (72 statements): The usability, design, and relevance of the website were positively valued. The website enabled HCWs to access contextually relevant information quickly. The website's credibility was evaluated rather negatively, as respondents perceived that the website's guidelines were not in concurrence with the best available evidence and it was not clear to HCWs who created the website. (2) Individual factors (85 statements): Respondents, particular infection control professionals, showed individual resistance to the website because they preferred to use their personal knowledge and experience (and communication with colleagues) over online sources. (3) Work-related factors (53 statements): Respondents perceived high work pressure during working hours as an impediment to consulting the website. In contrast, respondents thought the website might lower work pressure for infection control professionals, as they

The Advanced Labs Website: resources for upper-level laboratories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torres-Isea, Ramon

2012-03-01

The Advanced Labs web resource collection is an effort to create a central, comprehensive information base for college/university faculty who teach upper-level undergraduate laboratories. The website is produced by the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT). It is a part of ComPADRE, the online collection of resources in physics and astronomy education, which itself is a part of the National Science Foundation-funded National Science Digital Library (NSDL). After a brief review of its history, we will discuss the current status of the website while describing the various types of resources available at the site and presenting examples of each. We will detail a step-by-step procedure for submitting resources to the website. The resource collection is designed to be a community effort and thus welcomes input and contributions from its users. We will also present plans, and will seek audience feedback, for additional website services and features. The constraints, roadblocks, and rewards of this project will also be addressed.

A Website for Astronomy Education and Outreach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Impey, C.; Danehy, A.

2017-09-01

Teach Astronomy is a free, open access website designed for formal and informal learners of astronomy. The site features: an online textbook complete with quiz questions and a glossary; over ten thousand images; a curated collection of the astronomy articles in Wikipedia; a complete video lecture course; a video Frequently Asked Questions tool; and other materials provided by content partners. Clustering algorithms and an interactive visual interface allow users to browse related content. This article reviews the features of the website and how it can be used.

The quality of information on websites selling St. John's wort.

PubMed

Thakor, Vijeta; Leach, Matthew J; Gillham, David; Esterman, Adrian

2011-06-01

Health consumers are increasingly using the Internet to access information about health care, to self-diagnose, and to purchase medication. The use of the Internet to purchase herbal products is of particular interest because of the high level of consumer expenditure on herbal medicines, and the misperception by some consumers that herbal products are natural, and thus absent of any contraindications, drug interactions and adverse effects. It is possible that consumers may purchase herbal medicines via the Internet without consulting health professionals and therefore, use these medicines in an unsafe manner. To examine the quality of e-commerce websites that sell herbal products; specifically, websites where St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) can be purchased. Cross-sectional survey of 54 selected websites, including online pharmacies, online health food stores and manufacturers of herbal medicines. A modified version of the DISCERN instrument was used to assess the quality of websites. The majority of websites rated poorly with a concerning lack of information about the interaction between hypericum and warfarin, anti-depressants and oral contraceptives. Most sites also failed to provide sufficient information about the contraindications and adverse effects of hypericum treatment. The results of this study strongly support the need for improved consumer education about herbal medicine, as well as the application of more stringent standards to websites that sell medications. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Epigenetic Regulation of the Sex Determination Gene MeGI in Polyploid Persimmon[OPEN

PubMed Central

Kawai, Takashi; Tao, Ryutaro

2016-01-01

Epigenetic regulation can add a flexible layer to genetic variation, potentially enabling long-term but reversible cis-regulatory changes to an allele while maintaining its DNA sequence. Here, we present a case in which alternative epigenetic states lead to reversible sex determination in the hexaploid persimmon Diospyros kaki. Previously, we elucidated the molecular mechanism of sex determination in diploid persimmon and demonstrated the action of a Y-encoded sex determinant pseudogene called OGI, which produces small RNAs targeting the autosomal gene MeGI, resulting in separate male and female individuals (dioecy). We contrast these findings with the discovery, in hexaploid persimmon, of an additional layer of regulation in the form of DNA methylation of the MeGI promoter associated with the production of both male and female flowers in genetically male trees. Consistent with this model, developing male buds exhibited higher methylation levels across the MeGI promoter than developing female flowers from either monoecious or female trees. Additionally, a DNA methylation inhibitor induced developing male buds to form feminized flowers. Concurrently, in Y-chromosome-carrying trees, the expression of OGI is silenced by the presence of a SINE (short interspersed nuclear element)-like insertion in the OGI promoter. Our findings provide an example of an adaptive scenario involving epigenetic plasticity. PMID:27956470

Japanese anti- versus pro-influenza vaccination websites: a text-mining analysis.

PubMed

Okuhara, Tsuyoshi; Ishikawa, Hirono; Okada, Masafumi; Kato, Mio; Kiuchi, Takahiro

2018-03-23

Anti-vaccination sentiment exists worldwide and Japan is no exception. Health professionals publish pro-influenza vaccination messages online to encourage proactive seeking of influenza vaccination. However, influenza vaccine coverage among the Japanese population is less than optimal. The contents of pro- and anti-influenza vaccination websites may contribute to readers' acceptance of one or the other position. We aimed to use a text-mining method to examine frequently appearing content on websites for and against influenza vaccination. We conducted online searches in January 2017 using two major Japanese search engines (Google Japan and Yahoo! Japan). Targeted websites were classified as 'pro', 'anti' or 'neutral' depending on their claims, with author(s) classified as 'health professionals', 'mass media' or 'laypersons'. Text-mining analysis was conducted, and statistical analysis was performed using a chi-squared test. Of the 334 websites analyzed, 13 content topics were identified. The three most frequently appearing content topics on pro-vaccination websites were vaccination effect for preventing serious cases of influenza, side effects of vaccination, and efficacy rate of vaccination. The three most frequent topics on anti-vaccination websites were ineffectiveness of influenza vaccination, toxicity of vaccination, and side effects of vaccination. The main disseminators of each topic, by author classification, were also revealed. We discuss possible tactics of online influenza vaccination promotion to counter anti-vaccination websites.

Non-Science Majors' Critical Evaluation of Websites in a Biotechnology Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halverson, Kristy L.; Siegel, Marcelle A.; Freyermuth, Sharyn K.

2010-12-01

Helping students develop criteria for judgment and apply examination skills is essential for promoting scientific literacy. With the increasing availability of the Internet, it is even more essential that students learn how to evaluate the science they gather from online resources. This is particularly true because publishing information on the web is not restricted to experts, and content quality can vary greatly across websites. The responsibility of evaluating websites falls upon the user. Little research has examined undergraduates' evaluation of web sites in science classes. The purpose of this study was to investigate on which websites college students selected and how they evaluated the websites used when developing individual positions about stem-cell research. We used a qualitative approach in search of patterns in undergraduates' website selection and evaluation criteria. We found that students used a variety of web resources from eleven types of websites to complete their independent research report. Students also used eleven evaluation criteria to evaluate these sources, some useful (e.g., credibility) and some not useful (e.g., readability). We found that university students struggled with critically evaluating online resources. Undergraduates need prompts to learn how to critically evaluate the science content provided within websites. This type of scaffold can facilitate useful evaluation and promote critical thinking required for becoming scientifically literate.

Canadian Educational Development Centre Websites: More Ebb than Flow?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simmons, Nicola

2010-01-01

This paper examines information portrayed on Canadian educational development (ED) centre websites and, in particular, whether information that corresponds to questions compiled from a literature search of ED centre practices is readily available from centre websites. This study phase is part of a larger national study of Canadian educational…

Academic Library Websites: Balancing University Guidelines with User Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lombard, Emmett; Hite, Lesley A.

2007-01-01

This article considers two components identified as essential to effective academic library Websites--satisfaction of user needs and adherence to university Website guidelines--and how they sometimes contradict one another. A literature review is provided, followed by results of a survey the author created and distributed that measures a…

Quality of online health information about oral contraceptives from Hebrew-language websites

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The Internet is a frequently used source of health information. Adolescents in particular seem to be receptive to online health information (OHI) and often incorporate such information in their decision-making processes. Yet, OHI is often incomplete, inaccurate, or unreliable. This study assessed the quality of Hebrew online (non-user-generated) content on oral contraceptives (OC), with regard to accuracy/completeness, credibility, and usability. Methods Twenty-nine websites in Hebrew, including those of the four Israeli HMOs, were identified and evaluated. The websites were categorized as: HMO, health portal, contraception-specific, promotional-commercial, and life style and women’s health. A set of established content parameters was selected by a family planning expert to assess accuracy/completeness. The Health on the Net Foundation Code of Conduct (HONcode) principles were used to assess the websites’ reliability. Usability was assessed by applying items selected from the Minervation Validation and the University of Michigan’s ′Website Evaluation checklist′ scale. Mean scores, standard deviations (SD), and ranges were calculated for all websites and for category-specific websites. Correlation between dimensions and Inter-rater reliability were also examined. Results The mean score for accuracy/completeness was 50.9% for all websites (SD=30.1%, range 8–100%). Many websites failed to provide complete information, or provided inaccurate information regarding what to do when a pill is missed and when to use back–up methods. The average credibility score for all websites was 70.6% (SD=15.1, range=38=98%). The credibility parameters that were most commonly absent were funding source, authoring, date of content creation and last modification, explicit reference to evidence-based information, and references and citations. The average usability score for all websites was 94.5% (SD=6.9%, range 79–100%). A weak correlation was found between the

Identifying strategic sites for Green-Infrastructures (GI) to manage stormwater in a miscellaneous use urban African watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selker, J. S.; Kahsai, S. K.

2017-12-01

Green Infrastructure (GI) or Low impact development (LID), is a land use planning and design approach with the objective of mitigating land development impacts to the environment, and is ever more looked to as a way to lessen runoff and pollutant loading to receiving water bodies. Broad-scale approaches for siting GI/LID have been developed for agricultural watersheds, but are rare for urban watersheds, largely due to greater land use complexity. And it is even more challenging when it comes to Urban Africa due to the combination of poor data quality, rapid and unplanned development, and civic institutions unable to reliably carry out regular maintenance. We present a spacio-temporal simulation-based approach to identify an optimal prioritization of sites for GI/LID based on DEM, land use and land cover. Optimization used is a multi-objective optimization tool along with an urban storm water management model (SWMM) to identify the most cost-effective combination of LID/GI. This was applied to an urban watershed in NW Kampala, Lubigi Catchment (notorious for being heavily flooded every year), with a miscellaneous use watershed in Uganda, as a case-study to demonstrate the approach.

Dark Energy Survey Year 1 Results: Calibration of redMaGiC Redshift Distributions in DES and SDSS from Cross-Correlations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cawthon, R.; et al.

We present calibrations of the redshift distributions of redMaGiC galaxies in the Dark Energy Survey Year 1 (DES Y1) and Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) DR8 data. These results determine the priors of the redshift distribution of redMaGiC galaxies, which were used for galaxy clustering measurements and as lenses for galaxy-galaxy lensing measurements in DES Y1 cosmological analyses. We empirically determine the bias in redMaGiC photometric redshift estimates using angular cross-correlations with Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) galaxies. For DES, we calibrate a single parameter redshift bias in three photometric redshift bins:more » $$z \\in[0.15,0.3]$$, [0.3,0.45], and [0.45,0.6]. Our best fit results in each bin give photometric redshift biases of $$|\\Delta z|<0.01$$. To further test the redMaGiC algorithm, we apply our calibration procedure to SDSS redMaGiC galaxies, where the statistical precision of the cross-correlation measurement is much higher due to a greater overlap with BOSS galaxies. For SDSS, we also find best fit results of $$|\\Delta z|<0.01$$. We compare our results to other analyses of redMaGiC photometric redshifts.« less

Health information on internet: quality, importance, and popularity of persian health websites.

PubMed

Samadbeik, Mahnaz; Ahmadi, Maryam; Mohammadi, Ali; Mohseni Saravi, Beniamin

2014-04-01

The Internet has provided great opportunities for disseminating both accurate and inaccurate health information. Therefore, the quality of information is considered as a widespread concern affecting the human life. Despite the increasingly substantial growth in the number of users, Persian health websites and the proportion of internet-using patients, little is known about the quality of Persian medical and health websites. The current study aimed to first assess the quality, popularity and importance of websites providing Persian health-related information, and second to evaluate the correlation of the popularity and importance ranking with quality score on the Internet. The sample websites were identified by entering the health-related keywords into four most popular search engines of Iranian users based on the Alexa ranking at the time of study. Each selected website was assessed using three qualified tools including the Bomba and Land Index, Google PageRank and the Alexa ranking. The evaluated sites characteristics (ownership structure, database, scope and objective) really did not have an effect on the Alexa traffic global rank, Alexa traffic rank in Iran, Google PageRank and Bomba total score. Most websites (78.9 percent, n = 56) were in the moderate category (8 ≤ x ≤ 11.99) based on their quality levels. There was no statistically significant association between Google PageRank with Bomba index variables and Alexa traffic global rank (P > 0.05). The Persian health websites had better Bomba quality scores in availability and usability guidelines as compared to other guidelines. The Google PageRank did not properly reflect the real quality of evaluated websites and Internet users seeking online health information should not merely rely on it for any kind of prejudgment regarding Persian health websites. However, they can use Iran Alexa rank as a primary filtering tool of these websites. Therefore, designing search engines dedicated to explore accredited

Health Information on Internet: Quality, Importance, and Popularity of Persian Health Websites

PubMed Central

Samadbeik, Mahnaz; Ahmadi, Maryam; Mohammadi, Ali; Mohseni Saravi, Beniamin

2014-01-01

Background: The Internet has provided great opportunities for disseminating both accurate and inaccurate health information. Therefore, the quality of information is considered as a widespread concern affecting the human life. Despite the increasingly substantial growth in the number of users, Persian health websites and the proportion of internet-using patients, little is known about the quality of Persian medical and health websites. Objectives: The current study aimed to first assess the quality, popularity and importance of websites providing Persian health-related information, and second to evaluate the correlation of the popularity and importance ranking with quality score on the Internet. Materials and Methods: The sample websites were identified by entering the health-related keywords into four most popular search engines of Iranian users based on the Alexa ranking at the time of study. Each selected website was assessed using three qualified tools including the Bomba and Land Index, Google PageRank and the Alexa ranking. Results: The evaluated sites characteristics (ownership structure, database, scope and objective) really did not have an effect on the Alexa traffic global rank, Alexa traffic rank in Iran, Google PageRank and Bomba total score. Most websites (78.9 percent, n = 56) were in the moderate category (8 ≤ x ≤ 11.99) based on their quality levels. There was no statistically significant association between Google PageRank with Bomba index variables and Alexa traffic global rank (P > 0.05). Conclusions: The Persian health websites had better Bomba quality scores in availability and usability guidelines as compared to other guidelines. The Google PageRank did not properly reflect the real quality of evaluated websites and Internet users seeking online health information should not merely rely on it for any kind of prejudgment regarding Persian health websites. However, they can use Iran Alexa rank as a primary filtering tool of these websites

Evaluation of Web-Based Consumer Medication Information: Content and Usability of 4 Australian Websites.

PubMed

Raban, Magdalena Z; Tariq, Amina; Richardson, Lauren; Byrne, Mary; Robinson, Maureen; Li, Ling; Westbrook, Johanna I; Baysari, Melissa T

2016-07-21

Medication is the most common intervention in health care, and written medication information can affect consumers' medication-related behavior. Research has shown that a large proportion of Australians search for medication information on the Internet. To evaluate the medication information content, based on consumer medication information needs, and usability of 4 Australian health websites: Better Health Channel, myDr, healthdirect, and NPS MedicineWise . To assess website content, the most common consumer medication information needs were identified using (1) medication queries to the healthdirect helpline (a telephone helpline available across most of Australia) and (2) the most frequently used medications in Australia. The most frequently used medications were extracted from Australian government statistics on use of subsidized medicines in the community and the National Census of Medicines Use. Each website was assessed to determine whether it covered or partially covered information and advice about these medications. To assess website usability, 16 consumers participated in user testing wherein they were required to locate 2 pieces of medication information on each website. Brief semistructured interviews were also conducted with participants to gauge their opinions of the websites. Information on prescription medication was more comprehensively covered on all websites (3 of 4 websites covered 100% of information) than nonprescription medication (websites covered 0%-67% of information). Most websites relied on consumer medicines information leaflets to convey prescription medication information to consumers. Information about prescription medication classes was less comprehensive, with no website providing all information examined about antibiotics and antidepressants. Participants (n=16) were able to locate medication information on websites in most cases (accuracy ranged from 84% to 91%). However, a number of usability issues relating to website

Evaluation of Web-Based Consumer Medication Information: Content and Usability of 4 Australian Websites

PubMed Central

Tariq, Amina; Richardson, Lauren; Byrne, Mary; Robinson, Maureen; Li, Ling; Westbrook, Johanna I; Baysari, Melissa T

2016-01-01

Background Medication is the most common intervention in health care, and written medication information can affect consumers’ medication-related behavior. Research has shown that a large proportion of Australians search for medication information on the Internet. Objective To evaluate the medication information content, based on consumer medication information needs, and usability of 4 Australian health websites: Better Health Channel, myDr, healthdirect, and NPS MedicineWise . Methods To assess website content, the most common consumer medication information needs were identified using (1) medication queries to the healthdirect helpline (a telephone helpline available across most of Australia) and (2) the most frequently used medications in Australia. The most frequently used medications were extracted from Australian government statistics on use of subsidized medicines in the community and the National Census of Medicines Use. Each website was assessed to determine whether it covered or partially covered information and advice about these medications. To assess website usability, 16 consumers participated in user testing wherein they were required to locate 2 pieces of medication information on each website. Brief semistructured interviews were also conducted with participants to gauge their opinions of the websites. Results Information on prescription medication was more comprehensively covered on all websites (3 of 4 websites covered 100% of information) than nonprescription medication (websites covered 0%-67% of information). Most websites relied on consumer medicines information leaflets to convey prescription medication information to consumers. Information about prescription medication classes was less comprehensive, with no website providing all information examined about antibiotics and antidepressants. Participants (n=16) were able to locate medication information on websites in most cases (accuracy ranged from 84% to 91%). However, a number of

Presence of nursing information on hospital websites in five countries: a review.

PubMed

Chen, L L; Liu, Y L

2010-06-01

The aims of this study were to (1) examine the presence of nursing information on 50 hospital websites across five countries; (2) describe the accessibility, range and depth of nursing information provided; and (3) compare the characteristics of nursing web information across the countries. Providing information on hospital website is an increasingly popular strategy for marketing hospital services, and it has been playing unique and important roles for nursing. So far, the nursing information offered via hospital websites is not uncommon worldwide, but the amount, content and form of such information presented by the institutions of different countries have not been examined systematically. Objective sampling was employed to select 50 top hospital websites from five countries, with ten for each geographical region, namely, Australia (Oceania), China (Asia), South Africa (Africa), UK (Europe) and the USA (North America). A self-developed checklist was used to examine the presence of nursing information on the above-mentioned hospital websites. The most frequently presented information on the hospital websites was nursing employment (job placement), nursing education, and news and events concerning the nursing profession, but information about other aspects of nursing was relatively lacking. The hospital websites in the USA and Australia provided more information as compared with those in China and the UK. Nursing information was almost unavailable on hospital websites in South Africa. Although the accessibility of nursing-related information has been improved, the presence of nursing information was not strong on the hospital websites across the five countries. The nursing information presented on hospital websites varied with different countries. Efforts have to be made to improve the presence and accessibility of nursing information. Information about the nursing services, professional image of nurses and nursing employment should be enhanced.

Improving Website Hyperlink Structure Using Server Logs

PubMed Central

Paranjape, Ashwin; West, Robert; Zia, Leila; Leskovec, Jure

2016-01-01

Good websites should be easy to navigate via hyperlinks, yet maintaining a high-quality link structure is difficult. Identifying pairs of pages that should be linked may be hard for human editors, especially if the site is large and changes frequently. Further, given a set of useful link candidates, the task of incorporating them into the site can be expensive, since it typically involves humans editing pages. In the light of these challenges, it is desirable to develop data-driven methods for automating the link placement task. Here we develop an approach for automatically finding useful hyperlinks to add to a website. We show that passively collected server logs, beyond telling us which existing links are useful, also contain implicit signals indicating which nonexistent links would be useful if they were to be introduced. We leverage these signals to model the future usefulness of yet nonexistent links. Based on our model, we define the problem of link placement under budget constraints and propose an efficient algorithm for solving it. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach by evaluating it on Wikipedia, a large website for which we have access to both server logs (used for finding useful new links) and the complete revision history (containing a ground truth of new links). As our method is based exclusively on standard server logs, it may also be applied to any other website, as we show with the example of the biomedical research site Simtk. PMID:28345077

Correlation between heterogeneity index (HI) and gradient index (GI) for high dose stereotactic radiotherapy/radiosurgery (SRT/SRS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tas, B.; Durmus, I. F.; Okumus, A.; Uzel, O. E.

2017-02-01

To evaluate between Heterogeneity Index (HI) and Gradient Index (GI) correlation for high dose Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) / Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) using Versa HD® lineer accelerator. Nine patients with single metastasis were used in this study. Patient's treatment planning were performed using Monaco5.1® Treatment planning system (TPS) with non-coplanar 6MV Flattening filter free (FFF) beams by partial Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) tecnique for each patient. We determined three different size of metastasis catagory which are less than 1cc, between 1cc and 5cc and larger than 5cc volume. Also, three different HI were calculated for each patients. These are 1.10, 1.20 and 1.30. Mean GI was determined 8.57±2.2 for 1.10 HI, 7.23±1.7 for 1.20 HI and 6.0±1.1 for 1.30 HI for less than 1cc metastasis. Then GI was determined 4.77±0.4 for 1.10 HI, 4.37±0.3 for 1.20 HI and 3.97±0.3 for 1.30 HI for between 1cc and 5cc metastasis. Finally, GI was determined 4.00±0.5 for 1.10 HI,3.63±0.5 for 1.20 HI and 3.27±0.4 for 1.30 HI for larger than 5cc metastasis. These results show that GI depends on significantly size and HI of metastasis especially for less than 1cc.

Building Websites for Science Literacy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Welborn, Victoria; Kanar, Bryn

2000-01-01

Suggests guidelines for evaluating and organizing Websites on scientific concepts that are developed from definitions of science literacy and science information literacy. Includes a sample webilography and a sample search strategy on the topic of acoustical oceanography. (Author/LRW)

The impact of a low glycemic index (GI) breakfast and snack on daily blood glucose profiles and food intake in young Chinese adult males.

PubMed

Kaur, Bhupinder; Ranawana, Viren; Teh, Ai-Ling; Henry, C Jeya K

2015-09-01

Low glycemic index (GI) foods have been suggested to minimize large fluctuations in blood glucose levels and reduce food intake. However, the majority of studies have been conducted on Caucasian populations with limited data on Asians. The objective of this study was to investigate how the provision of a low GI breakfast and afternoon snack affected daily blood glucose profiles and food intake. In a randomized, controlled crossover non blind design, 11 healthy Chinese male adults (body mass index 22.4 ± 1.3 kg m -2 ) attended two sessions where they consumed either a high or low GI breakfast and afternoon snack, and a standardized buffet lunch. Daily changes in glycemic response (GR) were measured using the Medtronic MiniMed (Northridge, CA) iPro™2 continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS). The GR was further calculated to obtain the incremental area under the curve (IAUC). Glycemic variability was calculated as mean amplitude of glycemic excursion (MAGE) and energy intake (kcal) was measured quantitatively at the buffet lunch. Compared to the high GI intervention, the low GI intervention significantly reduced the GR following breakfast ( p  = 0.02), lunch ( p  = 0.02) and dinner ( p  = 0.05). The low GI treatment showed a reduction in daily AUC ( p  = 0.03). There was a significant reduction in IAUC after a low GI breakfast compared to the high GI breakfast ( p  = 0.03). The low GI breakfast resulted in a significantly lower food intake at lunch and a resulting decreased energy intake of 285 kcal ( p  = 0.02). The MAGE was significantly lower during the entire low GI treatment ( p  = 0.03). Consumption of a low GI breakfast and afternoon snack was capable of attenuating 24-h blood glucose profiles, minimize glycemic excursions and reduce food intake in healthy Asian males. This simple dietary intervention may be an acceptable approach in improving overall glycemia and energy balance in Asians. NCT02340507.

Design of the Resources and Environment Monitoring Website in Kashgar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Z.; Lin, Q. Z.; Wang, Q. J.

2014-03-01

Despite the development of the web geographical information system (web GIS), many useful spatial analysis functions are ignored in the system implementation. As Kashgar is rich in natural resources, it is of great significance to monitor the ample natural resource and environment situation in the region. Therefore, with multiple uses of spatial analysis, resources and environment monitoring website of Kashgar was built. Functions of water, vegetation, ice and snow extraction, task management, change assessment as well as thematic mapping and reports based on TM remote sensing images were implemented in the website. The design of the website was presented based on database management tier, the business logic tier and the top-level presentation tier. The vital operations of the website were introduced and the general performance was evaluated.

Do Counseling Master's Program Websites Help? Prospective Students' Ratings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Range, Lillian M.; Salgado, Roy; White, Carolyn

2014-01-01

To see how students understand information about counseling programs from school websites, in January and February, 2012, 43 undergraduates (most women) at a co-educational religious college in the southeastern U. S. obtained website information about accreditation, tuition, and number of hours and faculty on 14 schools in Louisiana. They also…

Quality Assessment of Persian Mental Disorders Websites Using the Webmedqual Scale

PubMed Central

Shahrzadi, Leila; Mojiri, Shahin; Janatian, Sima; Taheri, Behjat; Ashrafi-rizi, Hasan; Shahrzadi, Zeinab; Zahedi, Razieh

2014-01-01

Introduction: Nowadays, anyone with any level of Internet knowledge can act as producer and distributor of information. It differs from most traditional media of information transmission, lack of information control and lack of quality management to contents. This leads to quality of health information on the internet is doubtful. The object of this study is guidance patients to select valid mental disorders and determine the quality of Persian mental disorders websites. Methods: The sample of this study comprised 29 Persian mental disorders websites that were chosen by searching the Google, Yahoo and AltaVista search engines for the Persian equivalents of the three concepts “depression,” “anxiety,” and “obsession”. website was created by individuals or organizations. Data collection was performed with the WebMedQual checklist. Websites was assessed based on indicators as content, authority of source, design, accessibility and availability, links, user support, and confidentiality and privacy (Maximum score for any website was 83, mean score 41.5 and minimum score was 0). Collected data analyzed by one sample T- test in SPSS 20. Findings presented by Mean score and optimal score. Results: Based on the WebMedQual scale the mean score of Persian mental disorders websites in sex constructs including “content” (7.02±2.10), “authority of source” (4.71±1.96),”accessibility and availability” (2.19±0.47), “links” (1.45±0.97), “user support” (4.28±1.33), and”confidentiality and privacy” (2.81±2.81) are poor and below average, but the score for the “design” (9.17± 1.59) is above average. The best website of mental disorders was that of the “IranianPsychological Association”. Conclusions: According to the results, only one website obtained the average score, so the quality of Persian mental disorders websites is low. Therefore, it is essential for users to criticize websites’ content and not trust them before evaluating

Adding Dimensions to the Analysis of the Quality of Health Information of Websites Returned by Google: Cluster Analysis Identifies Patterns of Websites According to their Classification and the Type of Intervention Described.

PubMed

Yaqub, Mubashar; Ghezzi, Pietro

2015-01-01

Most of the instruments used to assess the quality of health information on the Web (e.g., the JAMA criteria) only analyze one dimension of information quality (IQ), trustworthiness. In this study, we analyzed the type of intervention that websites describe, whether supported by evidence-based medicine (EBM) or not, to provide a further dimension of IQ, accuracy, and correlated this with the established criteria. We searched Google for "migraine cure" and analyzed the first 200 websites for: (1) JAMA criteria (authorship, attribution, disclosure, currency); (2) class of websites (commercial, health portals, professional, patient groups, no-profit); and (3) type of intervention described (approved drugs, alternative medicine, food, procedures, lifestyle, drugs still at the research stage). We used hierarchical cluster analysis to identify different patterns of websites according to their classification and the information provided. Subgroup analysis on the first 10 websites returned was performed. Google returned health portals (44%), followed by commercial websites (31%) and journalism websites (11%). The type of intervention mentioned most often was alternative medicine (55%), followed by procedures (49%), lifestyle (42%), food (41%), and approved drugs (35%). Cluster analysis indicated that health portals are more likely to describe more than one type of treatment while commercial websites most often describe only one. The average JAMA score of commercial websites was significantly lower than for health portals or journalism websites, and this was mainly due to lack of information on the authors of the text and indication of the date the information was written. Looking at the first 10 websites from Google, commercial websites are underrepresented and approved drugs overrepresented. Analyzing the type of therapies/prevention methods provides additional information to the trustworthiness measures, such as the JAMA score, and could be a convenient and objective

Emerging and continuing trends in vaccine opposition website content.

PubMed

Bean, Sandra J

2011-02-24

Anti-vaccination websites appeal to persons searching the Internet for vaccine information that reinforces their predilection to avoid vaccination for themselves or their children. Few published studies have systematically examined these sites. The aim of this study was to employ content analysis as a useful tool for examining and comparing anti-vaccination websites for recurring and changing emphases in content, design, and credibility themes since earlier anti-vaccination website content analyses were conducted. Between February and May 2010, using a commonly available search engine followed by a deep web search, 25 websites that contained anti-vaccination content were reviewed and analyzed for 24 content, 14 design, and 13 credibility attributes. Although several content claims remained similar to earlier analyses, two new themes emerged: (1) the 2009 H1N1 epidemic threat was "manufactured," and (2) the increasing presence of so-called "expert" testimony in opposing vaccination. Anti-vaccination websites are constantly changing in response to the trends in public health and the success of vaccination. Monitoring the changes can permit public health workers to mount programs more quickly to counter the opposition arguments. Additionally, opposition claims commonly appeal to emotions whereas the supporting claims appeal to reason. Effective vaccine support may be better served by including more emotionally compelling content. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Integration of FTTH and GI-POF in-house networks based on injection locking and direct-detection techniques.

PubMed

Peng, Hsiao-Chun; Lu, Hai-Han; Li, Chung-Yi; Su, Heng-Sheng; Hsu, Chin-Tai

2011-03-28

An integration of fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and graded-index plastic optical fiber (GI-POF) in-house networks based on injection-locked vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) and direct-detection technique is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. Sufficient low bit error rate (BER) values were obtained over a combination of 20-km single-mode fiber (SMF) and 50-m GI-POF links. Signal qualities satisfy the worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) requirement with data signals of 20 Mbps/5.8 GHz and 70 Mbps/10 GHz, respectively. Since our proposed network does not use sophisticated and expensive RF devices in premises, it reveals a prominent one with simpler and more economic advantages. Our proposed architecture is suitable for the SMF-based primary and GI-POF-based in-house networks.

Effects of genetically modified T2A-1 rice on the GI health of rats after 90-day supplement

PubMed Central

Yuan, Yanfang; Xu, Wentao; He, Xiaoyun; Liu, Haiyan; Cao, Sishuo; Qi, Xiaozhe; Huang, Kunlun; Luo, Yunbo

2013-01-01

Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal toxin (Bt) rice will be commercialized as a main food source. Traditional safety assessments on genetically modified products pay little attention on gastrointestinal (GI) health. More data about GI health of Bt rice must be provided to dispel public' doubts about the potential effects on human health. We constructed an improved safety assessment animal model using a basic subchronic toxicity experiment, measuring a range of parameters including microflora composition, intestinal permeability, epithelial structure, fecal enzymes, bacterial activity, and intestinal immunity. Significant differences were found between rice-fed groups and AIN93G-fed control groups in several parameters, whereas no differences were observed between genetically modified and non-genetically modified groups. No adverse effects were found on GI health resulting from genetically modified T2A-1 rice. In conclusion, this study may offer a systematic safety assessment model for GM material with respect to the effects on GI health. PMID:23752350

Evaluation models and criteria of the quality of hospital websites: a systematic review study

PubMed Central

Jeddi, Fatemeh Rangraz; Gilasi, Hamidreza; Khademi, Sahar

2017-01-01

Introduction Hospital websites are important tools in establishing communication and exchanging information between patients and staff, and thus should enjoy an acceptable level of quality. The aim of this study was to identify proper models and criteria to evaluate the quality of hospital websites. Methods This research was a systematic review study. The international databases such as Science Direct, Google Scholar, PubMed, Proquest, Ovid, Elsevier, Springer, and EBSCO together with regional database such as Magiran, Scientific Information Database, Persian Journal Citation Report (PJCR) and IranMedex were searched. Suitable keywords including website, evaluation, and quality of website were used. Full text papers related to the research were included. The criteria and sub criteria of the evaluation of website quality were extracted and classified. Results To evaluate the quality of the websites, various models and criteria were presented. The WEB-Q-IM, Mile, Minerva, Seruni Luci, and Web-Qual models were the designed models. The criteria of accessibility, content and apparent features of the websites, the design procedure, the graphics applied in the website, and the page’s attractions have been mentioned in the majority of studies. Conclusion The criteria of accessibility, content, design method, security, and confidentiality of personal information are the essential criteria in the evaluation of all websites. It is suggested that the ease of use, graphics, attractiveness and other apparent properties of websites are considered as the user-friendliness sub criteria. Further, the criteria of speed and accessibility of the website should be considered as sub criterion of efficiency. When determining the evaluation criteria of the quality of websites, attention to major differences in the specific features of any website is essential. PMID:28465807

Evaluation models and criteria of the quality of hospital websites: a systematic review study.

PubMed

Jeddi, Fatemeh Rangraz; Gilasi, Hamidreza; Khademi, Sahar

2017-02-01

Hospital websites are important tools in establishing communication and exchanging information between patients and staff, and thus should enjoy an acceptable level of quality. The aim of this study was to identify proper models and criteria to evaluate the quality of hospital websites. This research was a systematic review study. The international databases such as Science Direct, Google Scholar, PubMed, Proquest, Ovid, Elsevier, Springer, and EBSCO together with regional database such as Magiran, Scientific Information Database, Persian Journal Citation Report (PJCR) and IranMedex were searched. Suitable keywords including website, evaluation, and quality of website were used. Full text papers related to the research were included. The criteria and sub criteria of the evaluation of website quality were extracted and classified. To evaluate the quality of the websites, various models and criteria were presented. The WEB-Q-IM, Mile, Minerva, Seruni Luci, and Web-Qual models were the designed models. The criteria of accessibility, content and apparent features of the websites, the design procedure, the graphics applied in the website, and the page's attractions have been mentioned in the majority of studies. The criteria of accessibility, content, design method, security, and confidentiality of personal information are the essential criteria in the evaluation of all websites. It is suggested that the ease of use, graphics, attractiveness and other apparent properties of websites are considered as the user-friendliness sub criteria. Further, the criteria of speed and accessibility of the website should be considered as sub criterion of efficiency. When determining the evaluation criteria of the quality of websites, attention to major differences in the specific features of any website is essential.

College Students, the GI Bill, and the Proliferation of Online Learning: A History of Learning and Contemporary Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMurray, Andrew J.

2007-01-01

Recent developments in areas of online education and the modernization of the GI Bill of Rights in the form of the Montgomery GI Bill have served to enact an unparalleled era in the history of higher education. Now, more than ever, servicemen and servicewomen have both the financial resources and the technological resources to pursue higher…

Content and Functionality of Alcohol and Other Drug Websites: Results of an Online Survey

PubMed Central

White, Angela; Kavanagh, David; Shandley, Kerrie; Kay-Lambkin, Frances; Proudfoot, Judith; Drennan, Judy; Connor, Jason; Baker, Amanda; Young, Ross

2010-01-01

Background There is a growing trend for individuals to seek health information from online sources. Alcohol and other drug (AOD) use is a significant health problem worldwide, but access and use of AOD websites is poorly understood. Objective To investigate content and functionality preferences for AOD and other health websites. Methods An anonymous online survey examined general Internet and AOD-specific usage and search behaviors, valued features of AOD and health-related websites (general and interactive website features), indicators of website trustworthiness, valued AOD website tools or functions, and treatment modality preferences. Results Surveys were obtained from 1214 drug (n = 766) and alcohol website users (n = 448) (mean age 26.2 years, range 16-70). There were no significant differences between alcohol and drug groups on demographic variables, Internet usage, indicators of website trustworthiness, or on preferences for AOD website functionality. A robust website design/navigation, open access, and validated content provision were highly valued by both groups. While attractiveness and pictures or graphics were also valued, high-cost features (videos, animations, games) were minority preferences. Almost half of respondents in both groups were unable to readily access the information they sought. Alcohol website users placed greater importance on several AOD website tools and functions than did those accessing other drug websites: online screening tools (χ²2 = 15.8, P < .001, n = 985); prevention programs (χ²2 = 27.5, P < .001, n = 981); tracking functions (χ²2 = 11.5, P = .003, n = 983); self help treatment programs (χ²2 = 8.3, P = .02, n = 984); downloadable fact sheets for friends (χ²2 = 11.6, P = .003, n = 981); or family (χ²2 = 12.7, P = .002, n = 983). The most preferred online treatment option for both the user groups was an Internet site with email therapist support. Explorations of demographic differences were also performed. While

Surgery Website as a 24/7 Adjunct to a Surgical Curriculum.

PubMed

Jyot, Apram; Baloul, Mohamed S; Finnesgard, Eric J; Allen, Samuel J; Naik, Nimesh D; Gomez Ibarra, Miguel A; Abbott, Eduardo F; Gas, Becca; Cardenas-Lara, Francisco J; Zeb, Muhammad H; Cadeliña, Rachel; Farley, David R

Successfully teaching duty hour restricted trainees demands engaging learning opportunities. Our surgical educational website and its associated assets were assessed to understand how such a resource was being used. Our website was accessible to all Mayo Clinic employees via the internal web network. Website access data from April 2015 through October 2016 were retrospectively collected using Piwik. Academic, tertiary care referral center with a large general surgery training program. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. A total of 257 Mayo Clinic employees used the website. The website had 48,794 views from 6313 visits by 257 users who spent an average of 14 ± 11 minutes on the website. Our website houses 295 videos, 51 interactive modules, 14 educational documents, and 7 flashcard tutorials. The most popular content type was videos, with a total of 30,864 views. The most popular visiting time of the day was between 8 pm and 9 pm with 6358 views (13%), and Thursday was the most popular day with 17,907 views (37%).  A total of 78% of users accessed content beyond the homepage. Average visits peaked in relation to 2 components of our curriculum: a 240% increase one day before our biannual intern simulation assessments, and a 61% increase one day before our weekly conducted Friday simulation sessions. Interns who rotated on the service of the staff surgeon who actively endorses the website had 93% more actions per visit as compared to other users. The highest clicks were on the home banner for our weekly simulation session pre-emptive videos, followed by "groin anatomy," and "TEP hernia repair" videos. Our website acted as a "just-in-time" accessible portal to reliable surgical information. It supplemented the time sensitive educational needs of our learners by serving as a heavily used adjunct to 3 components of our surgical education curriculum: weekly simulation sessions, biannual assessments, and clinical rotations. Copyright © 2017 Association of Program Directors in

A randomized controlled trial to investigate the impact of a low glycemic index (GI) diet on body mass index in obese adolescents

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The role of a low glycemic index (GI) diet in the management of adolescent obesity remains controversial. In this study, we aim to evaluate the impact of low GI diet versus a conventional Chinese diet on the body mass index (BMI) and other obesity indices of obese adolescents. Methods Obese adolescents aged 15–18 years were identified from population-recruited, territory-wide surveys. Obesity was defined as BMI ≥95th percentile of Hong Kong local age- and sex-specific references. Eligible subjects were randomized to either an intervention with low GI diet (consisting of 45-50% carbohydrate, 30-35% fat and 15-20% protein) or conventional Chinese diet as control (consisting of 55-60% carbohydrate, 25-30% fat and 10-15% protein). We used random intercept mixed effects model to compare the differential changes across the time points from baseline to month 6 between the 2 groups. Results 104 obese adolescents were recruited (52 in low GI group and 52 in control group; 43.3% boys). Mean age was 16.7 ± 1.0 years and 16.8 ±1.0 years in low GI and control group respectively. 58.7% subjects completed the study at 6 months (65.4% in low GI group and 51.9% in control group). After adjustment for age and sex, subjects in the low GI group had a significantly greater reduction in obesity indices including BMI, body weight and waist circumference (WC) compared to subjects in the control group (all p <0.05). After further adjustment for physical activity levels, WC was found to be significantly lower in the low GI group compared to the conventional group (p = 0.018). Conclusion Low GI diet in the context of a comprehensive lifestyle modification program may be an alternative to conventional diet in the management of obese adolescents. Trial registration number ClinicalTrials.gov Ref. No: NCT01278563 PMID:24552366

Alzheimer's disease dietary supplements in websites.

PubMed

Palmour, Nicole; Vanderbyl, Brandy L; Zimmerman, Emma; Gauthier, Serge; Racine, Eric

2013-12-01

Consumer demand for health information and health services has rapidly evolved to capture and even propel the movement to online health information seeking. Seventeen percent (52 million) of health information internet users will look for information about memory loss, dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) (Fox Pew Internet & American life project: Online health search. Report. Pew Research Center. http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2006/Online-Health-Search-2006.aspx 2006, Pew Research Center. http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/HealthTopics.aspx 2011). We examined the content of the 25 most frequently retrieved websites marketing AD dietary supplements. We found that the majority of websites and their products claimed AD-related benefits, including improvement and enhancement of function, treatment for AD, prevention of AD, maintenance of function, delayed progression of AD, and decreased symptoms. Supplements were described as effective, natural, powerful or strong, dependable and pure or of high quality. Peer reviewed references to proper scientific studies were infrequent on websites. Statements highlighting the risks of dietary supplements were as common as statements mitigating or minimizing these risks. Different strategies were used to promote supplements such as popular appeals and testimonials. Further enforcement of relevant policy is needed and preparation of clinicians to deal with requests of patients and caregivers is indicated.

Designing a Medical Tourism Website: A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Samadbeik, Mahnaz; Asadi, Heshmatollah; Mohseni, Mohammad; Takbiri, Afsaneh; Moosavi, Ahmad; Garavand, Ali

2017-02-01

Informing plays a prominent role in attracting medical tourists. The enjoyment of proper medical information systems is one of the most important tools for the attraction of medical tourists. Iran's ability in designing and implementing information networks has remained largely unknown. The current study aimed to explore information needs for designing a medical tourism website. This qualitative study was conducted in 2015 for designing Hospital Medical-Tourism Website (HMTW). A purposive sampling method was used and data were gathered using a semi-structured questionnaire. Totally, 12 faculty members and experts in the field of medical tourism were interviewed. Data were analyzed using the MAXQDA10 software. Totally 41 sub-themes and 10 themes were identified. The themes included the introduction of hospital, general guide for patients, tourism information, information related to physicians in hospital, costs, treatment follow-up, online hospital appointment scheduling in website, statistics and news of hospital medical tourism, photo gallery and contacts. Among the themes, the participants highly emphasized four themes including costs (100%), tourism information (91.6%), information related to physicians in hospital, (83.3%) and treatment follow-up (83.3%). This profitable industry can be developed through considering information requirements for hospital medical tourism website.

Designing a Medical Tourism Website: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

SAMADBEIK, Mahnaz; ASADI, Heshmatollah; MOHSENI, Mohammad; TAKBIRI, Afsaneh; MOOSAVI, Ahmad; GARAVAND, Ali

2017-01-01

Background: Informing plays a prominent role in attracting medical tourists. The enjoyment of proper medical information systems is one of the most important tools for the attraction of medical tourists. Iran’s ability in designing and implementing information networks has remained largely unknown. The current study aimed to explore information needs for designing a medical tourism website. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted in 2015 for designing Hospital Medical-Tourism Website (HMTW). A purposive sampling method was used and data were gathered using a semi-structured questionnaire. Totally, 12 faculty members and experts in the field of medical tourism were interviewed. Data were analyzed using the MAXQDA10 software. Results: Totally 41 sub-themes and 10 themes were identified. The themes included the introduction of hospital, general guide for patients, tourism information, information related to physicians in hospital, costs, treatment follow-up, online hospital appointment scheduling in website, statistics and news of hospital medical tourism, photo gallery and contacts. Among the themes, the participants highly emphasized four themes including costs (100%), tourism information (91.6%), information related to physicians in hospital, (83.3%) and treatment follow-up (83.3%). Conclusion: This profitable industry can be developed through considering information requirements for hospital medical tourism website. PMID:28451562

Usability study of youtube websites for Malaysian teenagers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Razak, Mohd Nur Faiz Abd; Hussain, Azham; Hamdi, Mohd Maizan Fishol

2017-10-01

Nowadays, YouTube is the 3rd most visited website in the world. It was created for users to search, watch and share video. Statistics show that YouTube run in more than 88 countries and support 76 different languages which covered almost 95% of Internet population globally. Therefore, a usability study is for specific type of users such as based on gender, range of age and country is considered a must for this kind of top website. In this study, we focus on YouTube website usability for Malaysian teenagers that are currently schooling in boarding school with limited access of Internet. It was done in a controlled lab environment with proper devices and software as MacBook, LCD Monitor, and WhatPulse heat map tracker. The evaluation was made based on usability metrics: ease of use, usefulness and satisfaction of users with combination of recording videos, mouse and keyboard heat map and questionnaires. Findings show that most of the respondents just use YouTube for video watching only while ignoring other features in the same time. There are difficulties in using it at the first moment but could catch up in short time. It shows how usable YouTube website especially in the learnability and memorability aspects.

Commitment to sustainability: A content analysis of website for university organisations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasim, M. S.; Hashim, A. E.; Ariff, N. R. M.; Sapeciay, Z.; Abdullah, A. S.

2018-02-01

This research aim on investigating the commitments of organisations towards sustainability. For this research context, ‘commitment’ refers to the extent of information provided by universities in their website which demonstrated initiatives towards achieving the sustainability goal. The objective of this study was to identify sustainability initiatives highlighted within university websites using Australia as a case study. Thirty-nine (39) websites were reviewed and web content analysis was performed to publicly available data including any relevant accessible PDF documents attached to the universities website. Specific websites information was reviewed to detect sustainability themes in the broad university management and operations (i.e., in general policies, corporate mission statements, research activities, positions available and strategies). The commitment of Australian universities was significant and well established with a set of twenty (20) related themes were identified. The findings have some limitations because the established themes only emerged from the websites’ content without human validation which possibly weakens the correlations between website information and organisations actual practice. This possibility is recognised and for this reason, further assessment may be advantageous to provide verification of the findings. Therefore, further studies using other techniques are suggested such as interviews or observations for validation of data and reinforce the entire conclusions. An interesting aspect of this study is the validity of reviewing organisational websites for gauging actual practice and a number of researchers supporting this approached as indicated in methodology section of this paper.

Typology and credibility of Internet health websites originating from Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

PubMed

Weber, A S; Verjee, M; Rahman, Z H; Ameerudeen, F; Al-Baz, N

2015-02-02

The quality of information available on health websites in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries has not been comprehensively assessed. From November to December 2012 we retrieved all functional health-related websites (n = 925) originating in GCC countries. Data on authorship, language, date, information content and type of site were recorded. A novel website checklist was developed based on the credibility and trust criteria of the Internet assessment organization Health On the Net Foundation (HON). Only 5 sites (0.5%) fulfilled all checklist categories. All websites except one were in English or Arabic languages. Only 10.1% of websites posted a privacy policy, 2.7% stated the authorship of information, 51.0% disclosed website ownership, 80.6% provided contact details and 58.5% dated information. Only 1.7% reported their advertising policy and 23.5% revealed sponsorships. GCC health website owners should consider working with the HON or similar organizations to meet internationally recognized credibility criteria.

Drive for muscularity and drive for thinness: the impact of pro-anorexia websites.

PubMed

Juarez, Lilia; Soto, Ernesto; Pritchard, Mary E

2012-01-01

In recent years, websites that stress the message of thinness as the ideal and only choice have surfaced on the internet. The possibility that pro-anorexia websites may reinforce restrictive eating and exercise behaviors is an area of concern. In addition, friends may be influencing one another to view these websites, further contributing to drive for thinness in women and drive for muscularity in men. Three hundred male and female undergraduate psychology students responded to questionnaires assessing: internalization of pro-anorexia website content, internalization of general media content, influence of friends to view pro-anorexia websites, peer influence, drive for muscularity, and drive for thinness. Results showed internalization of pro-anorexia website content was positively correlated with drive for thinness in women, and negatively correlated with drive for muscularity in men. Internalization of pro-anorexia website content was found to be related to both drive for thinness in women and drive for muscularity in men.

Readability of websites containing information about prostate cancer treatment options.

PubMed

Ellimoottil, Chandy; Polcari, Anthony; Kadlec, Adam; Gupta, Gopal

2012-12-01

Approximately 90 million American adults have literacy skills that test below a high school reading level. Websites written above this level can pose a challenge for those seeking online information about prostate cancer treatment options. In this study we determine the readability of selected websites using a systematic search process and validated readability formulas. We identified the 3 most popular keywords from 513 terms related to prostate cancer treatment options. We then systematically collected 270 websites from the top 3 search engines, and excluded from study those that were nonEnglish, not primarily text, irrelevant and/or duplicated. We used the Flesch-Kincaid grade level and Flesch Reading Ease to determine scores for each site. A total of 62 unique websites were analyzed. Median Flesch-Kincaid grade level was 12.0 (range 8.0 to 12.0) and median Flesch Reading Ease score was 38.1 (range 0.0 to 65.5). Only 3 sites (4.8%) were written below a high school reading level (less than 9.0). Few websites with discussions on prostate cancer treatment options are written below a high school reading level. This is problematic for a third of Americans who seek to further educate themselves using online resources. Clinicians can use this information to guide their patients to appropriate websites. Copyright © 2012 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Communicating Sustainability: A Content Analysis of Website Communications in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dade, Aurali; Hassenzahl, David M.

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate how institutions of higher education (IHEs) in the USA communicate sustainability through their websites. Specifically, the authors compare how and to what extent sustainability is communicated through an institution-wide sustainability website versus operational and academic department websites.…

Website Service Quality in Ireland: An Empirical Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Connolly, Regina

Despite the fact that service quality is a critical determinant of website success, studies show that consumers frequently view the service quality delivered through websites as unsatisfactory. This paper outlines a study that investigated the dimensions of website service excellence valued by Irish customers of a small-to-medium enterprise specialising in gifts. The E-S-QUAL measurement instrument was applied to the customers who purchase products online from this retailer, in order to determine their purchasing patterns and the dimensions of e-service quality that they value. The results of this study indicate the effectiveness of the instrument in determining gaps in e-service quality. The findings will be of benefit both to practitioners and researchers seeking to improve their understanding of the factors that contribute towards the creation and maintenance of consumer satisfaction in Irish online transactions.

'Total girlfriend experience': examining marketplace mythologies on sex tourism websites.

PubMed

Gezinski, Lindsay B; Karandikar, Sharvari; Levitt, Alexis; Ghaffarian, Roxane

2016-07-01

The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic content analysis of sex tour websites to understand how sex tours are marketed to potential clients. A total of 380 web pages from 21 sex tour websites were reviewed. The sex tour websites sought to promote privacy and hassle-free travel with a local 'escort' and the opportunity for 'hooks-ups' with no strings attached. Three themes emerged around the description of sex workers: (1) enjoyment and complete acceptance, (2) a 'total girlfriend experience' and (3) exoticisation of the 'Third World' woman. The majority of the sex tourism websites used marketplace mythologies concerning racism, sexism and imperialism to appeal to sex tourists' desires for fantasy experiences, power and domination, and a renewed sense of identity. Legal and STI-related information was largely missing from the websites, and when it was included it was aimed at protecting sex tourists, not sex workers. It is of importance for researchers, social workers and others engaging with sex workers and sexscapes to recognise the power of language, cultural myths and framings and their ability to generate real-world social and health implications.

Making Quality Health Websites a National Public Health Priority: Toward Quality Standards.

PubMed

Devine, Theresa; Broderick, Jordan; Harris, Linda M; Wu, Huijuan; Hilfiker, Sandra Williams

2016-08-02

Most US adults have limited health literacy skills. They struggle to understand complex health information and services and to make informed health decisions. The Internet has quickly become one of the most popular places for people to search for information about their health, thereby making access to quality information on the Web a priority. However, there are no standardized criteria for evaluating Web-based health information. Every 10 years, the US Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) develops a set of measurable objectives for improving the health of the nation over the coming decade, known as Healthy People. There are two objectives in Healthy People 2020 related to website quality. The first is objective Health Communication and Health Information Technology (HC/HIT) 8.1: increase the proportion of health-related websites that meet 3 or more evaluation criteria for disclosing information that can be used to assess information reliability. The second is objective HC/HIT-8.2: increase the proportion of health-related websites that follow established usability principles. The ODPHP conducted a nationwide assessment of the quality of Web-based health information using the Healthy People 2020 objectives. The ODPHP aimed to establish (1) a standardized approach to defining and measuring the quality of health websites; (2) benchmarks for measurement; (3) baseline data points to capture the current status of website quality; and (4) targets to drive improvement. The ODPHP developed the National Quality Health Website Survey instrument to assess the quality of health-related websites. The ODPHP used this survey to review 100 top-ranked health-related websites in order to set baseline data points for these two objectives. The ODPHP then set targets to drive improvement by 2020. This study reviewed 100 health-related websites. For objective HC/HIT-8.1, a total of 58 out of 100 (58.0%) websites met 3 or

Opinions of English Major Students about Their Departments' Websites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zengin, Bugra; Arikan, Arda; Dogan, Duygu

2011-01-01

University websites serve as sharing information with students whether prospective or enrolled. Often, before entering their departments, students visit them to have an idea as to what it would be like to be a part of that university and/or department. In that sense, websites help students in deciding whether the university matches their…

Website Study: What Information Are Prospective Graduate Students Seeking?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lampley, James H.; Owens, Megan E.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this website study was to get feedback from recently admitted students to discover if the site was meeting their needs and expectations for information regarding the program and processes. Websites are often the first contact a student has with a university and, especially for those seeking a degree online, could potentially leave…

A review of pediatric dentistry program websites: what are applicants learning about our programs?

PubMed

Lin, Jenn-Yih; Lee, Jung; Davidson, Bo; Farquharson, Kara; Shaul, Cheryl; Kim, Sara

2010-06-01

The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to examine website content provided by U.S. and Canadian pediatric dentistry residency programs, and 2) to understand aspects of program websites that dental students report to be related to their interests. Sixty-eight program websites were reviewed by five interprofessional evaluators. A thirty-six-item evaluation form was organized into 1) program descriptive items listed on the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) website (n=21); 2) additional program descriptive items not listed on the AAPD website but of interest (n=9); and 3) items related to website interface design (n=5). We also surveyed fifty-four dental students regarding their interest in various aspects of program descriptions. The results of this study suggest that pediatric dentistry residency programs in general tend to provide identical or less information than what is listed on the AAPD website. The majority of respondents (76 percent) reported that residency program websites would be their first source of information about advanced programs. The greatest gap between the available website information and students' interests exists in these areas: stipend and tuition information, state licensure, and program strengths. Pediatric dentistry residency programs underutilize websites as a marketing and recruitment tool and should incorporate more information in areas of students' priority interests.

What College and University Websites Reveal about the Purposes of Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saichaie, Kem; Morphew, Christopher C.

2014-01-01

College and university websites play an important role in the college search process. This study examines the textual and visual elements on the websites of 12 colleges and universities. Findings suggest that websites communicate a message consistent with private purposes of education and inconsistent with those linked to public purposes.

[Study of the health food information for cancer patients on Japanese websites].

PubMed

Kishimoto, Keiko; Yoshino, Chie; Fukushima, Noriko

2010-08-01

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the reliability of websites providing health food information for cancer patients and, to assess the status to get this information online. We used four common Japanese search engines (Yahoo!, Google, goo, and MSN) to look up websites on Dec. 2, 2008. The search keywords were "health food" and "cancer". The websites for the first 100 hits generated by each search engine were screened and extracted by three conditions. We extracted 64 unique websites by the result of retrieval, of which 54 websites had information about health food factors. The two scales were used to evaluate the quality of the content on 54 websites. On the scale of reliability of information on the Web, the average score was 2.69+/-1.70 (maximum 6) and the median was 2.5. The other scale was matter need to check whether listed to use safely this information. On this scale, the average score was 0.72+/-1.22 (maximum 5) and the median was 0. Three engines showed poor correlation between the ranking and the latter score. But several websites on the top indicated 0 score. Fifty-four websites were extracted with one to four engines and the average number of search engines was 1.9. The two scales were positively correlated with the number of search engines, but these correlations were very poor. Ranking high and extraction by multiple search engines were of minor benefit to pick out more reliable information.

In silico predictions of gastrointestinal drug absorption in pharmaceutical product development: application of the mechanistic absorption model GI-Sim.

PubMed

Sjögren, Erik; Westergren, Jan; Grant, Iain; Hanisch, Gunilla; Lindfors, Lennart; Lennernäs, Hans; Abrahamsson, Bertil; Tannergren, Christer

2013-07-16

Oral drug delivery is the predominant administration route for a major part of the pharmaceutical products used worldwide. Further understanding and improvement of gastrointestinal drug absorption predictions is currently a highly prioritized area of research within the pharmaceutical industry. The fraction absorbed (fabs) of an oral dose after administration of a solid dosage form is a key parameter in the estimation of the in vivo performance of an orally administrated drug formulation. This study discloses an evaluation of the predictive performance of the mechanistic physiologically based absorption model GI-Sim. GI-Sim deploys a compartmental gastrointestinal absorption and transit model as well as algorithms describing permeability, dissolution rate, salt effects, partitioning into micelles, particle and micelle drifting in the aqueous boundary layer, particle growth and amorphous or crystalline precipitation. Twelve APIs with reported or expected absorption limitations in humans, due to permeability, dissolution and/or solubility, were investigated. Predictions of the intestinal absorption for different doses and formulations were performed based on physicochemical and biopharmaceutical properties, such as solubility in buffer and simulated intestinal fluid, molecular weight, pK(a), diffusivity and molecule density, measured or estimated human effective permeability and particle size distribution. The performance of GI-Sim was evaluated by comparing predicted plasma concentration-time profiles along with oral pharmacokinetic parameters originating from clinical studies in healthy individuals. The capability of GI-Sim to correctly predict impact of dose and particle size as well as the in vivo performance of nanoformulations was also investigated. The overall predictive performance of GI-Sim was good as >95% of the predicted pharmacokinetic parameters (C(max) and AUC) were within a 2-fold deviation from the clinical observations and the predicted plasma AUC

The Alaska Volcano Observatory Website a Tool for Information Management and Dissemination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snedigar, S. F.; Cameron, C. E.; Nye, C. J.

2006-12-01

The Alaska Volcano Observatory's (AVO's) website served as a primary information management tool during the 2006 eruption of Augustine Volcano. The AVO website is dynamically generated from a database back- end. This system enabled AVO to quickly and easily update the website, and provide content based on user- queries to the database. During the Augustine eruption, the new AVO website was heavily used by members of the public (up to 19 million hits per day), and this was largely because the AVO public pages were an excellent source of up-to-date information. There are two different, yet fully integrated parts of the website. An external, public site (www.avo.alaska.edu) allows the general public to track eruptive activity by viewing the latest photographs, webcam images, webicorder graphs, and official information releases about activity at the volcano, as well as maps, previous eruption information, bibliographies, and rich information about other Alaska volcanoes. The internal half of the website hosts diverse geophysical and geological data (as browse images) in a format equally accessible by AVO staff in different locations. In addition, an observation log allows users to enter information about anything from satellite passes to seismic activity to ash fall reports into a searchable database. The individual(s) on duty at the watch office use forms on the internal website to post a summary of the latest activity directly to the public website, ensuring that the public website is always up to date. The internal website also serves as a starting point for monitoring Alaska's volcanoes. AVO's extensive image database allows AVO personnel to upload many photos, diagrams, and videos which are then available to be browsed by anyone in the AVO community. Selected images are viewable from the public page. The primary webserver is housed at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and holds a MySQL database with over 200 tables and several thousand lines of php code gluing

Designing Public Library Websites for Teens: A Conceptual Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naughton, Robin Amanda

2012-01-01

The main goal of this research study was to develop a conceptual model for the design of public library websites for teens (TLWs) that would enable designers and librarians to create library websites that better suit teens' information needs and practices. It bridges a gap in the research literature between user interface design in human-computer…

Internet Information for Patients on Cancer Diets - an Analysis of German Websites.

PubMed

Herth, Natalie; Kuenzel, Ulrike; Liebl, Patrick; Keinki, Christian; Zell, Joerg; Huebner, Jutta

2016-01-01

In recent years, the Internet has become an important source of information for cancer patients. Various cancer diets that are publicized on the Web promise significant benefits. The aim of our study was to evaluate the quality of online patient information about cancer diets. A patient's search for 'cancer diets' on German websites was simulated using the search engine Google. The websites were evaluated utilizing a standardized instrument with formal and content aspects. An analysis of 60 websites revealed that websites from nonprofit associations as well as self-help groups offer the best content and formal ranking. Websites whose owners aim to make a profit, practices that offer cancer diet therapies, and newspapers received the poorest quality score. The majority of content provided on the Web gets published by profit-oriented content groups. The divergence between profit-driven websites offering low-quality content and the few trustworthy websites on cancer diets is enormous. The information given online about cancer diets may turn out to be a hazardous pitfall. In order to present evidence-based information about cancer diets, online information should be replenished to create a more accurate picture and give higher visibility to the right information. © 2016 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.

Characterization of a novel RNA-binding region of eIF4GI critical for ribosomal scanning

PubMed Central

Prévôt, Déborah; Décimo, Didier; Herbreteau, Cécile H.; Roux, Florence; Garin, Jérôme; Darlix, Jean-Luc; Ohlmann, Théophile

2003-01-01

The eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF4GI binds several proteins and acts as a scaffold to promote preinitiation complex formation on the mRNA molecule (48S). Following mRNA attachment this complex scans along the messenger in a 5′ to 3′ direction until it locates and recognizes the initiation start codon. By using a combination of retroviral and picornaviral proteases (HIV-2 and L respectively) in the reticulocyte lysate system, we have characterized a 40 amino acid (aa) region of eIF4GI (aa 642–681) that exhibits general RNA-binding properties. Removal of this domain by proteolytic processing followed by translational assays showed virtually no inhibition of internal ribosome entry on the encephalomyocarditis virus, but resulted in drastic impairment of ribosome scanning as demonstrated by studying poliovirus and foot-and-mouth disease virus translation. Based on these findings, we propose that this 40 aa motif of eIF4GI is critical for ribosome scanning. PMID:12682023

Designing interactivity on consumer health websites: PARAFORUM for spinal cord injury.

PubMed

Rubinelli, Sara; Collm, Alexandra; Glässel, Andrea; Diesner, Fabian; Kinast, Johannes; Stucki, Gerold; Brach, Mirjam

2013-12-01

This paper addresses the issue of interactivity on health consumer websites powered by health organizations, by presenting the design of PARAFORUM, an interactive website in the field of spinal cord injury (SCI). The design of PARAFORUM is based on different streams of research in online health communication, web-based communities, open innovation communities and formative evaluation with stakeholders. PARAFORUM implements a model of diversified interactivity based on individuals with SCI and their families, health professionals, and researchers sharing their expertise in SCI. In addition to traditional health professional/researcher-to-consumer and peer-to-peer interactions, through PARAFORUM consumers, health professionals and researchers can co-design ideas for the enhancement of practice and research on SCI. There is the need to reflect on the conceptualization and operationalization of interactivity on consumer health websites. Interactions between different users can make these websites important platforms for promoting self-management of chronic conditions, organizational innovation, and participatory research. Interactivity on consumer health websites is a main resource for health communication. Health organizations are invited to build interactive websites, by considering, however, that the exploitation of interactivity require users' collaboration, processes and standards for managing content, creating and translating knowledge, and conducting internet-based studies. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Comprehensive Evaluation and Analysis of China's Mainstream Online Map Service Websites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, H.; Jiang, J.; Huang, W.; Wang, Q.; Gu, X.

2012-08-01

With the flourish development of China's Internet market, all kinds of users for map service demand is rising continually, within it contains tremendous commercial interests. Many internet giants have got involved in the field of online map service, and defined it as an important strategic product of the company. The main purpose of this research is to evaluate these online map service websites comprehensively with a model, and analyse the problems according to the evaluation results. Then some corresponding solving measures are proposed, which provides a theoretical and application guidance for the future development of fiercely competitive online map websites. The research consists of three stages: (a) the mainstream online map service websites in China are introduced and the present situation of them is analysed through visit, investigation, consultant, analysis and research. (b) a whole comprehensive evaluation quota system of online map service websites from the view of functions, layout, interaction design color position and so on, combining with the data indexes such as time efficiency, accuracy, objectivity and authority. (c) a comprehensive evaluation to these online map service websites is proceeded based on the fuzzy evaluation mathematical model, and the difficulty that measure the map websites quantitatively is solved.

Accuracy and Readability of Websites on Kidney and Bladder Cancers.

PubMed

Azer, Samy A; Alghofaili, Maha M; Alsultan, Rana M; Alrumaih, Najla S

2017-03-09

The aim of this study was to assess the scientific accuracy and the readability level of websites on kidney and bladder cancers. The search engines Google™, Yahoo™ and Bing™ were searched independently by assessors in November 2014 using the following keywords: "bladder cancer", "kidney cancer", "patient bladder cancer", "patient kidney cancer" and "bladder and kidney cancer". Only English-language websites were selected on the bases of predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Assessors independently reviewed the findings and evaluated the accuracy and quality of each website by using the DISCERN and the LIDA instruments. The readability of the websites was calculated using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Index and the Coleman-Liau Readability Index. Sixty-two websites were finally included in the study. The overall accuracy scores varied; for the DISCERN, the range was 28 to 76; out of 80 (mean ± SD, 47.1 ± 12.1; median = 46.0, interquartile range (IQR) = 19.2), and for the LIDA, the range was 52 to 125; out of 144 (mean ± SD, 101.9 ± 15.2; median, 103; IQR, 16.5). The creators of these websites were universities and research centres (n = 25, 40%), foundations and associations (n = 10, 16%), commercial and pharmaceutical companies (n = 13, 21%), charities and volunteer work (n = 4, 6%) and non-university educational bodies (n = 10, 16%). The readability scores (mean ± SD) were 11.2 ± 2.2 for the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Index and 11.2 ± 1.6 for the Coleman-Liau Readability Index. The accuracy and the quality of the websites on kidney and bladder cancers varied. In most websites, there were deficiencies in clarity of aims, presenting symptoms, investigations and treatment options. The readability matched grades 10-11 literacy levels-a level above the public readability level. The study highlights the needs for further improvement of the online information created for public and patients with kidney and bladder

On the teaching model of website-based collaborated self-directed study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jing, Zhihua; Zeng, Yingxiong; Wen, Chunyu

2011-12-01

Based on the theory of collaborated self-directed study and the strengths of modern education technology, the study explores application of websites for collaborated self-directed college English learning. It introduces the characteristics and functions of the website developed to assist college English teaching in China. It also points out the problems currently existing among teachers and students, and puts forward some suggestions and strategies for the improvement of the application of the website.

[The professional learning website needs of hospital nursing stations: a needs assessment].

PubMed

Yu, Tsui-Mien; Hsu, Li-Ling; Hsieh, Suh-Ing

2011-12-01

Healthcare must face the challenges of the information era. Changes in the medical sciences and increasing disease complexity have given rise to many professional learning websites designed to aid nurse learning. However, nurses in Taiwan have only a few poorly designed websites from which to choose. Language barriers and cultural differences often prevent nurses from making the best use of learning websites designed outside of Taiwan. This situation necessitates an investigation into the type of learning website content most needed by professional nurses in Taiwan. This study aimed to investigate the types of content in a professional learning website most needed by a group of nurses and to examine factors affecting nurses' content demand. Researchers used descriptive and correlational study designs. Random cluster sampling was used to select 43 of the total 70 nursing wards at one hospital in northern Taiwan. Subjects agreed to participate in a cross-sectional survey using a self-structured questionnaire. A total 571 questionnaires (96%) were returned out of 600 sent. The average professional learning website demand score was 4.03 (SD = 0.70). The top three content categories were, respectively, instructions on nursing routines for common diseases, common medication information, and instructions on preparing for common physical examinations. The bottom three content categories were, respectively, description of website purpose, post-learning tests, and online forum. Subject age, marital status, education, hospital department, Clinical Nursing Ladder status, and work experience all significantly affected subjects' content demand profile. Study findings identified the content categories in highest demand from professional nurses, which can help guide professional learning website design work in the future. Different website versions may be developed to suit different nurse needs and help nurses save time searching for information on such topics as nursing

eIF4E and eIF4GI have distinct and differential imprints on multiple myeloma's proteome and signaling

PubMed Central

Attar-Schneider, Oshrat; Pasmanik-Chor, Metsada; Tartakover-Matalon, Shelly

2015-01-01

Accumulating data indicate translation plays a role in cancer biology, particularly its rate limiting stage of initiation. Despite this evolving recognition, the function and importance of specific translation initiation factors is unresolved. The eukaryotic translation initiation complex eIF4F consists of eIF4E and eIF4G at a 1:1 ratio. Although it is expected that they display interdependent functions, several publications suggest independent mechanisms. This study is the first to directly assess the relative contribution of eIF4F components to the expressed cellular proteome, transcription factors, microRNAs, and phenotype in a malignancy known for extensive protein synthesis-multiple myeloma (MM). Previously, we have shown that eIF4E/eIF4GI attenuation (siRNA/Avastin) deleteriously affected MM cells' fate and reduced levels of eIF4E/eIF4GI established targets. Here, we demonstrated that eIF4E/eIF4GI indeed have individual influences on cell proteome. We used an objective, high throughput assay of mRNA microarrays to examine the significance of eIF4E/eIF4GI silencing to several cellular facets such as transcription factors, microRNAs and phenotype. We showed different imprints for eIF4E and eIF4GI in all assayed aspects. These results promote our understanding of the relative contribution and importance of eIF4E and eIF4GI to the malignant phenotype and shed light on their function in eIF4F translation initiation complex. PMID:25717031

Contraceptive information on pregnancy resource center websites: a statewide content analysis.

PubMed

Swartzendruber, Andrea; Steiner, Riley J; Newton-Levinson, Anna

2018-04-24

Most pregnancy resource centers (PRCs) in the US are affiliated with national organizations that have policies against promoting or providing contraceptives, yet many provide information about contraception on their websites. In 2016, the state of Georgia passed a new law to publicly fund PRCs. This study sought to describe the contraceptive information on Georgia PRC websites. We systematically identified all accessible Georgia PRC websites April-June 2016. We downloaded entire websites and used defined protocols to code and thematically analyze content about contraceptives. Of the 64 websites reviewed, 20 (31%) presented information about contraceptives. Most of the content was dedicated to emergency contraception. Emphasis on risks and side effects was the most prominent theme. However, no site presented information about the frequency or prevalence of risks and side effects. Sites also emphasized contraceptive failure and minimized effectiveness. We found a high degree of inaccurate and misleading information about contraceptives. Georgia PRC websites presented skewed information that may undermine confidence in the safety and efficacy of contraceptive methods and discourage use. Public funding for PRCs, an increasing national trend, should be rigorously examined. Increased regulation is urgently needed to ensure that online information about contraceptives presented by publicly funded centers is unbiased, complete and accurate. We examined contraceptive information on Georgia PRC websites and found sites minimize benefits and emphasize barriers to use. They contain high levels of medically inaccurate and misleading information that may undermine public health goals. Public funding for PRCs should be rigorously examined; increased regulation is urgently needed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The International Year of Astronomy 2009 Websites _ Connecting IYA2009 with its Community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russo, Pedro; Lindberg Christensen, L.; Shida, R.

2008-05-01

The International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) project looks like it will be the most "wired” astronomy project in history. IYA2009 already now has more individual web sites associated with it than any other astronomy project in the past. More than 60 Cornerstone websites, national websites etc. exist at the time of submission of this abstract. The main IYA2009 website (www.astronomy2009.org) is an important channel linking the different IYA2009 organisational levels. The first incarnation of this site was released in December 2006 and has served as the main information repository and as the basic communication tool between all the nodes that take part of IYA2009. Recently the website has changed from supporting the internal organisational needs for communication to a more appealing and content-rich website to meet the needs of the wider "external” world, including media, enthusiasts, laypeople, etc. This talk we will give an overview of the many websites and plans for the future of the IYA2009 websites will be put forward for discussion.

Making Quality Health Websites a National Public Health Priority: Toward Quality Standards

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Background Most US adults have limited health literacy skills. They struggle to understand complex health information and services and to make informed health decisions. The Internet has quickly become one of the most popular places for people to search for information about their health, thereby making access to quality information on the Web a priority. However, there are no standardized criteria for evaluating Web-based health information. Every 10 years, the US Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) develops a set of measurable objectives for improving the health of the nation over the coming decade, known as Healthy People. There are two objectives in Healthy People 2020 related to website quality. The first is objective Health Communication and Health Information Technology (HC/HIT) 8.1: increase the proportion of health-related websites that meet 3 or more evaluation criteria for disclosing information that can be used to assess information reliability. The second is objective HC/HIT-8.2: increase the proportion of health-related websites that follow established usability principles. Objective The ODPHP conducted a nationwide assessment of the quality of Web-based health information using the Healthy People 2020 objectives. The ODPHP aimed to establish (1) a standardized approach to defining and measuring the quality of health websites; (2) benchmarks for measurement; (3) baseline data points to capture the current status of website quality; and (4) targets to drive improvement. Methods The ODPHP developed the National Quality Health Website Survey instrument to assess the quality of health-related websites. The ODPHP used this survey to review 100 top-ranked health-related websites in order to set baseline data points for these two objectives. The ODPHP then set targets to drive improvement by 2020. Results This study reviewed 100 health-related websites. For objective HC/HIT-8.1, a total of 58 out

Explore Mars from the NASA Website

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhaoyao, Meng

2005-01-01

Here we show how to explore Mars based on data obtainable from the NASA website. The analysis and calculations of some physics questions provide interesting and useful examples of inquiry-based learning.

The influence of vaccine-critical websites on perceiving vaccination risks.

PubMed

Betsch, Cornelia; Renkewitz, Frank; Betsch, Tilmann; Ulshöfer, Corina

2010-04-01

This large-scale Internet-experiment tests whether vaccine-critical pages raise perceptions of the riskiness of vaccinations and alter vaccination intentions. We manipulated the information environment (vaccine-critical website, control, both) and the focus of search (on vaccination risks, omission risks, no focus). Our analyses reveal that accessing vaccine-critical websites for five to 10 minutes increases the perception of risk of vaccinating and decreases the perception of risk of omitting vaccinations as well as the intentions to vaccinate. In line with the 'risk-as-feelings' approach, the affect elicited by the vaccine-critical websites was positively related to changes in risk perception.

Content Analysis of Virtual Reference Data: Reshaping Library Website Design.

PubMed

Fan, Suhua Caroline; Welch, Jennifer M

2016-01-01

An academic health sciences library wanted to redesign its website to provide better access to health information in the community. Virtual reference data were used to provide information about user searching behavior. This study analyzed three years (2012-2014) of virtual reference data, including e-mail questions, text messaging, and live chat transcripts, to evaluate the library website for redesigning, especially in areas such as the home page, patrons' terminology, and issues prompting patrons to ask for help. A coding system based on information links in the current library website was created to analyze the data.

An assessment of the usability of undergraduate healthcare management program websites.

PubMed

Roggenkamp, Susan D

2005-01-01

Prospective students in higher education programs increasingly use the Internet as a source of information to assist in the selection of both university and major programs of study. Therefore, having an informative and well designed website is now an integral component of a higher education program's marketing mix. This article attempts to inform undergraduate health administration programs about the elements of good website design, namely content that is important and relevant to users, site layout appeal, and ease of navigation. Content analyses of undergraduate health administration program websites in 2002 and 2005 assessed both the extent of content from a standard list of twenty-five information elements and usability features of the sites. Implications for improvements to program websites are discussed.

Do You Ignore Information Security in Your Journal Website?

PubMed

Dadkhah, Mehdi; Borchardt, Glenn; Lagzian, Mohammad

2017-08-01

Nowadays, web-based applications extend to all businesses due to their advantages and easy usability. The most important issue in web-based applications is security. Due to their advantages, most academic journals are now using these applications, with papers being submitted and published through their websites. As these websites are resources for knowledge, information security is primary for maintaining their integrity. In this opinion piece, we point out vulnerabilities in certain websites and introduce the potential for future threats. We intend to present how some journals are vulnerable and what will happen if a journal can be infected by attackers. This opinion is not a technical manual in information security, it is a short inspection that we did to improve the security of academic journals.

Parental Evaluation of a Nurse Practitioner-Developed Pediatric Neurosurgery Website

PubMed Central

Vogel, Tina Kovacs; Kleib, Manal; Davidson, Sandra J

2016-01-01

Background Parents often turn to the Internet to seek health information about their child’s diagnosis and condition. Information, support, and resources regarding pediatric neurosurgery are scarce, hard to find, and difficult to comprehend. To address this gap, a pediatric nurse practitioner designed a website called the Neurosurgery Kids Fund (NKF). Analyzing the legitimacy of the NKF website for parents seeking health information and fulfilling their social and resource needs is critical to the website’s future development and success. Objective To explore parental usage of the NKF website, track visitor behavior, evaluate usability and design, establish ways to improve user experience, and identify ways to redesign the website. The aim of this study was to assess and evaluate whether a custom-designed health website could meet parents’ health information, support, and resource needs. Methods A multimethod approach was used. Google Analytic usage reports were collected and analyzed for the period of April 23, 2013, to November 30, 2013. Fifty-two online questionnaires that targeted the website’s usability were collected between June 18, 2014, and July 30, 2014. Finally, a focus group was conducted on August 20, 2014, to explore parents’ perceptions and user experiences. Findings were analyzed using an inductive content analysis approach. Results There were a total of 2998 sessions and 8818 page views, with 2.94 pages viewed per session, a 56.20% bounce rate, an average session duration of 2 minutes 24 seconds, and a 56.24% new sessions rate. Results from 52 eligible surveys included that the majority of NKF users were Caucasian (90%), females (92%), aged 36-45 years (48%), with a university or college degree or diploma (69%). Half plan to use the health information. Over half reported turning to the Internet for health information and spending 2 to 4 hours a day online. The most common reasons for using the NKF website were to (1) gather information

Customer privacy on UK healthcare websites.

PubMed

Mundy, Darren P

2006-09-01

Privacy has been and continues to be one of the key challenges of an age devoted to the accumulation, processing, and mining of electronic information. In particular, privacy of healthcare-related information is seen as a key issue as health organizations move towards the electronic provision of services. The aim of the research detailed in this paper has been to analyse privacy policies on popular UK healthcare-related websites to determine the extent to which consumer privacy is protected. The author has combined approaches (such as approaches focused on usability, policy content, and policy quality) used in studies by other researchers on e-commerce and US healthcare websites to provide a comprehensive analysis of UK healthcare privacy policies. The author identifies a wide range of issues related to the protection of consumer privacy through his research analysis using quantitative results. The main outcomes from the author's research are that only 61% of healthcare-related websites in their sample group posted privacy policies. In addition, most of the posted privacy policies had poor readability standards and included a variety of privacy vulnerability statements. Overall, the author's findings represent significant current issues in relation to healthcare information protection on the Internet. The hope is that raising awareness of these results will drive forward changes in the industry, similar to those experienced with information quality.

Implementing desktop image access of GI images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grevera, George J.; Feingold, Eric R.; Horii, Steven C.; Laufer, Igor

1996-05-01

In this paper we present a specific example of the current state-of-the-art in desktop image access in the GI section of the Department of Radiology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. We describe a system which allows physicians to view and manipulate images from a Philips digital fluoroscopy system at the workstations in their offices. Typically they manipulate and view these images on their desktop Macs and then submit the results for slide making or save the images in digital teaching files. In addition to a discussion of the current state-of-the-art here at HUP, we also discuss some future directions that we are pursuing.

Vital-dye enhanced fluorescence imaging of GI mucosa: metaplasia, neoplasia, inflammation.

PubMed

Thekkek, Nadhi; Muldoon, Timothy; Polydorides, Alexandros D; Maru, Dipen M; Harpaz, Noam; Harris, Michael T; Hofstettor, Wayne; Hiotis, Spiros P; Kim, Sanghyun A; Ky, Alex Jenny; Anandasabapathy, Sharmila; Richards-Kortum, Rebecca

2012-04-01

Confocal endomicroscopy has revolutionized endoscopy by offering subcellular images of the GI epithelium; however, the field of view is limited. Multiscale endoscopy platforms that use widefield imaging are needed to better direct the placement of high-resolution probes. Feasibility study. This study evaluated the feasibility of a single agent, proflavine hemisulfate, as a contrast medium during both widefield and high-resolution imaging to characterize the morphologic changes associated with a variety of GI conditions. The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, and Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, New York. PATIENTS, INTERVENTIONS, AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Resected specimens were obtained from 15 patients undergoing EMR, esophagectomy, or colectomy. Proflavine hemisulfate, a vital fluorescent dye, was applied topically. The specimens were imaged with a widefield multispectral microscope and a high-resolution microendoscope. The images were compared with histopathologic examination. Widefield fluorescence imaging enhanced visualization of morphology, including the presence and spatial distribution of glands, glandular distortion, atrophy, and crowding. High-resolution imaging of widefield abnormal areas revealed that neoplastic progression corresponded to glandular heterogeneity and nuclear crowding in dysplasia, with glandular effacement in carcinoma. These widefield and high-resolution image features correlated well with the histopathologic features. This imaging approach must be validated in vivo with a larger sample size. Multiscale proflavine-enhanced fluorescence imaging can delineate epithelial changes in a variety of GI conditions. Distorted glandular features seen with widefield imaging could serve as a critical bridge to high-resolution probe placement. An endoscopic platform combining the two modalities with a single vital dye may facilitate point-of-care decision making by providing real-time, in vivo diagnoses

Exploring the use and effects of deliberate self-harm websites: an Internet-based study.

PubMed

Harris, Isobel Marion; Roberts, Lesley Martine

2013-12-20

In the United Kingdom, rates of deliberate self-harm (DSH) are rising. Alongside this, there has been an increase in the number of websites available with DSH content, and the Internet is known as a valuable resource for those who feel isolated by their condition(s). However, there is little and contradictory evidence available on the effects of using such websites. Further research is therefore required to examine the use and effects of DSH websites. Our objectives were to explore (1) the reasons people engage in the use of self-harm forums/websites, (2) the beliefs of users of self-harm forums regarding the role of such websites, (3) how the use of self-harm forums/websites modulates self-harm behaviors, and (4) other ways that self-harm forums affect the lives of individuals who use them. Data were collected by a questionnaire hosted on 20 websites with self-harm content. Participants were self-selected from users of these sites. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics and simple thematic analysis. In total, 329 responses were received with 91.8% (302/329) from female site users. The majority of participants (65.6%, 187/285) visited these sites at least twice per week, and most participants used the sites to find information (78.2%, 223/285) or participate in the forums (68.4%, 195/285). Positive effects of website use such as gaining help and support, isolation reduction, and a reduction in self-harm behaviors were reported by a large number of participants. However, smaller but important numbers reported negative effects including worsened self-harm, being triggered to self-harm, and additional negative physical and psychological effects. This is the first multisite study to explore DSH website use in depth. There are clear and important benefits to engaging in website use for many individuals; however, these are not experienced by all website users. Negative effects were experienced by moderate numbers following website use, and clinicians should

Exploring the Use and Effects of Deliberate Self-Harm Websites: An Internet-Based Study

PubMed Central

Harris, Isobel Marion

2013-01-01

Background In the United Kingdom, rates of deliberate self-harm (DSH) are rising. Alongside this, there has been an increase in the number of websites available with DSH content, and the Internet is known as a valuable resource for those who feel isolated by their condition(s). However, there is little and contradictory evidence available on the effects of using such websites. Further research is therefore required to examine the use and effects of DSH websites. Objective Our objectives were to explore (1) the reasons people engage in the use of self-harm forums/websites, (2) the beliefs of users of self-harm forums regarding the role of such websites, (3) how the use of self-harm forums/websites modulates self-harm behaviors, and (4) other ways that self-harm forums affect the lives of individuals who use them. Methods Data were collected by a questionnaire hosted on 20 websites with self-harm content. Participants were self-selected from users of these sites. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics and simple thematic analysis. Results In total, 329 responses were received with 91.8% (302/329) from female site users. The majority of participants (65.6%, 187/285) visited these sites at least twice per week, and most participants used the sites to find information (78.2%, 223/285) or participate in the forums (68.4%, 195/285). Positive effects of website use such as gaining help and support, isolation reduction, and a reduction in self-harm behaviors were reported by a large number of participants. However, smaller but important numbers reported negative effects including worsened self-harm, being triggered to self-harm, and additional negative physical and psychological effects. Conclusions This is the first multisite study to explore DSH website use in depth. There are clear and important benefits to engaging in website use for many individuals; however, these are not experienced by all website users. Negative effects were experienced by moderate

Surfing depth on a behaviour change website: predictors and effects on behaviour.

PubMed

Jacobs, Nele; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Claes, Neree

2010-03-01

The primary objectives of the present study were to gain insight into website use and to predict the surfing depth on a behaviour change website and its effect on behaviour. Two hundred eight highly educated adults from the intervention condition of a randomised trial received access to a medical intervention, individual coaching (by e-mail, post, telephone or face-to-face) and a behaviour change website. Website use (e.g. surfing depth, page view duration) was registered. Online questionnaires for physical activity and fat intake were filled out at baseline and after 6 months. Hierarchical linear regression was used to predict surfing depth and its effect on behaviour. Seventy-five per cent of the participants visited the website. Fifty-one and fifty-six per cent consulted the physical activity and fat intake feedback, respectively. The median surfing depth was 2. The total duration of interventions by e-mail predicted deeper surfing (beta=0.36; p<0.001). Surfing depth did not predict changes in fat intake (beta=-0.07; p=0.45) or physical activity (beta=-0.03; p=0.72). Consulting the physical activity feedback led to more physical activity (beta=0.23; p=0.01). The findings from the present study can be used to guide future website development and improve the information architecture of behaviour change websites.

Information about epilepsy on the internet: An exploratory study of Arabic websites.

PubMed

Alkhateeb, Jamal M; Alhadidi, Muna S

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to explore information about epilepsy found on Arabic websites. The researchers collected information from the internet between November 2016 and January 2017. Information was obtained using Google and Yahoo search engines. Keywords used were the Arabic equivalent of the following two keywords: epilepsy (Al-saraa) and convulsion (Tashanoj). A total of 144 web pages addressing epilepsy in Arabic were reviewed. The majority of web pages were websites of medical institutions and general health websites, followed by informational and educational websites, others, blogs and websites of individuals, and news and media sites. Topics most commonly addressed were medical treatments for epilepsy (50% of all pages) followed by epilepsy definition (41%) and epilepsy etiology (34.7%). The results also revealed that the vast majority of web pages did not mention the source of information. Many web pages also did not provide author information. Only a small proportion of the web pages provided adequate information. Relatively few web pages provided inaccurate information or made sweeping generalizations. As a result, it is concluded that the findings of the present study suggest that development of more credible Arabic websites on epilepsy is needed. These websites need to go beyond basic information, offering more evidence-based and updated information about epilepsy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Health information in Italian public health websites: moving from inaccessibility to accessibility.

PubMed

Mancini, Cristina; Zedda, Monica; Barbaro, Annarita

2005-12-01

In January 2004, the Italian government passed new legislation designed to give people with disabilities access to online services. Starting from the new legislation requirements, the purpose of this study is to investigate whether Italian Local Health Authorities websites are accessible to users with different abilities. One hundred and seventy websites were analysed evaluating their compliance to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Priority 1 guidelines via a combination of appropriate accessibility testing methods. This review was carried out twice: the first time it took place between the end of 2003 and May-June 2004. The same survey was repeated again in December 2004, after the issuing of the draft of the Implementation Regulations for The Stanca Law in July 2004. In this second survey, all the websites analysed before were checked again to establish if some measures to make those sites accessible were taken. Seventy-six per cent of the analysed websites fail to satisfy the most basic W3C requirements, but Italian Local Health Authorities websites are likely to present significant improvements to access for some disabled user groups: the number of accessible websites increased consistently between the first and the second review. It seems that awareness of web accessibility issues is increasing among developers of health information websites because of law enforcement. Recommendations for future research and development are offered.

Pectus patient information website has improved access to care and patient reported outcomes.

PubMed

Tikka, Theofano; Webb, Joanne; Agostini, Paula; Kerr, Amy; Mannion, Glenn; Steyn, Richard S; Bishay, Ehab; Kalkat, Maninder S; Rajesh, Pala B; Naidu, Babu

2016-04-26

Pectus is the most common congenital disorder. Awareness amongst primary care physicians and the general public is poor. NHS commissioning bodies plan to withdraw funding for this surgery because they deem a lack of sufficient evidence of benefit. The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of introducing a patient information website on referral and activity patterns and on patients reported outcomes. We produced an innovative information website, www.pectus.co.uk , accessible to the general public, providing information about pectus deformities; management options and advice about surgery. Referral patterns and number of cases where studied before and after the introduction of the website in 2010. Patients' satisfaction post-op was assessed using the Brompton's single step questionnaire (SSQ). The website had considerable traffic with 2179 hits in 2012, 4983 in 2013 and 7416 in 2014. This has led to 1421 contacts and 372 email enquiries. These emails have resulted in an increased number of patients who have been assessed and go on to have surgery. We asked 59 pectus excavatum patients who were operated from 2008 to 2014 to complete the SSQ. We received 32 replies. Eighty-four percent (16/19) of patients who visited the website and then underwent surgery, found the website useful. All patients scored satisfactorily in SSQ. Even though those who visited the website tended to be more satisfied with the surgical outcomes this did not reach statistical significance. This group of patients said that would have the operation again given the option compared to 76.9 % of the group who did not visit the website before surgery (p=0.031). Despite the fact that patients who visited the website experienced more post-operative complications were equally or more satisfied with post-operative outcomes. The overall SSQ obtainable score was not different for the two subgroups, being more widespread in the group that did not visit the website. The introduction of a pectus

The official websites of blood centers in China: A nationwide cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Hu, Huiying; Wang, Jing; Zhu, Ming

2017-01-01

Blood collection agencies worldwide are facing ongoing and increasing medical demands for blood products. Many potential donors would search related information online before making decision of whether or not to donate blood. However, there is little knowledge of the online information and services provided by blood centers in China, despite the constantly increase of internet users. Our research investigates the number of blood centers' official websites and their quality, and highlights the deficiencies that required future advances. Identified official websites of blood centers were scored using a newly developed evaluation instrument with 42 items concerning technical aspects, information quality, information comprehensiveness and interactive services. Scores of websites were compared between blood centers with different level (provincial vs. regional blood centers) and location (blood centers located in economically developed vs. developing region). For the 253 working official websites all the 350 blood centers in China, and the mean overall score of websites was 24.7 out of 42. 79.1% websites were rated as fair (50-75% of maximum), 5.5% as good (≥75% of maximum) and 15.4% as poor(25-50% of maximum;). Websites got very low sub-scores in information quality (mean = 3.8; range 1-8; maximum = 9) and interactive services (3.3; 0-10; 10). Higher proportions of provincial (vs. regional) blood centers and economically developed (vs. developing) blood centers had official websites (p = 0.044 and p = 0.001; respectively) with better overall quality (p<0.001 and p <0.01) and better sub-scores (in all of the four sections and in technical aspects and information quality). Website overall scores was positively correlated with the number of people served by each blood center (p< 0.001) and the donation rate of each province (p = 0.046). This study suggests there is a need to further develop and improve official websites in China, especially for regional and inland blood

Website Interface Design: Similarity and Differences between Saudi Arabian and United States University Websites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alyahya, Dalia Mohammed

2011-01-01

The expansion of the Internet and online learning around the globe makes it more important to understand the differences in website design among cultures. Furthermore, the members of educational institutions around the world rely on the Internet more than ever before in a variety of aspects. Also, web design differs from culture to culture. Saudi…

Quality of internet information available to patients on websites in Portuguese.

PubMed

Del Giglio, Adriana; Abdala, Beatrice; Ogawa, Carolina; Amado, Daniel; Carter, Diego; Gomieiro, Fernanda; Salama, Fernanda; Shiroma, Marina; Del Giglio, Auro

2012-01-01

Patients and their relatives often look for information about their diseases on the internet. Diabetes mellitus (DM), systemic arterial hypertension (SAH), and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are the most prevalent in Brazil, thus, information on these pathologies is extremely searched for on the internet. For this reason, this study attempted to evaluate the quality of information available in Portuguese on the web regarding these disorders. The first 20 websites in Portuguese for each disease through the Google® search algorithm were selected. The Discern Questionnaire (DQ) and Health on the Net (HON) were used as tools in order to evaluate the quality of information. To assess adequacy, international and Brazilian guidelines for different co-morbidities were used. When evaluating the information content available, 45%, 95%, and 85% of pages had the definition of DM, SAH, and AMI, respectively. Only 25% of the websites regarding the three co-morbidities had specific information on diagnosis and treatment. Only 15%, 20%, and 10% of the websites had HON certification, respectively. Using the DQ approach, scores higher than 50% were obtained in 70% of the DM websites, in 65% of SAH websites, and in 55% of the AMI websites. The available information in Portuguese on the internet regarding the three pathologies selected (DM, SAH, and AMI) is quite often inadequate and insufficient.

An Evaluation and Ranking of Children’s Hospital Websites in the United States

PubMed Central

Walker, Daniel M; Ford, Eric W

2016-01-01

Background Children’s hospitals are faced with the rising need for technological innovation. Their prospective health care consumers, who increasingly depend on the Web and social media for communication and consumer engagement, drive this need. As patients and family members navigate the Web presence of hospitals, it is important for these specialized organizations to present themselves and their services efficiently. Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the website content of children’s hospitals in order to identify opportunities to improve website design and create benchmarks to judge improvement. Methods All websites associated with a children’s hospital were identified using a census list of all children’s hospitals in the United States. In March of 2014, each website and its social media were evaluated using a Web crawler that provided a 5-dimensional assessment that included website accessibility, marketing, content, technology, and usability. The 5-dimensional assessment was scored on a scale ranging from 0 to 10 with positive findings rated higher on the scale. Websites were ranked by individual dimensions as well as according to their average ranking across all dimensions. Results Mean scores of 153 websites ranged from 5.05 to 8.23 across all 5 dimensions. Results revealed that no website scored a perfect 10 on any dimension and that room exists for meaningful improvement. Conclusions Study findings allow for the establishment of baseline benchmarks for tracking future website and social media improvements and display the need for enhanced Web-based consumer engagement for children’s hospitals. PMID:27549074

The Association Between the Use of the Education Benefits from the G.I. Bill and Veterans' Health.

PubMed

Rumery, Zachary R; Patel, Nilam; Richard, Patrick

2018-05-01

There is limited knowledge on the impact of education on veterans' health in the United States. This study specifically examines the relationship between the education benefits from the G.I. Bill and veterans' health. This study used data from the 2010 National Survey of Veterans. The subjects for this study were 5,052 veterans who were eligible to receive G.I. Bill benefits, representing a total of about 12.7 million non-institutionalized veterans in the United States in 2010. The dependent variables included self-reported health status and smoking behavior. The key independent variable was whether veterans used the education benefits from the G.I. Bill compared with those who were eligible but did not use them. Results from multivariate regression analyses showed that those who used the education benefits from the G.I. Bill were 4% less likely to report fair/poor health (p < 0.01) and 3% less likely to report any smoking (p < 0.05) compared with those who did not use the education benefits. Additional analyses showed that using the education benefits to attend college decreased the probability of being in fair/poor health by 4% (p < 0.10) and being a smoker by 4% (p < 0.05) compared with those who did not attend college but used their benefits for non-college attainment such as business, technical, or vocational schools. More importantly, a larger association was found between the use of the education benefits from the G.I. Bill to obtain a college degree and fair/poor health (7%, p < 0.05) and smoking behavior (9%, p < 0.01) compared with those who attended college but did not obtain a college degree. This study shows that providing opportunities for service members to complete their education also has important health benefits.

Gi-Coupled γ-Aminobutyric Acid–B Receptors Cross-Regulate Phospholipase C and Calcium in Airway Smooth Muscle

PubMed Central

Mizuta, Kentaro; Mizuta, Fumiko; Xu, Dingbang; Masaki, Eiji; Panettieri, Reynold A.

2011-01-01

γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system, and exerts its actions via both ionotropic (GABAA) and metabotropic (GABAB) receptors. Although the functional expression of GABAB receptors coupled to the Gi protein was reported for airway smooth muscle, the role of GABAB receptors in airway responsiveness remains unclear. We investigated whether Gi-coupled GABAB receptors cross-regulate phospholipase C (PLC), an enzyme classically regulated by Gq-coupled receptors in human airway smooth muscle cells. Both the GABAB-selective agonist baclofen and the endogenous ligand GABA significantly increased the synthesis of inositol phosphate, whereas GABAA receptor agonists, muscimol, and 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo[5,4-c]pyridin-3-ol exerted no effect. The baclofen-induced synthesis of inositol phosphate and transient increases in [Ca2+]i were blocked by CGP35348 and CGP55845 (selective GABAB antagonists), pertussis toxin (PTX, which inactivates the Gi protein), gallein (a Gβγ signaling inhibitor), U73122 (an inhibitor of PLC-β), and xestospongin C, an inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptor blocker. Baclofen also potentiated the bradykinin-induced synthesis of inositol phosphate and transient increases in [Ca2+]i, which were blocked by CGP35348 or PTX. Moreover, baclofen potentiated the substance P–induced contraction of airway smooth muscle in isolated guinea pig tracheal rings. In conclusion, the stimulation of GABAB receptors in human airway smooth muscle cells rapidly mobilizes intracellular Ca2+ stores by the synthesis of inositol phosphate via the activation of PLC-β, which is stimulated by Gβγ protein liberated from Gi proteins coupled to GABAB receptors. Furthermore, crosstalk between GABAB receptors and Gq-coupled receptors potentiates the synthesis of inositol phosphate, transient increases in [Ca2+]i, and smooth muscle contraction through Gi proteins. PMID:21719794

Website Policies / Important Links | Data Explorer

Science.gov Websites

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eMeteorNews: website and PDF journal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roggemans, P.; Kacerek, R.; Koukal, J.; Miskotte, K.; Piffl, R.

2016-01-01

Amateur meteor workers have always been interested to exchange information and experience. In the past this was only possible via personal contacts by letter or by specialized journals. With internet a much faster medium became available and plenty of websites, mailing lists, Facebook groups, etc., have been created in order to communicate about meteors. Today there is a wealth of meteor data circulating on internet, but the information is very scattered and not directly available to everyone. The authors have been considering how to organize an easy access to the many different meteor related publications. The best solution for the current needs of amateur meteor observers proved to be a dedicated website combined with a PDF journal, both being free available without any subscription fee or registration requirement. The authors decided to start with this project and in March 2016 the website meteornews.org has been created. A first issue of eMeteorNews was prepared in April 2016. The year 2016 will be a test period for this project. The mission statement of this project is: "Minimizing overhead and editorial constraints to assure a swift exchange of information dedicated to all fields of active amateur meteor work."

An Analysis of Website Accessibility in Higher Education in Indonesia Based on WCAG 2.0 Guidelines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arasid, W.; Abdullah, A. G.; Wahyudin, D.; Abdullah, C. U.; Widiaty, I.; Zakaria, D.; Amelia, N.; Juhana, A.

2018-02-01

Website accessibility is a simple way to access a website by everyone so that information on the website can be easily understood. This study aims to improve the accessibility of universities’ website to analyze website accessibility problems based on WCAG 2.0 guidelines. This study analyzed 13 universities’ websites in West Java, Indonesia by using TAW as an evaluation tool. The evaluation results were presented in a graph showing the error rate of each university’s website. The same errors that occurred in almost all websites were: non-text content, info and relationships, page title, link purpose, language of page, on input, labels and instructions, parsing, and name, role, value criteria. This study was expected to provide information to the university and to perform as guidelines for website accessibility improvements.

Why Should I Use University Library Website Resources? Discipline Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Yong-Mi

2011-01-01

Users across academic disciplines utilize different information sources based on the resource's usefulness and relevance. This study's findings show that users from arts and sciences disciplines are much more likely to utilize university library website resources and printed materials than business users who heavily rely on commercial websites.…

Do UK Universities Communicate Their Brands Effectively through Their Websites?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chapleo, Chris; Duran, Maria Victoria Carrillo; Diaz, Ana Castillo

2011-01-01

This paper attempts to explore the effectiveness of UK universities' websites. The area of branding in higher education has received increasing academic investigation, but little work has researched how universities demonstrate their brand promises through their websites. The quest to differentiate through branding can be challenging in the…

Categorizing Health Websites: E-Knowledge, E-Business and E-Professional

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Usher, Wayne; Skinner, James

2011-01-01

This article presents three types of health website categories (e-knowledge, e-business and e-professional) which are currently being used to disseminate health-related information, services and medical literature to the health consumer and professional. Moreover, criteria which have been used to establish a health website's category is…

The Reach and Impact of Direct Marketing via Brand Websites of Moist Snuff.

PubMed

Timberlake, David S; Bruckner, Tim A; Ngo, Vyvian; Nikitin, Dmitriy

2016-04-01

Restricting tobacco marketing is a key element in the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) public health framework for regulating tobacco. Given the dearth of empirical data on direct marketing, the objective of this study was to assess the reach and impact of promotions on sales through snuff websites. Nine brands of snuff, representing more than 90% of market share, were monitored for content of coupons, sweepstakes, contests, and other promotions on their respective websites. Monthly sales data and website traffic for the 9 brands, corresponding to the 48-month period of January 2011 through December 2014, were obtained from proprietary sources. A time-series analysis, based on the autoregressive, integrated, moving average (ARIMA) method, was employed for testing the relationships among sales, website visits, and promotions. Website traffic increased substantially during the promotion periods for most brands. Time-series analyses, however, revealed that promotion periods for 5 of 7 brands did not significantly correlate with monthly snuff sales. The success in attracting tobacco consumers to website promotions demonstrates the marketing reach of snuff manufacturers. This form of direct marketing should be monitored by the FDA given evidence of adolescents' exposure to cigarette brand websites.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender content on reproductive endocrinology and infertility clinic websites.

PubMed

Wu, Harold Y; Yin, Ophelia; Monseur, Brent; Selter, Jessica; Collins, Lillian J; Lau, Brandyn D; Christianson, Mindy S

2017-07-01

To assess geographical distribution and practice characteristics of fertility clinics inclusive of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) patients. Cross-sectional analysis. Not applicable. None. None. Prevalence and geographical distribution of fertility clinic websites with LGBT-specific content, indicated by keywords and home page cues specific to the LGBT patient population. Assessment of relationship between LGBT-specific content and clinic characteristics, including U.S. region, clinic size, private versus academic setting, and state-mandated fertility insurance coverage. Of 379 websites analyzed, 201 (53%) contained LGBT content. Clinics with the highest proportion of LGBT website content were in the Northeast (59/82, 72%) and West (63/96, 66%), while the lowest proportion was in the Midwest (29/74, 39%) and South (50/127, 39%). Most frequently used terms included lesbian (72%), LGBT/LGBTQ (69%), and gay (68%), while less used terms included trans/transgender (32%) and bisexual (15%). Larger clinic size was associated with LGBT-specific website content (odds ratio, 4.42; 95% confidence interval, 2.07-9.67). Practice type and state-mandated fertility insurance coverage were not associated with a clinic website having LGBT content. Over half of Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology member fertility clinics included LGBT content on their websites, yet those in the Midwest and South were significantly less likely to do so. Predictive factors for having LGBT website content included location in northeastern and western regions and increasing clinic size. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether inclusion of LGBT content on clinic websites impacts use of reproductive services by the LGBT patient population. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

WHOLE SYSTEMS, INTEGRATED SITE DESIGN FOR EDUCATION (WISE) WEBSITE: AN INTERACTIVE WEBSITE FOR EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS

EPA Science Inventory

Technical Challenge to Sustainability: Students who engage with their environment develop values that promote sustainability and perform better on standardized tests [1]. While there are many websites that focus on sustainability education and students, there is no in...

Readability of the Patient Education Section of the AOFAS Website.

PubMed

Bluman, Eric M; Foley, Ryan P; Chiodo, Christopher P

2009-04-01

One of the goals of the AOFAS website is to provide easily understandable information about orthopaedic foot and ankle conditions to the public. However, validation of this goal has not been conducted. Evaluation of text reading level is frequently performed using the Flesch-Kincaid formula (FKF). This study evaluated whether the patient information section of the AOFAS website meets recommended readability guidelines for medical information. Seventy-nine publicly accessible entries within the patient education section of the AOFAS website were analyzed for grade level readability using the FKF. Two entries were unable to be effectively evaluated using the FKF. The average grade reading level of all patient education entries was 8.3 (95% CI 7.8 to 8.9). Only 20.8% of entries were at or below a 6th grade reading level. Almost 30% were above the 8th grade level. The average grade levels of the constituent sections were: ;;Ailments and Conditions'', 8.7; ;;Steps to Recovery'', 7.1; ;;Adult Feet'', 8.3; ;;Children's Feet'', 7.5; ;;Foot Health and Fitness'', 7.8; ;;Shoes'', 8.5; and ;;Glossary'', 10.1. The percentage of entries within these sections below a 7th grade reading level were 13%, 30%, 0%, 0%, 43%, 24% and 0%, respectively. The percentage of entries at or below the recommended 6th grade reading level on the AOFAS website compared favorably with other orthopaedic organizations' websites. However, the majority still exceeds a recommended reading level. To enhance the readability of patient education materials, we believe use of computer aided readability assessment tools should be considered in future website revisions.

Update on the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Report 09-12