Personalized Popular Blog Recommender Service for Mobile Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, Pei-Yun; Liu, Duen-Ren

Weblogs have emerged as a new communication and publication medium on the Internet for diffusing the latest useful information. Providing value-added mobile services such as blog articles is increasingly important to attract mobile users to mobile commerce. There are, however, a tremendous number of blog articles, and mobile users generally have difficulty in browsing weblogs. Accordingly, providing mobile users with blog articles that suit their interests is an important issue. Very little research, however, focuses on this issue. In this work, we propose a Customized Content Service on a mobile device (m-CCS) to filter and push blog articles to mobile users. The m-CCS can predict the latest popular blog topics by forecasting the trend of time-sensitive popularity of weblogs. Furthermore, to meet the diversified interest of mobile users, m-CCS further analyzes users’ browsing logs to derive their interests, which are then used to recommend their preferred popular blog topics and articles. The prototype system of m-CCS demonstrates that the system can effectively recommend mobile users desirable blog articles with respect to both popularity and personal interests.

A Survey of Online and Mobile Technology Use at Peer Support Agencies.

PubMed

Aschbrenner, Kelly A; Naslund, John A; Grinley, Thomas; Bienvenida, John Carlo M; Bartels, Stephen J; Brunette, Mary

2018-01-04

Understanding how individuals with mental illness who receive services at peer support agencies use technology can inform the development of online and mobile health interventions tailored for users in these non-traditional mental health settings. The purpose of this study was to assess the use of technology among individuals with mental illness at peer support agencies. A survey delivered within peer support agencies (PSAs) in one state assessed technology use among individuals ages 18 and over with a self-identified mental illness receiving services at these agencies. In total, 195 individuals from 10 PSAs completed the survey. Eighty-two percent of respondents used the internet, with 63% of respondents connected to the internet at the PSAs. Eighty one percent of respondents owned a cell phone, 70% used text messaging, 58% owned smartphones, 61% used mobile applications, and 72% used social media. PSA users under age 55 were significantly more likely to own a smartphone than PSA users age 55 and older. Among internet users, 71% had searched for health information online and 57% had searched for mental health information online. Many individuals who receive services at PSAs have access to online and mobile technologies. These technologies may be leveraged to expand the reach of evidence-based health and mental health programs to individuals in these non-traditional mental health settings. Future research should explore the feasibility of intervention strategies that involve PSAs as a resource for linking people with mental illness to online and mobile support for their health and wellness goals.

Practical Issues of Wireless Mobile Devices Usage with Downlink Optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krejcar, Ondrej; Janckulik, Dalibor; Motalova, Leona

Mobile device makers produce tens of new complex mobile devices per year to put users a special mobile device with a possibility to do anything, anywhere, anytime. These devices can operate full scale applications with nearly the same comfort as their desktop equivalents only with several limitations. One of such limitation is insufficient download on wireless connectivity in case of the large multimedia files. Main area of paper is in a possibilities description of solving this problem as well as the test of several new mobile devices along with server interface tests and common software descriptions. New devices have a full scale of wireless connectivity which can be used not only to communication with outer land. Several such possibilities of use are described. Mobile users will have also an online connection to internet all time powered on. Internet is mainly the web pages but the web services use is still accelerate up. The paper deal also with a possibility of maximum user amounts to have a connection at same time to current server type. At last the new kind of database access - Linq technology is compare to ADO.NET in response time meaning.

Development and Assessment of Mobile Device Support for Certification Exam Preparation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moh, Chiou

2013-01-01

Technological innovation in mobile devices has upgraded the potential uses of the devices for living and learning. Mobile learning provides opportunities for mobile users to learn at any time in any location. A certification that confirms computing and Internet technology skills and knowledge provides more opportunities to students in higher…

Technology Acceptance Model for Wireless Internet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lu, June; Yu, Chun-Sheng; Liu, Chang; Yao, James E.

2003-01-01

Develops a technology acceptance model (TAM) for wireless Internet via mobile devices (WIMD) and proposes that constructs, such as individual differences, technology complexity, facilitating conditions, social influences, and wireless trust environment determine user-perceived short and long-term usefulness, and ease of using WIMD. Twelve…

Beyond Social Media: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Other Internet and Mobile Phone Applications in a Community Psychiatry Population.

PubMed

Colder Carras, Michelle; Mojtabai, Ramin; Cullen, Bernadette

2018-03-01

Popular media applications have been shown to benefit people with severe mental illness by facilitating communication and social support, helping patients cope with or manage symptoms, and providing a way to monitor or predict mental health states. Although many studies of technology use by individuals with severe mental illness have focused primarily on use of social media, this study provides additional information about use of Internet applications such as blogs, wikis (websites that allow collaborative editing of content and structure by users), video games, and Skype by a community psychiatry population. All English-speaking patients attending an outpatient program during a 4-week period in 2011 (N=274) were surveyed about their technology use and demographic information; 189 patients provided demographic data and comprised the sample. Among Internet users (n=112), rates of use of message boards, wikis, Skype, role-playing games, and blogs ranged from 26.8% to 34.8%. Among mobile phone users (n=162), 41.4% used their phones to access the Internet and 25.3% used Twitter on their phones. In multivariate analysis, patients who had attended or completed college had much greater odds of accessing the Internet on mobile phones. Older patients were much less likely to access the Internet or use Twitter. Our findings indicate that use of several popular forms of media is not uncommon in a community psychiatry population, but that rates of use differ on the basis of age and education. As the digital divide between people with severe mental illness and the general population is lessening, further research is needed to determine how to best leverage various types of media to support mental health recovery and complement clinical care.

The Need to Address Mobile Device Security in the Higher Education IT Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patten, Karen P.; Harris, Mark A.

2013-01-01

Mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, enable users to access corporate data from anywhere. In 2013, people will purchase 1.2 billion mobile devices, surpassing personal computers as the most common method for accessing the Internet. However, security of these mobile devices is a major concern for organizations. The two leading…

Sustains--direct access for the patient to the medical record over the Internet.

PubMed

Eklund, Benny; Joustra-Enquist, Ingrid

2004-01-01

The basic idea of Sustains III is to emulate the Internet banking for Health Care. Instead of an "Internet Bank Account" the user has a "Health Care Account". The user logs in using a One Time Password which is sent to the user's mobile phone as an SMS, three seconds after the PIN code is entered. Thus personal information can be transferred both ways in a secure way, with acceptable privacy. The user can then explore the medical record in detail. Also get full and complete list of prescriptions, lab-result etc. It's also an easy way of exchange written information between the doctor and the patient. So far Sustains has showed that patients are very satisfied and is also beneficial for the physicians.

Back from the beach but hanging on the telephone? English adolescents' attitudes and experiences of mobile phones and the internet.

PubMed

Madell, Dominic; Muncer, Steven

2004-06-01

Recently, a number of commentators have suggested that growth in use of the Internet may be slowing, and its impact may have been exaggerated. However, a disproportionate number of the nonusers tend to be those over the age of 50, and the young are most likely to go online eventually. Therefore, the most appropriate people to survey with regard to Internet use are adolescents and young adults who are likely to be the Internet users or nonusers of the future. This survey was conducted to find out more about the activities and opinions of secondary-school aged children who do, and do not, use the Internet. Mobile phone use was also examined in this survey as this has also shown a meteoric rise in adults and more particularly in young people. Generally, the survey revealed that children aged between 11 and 16 years old are quite comfortable with the Internet, use it a moderate amount and for a variety of purposes. However, boys were more likely to use the Internet than girls and sometimes for slightly different purposes. Reasons for not using the Internet generally revolved around a lack of access to equipment. Furthermore, a higher percentage of adolescents have mobile phones than adults and girls are more likely to own a mobile phone than boys. Mobile phones were also used for a variety of purposes, most notably making and receiving calls and text-messaging. The most common reasons for children not owning a mobile phone was because they had no need for one. Finally, a significant positive relationship between the use of emails and text messaging suggests that the mobile phone may supplement some of the previous functions of the Internet.

The SHIP: A SIP to HTTP Interaction Protocol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeiß, Joachim; Gabner, Rene; Bessler, Sandford; Happenhofer, Marco

IMS is capable of providing a wide range of services. As a result, terminal software becomes more and more complex to deliver network intelligence to user applications. Currently mobile terminal software needs to be permanently updated so that the latest network services and functionality can be delivered to the user. In the Internet, browser based user interfaces assure that an interface is made available to the user which offers the latest services in the net immediately. Our approach combines the benefits of the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and those of the HTTP protocol to bring the same type of user interfacing to IMS. SIP (IMS) realizes authentication, session management, charging and Quality of Service (QoS), HTTP provides access to Internet services and allows the user interface of an application to run on a mobile terminal while processing and orchestration is done on the server. A SHIP enabled IMS client only needs to handle data transport and session management via SIP, HTTP and RTP and render streaming media, HTML and Javascript. SHIP allows new kinds of applications, which combine audio, video and data within a single multimedia session.

Internet of Things

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ritz, John; Knaack, Zane

2017-01-01

In the 21st century, electronic connectivity is a major component of everyday life. One expects to have mobile phone coverage and to have access to log a computer or tablet onto the internet. This connectivity enables users to keep track of personal affairs and conduct work from remote locations. Designers and manufacturers are also connecting…

Developing and validating an instrument for measuring mobile computing self-efficacy.

PubMed

Wang, Yi-Shun; Wang, Hsiu-Yuan

2008-08-01

IT-related self-efficacy has been found to have a critical influence on system use. However, traditional measures of computer self-efficacy and Internet-related self-efficacy are perceived to be inapplicable in the context of mobile computing and commerce because they are targeted primarily at either desktop computer or wire-based technology contexts. Based on previous research, this study develops and validates a multidimensional instrument for measuring mobile computing self-efficacy (MCSE). This empirically validated instrument will be useful to researchers in developing and testing the theories of mobile user behavior, and to practitioners in assessing the mobile computing self-efficacy of users and promoting the use of mobile commerce systems.

Mobile access to the Internet: from personal bubble to satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerla, Mario

2001-10-01

Mobile, wireless access and networking has emerged in the last few years as one of the most important directions of Internet growth. The popularity of mobile, and, more generally, nomadic Internet access is due to many enabling factors including: (a) emergence of meaningful applications tailored to the individual on the move; (b) small form factor and long battery life; (c) efficient middleware designed to support mobility; and, (d) efficient wireless networking technologies. A key player in the mobile Internet access is the nomad, i.e. the individual equipped with various computing and I/O gadgets (cellular phone, earphones, GPS navigator, palm pilot, beeper, portable scanner, digital camera, etc.). These devices form his/her Personal Area Network or PAN or personal bubble. The connectivity within the bubble is wireless (using for example a low cost, low power wireless LAN such as Bluetooth). The bubble can expand and contract dynamically depending on needs. It may temporarily include sensors and actuators as the nomad walks into a new environment. In this paper, we identify the need for the interconnection of the PAN with other wireless networks in order to achieve costeffective mobile access to the Internet. We will overview some key networking technologies required to support the PAN (eg, Bluetooth). We will also discuss an emerging technology, Ad Hoc wireless networking which is the natural complement of the PAN in sparsely populated areas. Finally, we will identify the need for intelligent routers to assist the mobile user in the selection of the best Internet access strategy.

Predicting hospital visits from geo-tagged Internet search logs.

PubMed

Agarwal, Vibhu; Han, Lichy; Madan, Isaac; Saluja, Shaurya; Shidham, Aaditya; Shah, Nigam H

2016-01-01

The steady rise in healthcare costs has deprived over 45 million Americans of healthcare services (1, 2) and has encouraged healthcare providers to look for opportunities to improve their operational efficiency. Prior studies have shown that evidence of healthcare seeking intent in Internet searches correlates well with healthcare resource utilization. Given the ubiquitous nature of mobile Internet search, we hypothesized that analyzing geo-tagged mobile search logs could enable us to machine-learn predictors of future patient visits. Using a de-identified dataset of geo-tagged mobile Internet search logs, we mined text and location patterns that are predictors of healthcare resource utilization and built statistical models that predict the probability of a user's future visit to a medical facility. Our efforts will enable the development of innovative methods for modeling and optimizing the use of healthcare resources-a crucial prerequisite for securing healthcare access for everyone in the days to come.

A Quantitative Examination of User Experience as an Antecedent to Student Perception in Technology Acceptance Modeling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butler, Rory

2013-01-01

Internet-enabled mobile devices have increased the accessibility of learning content for students. Given the ubiquitous nature of mobile computing technology, a thorough understanding of the acceptance factors that impact a learner's intention to use mobile technology as an augment to their studies is warranted. Student acceptance of mobile…

Mobilizing Compatriots: Russia’s Strategy, Tactics, and Influence in the Former Soviet Union

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-11-01

troll army.102 Another report indicates that at one “troll factory” in St. Petersburg, employees receive over $500 a month to pose as internet users ...internet companies operating webpages within Russia must house their user data so that those data are available to Russian security services.109...social media: Pavel Durov, the CEO of VKontakte , a Russian version of Facebook, was “elbowed” out of the company and fled to the Caribbean. VKontakte

[Design of Smart Care Tele-Monitoring System for Mother and Fetus].

PubMed

Xi, Haiyan; Gan, Guanghui; Zhang, Huilian; Chen, Chaomin

2015-03-01

To study and design a maternal and fetal monitoring system based on the cloud computing and internet of things, which can monitor and take smart care of the mother and fetus in 24 h. Using a new kind of wireless fetal monitoring detector and a mobile phone, thus the doctor can keep touch with hospital through internet. The mobile terminal was developed on the Android system, which accepted the data of fetal heart rate and uterine contraction transmitted from the wireless detector, exchange information with the server and display the monitoring data and the doctor's advice in real-time. The mobile phone displayed the fetal heart rate line and uterine contraction line in real-time, recorded the fetus' grow process. It implemented the real-time communication between the doctor and the user, through wireless communication technology. The system removes the constraint of traditional telephone cable for users, while the users can get remote monitoring from the medical institutions at home or in the nearest community at any time, providing health and safety guarantee for mother and fetus.

Capturing and analyzing wheelchair maneuvering patterns with mobile cloud computing.

PubMed

Fu, Jicheng; Hao, Wei; White, Travis; Yan, Yuqing; Jones, Maria; Jan, Yih-Kuen

2013-01-01

Power wheelchairs have been widely used to provide independent mobility to people with disabilities. Despite great advancements in power wheelchair technology, research shows that wheelchair related accidents occur frequently. To ensure safe maneuverability, capturing wheelchair maneuvering patterns is fundamental to enable other research, such as safe robotic assistance for wheelchair users. In this study, we propose to record, store, and analyze wheelchair maneuvering data by means of mobile cloud computing. Specifically, the accelerometer and gyroscope sensors in smart phones are used to record wheelchair maneuvering data in real-time. Then, the recorded data are periodically transmitted to the cloud for storage and analysis. The analyzed results are then made available to various types of users, such as mobile phone users, traditional desktop users, etc. The combination of mobile computing and cloud computing leverages the advantages of both techniques and extends the smart phone's capabilities of computing and data storage via the Internet. We performed a case study to implement the mobile cloud computing framework using Android smart phones and Google App Engine, a popular cloud computing platform. Experimental results demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed mobile cloud computing framework.

A Location-Based Interactive Model of Internet of Things and Cloud (IoT-Cloud) for Mobile Cloud Computing Applications.

PubMed

Dinh, Thanh; Kim, Younghan; Lee, Hyukjoon

2017-03-01

This paper presents a location-based interactive model of Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud integration (IoT-cloud) for mobile cloud computing applications, in comparison with the periodic sensing model. In the latter, sensing collections are performed without awareness of sensing demands. Sensors are required to report their sensing data periodically regardless of whether or not there are demands for their sensing services. This leads to unnecessary energy loss due to redundant transmission. In the proposed model, IoT-cloud provides sensing services on demand based on interest and location of mobile users. By taking advantages of the cloud as a coordinator, sensing scheduling of sensors is controlled by the cloud, which knows when and where mobile users request for sensing services. Therefore, when there is no demand, sensors are put into an inactive mode to save energy. Through extensive analysis and experimental results, we show that the location-based model achieves a significant improvement in terms of network lifetime compared to the periodic model.

A Location-Based Interactive Model of Internet of Things and Cloud (IoT-Cloud) for Mobile Cloud Computing Applications †

PubMed Central

Dinh, Thanh; Kim, Younghan; Lee, Hyukjoon

2017-01-01

This paper presents a location-based interactive model of Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud integration (IoT-cloud) for mobile cloud computing applications, in comparison with the periodic sensing model. In the latter, sensing collections are performed without awareness of sensing demands. Sensors are required to report their sensing data periodically regardless of whether or not there are demands for their sensing services. This leads to unnecessary energy loss due to redundant transmission. In the proposed model, IoT-cloud provides sensing services on demand based on interest and location of mobile users. By taking advantages of the cloud as a coordinator, sensing scheduling of sensors is controlled by the cloud, which knows when and where mobile users request for sensing services. Therefore, when there is no demand, sensors are put into an inactive mode to save energy. Through extensive analysis and experimental results, we show that the location-based model achieves a significant improvement in terms of network lifetime compared to the periodic model. PMID:28257067

Distinct patterns of Internet and smartphone-related problems among adolescents by gender: Latent class analysis.

PubMed

Lee, Seung-Yup; Lee, Donghwan; Nam, Cho Rong; Kim, Da Yea; Park, Sera; Kwon, Jun-Gun; Kweon, Yong-Sil; Lee, Youngjo; Kim, Dai Jin; Choi, Jung-Seok

2018-05-23

Background and objectives The ubiquitous Internet connections by smartphones weakened the traditional boundaries between computers and mobile phones. We sought to explore whether smartphone-related problems differ from those of computer use according to gender using latent class analysis (LCA). Methods After informed consents, 555 Korean middle-school students completed surveys on gaming, Internet use, and smartphone usage patterns. They also completed various psychosocial instruments. LCA was performed for the whole group and by gender. In addition to ANOVA and χ 2 tests, post-hoc tests were conducted to examine differences among the LCA subgroups. Results In the whole group (n = 555), four subtypes were identified: dual-problem users (49.5%), problematic Internet users (7.7%), problematic smartphone users (32.1%), and "healthy" users (10.6%). Dual-problem users scored highest for addictive behaviors and other psychopathologies. The gender-stratified LCA revealed three subtypes for each gender. With dual-problem and healthy subgroup as common, problematic Internet subgroup was classified in the males, whereas problematic smartphone subgroup was classified in the females in the gender-stratified LCA. Thus, distinct patterns were observed according to gender with higher proportion of dual-problem present in males. While gaming was associated with problematic Internet use in males, aggression and impulsivity demonstrated associations with problematic smartphone use in females. Conclusions An increase in the number of digital media-related problems was associated with worse outcomes in various psychosocial scales. Gaming may play a crucial role in males solely displaying Internet-related problems. The heightened impulsivity and aggression seen in our female problematic smartphone users requires further research.

A Network Coverage Information-Based Sensor Registry System for IoT Environments.

PubMed

Jung, Hyunjun; Jeong, Dongwon; Lee, Sukhoon; On, Byung-Won; Baik, Doo-Kwon

2016-07-25

The Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to provide better services through the interaction of physical objects via the Internet. However, its limitations cause an interoperability problem when the sensed data are exchanged between the sensor nodes in wireless sensor networks (WSNs), which constitute the core infrastructure of the IoT. To address this problem, a Sensor Registry System (SRS) is used. By using a SRS, the information of the heterogeneous sensed data remains pure. If users move along a road, their mobile devices predict their next positions and obtain the sensed data for that position from the SRS. If the WSNs in the location in which the users move are unstable, the sensed data will be lost. Consider a situation where the user passes through dangerous areas. If the user's mobile device cannot receive information, they cannot be warned about the dangerous situation. To avoid this, two novel SRSs that use network coverage information have been proposed: one uses OpenSignal and the other uses the probabilistic distribution of the users accessing SRS. The empirical study showed that the proposed method can seamlessly provide services related to sensing data under any abnormal circumstance.

Online, social media and mobile technologies for psychosis treatment: a systematic review on novel user-led interventions.

PubMed

Alvarez-Jimenez, M; Alcazar-Corcoles, M A; González-Blanch, C; Bendall, S; McGorry, P D; Gleeson, J F

2014-06-01

Internet and mobile-based interventions provide a unique opportunity to deliver cost-effective, accessible, time-unlimited support to people with psychosis. The aims of this study were to systematically compile and analyze the evidence on the acceptability, feasibility, safety and benefits of online and mobile-based interventions for psychosis. Systematic review of peer-reviewed studies examining the usability, acceptability, feasibility, safety or efficacy of user-led, Internet or mobile-based interventions, with at least 80% of participants diagnosed with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. Of 38 potentially relevant articles, 12 were eligible for inclusion. Interventions included web-based psycho-education; web-based psycho-education plus moderated forums for patients and supporters; integrated web-based therapy, social networking and peer and expert moderation; web-based CBT; personalized advice based on clinical monitoring; and text messaging interventions. Results showed that 74-86% of patients used the web-based interventions efficiently, 75-92% perceived them as positive and useful, and 70-86% completed or were engaged with the interventions over the follow-up. Preliminary evidence indicated that online and mobile-based interventions show promise in improving positive psychotic symptoms, hospital admissions, socialization, social connectedness, depression and medication adherence. Internet and mobile-based interventions for psychosis seem to be acceptable and feasible and have the potential to improve clinical and social outcomes. The heterogeneity, poor quality and early state of current research precludes any definite conclusions. Future research should investigate the efficacy of online and mobile interventions through controlled, well-powered studies, which investigate intervention and patient factors associated with take-up and intervention effects. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thessaloniki's City Guide: a Tourist Site for Handheld Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Theodorou, Niki

Mobile browsing is expected to become very popular during the next decade. Users will connect to the Internet and use a mobile browser as an every day tool, usually as a part of their mobile telephone. Many services that would be relevant for mobile use are location or time dependent such as: tourist information; maps; and train timetables. This paper describes step by step the production of the mobile tourist site of the city of Thessaloniki Greece. In the paper both the marketing strategies and the mobile site development techniques are included.

Implementation of an Embedded Web Server Application for Wireless Control of Brain Computer Interface Based Home Environments.

PubMed

Aydın, Eda Akman; Bay, Ömer Faruk; Güler, İnan

2016-01-01

Brain Computer Interface (BCI) based environment control systems could facilitate life of people with neuromuscular diseases, reduces dependence on their caregivers, and improves their quality of life. As well as easy usage, low-cost, and robust system performance, mobility is an important functionality expected from a practical BCI system in real life. In this study, in order to enhance users' mobility, we propose internet based wireless communication between BCI system and home environment. We designed and implemented a prototype of an embedded low-cost, low power, easy to use web server which is employed in internet based wireless control of a BCI based home environment. The embedded web server provides remote access to the environmental control module through BCI and web interfaces. While the proposed system offers to BCI users enhanced mobility, it also provides remote control of the home environment by caregivers as well as the individuals in initial stages of neuromuscular disease. The input of BCI system is P300 potentials. We used Region Based Paradigm (RBP) as stimulus interface. Performance of the BCI system is evaluated on data recorded from 8 non-disabled subjects. The experimental results indicate that the proposed web server enables internet based wireless control of electrical home appliances successfully through BCIs.

Interaction Problems Accessing E-Learning Environments in Multi-Touch Mobile Devices: A Case Study in TelEduc

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

da Silva, André Constantino; Freire, Fernanda Maria Pereira; de Arruda, Alan Victor Pereira; da Rocha, Heloísa Vieira

2013-01-01

e-Learning environments offer content, such text, audio, video, animations, using the Web infrastructure and they are designed to users interacting with keyboard, mouse and a medium-sized screen. Mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, have enough computation power to render Web pages, allowing browsing the Internet and access e-Learning…

Architecture and Protocol of a Semantic System Designed for Video Tagging with Sensor Data in Mobile Devices

PubMed Central

Macias, Elsa; Lloret, Jaime; Suarez, Alvaro; Garcia, Miguel

2012-01-01

Current mobile phones come with several sensors and powerful video cameras. These video cameras can be used to capture good quality scenes, which can be complemented with the information gathered by the sensors also embedded in the phones. For example, the surroundings of a beach recorded by the camera of the mobile phone, jointly with the temperature of the site can let users know via the Internet if the weather is nice enough to swim. In this paper, we present a system that tags the video frames of the video recorded from mobile phones with the data collected by the embedded sensors. The tagged video is uploaded to a video server, which is placed on the Internet and is accessible by any user. The proposed system uses a semantic approach with the stored information in order to make easy and efficient video searches. Our experimental results show that it is possible to tag video frames in real time and send the tagged video to the server with very low packet delay variations. As far as we know there is not any other application developed as the one presented in this paper. PMID:22438753

Architecture and protocol of a semantic system designed for video tagging with sensor data in mobile devices.

PubMed

Macias, Elsa; Lloret, Jaime; Suarez, Alvaro; Garcia, Miguel

2012-01-01

Current mobile phones come with several sensors and powerful video cameras. These video cameras can be used to capture good quality scenes, which can be complemented with the information gathered by the sensors also embedded in the phones. For example, the surroundings of a beach recorded by the camera of the mobile phone, jointly with the temperature of the site can let users know via the Internet if the weather is nice enough to swim. In this paper, we present a system that tags the video frames of the video recorded from mobile phones with the data collected by the embedded sensors. The tagged video is uploaded to a video server, which is placed on the Internet and is accessible by any user. The proposed system uses a semantic approach with the stored information in order to make easy and efficient video searches. Our experimental results show that it is possible to tag video frames in real time and send the tagged video to the server with very low packet delay variations. As far as we know there is not any other application developed as the one presented in this paper.

Social network based dynamic transit service through the OMITS system.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-02-01

The Open Mode Integrated Transportation System (OMITS) forms a sustainable information infrastructure for communication within and between the mobile/Internet network, the roadway : network, and the users social network. It manipulates the speed g...

A Network Coverage Information-Based Sensor Registry System for IoT Environments

PubMed Central

Jung, Hyunjun; Jeong, Dongwon; Lee, Sukhoon; On, Byung-Won; Baik, Doo-Kwon

2016-01-01

The Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to provide better services through the interaction of physical objects via the Internet. However, its limitations cause an interoperability problem when the sensed data are exchanged between the sensor nodes in wireless sensor networks (WSNs), which constitute the core infrastructure of the IoT. To address this problem, a Sensor Registry System (SRS) is used. By using a SRS, the information of the heterogeneous sensed data remains pure. If users move along a road, their mobile devices predict their next positions and obtain the sensed data for that position from the SRS. If the WSNs in the location in which the users move are unstable, the sensed data will be lost. Consider a situation where the user passes through dangerous areas. If the user’s mobile device cannot receive information, they cannot be warned about the dangerous situation. To avoid this, two novel SRSs that use network coverage information have been proposed: one uses OpenSignal and the other uses the probabilistic distribution of the users accessing SRS. The empirical study showed that the proposed method can seamlessly provide services related to sensing data under any abnormal circumstance. PMID:27463717

Computer-assisted visual interactive recognition and its prospects of implementation over the Internet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, Jie; Gattani, Abhishek

2005-01-01

When completely automated systems don't yield acceptable accuracy, many practical pattern recognition systems involve the human either at the beginning (pre-processing) or towards the end (handling rejects). We believe that it may be more useful to involve the human throughout the recognition process rather than just at the beginning or end. We describe a methodology of interactive visual recognition for human-centered low-throughput applications, Computer Assisted Visual InterActive Recognition (CAVIAR), and discuss the prospects of implementing CAVIAR over the Internet. The novelty of CAVIAR is image-based interaction through a domain-specific parameterized geometrical model, which reduces the semantic gap between humans and computers. The user may interact with the computer anytime that she considers its response unsatisfactory. The interaction improves the accuracy of the classification features by improving the fit of the computer-proposed model. The computer makes subsequent use of the parameters of the improved model to refine not only its own statistical model-fitting process, but also its internal classifier. The CAVIAR methodology was applied to implement a flower recognition system. The principal conclusions from the evaluation of the system include: 1) the average recognition time of the CAVIAR system is significantly shorter than that of the unaided human; 2) its accuracy is significantly higher than that of the unaided machine; 3) it can be initialized with as few as one training sample per class and still achieve high accuracy; and 4) it demonstrates a self-learning ability. We have also implemented a Mobile CAVIAR system, where a pocket PC, as a client, connects to a server through wireless communication. The motivation behind a mobile platform for CAVIAR is to apply the methodology in a human-centered pervasive environment, where the user can seamlessly interact with the system for classifying field-data. Deploying CAVIAR to a networked mobile platform poses the challenge of classifying field images and programming under constraints of display size, network bandwidth, processor speed, and memory size. Editing of the computer-proposed model is performed on the handheld while statistical model fitting and classification take place on the server. The possibility that the user can easily take several photos of the object poses an interesting information fusion problem. The advantage of the Internet is that the patterns identified by different users can be pooled together to benefit all peer users. When users identify patterns with CAVIAR in a networked setting, they also collect training samples and provide opportunities for machine learning from their intervention. CAVIAR implemented over the Internet provides a perfect test bed for, and extends, the concept of Open Mind Initiative proposed by David Stork. Our experimental evaluation focuses on human time, machine and human accuracy, and machine learning. We devoted much effort to evaluating the use of our image-based user interface and on developing principles for the evaluation of interactive pattern recognition system. The Internet architecture and Mobile CAVIAR methodology have many applications. We are exploring in the directions of teledermatology, face recognition, and education.

Generic Module for Collecting Data in Smart Cities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez, A.; Ramirez, F.; Estrada, H.; Torres, L. A.

2017-09-01

The Future Internet brings new technologies to the common life of people, such as Internet of Things, Cloud Computing or Big Data. All this technologies have change the way people communicate and also the way the devices interact with the context, giving rise to new paradigms, as the case of smart cities. Currently, the mobile devices represent one of main sources of information for new applications that take into account the user context, such as apps for mobility, health, of security. Several platforms have been proposed that consider the development of Future Internet applications, however, no generic modules can be found that implement the collection of context data from smartphones. In this research work we present a generic module to collect data from different sensors of the mobile devices and also to send, in a standard manner, this data to the Open FIWARE Cloud to be stored or analyzed by software tools. The proposed module enables the human-as-a-sensor approach for FIWARE Platform.

Social Moderation and Dynamic Elements in Crowdsourced Geospatial Data: A Report on Quality Assessment, Dynamic Extensions and Mobile Device Engagement in the George Mason University Geocrowdsourcing Testbed

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-11-01

GMU) Associate Professor Dieter Pfoser describes an explosion of user generated content (UGC) available over the Internet (Pfoser 2011, Crooks et al...Crowdsourced and User - Generated Geospatial Data,” Annual (Fairfax, VA: George Mason University, November 29, 2012), http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2...area include GPS-enabled geosocial and 34 Dieter Pfoser, “On User - Generated

Information and communication technology and community-based health sciences training in Uganda: perceptions and experiences of educators and students.

PubMed

Chang, Larry W; Mwanika, Andrew; Kaye, Dan; Muhwezi, Wilson W; Nabirye, Rose C; Mbalinda, Scovia; Okullo, Isaac; Kennedy, Caitlin E; Groves, Sara; Sisson, Stephen D; Burnham, Gilbert; Bollinger, Robert C

2012-01-01

Information and communication technology (ICT) has been advocated as a powerful tool for improving health education in low-resource settings. However, few evaluations have been performed of ICT perceptions and user experiences in low-resource settings. During late 2009, an internet-based survey on ICT was administered to students, tutors, and faculty members associated with a Community-Based Education and Service (COBES) program in Uganda. 255 surveys were completed. Response rates varied (students, 188/684, 27.5%; tutors, 14/27, 51.9%; faculty, 53/335, 15.8%). Most respondents owned mobile phones (98%). Students were less likely (p < 0.001) to own laptops (25%) compared to tutors (71%) and faculty (85%). Internet access at rural sites was uncommon; mobile phone coverage was almost universally present. Laptop ownership and internet and mobile phone access was not associated with high valuation of students' COBES experiences. Free text responses found that respondents valued ICT access for research, learning, and communication purposes. In summary, ICT penetration in this population is primarily manifest by extensive mobile phone ownership. Internet access in rural educational sites is still lacking, but students and educators appear eager to utilize this resource if availability improves. ICT may offer a unique opportunity to improve the quality of teaching and learning for COBES participants.

Personal Portable Devices in the Light of the Internet of Things.

PubMed

Lhotska, Lenka; Stechova, Katerina; Pharow, Peter

2017-01-01

Personal portable devices have already gained their position in health services. However, mobile technologies and Internet of Things open new areas of applications. The possibility to collect many data types continuously over long time intervals brings various questions that must be answered in the design process. We also discuss briefly the role of the user. We illustrate the complexity of the field by a case study of diabetes management.

Social capital and Internet use in an age-comparative perspective with a focus on later life.

PubMed

Barbosa Neves, Barbara; Fonseca, Jaime R S; Amaro, Fausto; Pasqualotti, Adriano

2018-01-01

Older adults (aged 65+) are still less likely to adopt the Internet when compared to other age groups, although their usage is increasing. To explore the societal effects of Internet usage, scholars have been using social capital as an analytical tool. Social capital pertains to the resources that are potentially available in one's social ties. As the Internet becomes a prominent source of information, communication, and participation in industrialized countries, it is critical to study how it affects social resources from an age-comparative perspective. Research has found a positive association between Internet use and social capital, though limited attention has been paid to older adults. Studies have also found a positive association between social capital and wellbeing, health, sociability, and social support amongst older adults. However, little is known about how Internet usage or lack thereof relates to their social capital. To address this gap, we used a mixed-methods approach to examine the relationship between Internet usage and social capital and whether and how it differs by age. For this, we surveyed a representative sample of 417 adults (18+) living in Lisbon, Portugal, of which 118 are older adults. Social capital was measured through bonding, bridging, and specific resources, and analyzed with Latent Class Modeling and logistic regressions. Internet usage was measured through frequency and type of use. Fourteen follow-up semi-structured interviews helped contextualize the survey data. Our findings show that social capital decreased with age but varied for each type of Internet user. Older adults were less likely to have a high level of social capital; yet within this age group, frequent Internet users had higher levels than other users and non-users. On the one hand, the Internet seems to help maintain, accrue, and even mobilize social capital. On the other hand, it also seems to reinforce social inequality and accumulated advantage (known as the Matthew effect).

Social capital and Internet use in an age-comparative perspective with a focus on later life

PubMed Central

Amaro, Fausto; Pasqualotti, Adriano

2018-01-01

Older adults (aged 65+) are still less likely to adopt the Internet when compared to other age groups, although their usage is increasing. To explore the societal effects of Internet usage, scholars have been using social capital as an analytical tool. Social capital pertains to the resources that are potentially available in one’s social ties. As the Internet becomes a prominent source of information, communication, and participation in industrialized countries, it is critical to study how it affects social resources from an age-comparative perspective. Research has found a positive association between Internet use and social capital, though limited attention has been paid to older adults. Studies have also found a positive association between social capital and wellbeing, health, sociability, and social support amongst older adults. However, little is known about how Internet usage or lack thereof relates to their social capital. To address this gap, we used a mixed-methods approach to examine the relationship between Internet usage and social capital and whether and how it differs by age. For this, we surveyed a representative sample of 417 adults (18+) living in Lisbon, Portugal, of which 118 are older adults. Social capital was measured through bonding, bridging, and specific resources, and analyzed with Latent Class Modeling and logistic regressions. Internet usage was measured through frequency and type of use. Fourteen follow-up semi-structured interviews helped contextualize the survey data. Our findings show that social capital decreased with age but varied for each type of Internet user. Older adults were less likely to have a high level of social capital; yet within this age group, frequent Internet users had higher levels than other users and non-users. On the one hand, the Internet seems to help maintain, accrue, and even mobilize social capital. On the other hand, it also seems to reinforce social inequality and accumulated advantage (known as the Matthew effect). PMID:29481556

TOKEN: Trustable Keystroke-Based Authentication for Web-Based Applications on Smartphones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nauman, Mohammad; Ali, Tamleek

Smartphones are increasingly being used to store personal information as well as to access sensitive data from the Internet and the cloud. Establishment of the identity of a user requesting information from smartphones is a prerequisite for secure systems in such scenarios. In the past, keystroke-based user identification has been successfully deployed on production-level mobile devices to mitigate the risks associated with naïve username/password based authentication. However, these approaches have two major limitations: they are not applicable to services where authentication occurs outside the domain of the mobile device - such as web-based services; and they often overly tax the limited computational capabilities of mobile devices. In this paper, we propose a protocol for keystroke dynamics analysis which allows web-based applications to make use of remote attestation and delegated keystroke analysis. The end result is an efficient keystroke-based user identification mechanism that strengthens traditional password protected services while mitigating the risks of user profiling by collaborating malicious web services.

Mobility-Aware Caching and Computation Offloading in 5G Ultra-Dense Cellular Networks.

PubMed

Chen, Min; Hao, Yixue; Qiu, Meikang; Song, Jeungeun; Wu, Di; Humar, Iztok

2016-06-25

Recent trends show that Internet traffic is increasingly dominated by content, which is accompanied by the exponential growth of traffic. To cope with this phenomena, network caching is introduced to utilize the storage capacity of diverse network devices. In this paper, we first summarize four basic caching placement strategies, i.e., local caching, Device-to-Device (D2D) caching, Small cell Base Station (SBS) caching and Macrocell Base Station (MBS) caching. However, studies show that so far, much of the research has ignored the impact of user mobility. Therefore, taking the effect of the user mobility into consideration, we proposes a joint mobility-aware caching and SBS density placement scheme (MS caching). In addition, differences and relationships between caching and computation offloading are discussed. We present a design of a hybrid computation offloading and support it with experimental results, which demonstrate improved performance in terms of energy cost. Finally, we discuss the design of an incentive mechanism by considering network dynamics, differentiated user's quality of experience (QoE) and the heterogeneity of mobile terminals in terms of caching and computing capabilities.

A Crowdsensing Based Analytical Framework for Perceptional Degradation of OTT Web Browsing.

PubMed

Li, Ke; Wang, Hai; Xu, Xiaolong; Du, Yu; Liu, Yuansheng; Ahmad, M Omair

2018-05-15

Service perception analysis is crucial for understanding both user experiences and network quality as well as for maintaining and optimizing of mobile networks. Given the rapid development of mobile Internet and over-the-top (OTT) services, the conventional network-centric mode of network operation and maintenance is no longer effective. Therefore, developing an approach to evaluate and optimizing users' service perceptions has become increasingly important. Meanwhile, the development of a new sensing paradigm, mobile crowdsensing (MCS), makes it possible to evaluate and analyze the user's OTT service perception from end-user's point of view other than from the network side. In this paper, the key factors that impact users' end-to-end OTT web browsing service perception are analyzed by monitoring crowdsourced user perceptions. The intrinsic relationships among the key factors and the interactions between key quality indicators (KQI) are evaluated from several perspectives. Moreover, an analytical framework of perceptional degradation and a detailed algorithm are proposed whose goal is to identify the major factors that impact the perceptional degradation of web browsing service as well as their significance of contribution. Finally, a case study is presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed method using a dataset crowdsensed from a large number of smartphone users in a real mobile network. The proposed analytical framework forms a valuable solution for mobile network maintenance and optimization and can help improve web browsing service perception and network quality.

Why are health care interventions delivered over the internet? A systematic review of the published literature.

PubMed

Griffiths, Frances; Lindenmeyer, Antje; Powell, John; Lowe, Pam; Thorogood, Margaret

2006-06-23

As Internet use grows, health interventions are increasingly being delivered online. Pioneering researchers are using the networking potential of the Internet, and several of them have evaluated these interventions. The objective was to review the reasons why health interventions have been delivered on the Internet and to reflect on the work of the pioneers in this field in order to inform future research. We conducted a qualitative systematic review of peer-reviewed evaluations of health interventions delivered to a known client/patient group using networked features of the Internet. Papers were reviewed for the reasons given for using the Internet, and these reasons were categorized. We included studies evaluating 28 interventions plus 9 interventions that were evaluated in pilot studies. The interventions were aimed at a range of health conditions. Reasons for Internet delivery included low cost and resource implications due to the nature of the technology; reducing cost and increasing convenience for users; reduction of health service costs; overcoming isolation of users; the need for timely information; stigma reduction; and increased user and supplier control of the intervention. A small number of studies gave the existence of Internet interventions as the only reason for undertaking an evaluation of this mode of delivery. One must remain alert for the unintended effects of Internet delivery of health interventions due to the potential for reinforcing the problems that the intervention was designed to help. Internet delivery overcomes isolation of time, mobility, and geography, but it may not be a substitute for face-to-face contact. Future evaluations need to incorporate the evaluation of cost, not only to the health service but also to users and their social networks. When researchers report the outcomes of Internet-delivered health care interventions, it is important that they clearly state why they chose to use the Internet, preferably backing up their decision with theoretical models and exploratory work. Evaluation of the effectiveness of a health care intervention delivered by the Internet needs to include comparison with more traditional modes of delivery to answer the following question: What are the added benefits or disadvantages of Internet use that are particular to this mode of delivery?

Technology Addiction among Treatment Seekers for Psychological Problems: Implication for Screening in Mental Health Setting.

PubMed

Das, Aswathy; Sharma, Manoj Kumar; Thamilselvan, P; Marimuthu, P

2017-01-01

Technology usage has seen an increase among users. The usage varies from social, personal, and psychological reasons. Users are frequently using to overcome mood states as well as to manage the other psychological states. This work is going to explore the information technology use among subjects with a psychiatric disorder. A total of 75 subjects were assessed using background data sheet, internet addiction impairment index, video game use pattern, pornography addiction screening tool and screening for mobile phone use, from in-patient and out-patient setting of tertiary mental health setting. It showed the presence of addiction to mobile, internet, video game, and pornography. Age was found to be negatively correlated with this addiction. Average usage time had been associated with management of mood states. The addiction to information technology had been associated with a delay in initiation of sleep. This work has implication for screening technology addiction among subjects seeking treatment for psychological problems and motivate them to develop the healthy use of technology.

A Multifactor Secure Authentication System for Wireless Payment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanyal, Sugata; Tiwari, Ayu; Sanyal, Sudip

Organizations are deploying wireless based online payment applications to expand their business globally, it increases the growing need of regulatory requirements for the protection of confidential data, and especially in internet based financial areas. Existing internet based authentication systems often use either the Web or the Mobile channel individually to confirm the claimed identity of the remote user. The vulnerability is that access is based on only single factor authentication which is not secure to protect user data, there is a need of multifactor authentication. This paper proposes a new protocol based on multifactor authentication system that is both secure and highly usable. It uses a novel approach based on Transaction Identification Code and SMS to enforce another security level with the traditional Login/password system. The system provides a highly secure environment that is simple to use and deploy with in a limited resources that does not require any change in infrastructure or underline protocol of wireless network. This Protocol for Wireless Payment is extended as a two way authentications system to satisfy the emerging market need of mutual authentication and also supports secure B2B communication which increases faith of the user and business organizations on wireless financial transaction using mobile devices.

Enabling Access to Medical and Health Education in Rwanda Using Mobile Technology: Needs Assessment for the Development of Mobile Medical Educator Apps

PubMed Central

Tomaszewski, Brian; Dusabejambo, Vincent; Ndayiragije, Vincent; Gonsalves, Snedden; Sawant, Aishwarya; Mumararungu, Angeline; Gasana, George; Amendezo, Etienne; Haake, Anne; Mutesa, Leon

2016-01-01

Background Lack of access to health and medical education resources for doctors in the developing world is a serious global health problem. In Rwanda, with a population of 11 million, there is only one medical school, hence a shortage in well-trained medical staff. The growth of interactive health technologies has played a role in the improvement of health care in developed countries and has offered alternative ways to offer continuous medical education while improving patient's care. However, low and middle-income countries (LMIC) like Rwanda have struggled to implement medical education technologies adapted to local settings in medical practice and continuing education. Developing a user-centered mobile computing approach for medical and health education programs has potential to bring continuous medical education to doctors in rural and urban areas of Rwanda and influence patient care outcomes. Objective The aim of this study is to determine user requirements, currently available resources, and perspectives for potential medical education technologies in Rwanda. Methods Information baseline and needs assessments data collection were conducted in all 44 district hospitals (DHs) throughout Rwanda. The research team collected qualitative data through interviews with 16 general practitioners working across Rwanda and 97 self-administered online questionnaires for rural areas. Data were collected and analyzed to address two key questions: (1) what are the currently available tools for the use of mobile-based technology for medical education in Rwanda, and (2) what are user's requirements for the creation of a mobile medical education technology in Rwanda? Results General practitioners from different hospitals highlighted that none of the available technologies avail local resources such as the Ministry of Health (MOH) clinical treatment guidelines. Considering the number of patients that doctors see in Rwanda, an average of 32 patients per day, there is need for a locally adapted mobile education app that utilizes specific Rwandan medical education resources. Based on our results, we propose a mobile medical education app that could provide many benefits such as rapid decision making with lower error rates, increasing the quality of data management and accessibility, and improving practice efficiency and knowledge. In areas where Internet access is limited, the proposed mobile medical education app would need to run on a mobile device without Internet access. Conclusions A user-centered design approach was adopted, starting with a needs assessment with representative end users, which provided recommendations for the development of a mobile medical education app specific to Rwanda. Specific app features were identified through the needs assessment and it was evident that there will be future benefits to ongoing incorporation of user-centered design methods to better inform the software development and improve its usability. Results of the user-centered design reported here can inform other medical education technology developments in LMIC to ensure that technologies developed are usable by all stakeholders. PMID:27731861

Enabling Access to Medical and Health Education in Rwanda Using Mobile Technology: Needs Assessment for the Development of Mobile Medical Educator Apps.

PubMed

Rusatira, Jean Christophe; Tomaszewski, Brian; Dusabejambo, Vincent; Ndayiragije, Vincent; Gonsalves, Snedden; Sawant, Aishwarya; Mumararungu, Angeline; Gasana, George; Amendezo, Etienne; Haake, Anne; Mutesa, Leon

2016-06-01

Lack of access to health and medical education resources for doctors in the developing world is a serious global health problem. In Rwanda, with a population of 11 million, there is only one medical school, hence a shortage in well-trained medical staff. The growth of interactive health technologies has played a role in the improvement of health care in developed countries and has offered alternative ways to offer continuous medical education while improving patient's care. However, low and middle-income countries (LMIC) like Rwanda have struggled to implement medical education technologies adapted to local settings in medical practice and continuing education. Developing a user-centered mobile computing approach for medical and health education programs has potential to bring continuous medical education to doctors in rural and urban areas of Rwanda and influence patient care outcomes. The aim of this study is to determine user requirements, currently available resources, and perspectives for potential medical education technologies in Rwanda. Information baseline and needs assessments data collection were conducted in all 44 district hospitals (DHs) throughout Rwanda. The research team collected qualitative data through interviews with 16 general practitioners working across Rwanda and 97 self-administered online questionnaires for rural areas. Data were collected and analyzed to address two key questions: (1) what are the currently available tools for the use of mobile-based technology for medical education in Rwanda, and (2) what are user's requirements for the creation of a mobile medical education technology in Rwanda? General practitioners from different hospitals highlighted that none of the available technologies avail local resources such as the Ministry of Health (MOH) clinical treatment guidelines. Considering the number of patients that doctors see in Rwanda, an average of 32 patients per day, there is need for a locally adapted mobile education app that utilizes specific Rwandan medical education resources. Based on our results, we propose a mobile medical education app that could provide many benefits such as rapid decision making with lower error rates, increasing the quality of data management and accessibility, and improving practice efficiency and knowledge. In areas where Internet access is limited, the proposed mobile medical education app would need to run on a mobile device without Internet access. A user-centered design approach was adopted, starting with a needs assessment with representative end users, which provided recommendations for the development of a mobile medical education app specific to Rwanda. Specific app features were identified through the needs assessment and it was evident that there will be future benefits to ongoing incorporation of user-centered design methods to better inform the software development and improve its usability. Results of the user-centered design reported here can inform other medical education technology developments in LMIC to ensure that technologies developed are usable by all stakeholders.

A method of mobile video transmission based on J2ee

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Jian-xin; Zhao, Ji-chun; Gong, Jing; Chun, Yang

2013-03-01

As 3G (3rd-generation) networks evolve worldwide, the rising demand for mobile video services and the enormous growth of video on the internet is creating major new revenue opportunities for mobile network operators and application developers. The text introduced a method of mobile video transmission based on J2ME, giving the method of video compressing, then describing the video compressing standard, and then describing the software design. The proposed mobile video method based on J2EE is a typical mobile multimedia application, which has a higher availability and a wide range of applications. The users can get the video through terminal devices such as phone.

Podcasting the Sciences: A Practical Overview

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barsky, Eugene; Lindstrom, Kevin

2008-01-01

University science education has been undergoing great amount of change since the commercialization of the Internet a decade ago. Mobile technologies in science education can encompass more than the proximal teaching and learning environment. Podcasting, for example, allows audio content from user-selected feeds to be automatically downloaded to…

Mobile work: Ergonomics in a rapidly changing work environment.

PubMed

Honan, Meg

2015-01-01

Places of work have been completely transformed by innovations in mobile work tools and ever-present access to internet data. This article characterizes use patterns and provides preliminary considerations for productive and comfortable use of common mobile devices. Two surveys described trends in mobile work. In the first, ergonomics professionals who oversee programs reported common mobile devices, their users and what data is accessed. The second, an end user survey, explored common activities performed on mobile devices, duration of use and locations where mobile work is common. The survey results provide a baseline data point for the status of mobile work in early 2014. Research indicates that additional risks have been introduced to the neck, thumbs and hands when using mobile devices. Possible trends regarding device use and work locations emerge. Intervention studies provide some direction for the practitioner. Practical strategies are outlined to reduce exposure intensity and duration. Contemporary mobile work presents tremendous change and opportunity for ergonomists and researchers to keep pace with fitting the changing models of work to the person. Continued research is needed on current mobile device use patterns to better understand ergonomic risk exposure in this rapidly changing realm.

Personalized summarization using user preference for m-learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Sihyoung; Yang, Seungji; Ro, Yong Man; Kim, Hyoung Joong

2008-02-01

As the Internet and multimedia technology is becoming advanced, the number of digital multimedia contents is also becoming abundant in learning area. In order to facilitate the access of digital knowledge and to meet the need of a lifelong learning, e-learning could be the helpful alternative way to the conventional learning paradigms. E-learning is known as a unifying term to express online, web-based and technology-delivered learning. Mobile-learning (m-learning) is defined as e-learning through mobile devices using wireless transmission. In a survey, more than half of the people remarked that the re-consumption was one of the convenient features in e-learning. However, it is not easy to find user's preferred segmentation from a full version of lengthy e-learning content. Especially in m-learning, a content-summarization method is strongly required because mobile devices are limited to low processing power and battery capacity. In this paper, we propose a new user preference model for re-consumption to construct personalized summarization for re-consumption. The user preference for re-consumption is modeled based on user actions with statistical model. Based on the user preference model for re-consumption with personalized user actions, our method discriminates preferred parts over the entire content. Experimental results demonstrated successful personalized summarization.

The Design and Implementation of a Prototype Web-Portal for the Integrated Mobile Alerting System (IMAS)

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-06-01

Deitel , Harvey M., Paul J. Deitel , and Andrew B. Goldberg. 2004. Internet & World Wide Web: How to Program . Third Edition. Upper Saddle River...mobile devices. The proposed design will result in a proof-of-concept solution that demonstrates a way for users to specify how they wish to ...ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS The following chapters in this thesis explore various technologies and how they may be implemented to support IMAS

Visual Exploratory Search of Relationship Graphs on Smartphones

PubMed Central

Ouyang, Jianquan; Zheng, Hao; Kong, Fanbin; Liu, Tianming

2013-01-01

This paper presents a novel framework for Visual Exploratory Search of Relationship Graphs on Smartphones (VESRGS) that is composed of three major components: inference and representation of semantic relationship graphs on the Web via meta-search, visual exploratory search of relationship graphs through both querying and browsing strategies, and human-computer interactions via the multi-touch interface and mobile Internet on smartphones. In comparison with traditional lookup search methodologies, the proposed VESRGS system is characterized with the following perceived advantages. 1) It infers rich semantic relationships between the querying keywords and other related concepts from large-scale meta-search results from Google, Yahoo! and Bing search engines, and represents semantic relationships via graphs; 2) the exploratory search approach empowers users to naturally and effectively explore, adventure and discover knowledge in a rich information world of interlinked relationship graphs in a personalized fashion; 3) it effectively takes the advantages of smartphones’ user-friendly interfaces and ubiquitous Internet connection and portability. Our extensive experimental results have demonstrated that the VESRGS framework can significantly improve the users’ capability of seeking the most relevant relationship information to their own specific needs. We envision that the VESRGS framework can be a starting point for future exploration of novel, effective search strategies in the mobile Internet era. PMID:24223936

MED31/437: A Web-based Diabetes Management System: DiabNet

PubMed Central

Zhao, N; Roudsari, A; Carson, E

1999-01-01

Introduction A web-based system (DiabNet) was developed to provide instant access to the Electronic Diabetes Records (EDR) for end-users, and real-time information for healthcare professionals to facilitate their decision-making. It integrates portable glucometer, handheld computer, mobile phone and Internet access as a combined telecommunication and mobile computing solution for diabetes management. Methods: Active Server Pages (ASP) embedded with advanced ActiveX controls and VBScript were developed to allow remote data upload, retrieval and interpretation. Some advisory and Internet-based learning features, together with a video teleconferencing component make DiabNet web site an informative platform for Web-consultation. Results The evaluation of the system is being implemented among several UK Internet diabetes discussion groups and the Diabetes Day Centre at the Guy's & St. Thomas' Hospital. Many positive feedback are received from the web site demonstrating DiabNet is an advanced web-based diabetes management system which can help patients to keep closer control of self-monitoring blood glucose remotely, and is an integrated diabetes information resource that offers telemedicine knowledge in diabetes management. Discussion In summary, DiabNet introduces an innovative online diabetes management concept, such as online appointment and consultation, to enable users to access diabetes management information without time and location limitation and security concerns.

Integration of FMIPv6 in HMIPv6 to Improve Hand-over Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patil, Dipali P.; Patil, G. A.

2010-11-01

Mobile users move frequently between networks, as they stay connected to the Internet. Thus, as mobility increases across networks, handovers will significantly impact the quality of the connection and user application. Handover performance is very important when evaluating IP mobility protocols. Since handover request are driven by several needs such as cost reduction criteria, network resource optimization and service related requirements. Current works to support seamless mobility in IPv6 network are classified into HMIPv6 and FMIPv6. These two approaches have pros and cons respectively and are being standardized independently in IETF. If one can integrate properly these two approaches, it is expected that the one can get more effective protocols that can provide better handover performance. This paper integrates FHMIPv6 in HMIPv6 (F-HMIPv6) so as to provide effectively fast handover on the hierarchical Mobile IPv6. The simulation performed using Ns-2 extensions to show that a performance of proposed system is better in terms of packet loss and hand-over delay.

Real-time video streaming in mobile cloud over heterogeneous wireless networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdallah-Saleh, Saleh; Wang, Qi; Grecos, Christos

2012-06-01

Recently, the concept of Mobile Cloud Computing (MCC) has been proposed to offload the resource requirements in computational capabilities, storage and security from mobile devices into the cloud. Internet video applications such as real-time streaming are expected to be ubiquitously deployed and supported over the cloud for mobile users, who typically encounter a range of wireless networks of diverse radio access technologies during their roaming. However, real-time video streaming for mobile cloud users across heterogeneous wireless networks presents multiple challenges. The network-layer quality of service (QoS) provision to support high-quality mobile video delivery in this demanding scenario remains an open research question, and this in turn affects the application-level visual quality and impedes mobile users' perceived quality of experience (QoE). In this paper, we devise a framework to support real-time video streaming in this new mobile video networking paradigm and evaluate the performance of the proposed framework empirically through a lab-based yet realistic testing platform. One particular issue we focus on is the effect of users' mobility on the QoS of video streaming over the cloud. We design and implement a hybrid platform comprising of a test-bed and an emulator, on which our concept of mobile cloud computing, video streaming and heterogeneous wireless networks are implemented and integrated to allow the testing of our framework. As representative heterogeneous wireless networks, the popular WLAN (Wi-Fi) and MAN (WiMAX) networks are incorporated in order to evaluate effects of handovers between these different radio access technologies. The H.264/AVC (Advanced Video Coding) standard is employed for real-time video streaming from a server to mobile users (client nodes) in the networks. Mobility support is introduced to enable continuous streaming experience for a mobile user across the heterogeneous wireless network. Real-time video stream packets are captured for analytical purposes on the mobile user node. Experimental results are obtained and analysed. Future work is identified towards further improvement of the current design and implementation. With this new mobile video networking concept and paradigm implemented and evaluated, results and observations obtained from this study would form the basis of a more in-depth, comprehensive understanding of various challenges and opportunities in supporting high-quality real-time video streaming in mobile cloud over heterogeneous wireless networks.

mPano: cloud-based mobile panorama view from single picture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Hongzhi; Zhu, Wenwu

2013-09-01

Panorama view provides people an informative and natural user experience to represent the whole scene. The advances on mobile augmented reality, mobile-cloud computing, and mobile internet can enable panorama view on mobile phone with new functionalities, such as anytime anywhere query where a landmark picture is and what the whole scene looks like. To generate and explore panorama view on mobile devices faces significant challenges due to the limitations of computing capacity, battery life, and memory size of mobile phones, as well as the bandwidth of mobile Internet connection. To address the challenges, this paper presents a novel cloud-based mobile panorama view system that can generate and view panorama-view on mobile devices from a single picture, namely "Pano". In our system, first, we propose a novel iterative multi-modal image retrieval (IMIR) approach to get spatially adjacent images using both tag and content information from the single picture. Second, we propose a cloud-based parallel server synthing approach to generate panorama view in cloud, against today's local-client synthing approach that is almost impossible for mobile phones. Third, we propose predictive-cache solution to reduce latency of image delivery from cloud server to the mobile client. We have built a real mobile panorama view system and perform experiments. The experimental results demonstrated the effectiveness of our system and the proposed key component technologies, especially for landmark images.

Radiochemistry, PET Imaging, and the Internet of Chemical Things

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

The Internet of Chemical Things (IoCT), a growing network of computers, mobile devices, online resources, software suites, laboratory equipment, synthesis apparatus, analytical devices, and a host of other machines, all interconnected to users, manufacturers, and others through the infrastructure of the Internet, is changing how we do chemistry. While in its infancy across many chemistry laboratories and departments, it became apparent when considering our own work synthesizing radiopharmaceuticals for positron emission tomography (PET) that a more mature incarnation of the IoCT already exists. How does the IoCT impact our lives today, and what does it hold for the smart (radio)chemical laboratories of the future? PMID:27610410

Radiochemistry, PET Imaging, and the Internet of Chemical Things.

PubMed

Thompson, Stephen; Kilbourn, Michael R; Scott, Peter J H

2016-08-24

The Internet of Chemical Things (IoCT), a growing network of computers, mobile devices, online resources, software suites, laboratory equipment, synthesis apparatus, analytical devices, and a host of other machines, all interconnected to users, manufacturers, and others through the infrastructure of the Internet, is changing how we do chemistry. While in its infancy across many chemistry laboratories and departments, it became apparent when considering our own work synthesizing radiopharmaceuticals for positron emission tomography (PET) that a more mature incarnation of the IoCT already exists. How does the IoCT impact our lives today, and what does it hold for the smart (radio)chemical laboratories of the future?

Application of Multiprotocol Medical Imaging Communications and an Extended DICOM WADO Service in a Teleradiology Architecture

PubMed Central

Koutelakis, George V.; Anastassopoulos, George K.; Lymberopoulos, Dimitrios K.

2012-01-01

Multiprotocol medical imaging communication through the Internet is more flexible than the tight DICOM transfers. This paper introduces a modular multiprotocol teleradiology architecture that integrates DICOM and common Internet services (based on web, FTP, and E-mail) into a unique operational domain. The extended WADO service (a web extension of DICOM) and the other proposed services allow access to all levels of the DICOM information hierarchy as opposed to solely Object level. A lightweight client site is considered adequate, because the server site of the architecture provides clients with service interfaces through the web as well as invulnerable space for temporary storage, called as User Domains, so that users fulfill their applications' tasks. The proposed teleradiology architecture is pilot implemented using mainly Java-based technologies and is evaluated by engineers in collaboration with doctors. The new architecture ensures flexibility in access, user mobility, and enhanced data security. PMID:22489237

A Middleware with Comprehensive Quality of Context Support for the Internet of Things Applications.

PubMed

Gomes, Berto de Tácio Pereira; Muniz, Luiz Carlos Melo; da Silva E Silva, Francisco José; Dos Santos, Davi Viana; Lopes, Rafael Fernandes; Coutinho, Luciano Reis; Carvalho, Felipe Oliveira; Endler, Markus

2017-12-08

Context aware systems are able to adapt their behavior according to the environment in which the user is. They can be integrated into an Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure, allowing a better perception of the user's physical environment by collecting context data from sensors embedded in devices known as smart objects. An IoT extension called the Internet of Mobile Things (IoMT) suggests new scenarios in which smart objects and IoT gateways can move autonomously or be moved easily. In a comprehensive view, Quality of Context (QoC) is a term that can express quality requirements of context aware applications. These requirements can be those related to the quality of information provided by the sensors (e.g., accuracy, resolution, age, validity time) or those referring to the quality of the data distribution service (e.g, reliability, delay, delivery time). Some functionalities of context aware applications and/or decision-making processes of these applications and their users depend on the level of quality of context available, which tend to vary over time for various reasons. Reviewing the literature, it is possible to verify that the quality of context support provided by IoT-oriented middleware systems still has limitations in relation to at least four relevant aspects: (i) quality of context provisioning; (ii) quality of context monitoring; (iii) support for heterogeneous device and technology management; (iv) support for reliable data delivery in mobility scenarios. This paper presents two main contributions: (i) a state-of-the-art survey specifically aimed at analyzing the middleware with quality of context support and; (ii) a new middleware with comprehensive quality of context support for Internet of Things Applications. The proposed middleware was evaluated and the results are presented and discussed in this article, which also shows a case study involving the development of a mobile remote patient monitoring application that was developed using the proposed middleware. This case study highlights how middleware components were used to meet the quality of context requirements of the application. In addition, the proposed middleware was compared to other solutions in the literature.

Web 2.0 and internet social networking: a new tool for disaster management?--lessons from Taiwan.

PubMed

Huang, Cheng-Min; Chan, Edward; Hyder, Adnan A

2010-10-06

Internet social networking tools and the emerging web 2.0 technologies are providing a new way for web users and health workers in information sharing and knowledge dissemination. Based on the characters of immediate, two-way and large scale of impact, the internet social networking tools have been utilized as a solution in emergency response during disasters. This paper highlights the use of internet social networking in disaster emergency response and public health management of disasters by focusing on a case study of the typhoon Morakot disaster in Taiwan. In the case of typhoon disaster in Taiwan, internet social networking and mobile technology were found to be helpful for community residents, professional emergency rescuers, and government agencies in gathering and disseminating real-time information, regarding volunteer recruitment and relief supplies allocation. We noted that if internet tools are to be integrated in the development of emergency response system, the accessibility, accuracy, validity, feasibility, privacy and the scalability of itself should be carefully considered especially in the effort of applying it in resource poor settings. This paper seeks to promote an internet-based emergency response system by integrating internet social networking and information communication technology into central government disaster management system. Web-based networking provides two-way communication which establishes a reliable and accessible tunnel for proximal and distal users in disaster preparedness and management.

Android Based Area Web Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanigoro, Bayu; Galih Salman, Afan; Moniaga, Jurike V.; Chandra, Eric; Rezky Chandra, Zein

2014-03-01

The research objective is to develop an application that can be used in the monitoring of an area by using a webcam. It aims to create a sense of security on the user's application because it can monitor an area using mobile phone anywhere. The results obtained in this study is to create an area with a webcam monitoring application that can be accessed anywhere as long as the monitoring results have internet access and can also be accessed through Android Based Mobile Phone.

The Cybermobile: A Gateway for Public Access to Network-Based Information.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drumm, John E.; Groom, Frank M.

1997-01-01

Though the bookmobile has fallen on hard times, the cybermobile, a technology platform combining personal computing, CD-ROMs, fiber network, and wireless access to the Internet, may be the next step in mobile library services. Discusses standard vehicle, computer hardware, software, wireless access, and alliances with users, vendors, and community…

Avoiding Biased-Feeding in the Scheduling of Collaborative Multipath TCP.

PubMed

Tsai, Meng-Hsun; Chou, Chien-Ming; Lan, Kun-Chan

2016-01-01

Smartphones have become the major communication and portable computing devices that access the Internet through Wi-Fi or mobile networks. Unfortunately, users without a mobile data subscription can only access the Internet at limited locations, such as hotspots. In this paper, we propose a collaborative bandwidth sharing protocol (CBSP) built on top of MultiPath TCP (MPTCP). CBSP enables users to buy bandwidth on demand from neighbors (called Helpers) and uses virtual interfaces to bind the subflows of MPTCP to avoid modifying the implementation of MPTCP. However, although MPTCP provides the required multi-homing functionality for bandwidth sharing, the current packet scheduling in collaborative MPTCP (e.g., Co-MPTCP) leads to the so-called biased-feeding problem. In this problem, the fastest link might always be selected to send packets whenever it has available cwnd, which results in other links not being fully utilized. In this work, we set out to design an algorithm, called Scheduled Window-based Transmission Control (SWTC), to improve the performance of packet scheduling in MPTCP, and we perform extensive simulations to evaluate its performance.

Avoiding Biased-Feeding in the Scheduling of Collaborative Multipath TCP

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Smartphones have become the major communication and portable computing devices that access the Internet through Wi-Fi or mobile networks. Unfortunately, users without a mobile data subscription can only access the Internet at limited locations, such as hotspots. In this paper, we propose a collaborative bandwidth sharing protocol (CBSP) built on top of MultiPath TCP (MPTCP). CBSP enables users to buy bandwidth on demand from neighbors (called Helpers) and uses virtual interfaces to bind the subflows of MPTCP to avoid modifying the implementation of MPTCP. However, although MPTCP provides the required multi-homing functionality for bandwidth sharing, the current packet scheduling in collaborative MPTCP (e.g., Co-MPTCP) leads to the so-called biased-feeding problem. In this problem, the fastest link might always be selected to send packets whenever it has available cwnd, which results in other links not being fully utilized. In this work, we set out to design an algorithm, called Scheduled Window-based Transmission Control (SWTC), to improve the performance of packet scheduling in MPTCP, and we perform extensive simulations to evaluate its performance. PMID:27529783

A Key Establishment Protocol for RFID User in IPTV Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, Yoon-Su; Kim, Yong-Tae; Sohn, Jae-Min; Park, Gil-Cheol; Lee, Sang-Ho

In recent years, the usage of IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) has been increased. The reason is a technological convergence of broadcasting and telecommunication delivering interactive applications and multimedia content through high speed Internet connections. The main critical point of IPTV security requirements is subscriber authentication. That is, IPTV service should have the capability to identify the subscribers to prohibit illegal access. Currently, IPTV service does not provide a sound authentication mechanism to verify the identity of its wireless users (or devices). This paper focuses on a lightweight authentication and key establishment protocol based on the use of hash functions. The proposed approach provides effective authentication for a mobile user with a RFID tag whose authentication information is communicated back and forth with the IPTV authentication server via IPTV set-top box (STB). That is, the proposed protocol generates user's authentication information that is a bundle of two public keys derived from hashing user's private keys and RFID tag's session identifier, and adds 1bit to this bundled information for subscriber's information confidentiality before passing it to the authentication server.

Combining Users’ Needs With Health Behavior Models in Designing an Internet- and Mobile-Based Intervention for Physical Activity in Cardiac Rehabilitation

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Internet-based physical activity interventions have great potential in supporting patients in cardiac rehabilitation. Health behavior change theories and user input are identified as important contributors in the effectiveness of the interventions, but they are rarely combined in a systematic way in the design of the interventions. Objective The aim of this study is to identify the appropriate theoretical framework, along with the needs of the users of a physical activity intervention for cardiac rehabilitation, and to combine them into an effective Internet- and mobile-based intervention. Methods We explain the theoretical framework of the intervention in a narrative overview of the existing health behavior change literature as it applies to physical activity. We also conducted a focus group with 11 participants of a cardiac rehabilitation program and used thematic analysis to identify and analyze patterns of meaning in the transcribed data. Results We chose stage-based approaches, specifically the transtheoretical model and the health action process approach as our main framework for tailoring, supplemented with other theoretical concepts such as regulatory focus within the appropriate stages. From the thematic analysis of the focus group data, we identified seven themes: (1) social, (2) motivation, (3) integration into everyday life, (4) information, (5) planning, (6) monitoring and feedback, and (7) concerns and potential problems. The final design of the intervention was based on both the theoretical review and the user input, and it is explained in detail. Conclusions We applied a combination of health behavioral theory and user input in designing our intervention. We think this is a promising design approach with the potential to combine the high efficacy of theory-based interventions with the higher perceived usefulness of interventions designed according to user input. Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01223170; http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT01223170 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6M5FqT9Q2). PMID:24413185

How to identify, assess and utilise mobile medical applications in clinical practice.

PubMed

Aungst, T D; Clauson, K A; Misra, S; Lewis, T L; Husain, I

2014-02-01

There are thousands of medical applications for mobile devices targeting use by healthcare professionals. However, several factors related to the structure of the existing market for medical applications create significant barriers preventing practitioners from effectively identifying mobile medical applications for individual professional use. To define existing market factors relevant to selection of medical applications and describe a framework to empower clinicians to identify, assess and utilise mobile medical applications in their own practice. Resources available on the Internet regarding mobile medical applications, guidelines and published research on mobile medical applications. Mobile application stores (e.g. iTunes, Google Play) are not effective means of identifying mobile medical applications. Users of mobile devices that desire to implement mobile medical applications into practice need to carefully assess individual applications prior to utilisation. Searching and identifying mobile medical applications requires clinicians to utilise multiple references to determine what application is best for their individual practice methods. This can be done with a cursory exploration of mobile application stores and then moving onto other available resources published in the literature or through Internet resources (e.g. blogs, medical websites, social media). Clinicians must also take steps to ensure that an identified mobile application can be integrated into practice after carefully reviewing it themselves. Clinicians seeking to identify mobile medical application for use in their individual practice should use a combination of app stores, published literature, web-based resources, and personal review to ensure safe and appropriate use. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Mobile Internet Service for Self-Management of Physical Activity in People With Rheumatoid Arthritis: Challenges in Advancing the Co-Design Process During the Requirements Specification Phase

PubMed Central

Martin, Cathrin; H. Opava, Christina; Brusewitz, Maria; Keller, Christina; Åsenlöf, Pernilla

2015-01-01

Background User involvement in the development of health care services is important for the viability, usability, and effectiveness of services. This study reports on the second step of the co-design process. Objective The aim was to explore the significant challenges in advancing the co-design process during the requirements specification phase of a mobile Internet service for the self-management of physical activity (PA) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods A participatory action research design was used to involve lead users and stakeholders as co-designers. Lead users (n=5), a clinical physiotherapist (n=1), researchers (n=2) with knowledge in PA in RA and behavioral learning theories, an eHealth strategist (n=1), and an officer from the patient organization (n=1) collaborated in 4 workshops. Data-collection methods included video recordings and naturalistic observations. Results The inductive qualitative video-based analysis resulted in 1 overarching theme, merging perspectives, and 2 subthemes reflecting different aspects of merging: (1) finding a common starting point and (2) deciding on design solutions. Seven categories illustrated the specific challenges: reaching shared understanding of goals, clarifying and handling the complexity of participants’ roles, clarifying terminology related to system development, establishing the rationale for features, negotiating features, transforming ideas into concrete features, and participants’ alignment with the agreed goal and task. Conclusions Co-designing the system requirements of a mobile Internet service including multiple stakeholders was a complex and extensive collaborative decision-making process. Considering, valuing, counterbalancing, and integrating different perspectives into agreements and solutions (ie, the merging of participants’ perspectives) were crucial for moving the process forward and were considered the core challenges of co-design. Further research is needed to replicate the results and to increase knowledge on key factors for a successful co-design of health care services. PMID:26381221

A Mobile Internet Service for Self-Management of Physical Activity in People With Rheumatoid Arthritis: Challenges in Advancing the Co-Design Process During the Requirements Specification Phase.

PubMed

Revenäs, Åsa; Martin, Cathrin; H Opava, Christina; Brusewitz, Maria; Keller, Christina; Åsenlöf, Pernilla

2015-09-17

User involvement in the development of health care services is important for the viability, usability, and effectiveness of services. This study reports on the second step of the co-design process. The aim was to explore the significant challenges in advancing the co-design process during the requirements specification phase of a mobile Internet service for the self-management of physical activity (PA) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A participatory action research design was used to involve lead users and stakeholders as co-designers. Lead users (n=5), a clinical physiotherapist (n=1), researchers (n=2) with knowledge in PA in RA and behavioral learning theories, an eHealth strategist (n=1), and an officer from the patient organization (n=1) collaborated in 4 workshops. Data-collection methods included video recordings and naturalistic observations. The inductive qualitative video-based analysis resulted in 1 overarching theme, merging perspectives, and 2 subthemes reflecting different aspects of merging: (1) finding a common starting point and (2) deciding on design solutions. Seven categories illustrated the specific challenges: reaching shared understanding of goals, clarifying and handling the complexity of participants' roles, clarifying terminology related to system development, establishing the rationale for features, negotiating features, transforming ideas into concrete features, and participants' alignment with the agreed goal and task. Co-designing the system requirements of a mobile Internet service including multiple stakeholders was a complex and extensive collaborative decision-making process. Considering, valuing, counterbalancing, and integrating different perspectives into agreements and solutions (ie, the merging of participants' perspectives) were crucial for moving the process forward and were considered the core challenges of co-design. Further research is needed to replicate the results and to increase knowledge on key factors for a successful co-design of health care services.

Radiochemistry, PET Imaging, and the Internet of Chemical Things

DOE PAGES

Thompson, Stephen; Kilbourn, Michael R.; Scott, Peter J. H.

2016-08-16

The Internet of Chemical Things (IoCT), a growing network of computers, mobile devices, online resources, software suites, laboratory equipment, synthesis apparatus, analytical devices, and a host of other machines, all interconnected to users, manufacturers, and others through the infrastructure of the Internet, is changing how we do chemistry. While in its infancy across many chemistry laboratories and departments, it became apparent when considering our own work synthesizing radiopharmaceuticals for positron emission tomography (PET) that a more mature incarnation of the IoCT already exists. Finally, how does the IoCT impact our lives today, and what does it hold for the smartmore » (radio)chemical laboratories of the future?« less

Radiochemistry, PET Imaging, and the Internet of Chemical Things

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

Thompson, Stephen; Kilbourn, Michael R.; Scott, Peter J. H.

The Internet of Chemical Things (IoCT), a growing network of computers, mobile devices, online resources, software suites, laboratory equipment, synthesis apparatus, analytical devices, and a host of other machines, all interconnected to users, manufacturers, and others through the infrastructure of the Internet, is changing how we do chemistry. While in its infancy across many chemistry laboratories and departments, it became apparent when considering our own work synthesizing radiopharmaceuticals for positron emission tomography (PET) that a more mature incarnation of the IoCT already exists. Finally, how does the IoCT impact our lives today, and what does it hold for the smartmore » (radio)chemical laboratories of the future?« less

Development, Technical, and User Evaluation of a Web Mobile Application for Self-Control of Diabetes.

PubMed

Garcia-Zapirain, Begoña; de la Torre Díez, Isabel; Sainz de Abajo, Beatriz; López-Coronado, Miguel

2016-09-01

The main objective of this research was to develop and evaluate a Web-based mobile application (app) known as "Diario Diabetes" on both a technical and user level, by means of which individuals with diabetes may monitor their illness easily at any time and in any place using any device that has Internet access. The technologies used to develop the app were HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and MySQL, all of which are an open source. Once the app was developed, it was evaluated on a technical level (by measuring loading times) and on a user level, through a survey. Different loading times for the application were measured, with it being noted that under no circumstances does this exceed 2 s. Usability was evaluated by 150 users who initially used the application. A majority (71%) of users used a PC to access the app, 83% considered the app's design to be attractive, 67% considered the tasks to be very useful, and 67% found it very easy to use. Although applications exist for controlling diabetes both at mobile virtual shops or on a research level, our app may help to improve the administration of these types of patients and they are the ones who will ultimately opt for one or the other. According to the results obtained, we can state that all users would recommend the app's use to other users.

Usage of medical internet and e-health services by the elderly.

PubMed

Bujnowska-Fedak, Maria M; Mastalerz-Migas, Agnieszka

2015-01-01

Internet and e-health services have a substantial potential to support efficient and effective care for the elderly. The aim of the study was to investigate the use of Internet for health-related purposes among Polish elderly, the frequency and reasons of use, the importance of e-health services, and factors affecting their use. A total of 242 elderly at the age of ≥60 years were selected from the Polish population by random sampling. Data collection was carried out by phone interviews in October-November 2012. The study shows that the Internet was ever used by 32% of the elderly and 1/5 claimed a regular use. Among the Internet users, 81% of older people used it to obtain information about health or illness. The Internet was one of the less important sources of information (important for 27% of respondents), face to face contact with health professionals and family and friends are still the most required source of medical information (75%). Only 7% of elderly Internet users approached the family physician, specialists, or other health professionals over the Internet. Factors that positively affected the use of Internet among elderly were male gender, younger age, higher education, living with family, mobile phone use, and a subjective assessment of one's own health as good. The doctor's provision of Internet-based services was important in the opinion of approximately 1/4 of older people. We conclude that the development of information and communications technology (ICT) tools increasingly meets the evolving needs of patients in the field of e-health. More and more elderly become beneficiaries of these services.

World Without Wires: Is Your District Ready to Go Wireless?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Villano, Matt

2005-01-01

In this article, the author presents the latest wireless equipments available in market. For starters, wireless networks offer mobility and flexibility: users of laptops, PDAs, tablet PCs, and wireless Voice over IP telephones can move freely about campus while staying connected to the Internet. There are two kinds of wireless networks: ad-hoc, or…

Family Digital Literacy Practices and Children’s Mobile Phone Use

PubMed Central

Terras, Melody M.; Ramsay, Judith

2016-01-01

Smart phones are ubiquitous in everyday life and are having a major impact on work, education, social relationships and modes of communication. Children are the fastest growing population of smart phone users, with use often focusing around internet access, e.g., 1 in 3 internet users in the UK are under 18 years of age. Despite their widespread use, relatively little is known about the factors that underpin children’s use. The home is a significant ecological context of development and recent research has highlighted the importance of the home environment in promoting and supporting the development of both safe and unsafe online behavior. Yet the importance of these influences currently remains relatively unrecognized. Therefore, in this paper we present a narrative review of evidence examining parental practices concerning digital communication technologies and applications, with a particular focus on smartphones, and how they relate to the use of technology by their children. Emerging evidence to date indicates that two important factors are at play. Firstly, parental technology use is closely related to that of their child. Secondly, that despite parents frequently voiced concerns about the nature and extent of their child’s mobile phone use, parents themselves often engage in a number of unsafe internet behaviors and excessive phone use in the home environment. Our review identifies two crucial lines of enquiry that have yet to be comprehensively pursued by researchers in the field: firstly, the adoption of a psychological perspective on children’s emergent behaviors with mobile devices and secondly, the influential role of context. Given parental concerns about the possible negative impact of technologies, parental awareness should be raised about the influence of their behavior in the context of internet safety along with the adoption of good digital literacy practices. It is anticipated that a comprehensive characterization of the associated contextual factors influencing smartphone use will serve as a catalyst for debate, discussion, and future research. PMID:28066284

Family Digital Literacy Practices and Children's Mobile Phone Use.

PubMed

Terras, Melody M; Ramsay, Judith

2016-01-01

Smart phones are ubiquitous in everyday life and are having a major impact on work, education, social relationships and modes of communication. Children are the fastest growing population of smart phone users, with use often focusing around internet access, e.g., 1 in 3 internet users in the UK are under 18 years of age. Despite their widespread use, relatively little is known about the factors that underpin children's use. The home is a significant ecological context of development and recent research has highlighted the importance of the home environment in promoting and supporting the development of both safe and unsafe online behavior. Yet the importance of these influences currently remains relatively unrecognized. Therefore, in this paper we present a narrative review of evidence examining parental practices concerning digital communication technologies and applications, with a particular focus on smartphones, and how they relate to the use of technology by their children. Emerging evidence to date indicates that two important factors are at play. Firstly, parental technology use is closely related to that of their child. Secondly, that despite parents frequently voiced concerns about the nature and extent of their child's mobile phone use, parents themselves often engage in a number of unsafe internet behaviors and excessive phone use in the home environment. Our review identifies two crucial lines of enquiry that have yet to be comprehensively pursued by researchers in the field: firstly, the adoption of a psychological perspective on children's emergent behaviors with mobile devices and secondly, the influential role of context. Given parental concerns about the possible negative impact of technologies, parental awareness should be raised about the influence of their behavior in the context of internet safety along with the adoption of good digital literacy practices. It is anticipated that a comprehensive characterization of the associated contextual factors influencing smartphone use will serve as a catalyst for debate, discussion, and future research.

Mobility-Aware Caching and Computation Offloading in 5G Ultra-Dense Cellular Networks

PubMed Central

Chen, Min; Hao, Yixue; Qiu, Meikang; Song, Jeungeun; Wu, Di; Humar, Iztok

2016-01-01

Recent trends show that Internet traffic is increasingly dominated by content, which is accompanied by the exponential growth of traffic. To cope with this phenomena, network caching is introduced to utilize the storage capacity of diverse network devices. In this paper, we first summarize four basic caching placement strategies, i.e., local caching, Device-to-Device (D2D) caching, Small cell Base Station (SBS) caching and Macrocell Base Station (MBS) caching. However, studies show that so far, much of the research has ignored the impact of user mobility. Therefore, taking the effect of the user mobility into consideration, we proposes a joint mobility-aware caching and SBS density placement scheme (MS caching). In addition, differences and relationships between caching and computation offloading are discussed. We present a design of a hybrid computation offloading and support it with experimental results, which demonstrate improved performance in terms of energy cost. Finally, we discuss the design of an incentive mechanism by considering network dynamics, differentiated user’s quality of experience (QoE) and the heterogeneity of mobile terminals in terms of caching and computing capabilities. PMID:27347975

A Study on Architecture of Malicious Code Blocking Scheme with White List in Smartphone Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Kijeong; Tolentino, Randy S.; Park, Gil-Cheol; Kim, Yong-Tae

Recently, the interest and demands for mobile communications are growing so fast because of the increasing prevalence of smartphones around the world. In addition, the existing feature phones were replaced by smartphones and it has widely improved while using the explosive growth of Internet users using smartphones, e-commerce enabled Internet banking transactions and the importance of protecting personal information. Therefore, the development of smartphones antivirus products was developed and launched in order to prevent malicious code or virus infection. In this paper, we proposed a new scheme to protect the smartphone from malicious codes and malicious applications that are element of security threats in mobile environment and to prevent information leakage from malicious code infection. The proposed scheme is based on the white list smartphone application which only allows installing authorized applications and to prevent the installation of malicious and untrusted mobile applications which can possibly infect the applications and programs of smartphones.

Frequent computer-related activities increase the risk of neck-shoulder and low back pain in adolescents.

PubMed

Hakala, Paula T; Rimpelä, Arja H; Saarni, Lea A; Salminen, Jouko J

2006-10-01

Neck-shoulder pain (NSP) and low back pain (LBP) increased among adolescents in the 1990s and the beginning of 2000. A potential risk factor for this increase is the use of information and communication technology. We studied how the use of computers, the Internet, and mobile phones, playing digital games and viewing television are related to NSP and LBP in adolescents. Mailed survey with nationally representative samples of 14-, 16-, and 18-year-old Finns in 2003 (n = 6003, response rate 68%). The outcome variables were weekly NSP and LBP. NSP was perceived by 26% and LBP by 12%. When compared with non-users, the risk of NSP was 1.3 (adjusted odds ratios) when using computers > 2-3 h/day, and 1.8 when using 4-5 h/day; 2.5 when using computers > or = 42 h/week, and 1.7 when using the Internet > or = 42 h/week. Compared with non-users, the risk of LBP was 2.0 when using computers > 5 h/day, 1.7 when using > or = 42 h/week, 1.8 when using the Internet > or = 42 h/week, and 2.0 when playing digital games > 5 h/day. Times spent on digital gaming, viewing television, and using mobile phones were not associated with NSP, nor were use of mobile phones and viewing television with LBP after adjusting for confounding factors. Frequent computer-related activities are an independent risk factor for NSP and LBP. Daily use of computers exceeding 2-3 h seems to be a threshold for NSP and exceeding 5 h for LBP. Computer-related activities may explain the increase of NSP and LBP in the 1990s and the beginning of 2000.

What explains usage of mobile physician-rating apps? Results from a web-based questionnaire.

PubMed

Bidmon, Sonja; Terlutter, Ralf; Röttl, Johanna

2014-06-11

Consumers are increasingly accessing health-related information via mobile devices. Recently, several apps to rate and locate physicians have been released in the United States and Germany. However, knowledge about what kinds of variables explain usage of mobile physician-rating apps is still lacking. This study analyzes factors influencing the adoption of and willingness to pay for mobile physician-rating apps. A structural equation model was developed based on the Technology Acceptance Model and the literature on health-related information searches and usage of mobile apps. Relationships in the model were analyzed for moderating effects of physician-rating website (PRW) usage. A total of 1006 randomly selected German patients who had visited a general practitioner at least once in the 3 months before the beginning of the survey were randomly selected and surveyed. A total of 958 usable questionnaires were analyzed by partial least squares path modeling and moderator analyses. The suggested model yielded a high model fit. We found that perceived ease of use (PEOU) of the Internet to gain health-related information, the sociodemographic variables age and gender, and the psychographic variables digital literacy, feelings about the Internet and other Web-based applications in general, patients' value of health-related knowledgeability, as well as the information-seeking behavior variables regarding the amount of daily private Internet use for health-related information, frequency of using apps for health-related information in the past, and attitude toward PRWs significantly affected the adoption of mobile physician-rating apps. The sociodemographic variable age, but not gender, and the psychographic variables feelings about the Internet and other Web-based applications in general and patients' value of health-related knowledgeability, but not digital literacy, were significant predictors of willingness to pay. Frequency of using apps for health-related information in the past and attitude toward PRWs, but not the amount of daily Internet use for health-related information, were significant predictors of willingness to pay. The perceived usefulness of the Internet to gain health-related information and the amount of daily Internet use in general did not have any significant effect on both of the endogenous variables. The moderation analysis with the group comparisons for users and nonusers of PRWs revealed that the attitude toward PRWs had significantly more impact on the adoption and willingness to pay for mobile physician-rating apps in the nonuser group. Important variables that contribute to the adoption of a mobile physician-rating app and the willingness to pay for it were identified. The results of this study are important for researchers because they can provide important insights about the variables that influence the acceptance of apps that allow for ratings of physicians. They are also useful for creators of mobile physician-rating apps because they can help tailor mobile physician-rating apps to the consumers' characteristics and needs.

What Explains Usage of Mobile Physician-Rating Apps? Results From a Web-Based Questionnaire

PubMed Central

Terlutter, Ralf; Röttl, Johanna

2014-01-01

Background Consumers are increasingly accessing health-related information via mobile devices. Recently, several apps to rate and locate physicians have been released in the United States and Germany. However, knowledge about what kinds of variables explain usage of mobile physician-rating apps is still lacking. Objective This study analyzes factors influencing the adoption of and willingness to pay for mobile physician-rating apps. A structural equation model was developed based on the Technology Acceptance Model and the literature on health-related information searches and usage of mobile apps. Relationships in the model were analyzed for moderating effects of physician-rating website (PRW) usage. Methods A total of 1006 randomly selected German patients who had visited a general practitioner at least once in the 3 months before the beginning of the survey were randomly selected and surveyed. A total of 958 usable questionnaires were analyzed by partial least squares path modeling and moderator analyses. Results The suggested model yielded a high model fit. We found that perceived ease of use (PEOU) of the Internet to gain health-related information, the sociodemographic variables age and gender, and the psychographic variables digital literacy, feelings about the Internet and other Web-based applications in general, patients’ value of health-related knowledgeability, as well as the information-seeking behavior variables regarding the amount of daily private Internet use for health-related information, frequency of using apps for health-related information in the past, and attitude toward PRWs significantly affected the adoption of mobile physician-rating apps. The sociodemographic variable age, but not gender, and the psychographic variables feelings about the Internet and other Web-based applications in general and patients’ value of health-related knowledgeability, but not digital literacy, were significant predictors of willingness to pay. Frequency of using apps for health-related information in the past and attitude toward PRWs, but not the amount of daily Internet use for health-related information, were significant predictors of willingness to pay. The perceived usefulness of the Internet to gain health-related information and the amount of daily Internet use in general did not have any significant effect on both of the endogenous variables. The moderation analysis with the group comparisons for users and nonusers of PRWs revealed that the attitude toward PRWs had significantly more impact on the adoption and willingness to pay for mobile physician-rating apps in the nonuser group. Conclusions Important variables that contribute to the adoption of a mobile physician-rating app and the willingness to pay for it were identified. The results of this study are important for researchers because they can provide important insights about the variables that influence the acceptance of apps that allow for ratings of physicians. They are also useful for creators of mobile physician-rating apps because they can help tailor mobile physician-rating apps to the consumers’ characteristics and needs. PMID:24918859

Intelligent device management in the selfcare marketplace.

PubMed

Biniaris, Christos G; Marsh, Andrew J

2008-01-01

Over the last ten years the Internet has emerged as a key infrastructure for service innovation, enabling IP (Internet Protocol) to become the wide area network communication protocol of choice. The natural result of this choice is that service providers and their customers are looking for ways to optimise costs by migrating existing services and applications onto IP as well. A good example is the medical industry, which is transitioning to Internet-based communications as the field of telemedicine broadens to preventative and self healthcare. However, technology is changing quickly and consumers face an array of choices to satisfy their healthcare needs with numerous devices from different vendors. Seamless healthcare device networking can play a major role in automating and safeguarding the process of collecting and transferring medical data, remote patient monitoring and reducing costs through remote equipment monitoring. In this scope, we describe an approach augmenting the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) with healthcare services in order to form a framework for efficient collection and storage of measurements, aiming to address the issues of the lack of a standardised data interface for consumer healthcare technologies (including hardware and protocols) and the lack of a standardised format for self-collected healthcare data (including the storage medium). In this framework, measurements can be seamlessly collected and stored as XML notes located virtually anywhere, such as the user's home or mobile device. Additionally, these notes can be accessed locally or remotely by doctors and specialists. Also, we discuss how this approach supports user mobility by proxying and redirecting requests to the user's current location and how it can remove the complexity of using consumer healthcare technologies from different vendors connected to different devices and the opportunities for Independent Software Vendors to develop additional services.

Internet-Users and Internet Non-Users Attitude towards Research: A Comparative Study on Post-Graduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noor ul Amin, Syed

2017-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to compare the Internet-user and Internet Non-user post-graduate students on their attitude towards research. The sample comprised 600 post graduate students (300 Internet-users and 300 Internet-Non-users) drawn from different faculties of University of Kashmir (J&K), India. Random sampling technique was…

Study on the application of mobile internet cloud computing platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Songchun; Fu, Songyin; Chen, Zheng

2012-04-01

The innovative development of computer technology promotes the application of the cloud computing platform, which actually is the substitution and exchange of a sort of resource service models and meets the needs of users on the utilization of different resources after changes and adjustments of multiple aspects. "Cloud computing" owns advantages in many aspects which not merely reduce the difficulties to apply the operating system and also make it easy for users to search, acquire and process the resources. In accordance with this point, the author takes the management of digital libraries as the research focus in this paper, and analyzes the key technologies of the mobile internet cloud computing platform in the operation process. The popularization and promotion of computer technology drive people to create the digital library models, and its core idea is to strengthen the optimal management of the library resource information through computers and construct an inquiry and search platform with high performance, allowing the users to access to the necessary information resources at any time. However, the cloud computing is able to promote the computations within the computers to distribute in a large number of distributed computers, and hence implement the connection service of multiple computers. The digital libraries, as a typical representative of the applications of the cloud computing, can be used to carry out an analysis on the key technologies of the cloud computing.

Stochastic Packet Loss Model to Evaluate QoE Impairments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hohlfeld, Oliver

With provisioning of broadband access for mass market—even in wireless and mobile networks—multimedia content, especially real-time streaming of high-quality audio and video, is extensively viewed and exchanged over the Internet. Quality of Experience (QoE) aspects, describing the service quality perceived by the user, is a vital factor in ensuring customer satisfaction in today's communication networks. Frameworks for accessing quality degradations in streamed video currently are investigated as a complex multi-layered research topic, involving network traffic load, codec functions and measures of user perception of video quality.

A Multimetric Approach for Handoff Decision in Heterogeneous Wireless Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kustiawan, I.; Purnama, W.

2018-02-01

Seamless mobility and service continuity anywhere at any time are an important issue in the wireless Internet. This research proposes a scheme to make handoff decisions effectively in heterogeneous wireless networks using a fuzzy system. Our design lies in an inference engine which takes RSS (received signal strength), data rate, network latency, and user preference as strategic determinants. The logic of our engine is realized on a UE (user equipment) side in faster reaction to network dynamics while roaming across different radio access technologies. The fuzzy system handles four metrics jointly to deduce a moderate decision about when to initiate handoff. The performance of our design is evaluated by simulating move-out mobility scenarios. Simulation results show that our scheme outperforms other approaches in terms of reducing unnecessary handoff.

Mobile telephones: a comparison of radiated power between 3G VoIP calls and 3G VoCS calls.

PubMed

Jovanovic, Dragan; Bragard, Guillaume; Picard, Dominique; Chauvin, Sébastien

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to assess the mean RF power radiated by mobile telephones during voice calls in 3G VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) using an application well known to mobile Internet users, and to compare it with the mean power radiated during voice calls in 3G VoCS (Voice over Circuit Switch) on a traditional network. Knowing that the specific absorption rate (SAR) is proportional to the mean radiated power, the user's exposure could be clearly identified at the same time. Three 3G (High Speed Packet Access) smartphones from three different manufacturers, all dual-band for GSM (900 MHz, 1800 MHz) and dual-band for UMTS (900 MHz, 1950 MHz), were used between 28 July and 04 August 2011 in Paris (France) to make 220 two-minute calls on a mobile telephone network with national coverage. The places where the calls were made were selected in such a way as to describe the whole range of usage situations of the mobile telephone. The measuring equipment, called "SYRPOM", recorded the radiation power levels and the frequency bands used during the calls with a sampling rate of 20,000 per second. In the framework of this study, the mean normalised power radiated by a telephone in 3G VoIP calls was evaluated at 0.75% maximum power of the smartphone, compared with 0.22% in 3G VoCS calls. The very low average power levels associated with use of 3G devices with VoIP or VoCS support the view that RF exposure resulting from their use is far from exceeding the basic restrictions of current exposure limits in terms of SAR.

Space Images for NASA JPL Android Version

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nelson, Jon D.; Gutheinz, Sandy C.; Strom, Joshua R.; Arca, Jeremy M.; Perez, Martin; Boggs, Karen; Stanboli, Alice

2013-01-01

This software addresses the demand for easily accessible NASA JPL images and videos by providing a user friendly and simple graphical user interface that can be run via the Android platform from any location where Internet connection is available. This app is complementary to the iPhone version of the application. A backend infrastructure stores, tracks, and retrieves space images from the JPL Photojournal and Institutional Communications Web server, and catalogs the information into a streamlined rating infrastructure. This system consists of four distinguishing components: image repository, database, server-side logic, and Android mobile application. The image repository contains images from various JPL flight projects. The database stores the image information as well as the user rating. The server-side logic retrieves the image information from the database and categorizes each image for display. The Android mobile application is an interfacing delivery system that retrieves the image information from the server for each Android mobile device user. Also created is a reporting and tracking system for charting and monitoring usage. Unlike other Android mobile image applications, this system uses the latest emerging technologies to produce image listings based directly on user input. This allows for countless combinations of images returned. The backend infrastructure uses industry-standard coding and database methods, enabling future software improvement and technology updates. The flexibility of the system design framework permits multiple levels of display possibilities and provides integration capabilities. Unique features of the software include image/video retrieval from a selected set of categories, image Web links that can be shared among e-mail users, sharing to Facebook/Twitter, marking as user's favorites, and image metadata searchable for instant results.

Use of mobile devices to answer online surveys: implications for research.

PubMed

Cunningham, John A; Neighbors, Clayton; Bertholet, Nicolas; Hendershot, Christian S

2013-07-08

There is a growing use of mobile devices to access the Internet. We examined whether participants who used a mobile device to access a brief online survey were quicker to respond to the survey but also, less likely to complete it than participants using a traditional web browser. Using data from a recently completed online intervention trial, we found that participants using mobile devices were quicker to access the survey but less likely to complete it compared to participants using a traditional web browser. More concerning, mobile device users were also less likely to respond to a request to complete a six week follow-up survey compared to those using traditional web browsers. With roughly a third of participants using mobile devices to answer an online survey in this study, the impact of mobile device usage on survey completion rates is a concern. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01521078.

Mobile Edge Computing Empowers Internet of Things

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ansari, Nirwan; Sun, Xiang

In this paper, we propose a Mobile Edge Internet of Things (MEIoT) architecture by leveraging the fiber-wireless access technology, the cloudlet concept, and the software defined networking framework. The MEIoT architecture brings computing and storage resources close to Internet of Things (IoT) devices in order to speed up IoT data sharing and analytics. Specifically, the IoT devices (belonging to the same user) are associated to a specific proxy Virtual Machine (VM) in the nearby cloudlet. The proxy VM stores and analyzes the IoT data (generated by its IoT devices) in real-time. Moreover, we introduce the semantic and social IoT technology in the context of MEIoT to solve the interoperability and inefficient access control problem in the IoT system. In addition, we propose two dynamic proxy VM migration methods to minimize the end-to-end delay between proxy VMs and their IoT devices and to minimize the total on-grid energy consumption of the cloudlets, respectively. Performance of the proposed methods are validated via extensive simulations.

Internet and mobile technology use among urban African American parents: survey study of a clinical population.

PubMed

Mitchell, Stephanie J; Godoy, Leandra; Shabazz, Kanya; Horn, Ivor B

2014-01-13

There is considerable potential for mobile technologies to empower pediatric patients and families by improving their communication with health professionals. National surveys suggest minority parents frequently communicate via mobile technology, but it is uncertain how amenable they are to receiving health care information in this format. Although the low cost and far reach characteristics of mobile health (mHealth) technology makes it advantageous for communication with minority parents, data on acceptance are needed. The objective of the study was to determine utilization of mobile and Internet technology by African American parents in an urban, underserved population, and to assess their interest in receiving health information via text messaging or other technologies (eg, social media and the Internet). A survey was administered to parents of children aged 1-12 years covered by public insurance receiving care at 3 pediatric primary care centers in Washington, DC. The African American sample (N=302) was composed of primarily single (75.8%, 229/302) mothers. Almost half had more than a high school education (47.7%, 144/302) and incomes above US $25,000 per year (43.0%, 130/302). Most (97.0%, 293/302) reported owning a cell phone, of which 91.1% (275/302) used it to text and 78.5% (237/302) used it to access the Internet. Most had service plans with unlimited text and data, but 26.5% (80/302) experienced service interruptions in the previous year. Home Internet access was more prevalent among those with higher income (86.2%, 112/130), but it was still relatively pervasive among lower income families (66.9%, 83/124). In adjusted logistic regression models, African American mothers with income greater than US $25,000 annually were 4 times as likely to own a tablet computer than their lower income counterparts. Of the participants, 80.8% (244/302) used social networking, primarily Facebook, and 74.2% (224/302) were interested in joining a social networking group about a health topic concerning their child. Although relatively few African American mothers (17.9%, 54/302) shared health information via texting, there was strong interest in receiving health information via mobile phones (87.4%, 264/302). There was no significant difference in Internet/mobile device use or interest in using these outlets to send/receive information about their children's health between parents of healthy children and parents of children with chronic health conditions. Urban African American parents are active users of the Internet and mobile technology for social interactions, but they are less likely to use it for accessing or communicating health information. However, most parents expressed an interest in receiving health information or utilizing social networking to learn more about health topics. Mobile technology and social networks may be an underutilized method of providing health information to underserved minority populations.

Internet and Mobile Technology Use Among Urban African American Parents: Survey Study of a Clinical Population

PubMed Central

Godoy, Leandra; Shabazz, Kanya

2014-01-01

Background There is considerable potential for mobile technologies to empower pediatric patients and families by improving their communication with health professionals. National surveys suggest minority parents frequently communicate via mobile technology, but it is uncertain how amenable they are to receiving health care information in this format. Although the low cost and far reach characteristics of mobile health (mHealth) technology makes it advantageous for communication with minority parents, data on acceptance are needed. Objective The objective of the study was to determine utilization of mobile and Internet technology by African American parents in an urban, underserved population, and to assess their interest in receiving health information via text messaging or other technologies (eg, social media and the Internet). Methods A survey was administered to parents of children aged 1-12 years covered by public insurance receiving care at 3 pediatric primary care centers in Washington, DC. Results The African American sample (N=302) was composed of primarily single (75.8%, 229/302) mothers. Almost half had more than a high school education (47.7%, 144/302) and incomes above US $25,000 per year (43.0%, 130/302). Most (97.0%, 293/302) reported owning a cell phone, of which 91.1% (275/302) used it to text and 78.5% (237/302) used it to access the Internet. Most had service plans with unlimited text and data, but 26.5% (80/302) experienced service interruptions in the previous year. Home Internet access was more prevalent among those with higher income (86.2%, 112/130), but it was still relatively pervasive among lower income families (66.9%, 83/124). In adjusted logistic regression models, African American mothers with income greater than US $25,000 annually were 4 times as likely to own a tablet computer than their lower income counterparts. Of the participants, 80.8% (244/302) used social networking, primarily Facebook, and 74.2% (224/302) were interested in joining a social networking group about a health topic concerning their child. Although relatively few African American mothers (17.9%, 54/302) shared health information via texting, there was strong interest in receiving health information via mobile phones (87.4%, 264/302). There was no significant difference in Internet/mobile device use or interest in using these outlets to send/receive information about their children’s health between parents of healthy children and parents of children with chronic health conditions. Conclusions Urban African American parents are active users of the Internet and mobile technology for social interactions, but they are less likely to use it for accessing or communicating health information. However, most parents expressed an interest in receiving health information or utilizing social networking to learn more about health topics. Mobile technology and social networks may be an underutilized method of providing health information to underserved minority populations. PMID:24418967

A Comparison of Mobile and Fixed Device Access on User Engagement Associated With Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Online Nutrition Education

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Background Online health education has expanded its reach due to cost-effective implementation and demonstrated effectiveness. However, a limitation exists with the evaluation of online health education implementations and how the impact of the system is attenuated by the extent to which a user engages with it. Moreover, the current online health education research does not consider how this engagement has been affected by the transition from fixed to mobile user access over the last decade. Objective This paper focuses on comparing the impact mobile versus fixed devices have on user engagement key performance indicators (KPI) associated with the wichealth website (.org), an Internet-based parent-child feeding intervention offered to clients associated with the US Department of Agriculture’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Methods Data were collected from 612,201 nutrition education lessons completed by 305,735 unique WIC participants in 21 states over a 1-year period. Data consisted of system-collected measures, profile items, and items from an exit survey administered at the conclusion of each lesson. User engagement was defined based on 3 KPIs associated with usage of the wichealth website: number of link views, link view time, and progression in stage of readiness to change. Independent samples t tests were used to compare KPIs between fixed only and mobile only device users and paired samples t tests were used to compare KPIs within users who completed at least one lesson each on both a fixed and mobile device. A logistic regression was performed to estimate the odds of KPI performance thresholds in the independent samples study group given access device type while controlling for confounding of user characteristics associated with these KPIs. Results Analysis of 8 user characteristics (lessons completed, race, ethnicity, language, state of residence, pregnancy status, beginning stage of change, and preferred nutrition education method) were significantly (P<.001) related to various KPI differences between mobile and fixed device access. Non-mobile users were significantly (P<.001) more likely to engage based on all 3 KPIs, even after logistic regression control for the potential confounding related to the strongly associated user characteristics identified. Conclusions The findings of this study support the idea that online health education developers need to seriously consider access device when creating programs. Online health education developers need to take extra effort to truly understand access patterns of populations being served, and whether or not access device will influence user engagement performance indicators. PMID:27847351

Mobile phones: influence on auditory and vestibular systems.

PubMed

Balbani, Aracy Pereira Silveira; Montovani, Jair Cortez

2008-01-01

Telecommunications systems emit radiofrequency, which is an invisible electromagnetic radiation. Mobile phones operate with microwaves (450900 MHz in the analog service, and 1,82,2 GHz in the digital service) very close to the users ear. The skin, inner ear, cochlear nerve and the temporal lobe surface absorb the radiofrequency energy. literature review on the influence of cellular phones on hearing and balance. systematic review. We reviewed papers on the influence of mobile phones on auditory and vestibular systems from Lilacs and Medline databases, published from 2000 to 2005, and also materials available in the Internet. Studies concerning mobile phone radiation and risk of developing an acoustic neuroma have controversial results. Some authors did not see evidences of a higher risk of tumor development in mobile phone users, while others report that usage of analog cellular phones for ten or more years increase the risk of developing the tumor. Acute exposure to mobile phone microwaves do not influence the cochlear outer hair cells function in vivo and in vitro, the cochlear nerve electrical properties nor the vestibular system physiology in humans. Analog hearing aids are more susceptible to the electromagnetic interference caused by digital mobile phones. there is no evidence of cochleo-vestibular lesion caused by cellular phones.

A stand-alone tidal prediction application for mobile devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, Cheng-Han; Fan, Ren-Ye; Yang, Yi-Chung

2017-04-01

It is essential for people conducting fishing, leisure, or research activities at the coasts to have timely and handy tidal information. Although tidal information can be found easily on the internet or using mobile device applications, this information is all applicable for only certain specific locations, not anywhere on the coast, and they need an internet connection. We have developed an application for Android devices, which allows the user to obtain hourly tidal height anywhere on the coast for the next 24 hours without having to have any internet connection. All the necessary information needed for the tidal height calculation is stored in the application. To develop this application, we first simulate tides in the Taiwan Sea using the hydrodynamic model (MIKE21 HD) developed by the DHI. The simulation domain covers the whole coast of Taiwan and the surrounding seas with a grid size of 1 km by 1 km. This grid size allows us to calculate tides with high spatial resolution. The boundary conditions for the simulation domain were obtained from the Tidal Model Driver of the Oregon State University, using its tidal constants of eight constituents: M2, S2, N2, K2, K1, O1, P1, and Q1. The simulation calculates tides for 183 days so that the tidal constants for the above eight constituents of each water grid can be extracted by harmonic analysis. Using the calculated tidal constants, we can predict the tides in each grid of our simulation domain, which is useful when one needs the tidal information for any location in the Taiwan Sea. However, for the mobile application, we only store the eight tidal constants for the water grids on the coast. Once the user activates the application, it reads the longitude and latitude from the GPS sensor in the mobile device and finds the nearest coastal grid which has our tidal constants. Then, the application calculates tidal height variation based on the harmonic analysis. The application also allows the user to input location and time to obtain tides for any historic or future dates for the input location. The predicted tides have been verified with the historic tidal records of certain tidal stations. The verification shows that the tides predicted by the application match the measured record well.

Model of load balancing using reliable algorithm with multi-agent system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afriansyah, M. F.; Somantri, M.; Riyadi, M. A.

2017-04-01

Massive technology development is linear with the growth of internet users which increase network traffic activity. It also increases load of the system. The usage of reliable algorithm and mobile agent in distributed load balancing is a viable solution to handle the load issue on a large-scale system. Mobile agent works to collect resource information and can migrate according to given task. We propose reliable load balancing algorithm using least time first byte (LFB) combined with information from the mobile agent. In system overview, the methodology consisted of defining identification system, specification requirements, network topology and design system infrastructure. The simulation method for simulated system was using 1800 request for 10 s from the user to the server and taking the data for analysis. Software simulation was based on Apache Jmeter by observing response time and reliability of each server and then compared it with existing method. Results of performed simulation show that the LFB method with mobile agent can perform load balancing with efficient systems to all backend server without bottleneck, low risk of server overload, and reliable.

AccessScope project: Accessible light microscope for users with upper limb mobility or visual impairments.

PubMed

Mansoor, Awais; Ahmed, Wamiq M; Samarapungavan, Ala; Cirillo, John; Schwarte, David; Robinson, J Paul; Duerstock, Bradley S

2010-01-01

A web-based application was developed to remotely view slide specimens and control all functions of a research-level light microscopy workstation, called AccessScope. Students and scientists with upper limb mobility and visual impairments are often unable to use a light microscope by themselves and must depend on others in its operation. Users with upper limb mobility impairments and low vision were recruited to assist in the design process of the AccessScope personal computer (PC) user interface. Participants with these disabilities were evaluated in their ability to use AccessScope to perform microscopical tasks. AccessScope usage was compared with inspecting prescanned slide images by grading participants' identification and understanding of histological features and knowledge of microscope operation. With AccessScope subjects were able to independently perform common light microscopy functions through an Internet browser by employing different PC pointing devices or accessibility software according to individual abilities. Subjects answered more histology and microscope usage questions correctly after first participating in an AccessScope test session. AccessScope allowed users with upper limb or visual impairments to successfully perform light microscopy without assistance. This unprecedented capability is crucial for students and scientists with disabilities to perform laboratory coursework or microscope-based research and pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.

Internet use and its impact on engagement in leisure activities in China.

PubMed

Zhou, Ronggang; Fong, Patrick S W; Tan, Peking

2014-01-01

Internet use has become an increasingly common leisure time activity among Chinese citizens. The association between Internet use and engagement in leisure activities is especially unclear among China population. This study aims to investigate Internet usage and to determine whether active Internet use is a marker for low or high levels of leisure time activities. With the use of a face-to-face structured questionnaire interview, a total of 2,400 respondents who met all screening requirements were surveyed to answer the questions in eight major cities in China. 66.2% (n = 1,589) of all respondents were identified as Internet users. Of these Internet users, 30.0%, 24.1%, 26.4%, and 19.6% were clustered as "informative or instrumental users," "entertainment users," "communication users," and "advanced users," respectively. Regarding time spent on Internet use in leisure time, more than 96% reported going online in non-work situations, and 26.2% (n = 416) were classified as "heavy Internet users." A logistic regression analysis revealed that there were significant differences in some leisure activities between non-Internet users and Internet users, with an observed one-unit increase in the leisure time dependence category increasing the probability of engaging in mental or social activities. In contrast, Internet users were less engaged in physical exercise-related activities. In addition, advanced Internet users were generally more active in leisure time activities than non-Internet users and other types of users. Internet use is one of very common leisure activities in Chinese citizens, and age, gender, income, and education are the key factors affecting Internet access. According to different types of leisure activities, Internet usage has different impacts on leisure activity engagement. High Internet dependence has no significant negative influence on engagement in mental or social leisure activities, but this group respondent tended to be less engaged in physical activities.

Internet Use and Its Impact on Engagement in Leisure Activities in China

PubMed Central

Zhou, Ronggang; Fong, Patrick S. W.; Tan, Peking

2014-01-01

Introduction Internet use has become an increasingly common leisure time activity among Chinese citizens. The association between Internet use and engagement in leisure activities is especially unclear among China population. This study aims to investigate Internet usage and to determine whether active Internet use is a marker for low or high levels of leisure time activities. Methods/Principal Findings With the use of a face-to-face structured questionnaire interview, a total of 2,400 respondents who met all screening requirements were surveyed to answer the questions in eight major cities in China. 66.2% (n = 1,589) of all respondents were identified as Internet users. Of these Internet users, 30.0%, 24.1%, 26.4%, and 19.6% were clustered as “informative or instrumental users,” “entertainment users,” “communication users,” and “advanced users,” respectively. Regarding time spent on Internet use in leisure time, more than 96% reported going online in non-work situations, and 26.2% (n = 416) were classified as “heavy Internet users.” A logistic regression analysis revealed that there were significant differences in some leisure activities between non-Internet users and Internet users, with an observed one-unit increase in the leisure time dependence category increasing the probability of engaging in mental or social activities. In contrast, Internet users were less engaged in physical exercise-related activities. In addition, advanced Internet users were generally more active in leisure time activities than non-Internet users and other types of users. Conclusion/Significance Internet use is one of very common leisure activities in Chinese citizens, and age, gender, income, and education are the key factors affecting Internet access. According to different types of leisure activities, Internet usage has different impacts on leisure activity engagement. High Internet dependence has no significant negative influence on engagement in mental or social leisure activities, but this group respondent tended to be less engaged in physical activities. PMID:24586902

"MXing it up": how African adolescents may affect social change through mobile phone use.

PubMed

Napolitano, Christopher M

2010-01-01

This chapter outlines mobile phone use among African (particularly South African) adolescents. With an estimated 350 million active mobile phone subscriptions, improving network infrastructure, low-cost Internet-ready handsets, innovative programs and applications, mobiles in Africa, and their increasingly younger, increasingly poorer, and increasingly savvy users have the potential to act as conduits for local and regional socially just change. This broad-based connectedness not only provides access to information, but also, and crucially, connects individuals and their social, intellectual, and financial capital. It may represent a powerful, transformative shift in a region where access to similar technologies was historically limited to a privileged few. In order to best leverage these developments and opportunities to promote socially just change, I argue that future mobile-based programs or initiatives in the region should be based in both contemporary developmental systems theory as well as current, popular mobile applications and services.

Interreality: A New Paradigm for E-health.

PubMed

Riva, Giuseppe

2009-01-01

"Interreality" is a personalized immersive e-therapy whose main novelty is a hybrid, closed-loop empowering experience bridging physical and virtual worlds. The main feature of interreality is a twofold link between the virtual and the real world: (a) behavior in the physical world influences the experience in the virtual one; (b) behavior in the virtual world influences the experience in the real one. This is achieved through: (1) 3D Shared Virtual Worlds: role-playing experiences in which one or more users interact with one another within a 3D world; (2) Bio and Activity Sensors (From the Real to the Virtual World): They are used to track the emotional/health/activity status of the user and to influence his/her experience in the virtual world (aspect, activity and access); (3) Mobile Internet Appliances (From the Virtual to the Real One): In interreality, the social and individual user activity in the virtual world has a direct link with the users' life through a mobile phone/digital assistant. The different technologies that are involved in the interreality vision and its clinical rationale are addressed and discussed.

A Web Service-based framework model for people-centric sensing applications applied to social networking.

PubMed

Nunes, David; Tran, Thanh-Dien; Raposo, Duarte; Pinto, André; Gomes, André; Silva, Jorge Sá

2012-01-01

As the Internet evolved, social networks (such as Facebook) have bloomed and brought together an astonishing number of users. Mashing up mobile phones and sensors with these social environments enables the creation of people-centric sensing systems which have great potential for expanding our current social networking usage. However, such systems also have many associated technical challenges, such as privacy concerns, activity detection mechanisms or intermittent connectivity, as well as limitations due to the heterogeneity of sensor nodes and networks. Considering the openness of the Web 2.0, good technical solutions for these cases consist of frameworks that expose sensing data and functionalities as common Web-Services. This paper presents our RESTful Web Service-based model for people-centric sensing frameworks, which uses sensors and mobile phones to detect users' activities and locations, sharing this information amongst the user's friends within a social networking site. We also present some screenshot results of our experimental prototype.

FPGA implementation cost and performance evaluation of IEEE 802.11 protocol encryption security schemes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sklavos, N.; Selimis, G.; Koufopavlou, O.

2005-01-01

The explosive growth of internet and consumer demand for mobility has fuelled the exponential growth of wireless communications and networks. Mobile users want access to services and information, from both internet and personal devices, from a range of locations without the use of a cable medium. IEEE 802.11 is one of the most widely used wireless standards of our days. The amount of access and mobility into wireless networks requires a security infrastructure that protects communication within that network. The security of this protocol is based on the wired equivalent privacy (WEP) scheme. Currently, all the IEEE 802.11 market products support WEP. But recently, the 802.11i working group introduced the advanced encryption standard (AES), as the security scheme for the future IEEE 802.11 applications. In this paper, the hardware integrations of WEP and AES are studied. A field programmable gate array (FPGA) device has been used as the hardware implementation platform, for a fair comparison between the two security schemes. Measurements for the FPGA implementation cost, operating frequency, power consumption and performance are given.

Internet use at workplaces and its effects on working style in indian context: An exploration

PubMed Central

Shrivastava, Apoorva; Sharma, Manoj K.; Marimuthu, P.

2016-01-01

Background: Internet use has revolutionized the pattern of working style at the workplace. It led to an increased use for nonprofessional activities at the workplace. It has been shown to affect productivity at the workplace. There is a dearth of literature from the Indian context in this area. Aim: This study was conducted to explore the pattern of Internet use at the workplace and its dysfunctions. Setting and Design: The present study was a cross-sectional prospective study. Materials and Methods: The objective of the study was to assess the pattern of technology use at the workplace. Two hundred and fifty employees having experience of Internet use for more than a year of various Government/Private sector organizations in Bengaluru were assessed using background data sheet. Users who were unwilling to participate were excluded from the study. Results: 29.6% of the participants used mobile phone exclusively. 58.8% of the participants used mobile along with other devices such as desktop, laptop, and tablet at home as well as at work. 64% of the participants reported change in their productivity due to nonwork-related Internet use at the workplace. 42% of the participants acknowledgemed postponement of their work due to Internet activities. 3–5% reported preference for Internet to work, meals, personal hygiene, sleep, and interaction with family members. WhatsApp was the most used application followed by Facebook and Gmail. Gaming applications and messenger applications such as hike and hangouts were used less frequently. Overall, delay in going to sleep was 1.6 hours and early morning awakening was 1.5 hours due to Internet use. Conclusions: The present study has implications for evolving psychoeducational modules for the promotion of healthy use of technology. PMID:28194082

Internet use at workplaces and its effects on working style in indian context: An exploration.

PubMed

Shrivastava, Apoorva; Sharma, Manoj K; Marimuthu, P

2016-01-01

Internet use has revolutionized the pattern of working style at the workplace. It led to an increased use for nonprofessional activities at the workplace. It has been shown to affect productivity at the workplace. There is a dearth of literature from the Indian context in this area. This study was conducted to explore the pattern of Internet use at the workplace and its dysfunctions. The present study was a cross-sectional prospective study. The objective of the study was to assess the pattern of technology use at the workplace. Two hundred and fifty employees having experience of Internet use for more than a year of various Government/Private sector organizations in Bengaluru were assessed using background data sheet. Users who were unwilling to participate were excluded from the study. 29.6% of the participants used mobile phone exclusively. 58.8% of the participants used mobile along with other devices such as desktop, laptop, and tablet at home as well as at work. 64% of the participants reported change in their productivity due to nonwork-related Internet use at the workplace. 42% of the participants acknowledgemed postponement of their work due to Internet activities. 3-5% reported preference for Internet to work, meals, personal hygiene, sleep, and interaction with family members. WhatsApp was the most used application followed by Facebook and Gmail. Gaming applications and messenger applications such as hike and hangouts were used less frequently. Overall, delay in going to sleep was 1.6 hours and early morning awakening was 1.5 hours due to Internet use. The present study has implications for evolving psychoeducational modules for the promotion of healthy use of technology.

Gay and Bisexual men's use of the Internet: Research from the 1990s through 2013

PubMed Central

Grov, Christian; Breslow, Aaron S.; Newcomb, Michael E.; Rosenberger, Joshua G.; Bauermeister, Jose A

2014-01-01

In this review, we document the historical and cultural shifts in how gay and bisexual men have used the Internet for sexuality between the 1990s and 2013. Over that time, gay and bisexual men have rapidly taken to using the Internet for sexual purposes: sexual health information seeking, finding sex partners, dating, cybersex, and pornography. Gay and bisexual men have adapted to the ever-evolving technological advances that have been made in connecting users to the Internet—from logging into the World Wide Web via dial-up modem on a desktop computer to geo-social and sexual networking via a handheld device. In kind, researchers too have adapted to the Internet to study gay and bisexual men, though not at the same rapid pace at which technology (and its users) have advanced. Studies have carefully considered the ethics, feasibility, and acceptability of using the Internet to conduct research and interventions with gay and bisexual men. Much of this work has been grounded in models of disease prevention, largely as a result of the ongoing HIV/AIDS epidemic. The urgent need to reduce HIV in this population has been a driving force to develop innovative research and Internet-based intervention methodologies. Moving forward, a more holistic understanding of gay and bisexual men's sexual behavior might be warranted to address continued HIV and STI disparities. The Internet, and specifically mobile technology, is an environment gay and bisexual men are using for sexual purposes. These innovative technologies represent powerful resources for researchers to study and provide rapidly evolving outreach to gay and bisexual men. PMID:24754360

Technology for the Next-Generation-Mobile User Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delagi, Greg

The current mobile-handset market is a vital and growing one, being driven by technology advances, including increased bandwidth and processing performance, as well as reduced power consumption and improved screen technologies. The 3G/4G handsets of today are multimedia internet devices with increased screen size, HD video and gaming, interactive touch screens, HD camera and camcorders, as well as incredible social, entertainment, and productivity applications. While mobile-technology advancements to date have made us more social in many ways, new advancements over the next decade will bring us to the next level, allowing mobile users to experience new types of "virtual" social interactions with all the senses. The mobile handsets of the future will be smart autonomous-lifestyle devices with a multitude of incorporated sensors, applications and display options, all designed to make your life easier and more productive! With future display media, including 3D imaging, virtual interaction and conferencing will be possible, making every call feel like you are in the same room, providing an experience far beyond today's video conferencing technology. 3D touch-screen with integrated image-projection technologies will work in conjunction with gesturing to bring a new era of intuitive mobile device applications, interaction, and information sharing. Looking to the future, there are many challenges to be faced in delivering a smart mobile companion device that will meet the user demands. One demand will be for the availability of new and compelling services, and features on the "mobile companion". These mobile companions will be more than just Internet devices, and will function as on-the-go workstations, allowing users to function as if they were sitting in front of their computer in the office or at home. The massive amounts of data that will be transmitted through, to and from these mobile companions will require immense improvements in system performance, including specialized circuits, highly parallel architectures, and new packaging design. Another concern of the smart-mobile-companion user will be that their device is able to deliver an always-on, always-aware environment in a way that is completely seamless and transparent. These handsets will automatically determine the best and most appropriate modem link from the multiple choices on the device, including WiFi, LTE, 5G, and mmWave, based on which link will optimize performance, battery life, and network charges to deliver the best possible user experience. In the future, adaptive connectivity will require many different solutions, including the standard modem technologies of today, as well as new machine-machine interfaces and body-area-networks. All of the new and exciting applications and features of these mobile-companion devices are going to require additional energy due to added computational requirements. However, a gap in energy efficiency is quickly developing between the energy that can be delivered by today's battery technologies, and the energy needed to deliver all-day operation or 2-day always-on standby without a recharge. New innovations ranging from low-voltage digital and analog circuits, non-volatile memory, and adaptive power management, to energy harvesting, will be needed to further improve the battery life of these mobile companion devices. Increased bandwidth combined with decreased latency, higher power efficiency, energy harvesting, massive multimedia processing, and new interconnect technologies will all work together to revolutionize how we interact with our smart-companion devices. The implementation challenges in bringing these technologies to market may seem daunting and numerous at first, but with the strong collaboration in research and development from universities, government agencies, and corporations, the smart-mobile-companion devices of the future will likely become reality within 5 years!

Ant-Based Cyber Defense (also known as

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

Glenn Fink, PNNL

2015-09-29

ABCD is a four-level hierarchy with human supervisors at the top, a top-level agent called a Sergeant controlling each enclave, Sentinel agents located at each monitored host, and mobile Sensor agents that swarm through the enclaves to detect cyber malice and misconfigurations. The code comprises four parts: (1) the core agent framework, (2) the user interface and visualization, (3) test-range software to create a network of virtual machines including a simulated Internet and user and host activity emulation scripts, and (4) a test harness to allow the safe running of adversarial code within the framework of monitored virtual machines.

SECURE INTERNET OF THINGS-BASED CLOUD FRAMEWORK TO CONTROL ZIKA VIRUS OUTBREAK.

PubMed

Sareen, Sanjay; Sood, Sandeep K; Gupta, Sunil Kumar

2017-01-01

Zika virus (ZikaV) is currently one of the most important emerging viruses in the world which has caused outbreaks and epidemics and has also been associated with severe clinical manifestations and congenital malformations. Traditional approaches to combat the ZikaV outbreak are not effective for detection and control. The aim of this study is to propose a cloud-based system to prevent and control the spread of Zika virus disease using integration of mobile phones and Internet of Things (IoT). A Naive Bayesian Network (NBN) is used to diagnose the possibly infected users, and Google Maps Web service is used to provide the geographic positioning system (GPS)-based risk assessment to prevent the outbreak. It is used to represent each ZikaV infected user, mosquito-dense sites, and breeding sites on the Google map that helps the government healthcare authorities to control such risk-prone areas effectively and efficiently. The performance and accuracy of the proposed system are evaluated using dataset for 2 million users. Our system provides high accuracy for initial diagnosis of different users according to their symptoms and appropriate GPS-based risk assessment. The cloud-based proposed system contributed to the accurate NBN-based classification of infected users and accurate identification of risk-prone areas using Google Maps.

A Middleware with Comprehensive Quality of Context Support for the Internet of Things Applications

PubMed Central

Gomes, Berto de Tácio Pereira; Muniz, Luiz Carlos Melo; dos Santos, Davi Viana; Lopes, Rafael Fernandes; Coutinho, Luciano Reis; Carvalho, Felipe Oliveira; Endler, Markus

2017-01-01

Context aware systems are able to adapt their behavior according to the environment in which the user is. They can be integrated into an Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure, allowing a better perception of the user’s physical environment by collecting context data from sensors embedded in devices known as smart objects. An IoT extension called the Internet of Mobile Things (IoMT) suggests new scenarios in which smart objects and IoT gateways can move autonomously or be moved easily. In a comprehensive view, Quality of Context (QoC) is a term that can express quality requirements of context aware applications. These requirements can be those related to the quality of information provided by the sensors (e.g., accuracy, resolution, age, validity time) or those referring to the quality of the data distribution service (e.g, reliability, delay, delivery time). Some functionalities of context aware applications and/or decision-making processes of these applications and their users depend on the level of quality of context available, which tend to vary over time for various reasons. Reviewing the literature, it is possible to verify that the quality of context support provided by IoT-oriented middleware systems still has limitations in relation to at least four relevant aspects: (i) quality of context provisioning; (ii) quality of context monitoring; (iii) support for heterogeneous device and technology management; (iv) support for reliable data delivery in mobility scenarios. This paper presents two main contributions: (i) a state-of-the-art survey specifically aimed at analyzing the middleware with quality of context support and; (ii) a new middleware with comprehensive quality of context support for Internet of Things Applications. The proposed middleware was evaluated and the results are presented and discussed in this article, which also shows a case study involving the development of a mobile remote patient monitoring application that was developed using the proposed middleware. This case study highlights how middleware components were used to meet the quality of context requirements of the application. In addition, the proposed middleware was compared to other solutions in the literature. PMID:29292791

National estimates of Australian gambling prevalence: f indings from a dual-frame omnibus survey.

PubMed

Dowling, N A; Youssef, G J; Jackson, A C; Pennay, D W; Francis, K L; Pennay, A; Lubman, D I

2016-03-01

The increase in mobile telephone-only households may be a source of bias for traditional landline gambling prevalence surveys. Aims were to: (1) identify Australian gambling participation and problem gambling prevalence using a dual-frame (50% landline and 50% mobile telephone) computer-assisted telephone interviewing methodology; (2) explore the predictors of sample frame and telephone status; and (3) explore the degree to which sample frame and telephone status moderate the relationships between respondent characteristics and problem gambling. A total of 2000 adult respondents residing in Australia were interviewed from March to April 2013. Participation in multiple gambling activities and Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). Estimates were: gambling participation [63.9%, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 61.4-66.3], problem gambling (0.4%, 95% CI = 0.2-0.8), moderate-risk gambling (1.9%, 95% CI = 1.3-2.6) and low-risk gambling (3.0%, 95% CI = 2.2-4.0). Relative to the landline frame, the mobile frame was more likely to gamble on horse/greyhound races [odds ratio (OR) = 1.4], casino table games (OR = 5.0), sporting events (OR = 2.2), private games (OR = 1.9) and the internet (OR = 6.5); less likely to gamble on lotteries (OR = 0.6); and more likely to gamble on five or more activities (OR = 2.4), display problem gambling (OR = 6.4) and endorse PGSI items (OR = 2.4-6.1). Only casino table gambling (OR = 2.9) and internet gambling (OR = 3.5) independently predicted mobile frame membership. Telephone status (landline frame versus mobile dual users and mobile-only users) displayed similar findings. Finally, sample frame and/or telephone status moderated the relationship between gender, relationship status, health and problem gambling (OR = 2.9-7.6). Given expected future increases in the mobile telephone-only population, best practice in population gambling research should use dual frame sampling methodologies (at least 50% landline and 50% mobile telephone) for telephone interviewing. © 2015 The Authors. Addiction published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society for the Study of Addiction.

An algorithm of opinion leaders mining based on signed network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Linlin; Zheng, Mingchun; Zhang, Yuanyuan; Zhang, Fuming

2018-04-01

With the rapid development of mobile Internet, user gradually become the leader of social media, the abruptly rise of new media has changed the traditional information's dissemination pattern and regularity. There is new era significance of opinion leaders, gatekeepers in the classical theory of mass communication, and it has further expansion and extension to a certain extent. In the existing mining of opinion leaders, it is mainly from the research of network structure and user behavior without considering an important attribute: whether the user has a real impact. In this paper, we take the symbolic network as the research tool, by giving symbol which correspondingly represents support or oppose to the link about point of view relationship between users and combining traditional algorithms of mining with symbolism which can describe the change of view between users, we will get the opinion leader who has real impact on users, then the result is more accurate and effective.

Learning in the cloud: a new challenge for a global teaching system in optics and photonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sultana, Razia; Christ, Andreas; Feisst, Markus; Curticapean, Dan

2014-07-01

Nowadays, it is assumed of many applications, companies and parts of the society to be always available online. However, according to [Times, Oct, 31 2011], 73% of the world population do not use the internet and thus aren't "online" at all. The most common reasons for not being "online" are expensive personal computer equipment and high costs for data connections, especially in developing countries that comprise most of the world's population (e.g. parts of Africa, Asia, Central and South America). However it seems that these countries are leap-frogging the "PC and landline" age and moving directly to the "mobile" age. Decreasing prices for smart phones with internet connectivity and PC-like operating systems make it more affordable for these parts of the world population to join the "always-online" community. Storing learning content in a way accessible to everyone, including mobile and smart phones, seems therefore to be beneficial. This way, learning content can be accessed by personal computers as well as by mobile and smart phones and thus be accessible for a big range of devices and users. A new trend in the Internet technologies is to go to "the cloud". This paper discusses the changes, challenges and risks of storing learning content in the "cloud". The experiences were gathered during the evaluation of the necessary changes in order to make our solutions and systems "cloud-ready".

Strategic Mobility 21 Transition Plan: From Research Federation to Business Enterprise

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-31

Transportation Management System (GTMS), Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), Service -as-a- Software ( SaaS ), Joint Capability Technolgoy Demonstration...the Software -as-a- Service ( SaaS ) format, whereby users access the application with the appropriate Internet authorizations. Security is provided by...integrating best-of-breed dual-use systems deployed in the software as a service ( SaaS ) environment. It includes single sign-on capabilities and was

FTP-Server for exchange, interpretation, and database-search of ion mobility spectra, literature, preprints and software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baumbach, J. I.; Vonirmer, A.

1995-01-01

To assist current discussion in the field of ion mobility spectrometry, at the Institut fur Spectrochemie und angewandte Spektroskopie, Dortmund, start with 4th of December, 1994 work of an FTP-Server, available for all research groups at univerisities, institutes and research worker in industry. We support the exchange, interpretation, and database-search of ion mobility spectra through data format JCAMP-DS (Joint Committee on Atomic and Molecular Physical Data) as well as literature retrieval, pre-print, notice, and discussion board. We describe in general lines the entrance conditions, local addresses, and main code words. For further details, a monthly news report will be prepared for all common users. Internet email address for subscribing is included in document.

A Comparison of Mobile and Fixed Device Access on User Engagement Associated With Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Online Nutrition Education.

PubMed

Brusk, John J; Bensley, Robert J

2016-11-15

Online health education has expanded its reach due to cost-effective implementation and demonstrated effectiveness. However, a limitation exists with the evaluation of online health education implementations and how the impact of the system is attenuated by the extent to which a user engages with it. Moreover, the current online health education research does not consider how this engagement has been affected by the transition from fixed to mobile user access over the last decade. This paper focuses on comparing the impact mobile versus fixed devices have on user engagement key performance indicators (KPI) associated with the wichealth website (.org), an Internet-based parent-child feeding intervention offered to clients associated with the US Department of Agriculture's Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Data were collected from 612,201 nutrition education lessons completed by 305,735 unique WIC participants in 21 states over a 1-year period. Data consisted of system-collected measures, profile items, and items from an exit survey administered at the conclusion of each lesson. User engagement was defined based on 3 KPIs associated with usage of the wichealth website: number of link views, link view time, and progression in stage of readiness to change. Independent samples t tests were used to compare KPIs between fixed only and mobile only device users and paired samples t tests were used to compare KPIs within users who completed at least one lesson each on both a fixed and mobile device. A logistic regression was performed to estimate the odds of KPI performance thresholds in the independent samples study group given access device type while controlling for confounding of user characteristics associated with these KPIs. Analysis of 8 user characteristics (lessons completed, race, ethnicity, language, state of residence, pregnancy status, beginning stage of change, and preferred nutrition education method) were significantly (P<.001) related to various KPI differences between mobile and fixed device access. Non-mobile users were significantly (P<.001) more likely to engage based on all 3 KPIs, even after logistic regression control for the potential confounding related to the strongly associated user characteristics identified. The findings of this study support the idea that online health education developers need to seriously consider access device when creating programs. Online health education developers need to take extra effort to truly understand access patterns of populations being served, and whether or not access device will influence user engagement performance indicators. ©John J Brusk, Robert J Bensley. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (http://www.researchprotocols.org), 15.11.2016.

PDM and the Internet: A Look at Product Management and Its Internet Opportunities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mendel, Alan

1997-01-01

Discusses the impact of internet technology on product data management (PDM) vendor's and the users' purchasing decisions. Internet users anticipate graphical user interface (GUI) and two-way communication which allow users to enter and modify data as well as access it. Examines PDM and the Internet: price and performance, the World Wide Web,…

Work environments of people with mobility impairments and limitations: Mobility Device User Work Survey (MWS).

PubMed

Morgan, Kerri A; Gottlieb, Meghan; Hollingsworth, Holly H; Gray, David B

2014-01-01

Few studies of employed people who use wheelchairs, canes, crutches or walkers have been reported in the literature. One reason for this paucity of research reports is that surveys are most often made of unemployed individuals with disabilities a defined broadly. Understanding the work site of successfully employed people who use mobility devices requires the development of as survey that can be used to examine the important features of worksite from employees who use mobility devices at their worksites. This article describes the development and psychometrics of a survey on currently employed people with lower limb impairments and mobility limitations who use mobility devices. The items in the Mobility Device User Work Survey (MWS) were based on interviews and survey items pilot tested on employed mobility device users. A sample of 183 employed people who use mobility devices including wheelchairs, canes, crutches or walkers was recruited using internet postings on disability-related organizations. The average age of the sample was 46.3, most were college educated, 72% used wheelchairs and the average number of years of employment was 24. The MWS was completed by 183 people who met the inclusion criteria. The survey was sent to these same people a second time and 132 of them returned the second survey. The MWS consists of 106 questions on demographic, work and worksite characteristics and 58 subjective evaluation items that were organized into five scales. The internal consistencies (Cronbach's alpha) of the five scales were moderate (0.72) to good (0.93). Stability values of the five scales were calculated using correlations between forms and ranged from 0.70 to 0.80. The evaluative scales were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis. The MWS provides a tool for studying the variables that influence employed people who use mobility devices. Future studies of unemployed people who use mobility devices may benefit from using the results of the MWS to plan interventions.

Problematic internet users' skin conductance and anxiety increase after exposure to the internet.

PubMed

Romano, Michela; Roaro, Alessandra; Re, Federica; Osborne, Lisa A; Truzoli, Roberto; Reed, Phil

2017-12-01

To examine the impact of cessation of an internet session on skin conductance responses and anxiety of higher and lower problem internet users, in order to explore possible physiological withdrawal effects. Participants were measured in terms of their skin conductance before (15min), during (15min), and after (15min) an internet session, and completed self-report measures of state anxiety and problematic internet use. Higher, but not lower, problem users showed increased skin conductance after internet use was stopped, relative to before their internet session. Higher problem users' GSR scores increased, as the time from internet cessation became longer. Higher problem users also showed increased levels of anxiety, following their internet session, which correlated with their skin conductance scores. These results suggest that, following termination of an internet session, withdrawal-like effects are seen, both psychologically and physiologically. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mobile internet and technology for optical teaching reform in higher education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Muchun; Zhao, Qi; Chen, Yanru

2017-08-01

There are some problems in optical education such as insufficient flexibility, individuality and adaptability to students who need information and education at present. The development of mobile internet and technology provides support to solve these problems. Basic characteristics, advantages and developments of these techniques used in education are presented in this paper. Mobile internet is introduced to reform the classroom teaching of optical courses. Mobile network tool selection, teaching resources construction and reform in teaching methods are discussed. Academic record and sampling surveys are used to assess intention to adopt mobile internet and learning effect of academic major of students, the results show that high quality optical education can be offered by adopting mobile internet and technologies in traditional instruction.

Measuring Ethnic Preferences in Bosnia and Herzegovina with Mobile Advertising

PubMed Central

Weidmann, Nils B.

2016-01-01

We present a field experiment that uses geo-referenced smartphone advertisements to measure ethnic preferences at a highly disaggregated level. Different types of banners advertising a vote matching tool are randomly displayed to mobile Internet users in Bosnia and Herzegovina, while recording their spatial coordinates. Differences in the response (click) rate to different ethnic cues on these banners are used to measure temporal and spatial variation in ethnic preferences among the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Our study lays out the theoretical and practical underpinnings of this technology and discusses its potential for future applications, but also highlights limitations of this approach. PMID:28005924

Measuring Ethnic Preferences in Bosnia and Herzegovina with Mobile Advertising.

PubMed

Nisser, Annerose; Weidmann, Nils B

2016-01-01

We present a field experiment that uses geo-referenced smartphone advertisements to measure ethnic preferences at a highly disaggregated level. Different types of banners advertising a vote matching tool are randomly displayed to mobile Internet users in Bosnia and Herzegovina, while recording their spatial coordinates. Differences in the response (click) rate to different ethnic cues on these banners are used to measure temporal and spatial variation in ethnic preferences among the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Our study lays out the theoretical and practical underpinnings of this technology and discusses its potential for future applications, but also highlights limitations of this approach.

Rapid Offline-Online Post-Disaster Landslide Mapping Tool: A case study from Nepal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olyazadeh, Roya; Jaboyedoff, Michel; Sudmeier-Rieux, Karen; Derron, Marc-Henri; Devkota, Sanjaya

2016-04-01

One of the crucial components of post disaster management is the efficient mapping of impacted areas. Here we present a tool designed to map landslides and affected objects after the earthquakes of 2015 in Nepal as well as for intense rainfall impact. Because internet is not available in many rural areas of Nepal, we developed an offline-online prototype based on Open-Source WebGIS technologies to make data on hazard impacts, including damaged infrastructure, landslides or flooding events available to authorities and the general public. This mobile application was designed as a low-cost, rapid and participatory method for recording impacts from hazard events. It is possible to record such events offline and upload them through a server, where internet connection is available. This application allows user authentication, image capturing, and information collation such as geolocation, event description, interactive mapping and finally storing all the data in the server for further analysis and visualisation. This application can be accessed by a mobile phone (Android) or a tablet as a hybrid version for both offline and online versions. The offline version has an interactive-offline map function which allows users to upload satellites image in order to improve ground truthing interpretation. After geolocation, the user can start mapping and then save recorded data into Geojson-TXT files that can be easily uploaded to the server whenever internet is available. This prototype was tested specifically for a rapid assessment of landslides and relevant land use characteristics such as roads, forest area, rivers in the Phewa Lake watershed near Pokhara, Nepal where a large number landslides were activated or reactivated after the 2015 monsoon season. More than 60 landslides were recorded during two days of field trip. Besides, it is possible to use this application for any other kind of hazard event like flood, avalanche, etc. Keywords: Offline, Online, Open source, WebGIS, Android, Post-Disaster, Landslide mapping

National estimates of Australian gambling prevalence: f indings from a dual‐frame omnibus survey

PubMed Central

Youssef, G. J.; Jackson, A. C.; Pennay, D. W.; Francis, K. L.; Pennay, A.; Lubman, D. I.

2016-01-01

Abstract Background, aims and design The increase in mobile telephone‐only households may be a source of bias for traditional landline gambling prevalence surveys. Aims were to: (1) identify Australian gambling participation and problem gambling prevalence using a dual‐frame (50% landline and 50% mobile telephone) computer‐assisted telephone interviewing methodology; (2) explore the predictors of sample frame and telephone status; and (3) explore the degree to which sample frame and telephone status moderate the relationships between respondent characteristics and problem gambling. Setting and participants A total of 2000 adult respondents residing in Australia were interviewed from March to April 2013. Measurements Participation in multiple gambling activities and Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). Findings Estimates were: gambling participation [63.9%, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 61.4–66.3], problem gambling (0.4%, 95% CI = 0.2–0.8), moderate‐risk gambling (1.9%, 95% CI = 1.3–2.6) and low‐risk gambling (3.0%, 95% CI = 2.2–4.0). Relative to the landline frame, the mobile frame was more likely to gamble on horse/greyhound races [odds ratio (OR) = 1.4], casino table games (OR = 5.0), sporting events (OR = 2.2), private games (OR = 1.9) and the internet (OR = 6.5); less likely to gamble on lotteries (OR = 0.6); and more likely to gamble on five or more activities (OR = 2.4), display problem gambling (OR = 6.4) and endorse PGSI items (OR = 2.4‐6.1). Only casino table gambling (OR = 2.9) and internet gambling (OR = 3.5) independently predicted mobile frame membership. Telephone status (landline frame versus mobile dual users and mobile‐only users) displayed similar findings. Finally, sample frame and/or telephone status moderated the relationship between gender, relationship status, health and problem gambling (OR = 2.9–7.6). Conclusion Given expected future increases in the mobile telephone‐only population, best practice in population gambling research should use dual frame sampling methodologies (at least 50% landline and 50% mobile telephone) for telephone interviewing. PMID:26381314

Emerging aspects of mobile phone use.

PubMed

Samkange-Zeeb, F; Blettner, M

2009-01-01

The mobile phone is a modern-day invention, which has managed to reach many parts of the world enabling telecommunications across areas where it was not possible before. Although these devices have proved to be life saving in certain circumstances (e.g., after accidents) and helped improve the quality of life in some sectors, concerns continue to be raised about potential adverse health impacts associated with their use. These range from cancer and cognitive deficiencies to subjective effects, such as a feeling of warmth around the ear used, headache and fatigue. We provide an overview of the concerns raised and summarise what is known about them. We conducted a literature search in Pubmed/Medline to identify published papers on health effects of mobile phones, and an intensive search on the Internet to collect data on the global use of mobile phones. In the year 2000, there were an estimated 500 million mobile phone users worldwide. Today, there are about 3.3 billion users. The use of mobile phones among young children and adolescents is also increasing. Health-risk research has mainly focused on adults and on a single outcome, brain tumours. No significant relationship has been established between mobile phone use and the incidence or growth of brain tumours. Other research indicates emerging concerns, including hearing problems and self-reported health symptoms, such as tiredness, stress, headache, anxiety, concentration difficulties and sleep disturbances, but results remain inconclusive. Currently, there is little epidemiological evidence indicating that the use of mobile phones causes adverse health effects.

Emerging aspects of mobile phone use

PubMed Central

Samkange-Zeeb, F; Blettner, M

2009-01-01

The mobile phone is a modern-day invention, which has managed to reach many parts of the world enabling telecommunications across areas where it was not possible before. Although these devices have proved to be life saving in certain circumstances (e.g., after accidents) and helped improve the quality of life in some sectors, concerns continue to be raised about potential adverse health impacts associated with their use. These range from cancer and cognitive deficiencies to subjective effects, such as a feeling of warmth around the ear used, headache and fatigue. We provide an overview of the concerns raised and summarise what is known about them. We conducted a literature search in Pubmed/Medline to identify published papers on health effects of mobile phones, and an intensive search on the Internet to collect data on the global use of mobile phones. In the year 2000, there were an estimated 500 million mobile phone users worldwide. Today, there are about 3.3 billion users. The use of mobile phones among young children and adolescents is also increasing. Health-risk research has mainly focused on adults and on a single outcome, brain tumours. No significant relationship has been established between mobile phone use and the incidence or growth of brain tumours. Other research indicates emerging concerns, including hearing problems and self-reported health symptoms, such as tiredness, stress, headache, anxiety, concentration difficulties and sleep disturbances, but results remain inconclusive. Currently, there is little epidemiological evidence indicating that the use of mobile phones causes adverse health effects. PMID:22460286

Contributions of Traditional Web 1.0 Tools e.g. Email and Web 2.0 Tools e.g. Weblog towards Knowledge Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dehinbo, Johnson

2010-01-01

The use of email utilizes the power of Web 1.0 to enable users to access their email from any computer and mobile devices that is connected to the Internet making email valuable in acquiring and transferring knowledge. But the advent of Web 2.0 and social networking seems to indicate certain limitations of email. The use of social networking seems…

An overview of current and potential use of information and communication technologies for immunization promotion among adolescents.

PubMed

Amicizia, Daniela; Domnich, Alexander; Gasparini, Roberto; Bragazzi, Nicola Luigi; Lai, Piero Luigi; Panatto, Donatella

2013-12-01

Information and communication technologies (ICT), such as the Internet or mobile telephony, have become an important part of the life of today's adolescents and their main means of procuring information. The new generation of the Internet based on social-networking technologies, Web 2.0, is increasingly used for health purposes by both laypeople and health professionals. A broad spectrum of Web 2.0 applications provides several opportunities for healthcare workers, in that they can reach large numbers of teenagers in an individualized way and promote vaccine-related knowledge in an interactive and entertaining manner. These applications, namely social-networking and video-sharing websites, wikis and microblogs, should be monitored in order to identify current attitudes toward vaccination, to reply to vaccination critics and to establish a real-time dialog with users. Moreover, the ubiquity of mobile telephony makes it a valuable means of involving teenagers in immunization promotion, especially in developing countries.

An IoT-Based Computational Framework for Healthcare Monitoring in Mobile Environments.

PubMed

Mora, Higinio; Gil, David; Terol, Rafael Muñoz; Azorín, Jorge; Szymanski, Julian

2017-10-10

The new Internet of Things paradigm allows for small devices with sensing, processing and communication capabilities to be designed, which enable the development of sensors, embedded devices and other 'things' ready to understand the environment. In this paper, a distributed framework based on the internet of things paradigm is proposed for monitoring human biomedical signals in activities involving physical exertion. The main advantages and novelties of the proposed system is the flexibility in computing the health application by using resources from available devices inside the body area network of the user. This proposed framework can be applied to other mobile environments, especially those where intensive data acquisition and high processing needs take place. Finally, we present a case study in order to validate our proposal that consists in monitoring footballers' heart rates during a football match. The real-time data acquired by these devices presents a clear social objective of being able to predict not only situations of sudden death but also possible injuries.

An IoT-Based Computational Framework for Healthcare Monitoring in Mobile Environments

PubMed Central

Szymanski, Julian

2017-01-01

The new Internet of Things paradigm allows for small devices with sensing, processing and communication capabilities to be designed, which enable the development of sensors, embedded devices and other ‘things’ ready to understand the environment. In this paper, a distributed framework based on the internet of things paradigm is proposed for monitoring human biomedical signals in activities involving physical exertion. The main advantages and novelties of the proposed system is the flexibility in computing the health application by using resources from available devices inside the body area network of the user. This proposed framework can be applied to other mobile environments, especially those where intensive data acquisition and high processing needs take place. Finally, we present a case study in order to validate our proposal that consists in monitoring footballers’ heart rates during a football match. The real-time data acquired by these devices presents a clear social objective of being able to predict not only situations of sudden death but also possible injuries. PMID:28994743

An overview of current and potential use of information and communication technologies for immunization promotion among adolescents

PubMed Central

Amicizia, Daniela; Domnich, Alexander; Gasparini, Roberto; Bragazzi, Nicola Luigi; Lai, Piero Luigi; Panatto, Donatella

2013-01-01

Information and communication technologies (ICT), such as the Internet or mobile telephony, have become an important part of the life of today’s adolescents and their main means of procuring information. The new generation of the Internet based on social-networking technologies, Web 2.0, is increasingly used for health purposes by both laypeople and health professionals. A broad spectrum of Web 2.0 applications provides several opportunities for healthcare workers, in that they can reach large numbers of teenagers in an individualized way and promote vaccine-related knowledge in an interactive and entertaining manner. These applications, namely social-networking and video-sharing websites, wikis and microblogs, should be monitored in order to identify current attitudes toward vaccination, to reply to vaccination critics and to establish a real-time dialog with users. Moreover, the ubiquity of mobile telephony makes it a valuable means of involving teenagers in immunization promotion, especially in developing countries. PMID:23954845

Quantifying and Mapping Global Data Poverty.

PubMed

Leidig, Mathias; Teeuw, Richard M

2015-01-01

Digital information technologies, such as the Internet, mobile phones and social media, provide vast amounts of data for decision-making and resource management. However, access to these technologies, as well as their associated software and training materials, is not evenly distributed: since the 1990s there has been concern about a "Digital Divide" between the data-rich and the data-poor. We present an innovative metric for evaluating international variations in access to digital data: the Data Poverty Index (DPI). The DPI is based on Internet speeds, numbers of computer owners and Internet users, mobile phone ownership and network coverage, as well as provision of higher education. The datasets used to produce the DPI are provided annually for almost all the countries of the world and can be freely downloaded. The index that we present in this 'proof of concept' study is the first to quantify and visualise the problem of global data poverty, using the most recent datasets, for 2013. The effects of severe data poverty, particularly limited access to geoinformatic data, free software and online training materials, are discussed in the context of sustainable development and disaster risk reduction. The DPI highlights countries where support is needed for improving access to the Internet and for the provision of training in geoinfomatics. We conclude that the DPI is of value as a potential metric for monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Victimization After Meeting With Online Acquaintances: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Adolescents in Malaysia.

PubMed

Marret, Mary J; Choo, Wan-Yuen

2016-01-18

This study aimed to determine contact and privacy risks encountered by Malaysian adolescents with access to the Internet and mobile phones and factors associated with face-to-face meetings with online acquaintances as well as to estimate the prevalence of subsequent victimization. Secondary school students from randomly selected public schools in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur responded to an anonymous self-administered questionnaire (78% response rate). Out of 3,349 Internet or mobile phone users, 51% had been invited to meet offline with an online-meeting acquaintance and 30% complied. Of the 1,005 respondents who went to offline meetings, 55% had meetings with more than six people. Male gender, Malay ethnicity, online access at an Internet café, viewing pornography on the Internet, the absence of parental restrictions on visiting certain website and chat rooms, not being explicitly forbidden to meet strangers encountered online, and disclosure of personal information were significantly associated with increased odds of face-to-face meetings with online acquaintances. Verbal, physical, or sexual assaults were reported by 5.5% of the 1,005 including 13 males and five females who reported forced sexual intercourse. Similarities as well as differences in factors associated with risk-taking behavior compared with adolescents in Western countries have important implications on policy and intervention. © The Author(s) 2016.

Scalable Video Streaming Relay for Smart Mobile Devices in Wireless Networks

PubMed Central

Kwon, Dongwoo; Je, Huigwang; Kim, Hyeonwoo; Ju, Hongtaek; An, Donghyeok

2016-01-01

Recently, smart mobile devices and wireless communication technologies such as WiFi, third generation (3G), and long-term evolution (LTE) have been rapidly deployed. Many smart mobile device users can access the Internet wirelessly, which has increased mobile traffic. In 2014, more than half of the mobile traffic around the world was devoted to satisfying the increased demand for the video streaming. In this paper, we propose a scalable video streaming relay scheme. Because many collisions degrade the scalability of video streaming, we first separate networks to prevent excessive contention between devices. In addition, the member device controls the video download rate in order to adapt to video playback. If the data are sufficiently buffered, the member device stops the download. If not, it requests additional video data. We implemented apps to evaluate the proposed scheme and conducted experiments with smart mobile devices. The results showed that our scheme improves the scalability of video streaming in a wireless local area network (WLAN). PMID:27907113

Scalable Video Streaming Relay for Smart Mobile Devices in Wireless Networks.

PubMed

Kwon, Dongwoo; Je, Huigwang; Kim, Hyeonwoo; Ju, Hongtaek; An, Donghyeok

2016-01-01

Recently, smart mobile devices and wireless communication technologies such as WiFi, third generation (3G), and long-term evolution (LTE) have been rapidly deployed. Many smart mobile device users can access the Internet wirelessly, which has increased mobile traffic. In 2014, more than half of the mobile traffic around the world was devoted to satisfying the increased demand for the video streaming. In this paper, we propose a scalable video streaming relay scheme. Because many collisions degrade the scalability of video streaming, we first separate networks to prevent excessive contention between devices. In addition, the member device controls the video download rate in order to adapt to video playback. If the data are sufficiently buffered, the member device stops the download. If not, it requests additional video data. We implemented apps to evaluate the proposed scheme and conducted experiments with smart mobile devices. The results showed that our scheme improves the scalability of video streaming in a wireless local area network (WLAN).

An Internet- and mobile-based tailored intervention to enhance maintenance of physical activity after cardiac rehabilitation: short-term results of a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Antypas, Konstantinos; Wangberg, Silje C

2014-03-11

An increase in physical activity for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease and cardiac rehabilitation has multiple therapeutic benefits, including decreased mortality. Internet- and mobile-based interventions for physical activity have shown promising results in helping users increase or maintain their level of physical activity in general and specifically in secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases and cardiac rehabilitation. One component related to the efficacy of these interventions is tailoring of the content to the individual. Our trial assessed the effect of a longitudinally tailored Internet- and mobile-based intervention for physical activity as an extension of a face-to-face cardiac rehabilitation stay. We hypothesized that users of the tailored intervention would maintain their physical activity level better than users of the nontailored version. The study population included adult participants of a cardiac rehabilitation program in Norway with home Internet access and a mobile phone. The participants were randomized in monthly clusters to a tailored or nontailored (control) intervention group. All participants had access to a website with information regarding cardiac rehabilitation, an online discussion forum, and an online activity calendar. Those using the tailored intervention received tailored content based on models of health behavior via the website and mobile fully automated text messages. The main outcome was self-reported level of physical activity, which was obtained using an online international physical activity questionnaire at baseline, at discharge, and at 1 month and 3 months after discharge from the cardiac rehabilitation program. Included in the study were 69 participants. One month after discharge, the tailored intervention group (n=10) had a higher median level of overall physical activity (median 2737.5, IQR 4200.2) than the control group (n=14, median 1650.0, IQR 2443.5), but the difference was not significant (Kolmogorov-Smirnov Z=0.823, P=.38, r=.17). At 3 months after discharge, the tailored intervention group (n=7) had a significantly higher median level of overall physical activity (median 5613.0, IQR 2828.0) than the control group (n=12, median 1356.0, IQR 2937.0; Kolmogorov-Smirnov Z=1.397, P=.02, r=.33). The median adherence was 45.0 (95% CI 0.0-169.8) days for the tailored group and 111.0 (95% CI 45.1-176.9) days for the control group; however, the difference was not significant (P=.39). There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups in stage of change, self-efficacy, social support, perceived tailoring, anxiety, or depression. Because of the small sample size and the high attrition rate at the follow-up visits, we cannot make conclusions regarding the efficacy of our approach, but the results indicate that the tailored version of the intervention may have contributed to the long-term higher physical activity maintained after cardiac rehabilitation by participants receiving the tailored intervention compared with those receiving the nontailored intervention. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01223170; http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT01223170 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6Nch4ldcL).

Gay and bisexual men's use of the Internet: research from the 1990s through 2013.

PubMed

Grov, Christian; Breslow, Aaron S; Newcomb, Michael E; Rosenberger, Joshua G; Bauermeister, Jose A

2014-01-01

We document the historical and cultural shifts in how gay and bisexual men have used the Internet for sexuality between the 1990s and 2013-including shifting technology as well as research methods to study gay and bisexual men online. Gay and bisexual men have rapidly taken to using the Internet for sexual purposes: for health information seeking, finding sex partners, dating, cybersex, and pornography. Men have adapted to the ever-evolving technological advances that have been made in connecting users to the Internet-from logging on via dial-up modem on a desktop computer to geo-social-sexual networking via handheld devices. In kind, researchers have adapted to the Internet to study gay and bisexual men. Studies have carefully considered the ethics, feasibility, and acceptability of using the Internet to conduct research and interventions. Much of this work has been grounded in models of disease prevention, largely as a result of the ongoing HIV/AIDS epidemic. The need to reduce HIV in this population has been a driving force to develop innovative research and Internet-based intervention methodologies. The Internet, and specifically mobile technology, is an environment gay and bisexual men are using for sexual purposes. These innovative technologies represent powerful resources for researchers to study and provide outreach.

Exploring the Logic of Mobile Search

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westlund, Oscar; Gomez-Barroso, Jose-Luis; Compano, Ramon; Feijoo, Claudio

2011-01-01

After more than a decade of development work and hopes, the usage of mobile Internet has finally taken off. Now, we are witnessing the first signs of evidence of what might become the explosion of mobile content and applications that will be shaping the (mobile) Internet of the future. Similar to the wired Internet, search will become very…

An Interactive Real-Time Locating System Based on Bluetooth Low-Energy Beacon Network †

PubMed Central

Lin, You-Wei

2018-01-01

The ubiquity of Bluetooth-enabled smartphones and peripherals has brought tremendous convenience to our daily life. In recent years, Bluetooth beacons have also been gaining popularity in implementing a variety of innovative location-based services such as self-guided systems in exhibition centers. However, the broadcast-based beacon technology can only provide unidirectional communication. In case smartphone users would like to respond to the beacon messages, they have to rely on their own mobile Internet connections to send the information back to the backend system. Nevertheless, mobile Internet services may not be always available or too costly. In this work, we develop a real-time locating system based only on the Bluetooth low energy (BLE) technology to support interactive communications by combining the broadcast and mesh topology options to extend the applicability of beacon solutions. Specifically, we turn the smartphone into a beacon device and augment the beacon devices with the capability of forming a mesh network. The implementation result shows that our beacon devices can detect the presence of specific users at specific locations, and then the presence state can be sent to the application server via the relay of beacon devices. Moreover, the application server can send personalized location-based messages to the users, again via the relay of beacon devices. With the capability of relaying messages between the beacon devices, it would be convenient for developers to implement a variety of interactive applications such as tracking VIP customers at the airport, or tracking an elder with Alzheimer’s disease in the neighborhood. PMID:29883386

An Interactive Real-Time Locating System Based on Bluetooth Low-Energy Beacon Network †.

PubMed

Lin, You-Wei; Lin, Chi-Yi

2018-05-21

The ubiquity of Bluetooth-enabled smartphones and peripherals has brought tremendous convenience to our daily life. In recent years, Bluetooth beacons have also been gaining popularity in implementing a variety of innovative location-based services such as self-guided systems in exhibition centers. However, the broadcast-based beacon technology can only provide unidirectional communication. In case smartphone users would like to respond to the beacon messages, they have to rely on their own mobile Internet connections to send the information back to the backend system. Nevertheless, mobile Internet services may not be always available or too costly. In this work, we develop a real-time locating system based only on the Bluetooth low energy (BLE) technology to support interactive communications by combining the broadcast and mesh topology options to extend the applicability of beacon solutions. Specifically, we turn the smartphone into a beacon device and augment the beacon devices with the capability of forming a mesh network. The implementation result shows that our beacon devices can detect the presence of specific users at specific locations, and then the presence state can be sent to the application server via the relay of beacon devices. Moreover, the application server can send personalized location-based messages to the users, again via the relay of beacon devices. With the capability of relaying messages between the beacon devices, it would be convenient for developers to implement a variety of interactive applications such as tracking VIP customers at the airport, or tracking an elder with Alzheimer’s disease in the neighborhood.

Improving Land Cover Mapping: a Mobile Application Based on ESA Sentinel 2 Imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melis, M. T.; Dessì, F.; Loddo, P.; La Mantia, C.; Da Pelo, S.; Deflorio, A. M.; Ghiglieri, G.; Hailu, B. T.; Kalegele, K.; Mwasi, B. N.

2018-04-01

The increasing availability of satellite data is a real value for the enhancement of environmental knowledge and land management. Possibilities to integrate different source of geo-data are growing and methodologies to create thematic database are becoming very sophisticated. Moreover, the access to internet services and, in particular, to web mapping services is well developed and spread either between expert users than the citizens. Web map services, like Google Maps or Open Street Maps, give the access to updated optical imagery or topographic maps but information on land cover/use - are not still provided. Therefore, there are many failings in the general utilization -non-specialized users- and access to those maps. This issue is particularly felt where the digital (web) maps could form the basis for land use management as they are more economic and accessible than the paper maps. These conditions are well known in many African countries where, while the internet access is becoming open to all, the local map agencies and their products are not widespread.

Realtime Gas Emission Monitoring at Hazardous Sites Using a Distributed Point-Source Sensing Infrastructure.

PubMed

Manes, Gianfranco; Collodi, Giovanni; Gelpi, Leonardo; Fusco, Rosanna; Ricci, Giuseppe; Manes, Antonio; Passafiume, Marco

2016-01-20

This paper describes a distributed point-source monitoring platform for gas level and leakage detection in hazardous environments. The platform, based on a wireless sensor network (WSN) architecture, is organised into sub-networks to be positioned in the plant's critical areas; each sub-net includes a gateway unit wirelessly connected to the WSN nodes, hence providing an easily deployable, stand-alone infrastructure featuring a high degree of scalability and reconfigurability. Furthermore, the system provides automated calibration routines which can be accomplished by non-specialized maintenance operators without system reliability reduction issues. Internet connectivity is provided via TCP/IP over GPRS (Internet standard protocols over mobile networks) gateways at a one-minute sampling rate. Environmental and process data are forwarded to a remote server and made available to authenticated users through a user interface that provides data rendering in various formats and multi-sensor data fusion. The platform is able to provide real-time plant management with an effective; accurate tool for immediate warning in case of critical events.

Improving the Capture and Re-Use of Data with Wearable Computers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pfarr, Barbara; Fating, Curtis C.; Green, Daniel; Powers, Edward I. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

At the Goddard Space Flight Center, members of the Real-Time Software Engineering Branch are developing a wearable, wireless, voice-activated computer for use in a wide range of crosscutting space applications that would benefit from having instant Internet, network, and computer access with complete mobility and hands-free operations. These applications can be applied across many fields and disciplines including spacecraft fabrication, integration and testing (including environmental testing), and astronaut on-orbit control and monitoring of experiments with ground based experimenters. To satisfy the needs of NASA customers, this wearable computer needs to be connected to a wireless network, to transmit and receive real-time video over the network, and to receive updated documents via the Internet or NASA servers. The voice-activated computer, with a unique vocabulary, will allow the users to access documentation in a hands free environment and interact in real-time with remote users. We will discuss wearable computer development, hardware and software issues, wireless network limitations, video/audio solutions and difficulties in language development.

Mobile internet technologies and their application to intelligent transportation systems

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-01-01

The worlds of mobile communication and the Internet are rapidly converging. This new domain, which is being touted as the "Wireless Web" or "Mobile Internet", is in its infancy and will require a number of complex technologies to mature and converge ...

Secure Recognition of Voice-Less Commands Using Videos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yau, Wai Chee; Kumar, Dinesh Kant; Weghorn, Hans

Interest in voice recognition technologies for internet applications is growing due to the flexibility of speech-based communication. The major drawback with the use of sound for internet access with computers is that the commands will be audible to other people in the vicinity. This paper examines a secure and voice-less method for recognition of speech-based commands using video without evaluating sound signals. The proposed approach represents mouth movements in the video data using 2D spatio-temporal templates (STT). Zernike moments (ZM) are computed from STT and fed into support vector machines (SVM) to be classified into one of the utterances. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed technique produces a high accuracy of 98% in a phoneme classification task. The proposed technique is demonstrated to be invariant to global variations of illumination level. Such a system is useful for securely interpreting user commands for internet applications on mobile devices.

mHealth 2.0: Experiences, Possibilities, and Perspectives

PubMed Central

Diamantidis, Clarissa

2014-01-01

With more than 1 billion users having access to mobile broadband Internet and a rapidly growing mobile app market, all stakeholders involved have high hopes that this technology may improve health care. Expectations range from overcoming structural barriers to access in low-income countries to more effective, interactive treatment of chronic conditions. Before medical health practice supported by mobile devices ("mHealth") can scale up, a number of challenges need to be adequately addressed. From a psychological perspective, high attrition rates, digital divide of society, and intellectual capabilities of the users are key issues when implementing such technologies. Furthermore, apps addressing behavior change often lack a comprehensive concept, which is essential for an ongoing impact. From a clinical point of view, there is insufficient evidence to allow scaling up of mHealth interventions. In addition, new concepts are required to assess the efficacy and efficiency of interventions. Regarding technology interoperability, open standards and low-energy wireless protocols appear to be vital for successful implementation. There is an ongoing discussion in how far health care-related apps require a conformity assessment and how to best communicate quality standards to consumers. "Apps Peer-Review" and standard reporting via an "App synopsis" appear to be promising approaches to increase transparency for end users. With respect to development, more emphasis must be placed on context analysis to identify what generic functions of mobile information technology best meet the needs of stakeholders involved. Hence, interdisciplinary alliances and collaborative strategies are vital to achieve sustainable growth for "mHealth 2.0," the next generation mobile technology to support patient care. PMID:25099752

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Avian Influenza A (H7N9) Among Mobile Phone Users: A Survey in Zhejiang Province, China.

PubMed

Gu, Hua; Jiang, Zhenggang; Chen, Bin; Zhang, Jueman Mandy; Wang, Zhengting; Wang, Xinyi; Cai, Jian; Chen, Yongdi; Zheng, Dawei; Jiang, Jianmin

2015-02-04

Understanding people's knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding a new infectious disease is crucial to the prevention and control of it. Human infection with avian influenza A (H7N9) was first identified on March 31, 2013 in China. Out of the total number of 134 cases confirmed from March to September 2013 in China, Zhejiang Province saw the greatest number (46 cases). This study employed a mobile Internet survey to assess KAP regarding H7N9 among mobile phone users in Zhejiang Province. This study intended to examine KAP by region and the association between sociodemographic variables and KAP. An anonymous questionnaire was designed by Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A cross-sectional survey was executed through a mobile Internet application platform of China Unicom in 5 regions in Zhejiang Province. Stratified and clustered sampling methods were applied and mobile phone users were invited to participate in the study voluntarily. A total of 9582 eligible mobile phone users participated in the survey with a response rate of 1.92% (9582/5,000,000). A total of 9105 valid responses (95.02%) were included for statistical analysis. Generally, more than three-quarters of the participants had some basic knowledge of H7N9 and held the attitude recommended by the Zhejiang CDC toward eating cooked poultry (77.55%, 7061/9105) and visiting a hospital at the occurrence of symptoms (78.51%, 7148/9105). Approximately half of the participants worried about contracting H7N9, and took preventive practices recommended by the Zhejiang CDC. But only 14.29% (1301/9105) of participants kept eating cooked poultry as usual. Although worry about H7N9 infection did not differ by region, Hangzhou saw the largest proportion of participants with knowledge of H7N9, which was probably because Hangzhou had the greatest number of H7N9 cases. KAP varied by some sociodemographic variables. Female participants were more likely to know about symptoms of H7N9 (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.08-1.61), to worry about contracting it (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.04-1.27), and to report their lives being influenced by it (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.15-1.41). They were also more likely to take the recommended precautions. Male participants and younger participants were less likely to comply with advocated protective practices. The results suggest that health education should be customized depending on sociodemographic variables to achieve more effective behavioral outcomes.

What Influences Children's and Adolescents' Understanding of the Complexity of the Internet?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yan, Zheng

2006-01-01

This study aimed at analyzing complex relationships among Internet use, Internet users, and conceptual understanding of the Internet. It used path models to examine factors related to Internet use (duration of Internet use, frequency of Internet use, and informal Internet classes) and Internet users (age and gender) in affecting understanding of…

The Internet Guide for New Users.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dern, Daniel P.

This guide will help the new user get started on the Internet. It explains what the Internet is, how to use it, and how to think like an Internet user. Part 1, "Ramping Up, Getting Started," covers the basics of getting access to the Internet and general information about it. It includes a review of the history and technology of the…

[Influence of excessive internet use on auditory event-related potential].

PubMed

Zhao, Xin; Yu, Hongqiang; Zhan, Qisheng; Wang, Mingshi

2008-12-01

At present, young people's internet addiction has become a serious social problem and on important concern in China. Comparison studies of auditory event-related potential (ERP) between 9 excessive internet users and 9 common internet users were carried out. The obvious influences of excessive internet use on the users were observed. The result suggests that excessive internet use may have some influences on cerebral cognitive function.

The use of ambient audio to increase safety and immersion in location-based games

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurczak, John Jason

The purpose of this thesis is to propose an alternative type of interface for mobile software being used while walking or running. Our work addresses the problem of visual user interfaces for mobile software be- ing potentially unsafe for pedestrians, and not being very immersive when used for location-based games. In addition, location-based games and applications can be dif- ficult to develop when directly interfacing with the sensors used to track the user's location. These problems need to be addressed because portable computing devices are be- coming a popular tool for navigation, playing games, and accessing the internet while walking. This poses a safety problem for mobile users, who may be paying too much attention to their device to notice and react to hazards in their environment. The difficulty of developing location-based games and other location-aware applications may significantly hinder the prevalence of applications that explore new interaction techniques for ubiquitous computing. We created the TREC toolkit to address the issues with tracking sensors while developing location-based games and applications. We have developed functional location-based applications with TREC to demonstrate the amount of work that can be saved by using this toolkit. In order to have a safer and more immersive alternative to visual interfaces, we have developed ambient audio interfaces for use with mobile applications. Ambient audio uses continuous streams of sound over headphones to present information to mobile users without distracting them from walking safely. In order to test the effectiveness of ambient audio, we ran a study to compare ambient audio with handheld visual interfaces in a location-based game. We compared players' ability to safely navigate the environment, their sense of immersion in the game, and their performance at the in-game tasks. We found that ambient audio was able to significantly increase players' safety and sense of immersion compared to a visual interface, while players performed signifi- cantly better at the game tasks when using the visual interface. This makes ambient audio a legitimate alternative to visual interfaces for mobile users when safety and immersion are a priority.

Putting Prevention in Their Pockets: Developing Mobile Phone-Based HIV Interventions for Black Men Who Have Sex with Men

PubMed Central

Pike, Emily C.; Fowler, Beth; LeGrand, Sara; Parsons, Jeffrey T.; Bull, Sheana S.; Wilson, Patrick A.; Wohl, David A.; Hightow-Weidman, Lisa B.

2013-01-01

Abstract Young black men who have sex with men (MSM) bear a disproportionate burden of HIV. Rapid expansion of mobile technologies, including smartphone applications (apps), provides a unique opportunity for outreach and tailored health messaging. We collected electronic daily journals and conducted surveys and focus groups with 22 black MSM (age 18–30) at three sites in North Carolina to inform the development of a mobile phone-based intervention. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically using NVivo. Half of the sample earned under $11,000 annually. All participants owned smartphones and had unlimited texting and many had unlimited data plans. Phones were integral to participants' lives and were a primary means of Internet access. Communication was primarily through text messaging and Internet (on-line chatting, social networking sites) rather than calls. Apps were used daily for entertainment, information, productivity, and social networking. Half of participants used their phones to find sex partners; over half used phones to find health information. For an HIV-related app, participants requested user-friendly content about test site locators, sexually transmitted diseases, symptom evaluation, drug and alcohol risk, safe sex, sexuality and relationships, gay-friendly health providers, and connection to other gay/HIV-positive men. For young black MSM in this qualitative study, mobile technologies were a widely used, acceptable means for HIV intervention. Future research is needed to measure patterns and preferences of mobile technology use among broader samples. PMID:23565925

47 CFR 64.613 - Numbering directory for internet-based TRS users.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Numbering directory for internet-based TRS... for internet-based TRS users. (a) TRS Numbering Directory. (1) The TRS Numbering Directory shall contain records mapping the NANP telephone number of each Registered Internet-based TRS User to a unique...

General and health-related Internet use among an urban, community-based sample of HIV-positive women: implications for intervention development.

PubMed

Blackstock, Oni J; Haughton, Lorlette J; Garner, Ruby Y; Horvath, Keith J; Norwood, Chris; Cunningham, Chinazo O

2015-01-01

Internet-based HIV interventions are increasingly common, although little focus has been on HIV-positive women. To understand the feasibility of using the Internet to deliver behavioral interventions to HIV-positive women, we sought to describe patterns of Internet use for general and health-related purposes and to explore differences between Internet-using and non-using women. From February 2014 to April 2014, 103 women were recruited at six community-based organizations in the Bronx, NY that provide services to HIV-positive persons. Women completed a 30-minute interview and answered a brief survey of socio-demographic factors, risk behavior and clinical characteristics. We performed χ(2) and Kruskal-Wallis tests to compare Internet users and non-users. Sixty-one percent of participants were current Internet users, most of whom used a personal electronic device (e.g., cellphone/smartphone) to access the Internet. While higher proportions of Internet users were passively engaged (e.g., signed up to receive email updates [42.9%] or watched an online video [58.7%] for health-related purposes), smaller proportions (12.7-15.9%) were involved in more interactive activities such as posting comments, questions, or information about health-related issues in an online discussion or a blog. A majority of Internet non-users (60.0%) expressed interest in going online. Lack of computer or Internet access (37.5%) and Internet navigation skills (37.5%) were the primary reasons for non-use. Compared with non-users, Internet users were more likely to be younger, to have higher socioeconomic status, and to report low health-related social support. Despite having a lower proportion of Internet users in our study than the general population, Internet-using women in our study had relatively high levels of online engagement and went online for both general and health-related purposes. However, Internet-based interventions targeting HIV-positive women will likely need to include providing computer and/or Internet access as well as training participants in how to navigate the Internet.

General and health-related Internet use among an urban, community-based sample of HIV-positive women: implications for intervention development

PubMed Central

Blackstock, Oni J.; Haughton, Lorlette J.; Garner, Ruby Y.; Horvath, Keith J.; Norwood, Chris; Cunningham, Chinazo O.

2015-01-01

Internet-based HIV interventions are increasingly common, although little focus has been on HIV-positive women. To understand the feasibility of using the Internet to deliver behavioral interventions to HIV-positive women, we sought to describe patterns of Internet use for general and health-related purposes and to explore differences between Internet-using and non-using women. From February 2014 to April 2014, 103 women were recruited at six community-based organizations in the Bronx, NY that provide services to HIV-positive persons. Women completed a 30-minute interview and answered a brief survey of socio-demographic factors, risk behavior and clinical characteristics. We performed χ2 and Kruskal-Wallis tests to compare Internet users and non-users. Sixty-one percent of participants were current Internet users, most of whom used a personal electronic device (e.g., cellphone/smartphone) to access the Internet. While higher proportions of Internet users were passively engaged (e.g., signed up to receive email updates [42.9%] or watched an online video [58.7%] for health-related purposes), smaller proportions (12.7–15.9%) were involved in more interactive activities such as posting comments, questions, or information about health-related issues in an online discussion or a blog. A majority of Internet non-users (60.0%) expressed interest in going online. Lack of computer or Internet access (37.5%) and Internet navigation skills (37.5%) were the primary reasons for non-use. Compared with non-users, Internet users were more likely to be younger, to have higher socioeconomic status, and to report low health-related social support. Despite having a lower proportion of Internet users in our study than the general population, Internet-using women in our study had relatively high levels of online engagement and went online for both general and health-related purposes. However, Internet-based interventions targeting HIV-positive women will likely need to include providing computer and/or Internet access as well as training participants in how to navigate the Internet. PMID:25411825

Mobile Location-Based Services for Trusted Information in Disaster Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ragia, Lemonia; Deriaz, Michel; Seigneur, Jean-Marc

The goal of the present chapter is to provide location-based services for disaster management. The application involves services related to the safety of the people due to an unexpected event. The current prototype is implemented for a specific issue of disaster management which is road traffic control. The users can ask requests on cell phones or via Internet to the system and get an answer in a display or in textual form. The data are in a central database and every user can input data via virtual tags. The system is based on spatial messages which can be sent from any user to any other in a certain distance. In this way all the users and not a separate source provide the necessary information for a dangerous situation. To avoid any contamination problems we use trust security to check the input to the system and a trust engine model to provide information with a considerable reliability.

SOBER-MCS: Sociability-Oriented and Battery Efficient Recruitment for Mobile Crowd-Sensing

PubMed Central

Anjomshoa, Fazel

2018-01-01

The Internet of Things (IoT) concept is aiming at being an integral part of the next generation networking services by introducing pervasiveness and ubiquitous interconnectivity of uniquely-identifiable objects. The massive availability of personalized smart devices such as smartphones and wearables enable their penetration into the IoT ecosystem with their built-in sensors, particularly in Mobile Crowd-Sensing (MCS) campaigns. The MCS systems achieve the objectives of the large-scale non-dedicated sensing concept in the IoT if a sufficient number of participants are engaged to the collaborative data acquisition process. Therefore, user recruitment is a key challenge in MCS, which requires effective incentivization of cooperative, truthful and trustworthy users. A grand concern for the participants is the battery drain on the mobile devices. It is a known fact that battery drain in a smartphone is a function of the user activity, which can be modeled under various contexts. With this in mind, we propose a new social activity-aware recruitment policy, namely Sociability-Oriented and Battery-Efficient Recruitment for Mobile Crowd-Sensing (SOBER-MCS). SOBER-MCS uses sociability and the residual power of the participant smartphones as two primary criteria in the selection of participating devices. The former is an indicator of the participant willingness toward sensing campaigns, whereas the latter is used to prioritize personal use over crowd-sensing under critical battery levels. We use sociability profiles that were obtained in our previous work and use those values to simulate the sociability behavior of a large pool of participants in an MCS environment. Through simulations, we show that SOBER-MCS is able to introduce battery savings up to 18.5% while improving user and platform utilities by 12% and 20%, respectively. PMID:29772779

SOBER-MCS: Sociability-Oriented and Battery Efficient Recruitment for Mobile Crowd-Sensing.

PubMed

Anjomshoa, Fazel; Kantarci, Burak

2018-05-17

The Internet of Things (IoT) concept is aiming at being an integral part of the next generation networking services by introducing pervasiveness and ubiquitous interconnectivity of uniquely-identifiable objects. The massive availability of personalized smart devices such as smartphones and wearables enable their penetration into the IoT ecosystem with their built-in sensors, particularly in Mobile Crowd-Sensing (MCS) campaigns. The MCS systems achieve the objectives of the large-scale non-dedicated sensing concept in the IoT if a sufficient number of participants are engaged to the collaborative data acquisition process. Therefore, user recruitment is a key challenge in MCS, which requires effective incentivization of cooperative, truthful and trustworthy users. A grand concern for the participants is the battery drain on the mobile devices. It is a known fact that battery drain in a smartphone is a function of the user activity, which can be modeled under various contexts. With this in mind, we propose a new social activity-aware recruitment policy, namely Sociability-Oriented and Battery-Efficient Recruitment for Mobile Crowd-Sensing (SOBER-MCS). SOBER-MCS uses sociability and the residual power of the participant smartphones as two primary criteria in the selection of participating devices. The former is an indicator of the participant willingness toward sensing campaigns, whereas the latter is used to prioritize personal use over crowd-sensing under critical battery levels. We use sociability profiles that were obtained in our previous work and use those values to simulate the sociability behavior of a large pool of participants in an MCS environment. Through simulations, we show that SOBER-MCS is able to introduce battery savings up to 18.5% while improving user and platform utilities by 12% and 20%, respectively.

Measuring and analyzing the causes of problematic Internet use.

PubMed

Chiang, I-Ping; Su, Yung-Hsiang

2012-11-01

Since Internet surfing became a daily activity, people have changed their behavior. This research analyzes the causes of problematic Internet use through an online survey, where 1,094 samples were collected. Based on the results of structural equation modeling analysis, the following conclusions are reached: First, novelty, security, and efficiency increase users' online trust. Second, information and efficiency enhance users' sharing and anonymity online. Third, greater trust in Internet environments leads to an increase in a user's cognitive bias toward online behavioral responsibility and Internet addiction. Fourth, a user's attitude toward online sharing further increases the cognitive bias toward online copyright. Fifth, a user's attitude toward anonymity increases cognitive bias toward online copyright, online behavioral responsibility, and deepens Internet addiction.

Home Computer and Internet User Security

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

Information Security Model © 2005 Carnegie Mellon University (Lawrence R. Rogers, Author) Home Computer and Internet User Security...Carnegie Mellon University (Lawrence R. Rogers, Author) Home Computer and Internet User Security Version 1.0.4 – slide 50 Contact Information Lawrence R. Rogers • Email: cert@cert.org CERT website: http://www.cert.org/ ...U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Home Computer and Internet User Security Report Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB

A DNA-Inspired Encryption Methodology for Secure, Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shaw, Harry

2012-01-01

Users are pushing for greater physical mobility with their network and Internet access. Mobile ad hoc networks (MANET) can provide an efficient mobile network architecture, but security is a key concern. A figure summarizes differences in the state of network security for MANET and fixed networks. MANETs require the ability to distinguish trusted peers, and tolerate the ingress/egress of nodes on an unscheduled basis. Because the networks by their very nature are mobile and self-organizing, use of a Public Key Infra structure (PKI), X.509 certificates, RSA, and nonce ex changes becomes problematic if the ideal of MANET is to be achieved. Molecular biology models such as DNA evolution can provide a basis for a proprietary security architecture that achieves high degrees of diffusion and confusion, and resistance to cryptanalysis. A proprietary encryption mechanism was developed that uses the principles of DNA replication and steganography (hidden word cryptography) for confidentiality and authentication. The foundation of the approach includes organization of coded words and messages using base pairs organized into genes, an expandable genome consisting of DNA-based chromosome keys, and a DNA-based message encoding, replication, and evolution and fitness. In evolutionary computing, a fitness algorithm determines whether candidate solutions, in this case encrypted messages, are sufficiently encrypted to be transmitted. The technology provides a mechanism for confidential electronic traffic over a MANET without a PKI for authenticating users.

[Validation of two brief scales for Internet addiction and mobile phone problem use].

PubMed

Beranuy Fargues, Marta; Chamarro Lusar, Andrés; Graner Jordania, Carla; Carbonell Sánchez, Xavier

2009-08-01

This study describes the construction and validation process of two questionnaires designed to assess the addictive use of Internet and mobile phones. The scales were applied to a sample of 1,879 students. Results support a two-factor model, presenting an acceptable internal consistency and indices of convergent and discriminant validity. The Questionnaire of Experiences Related to Internet was found to assess intra- and interpersonal conflicts related to Internet use. The Questionnaire of Experiences Related to the Mobile Phone was found to assess conflicts related to mobile phone abuse and to maladaptive emotional and communicational patterns. Our results indicate that the mobile phone does not produce the same degree of addictive behavior as Internet; it could rather be interpreted as problematic use. Men displayed more addictive use of Internet, whilst women seemed to use the mobile phone as a means for emotional communication. It seems that the use of both technologies is more problematic during adolescence and normalizes with age toward a more professional and less playful use, and with fewer negative consequences.

Enhanced hybrid TV platform with multiscreen, advanced EPG and recommendation enablers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kovacik, Tomas; Bencel, Rastislav; Mato, Jan; Bronis, Roman; Truchly, Peter; Kotuliak, Ivan

2017-05-01

TV watching dramatically changes with introduction of new technologies such as Internet-connected TVs, enriched digital broadcasting (DVB), on-demand content, additional programme information, mobile phones and tablets enabling multiscreen functions etc that offer added values to content consumers. In this paper we propose modular advanced TV platform and its enablers enhancing TV watching. They allow users to receive aside of EPG also additional information about broadcasted content, to be reminded of requested programme, to utilize recommendation and search features, thanks to multiscreen functionality to allow users to take watched content with them or transfer it onto another device. The modularity of the platform allows new features to be added in future.

Quantifying and Mapping Global Data Poverty

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Digital information technologies, such as the Internet, mobile phones and social media, provide vast amounts of data for decision-making and resource management. However, access to these technologies, as well as their associated software and training materials, is not evenly distributed: since the 1990s there has been concern about a "Digital Divide" between the data-rich and the data-poor. We present an innovative metric for evaluating international variations in access to digital data: the Data Poverty Index (DPI). The DPI is based on Internet speeds, numbers of computer owners and Internet users, mobile phone ownership and network coverage, as well as provision of higher education. The datasets used to produce the DPI are provided annually for almost all the countries of the world and can be freely downloaded. The index that we present in this ‘proof of concept’ study is the first to quantify and visualise the problem of global data poverty, using the most recent datasets, for 2013. The effects of severe data poverty, particularly limited access to geoinformatic data, free software and online training materials, are discussed in the context of sustainable development and disaster risk reduction. The DPI highlights countries where support is needed for improving access to the Internet and for the provision of training in geoinfomatics. We conclude that the DPI is of value as a potential metric for monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. PMID:26560884

Dissent in Digital: The Internet and Dissent in Authoritarian States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fielder, James Douglas

2012-01-01

Does the Internet facilitate anti-regime dissent within authoritarian states? I argue that the Internet fosters dissent mobilization through three factors: distance, decentralization and interaction. First, the Internet fosters dissent mobilization by allowing protesters to communicate relatively cheaply and instantaneously over great distances.…

Subjective Audio Quality over a Secure IEEE 802.11n Draft 2.0 Wireless Local Area Network

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-01

hereafter referred to as 802.11) provide users with mobile connectivity without the need for expensive and inflexible wiring. The 802.11n extension, for...through another protocol, such as Secure / Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions ( S /MIME). SDPS is, therefore, not a complete solution for secure key...number of packets per second (“Pkts/ s ”) are visible. Audio recordings are taken at AFIT within range of several other 802.11g APs as shown in Figure

A Mechanism for Reliable Mobility Management for Internet of Things Using CoAP

PubMed Central

Chun, Seung-Man; Park, Jong-Tae

2017-01-01

Under unreliable constrained wireless networks for Internet of Things (IoT) environments, the loss of the signaling message may frequently occur. Mobile Internet Protocol version 6 (MIPv6) and its variants do not consider this situation. Consequently, as a constrained device moves around different wireless networks, its Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity may be frequently disrupted and power can be drained rapidly. This can result in the loss of important sensing data or a large delay for time-critical IoT services such as healthcare monitoring and disaster management. This paper presents a reliable mobility management mechanism in Internet of Things environments with lossy low-power constrained device and network characteristics. The idea is to use the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP) retransmission mechanism to achieve both reliability and simplicity for reliable IoT mobility management. Detailed architecture, algorithms, and message extensions for reliable mobility management are presented. Finally, performance is evaluated using both mathematical analysis and simulation. PMID:28085109

A Mechanism for Reliable Mobility Management for Internet of Things Using CoAP.

PubMed

Chun, Seung-Man; Park, Jong-Tae

2017-01-12

Under unreliable constrained wireless networks for Internet of Things (IoT) environments, the loss of the signaling message may frequently occur. Mobile Internet Protocol version 6 (MIPv6) and its variants do not consider this situation. Consequently, as a constrained device moves around different wireless networks, its Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity may be frequently disrupted and power can be drained rapidly. This can result in the loss of important sensing data or a large delay for time-critical IoT services such as healthcare monitoring and disaster management. This paper presents a reliable mobility management mechanism in Internet of Things environments with lossy low-power constrained device and network characteristics. The idea is to use the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP) retransmission mechanism to achieve both reliability and simplicity for reliable IoT mobility management. Detailed architecture, algorithms, and message extensions for reliable mobility management are presented. Finally, performance is evaluated using both mathematical analysis and simulation.

[Mobile applications and management of hypertension: possibilities, problems and perspectives].

PubMed

Becker, S; Mitchell, A; Königsmann, T; Kribben, A; Erbel, R

2012-11-01

Via the internet smartphones allow the download of applications ("Apps") that can address various requirements of daily life. These technical advances create new opportunities to better meet needs of patients suffering from hypertension. This may apply particularly for medication adherence, blood pressure control and lifestyle-changing activities. At the moment younger users in particular are interested in such technology. From other clinical contexts it is known that text messages via cell phones improve medication adherence. A combination of a smartphone and a blood pressure measurement device with the possibility to electronically collect data is promising as the quality of data may improve. Technology interventions by mobile applications that are supported by education or an additional intervention demonstrate a beneficial impact for the reduction of physical inactivity and/or overweight and obesity. However, it is not clear what parts of the technology or interventions are effective. For future developments it will be important to reduce costs and better meet hardware and software requirements of elderly users.

Use of the Internet and mobile-based "apps" for sex-seeking among men who have sex with men in New York City.

PubMed

Grosskopf, Nicholas A; LeVasseur, Michael T; Glaser, Debra B

2014-11-01

The Internet continues to be a popular venue for men who have sex with men (MSM) to seek sexual partners. Increased sexual risk behavior has been linked to MSM who use the Internet to seek partners. However, there has been little research on how new mobile-based social networking applications ("apps") may affect sex-seeking and sexual risk behaviors of MSM. One hundred twenty-six MSM in New York City were recruited to complete an online survey on the use of the Internet and other technology for sex-seeking. The authors collected data on variables of interest including sexual sensation seeking, gay identity affirmation, internalized homophobia, Internet/app use, and sexual behavior with men met via the Internet and mobile apps. Results indicated that men who use both the Internet and mobile apps to seek partners were younger and reported higher incomes (p<.05) than men who used the Internet only. There were no significant differences between the groups with regard to race, sexual sensation seeking, gay identity affirmation, or internalized homophobia, indicating that the use of mobile-based apps for sex-seeking may be simply an example of evolving technologies. These findings may provide insight for the feasibility and planning of effective mobile app-based HIV/STI programs for MSM. © The Author(s) 2014.

THELMA: a mobile app for crowdsourcing environmental data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hintz, Kenneth J.; Hintz, Christopher J.; Almomen, Faris; Adounvo, Christian; D'Amato, Michael

2014-06-01

The collection of environmental light pollution data related to sea turtle nesting sites is a laborious and time consuming effort entailing the use of several pieces of measurement equipment, their transportation and calibration, the manual logging of results in the field, and subsequent transfer of the data to a computer for post-collection analysis. Serendipitously, the current generation of mobile smart phones (e.g., iPhone® 5) contains the requisite measurement capability, namely location data in aided GPS coordinates, magnetic compass heading, and elevation at the time an image is taken, image parameter data, and the image itself. The Turtle Habitat Environmental Light Measurement App (THELMA) is a mobile phone app whose graphical user interface (GUI) guides an untrained user through the image acquisition process in order to capture 360° of images with pointing guidance. It subsequently uploads the user-tagged images, all of the associated image parameters, and position, azimuth, elevation metadata to a central internet repository. Provision is also made for the capture of calibration images and the review of images before upload. THELMA allows for inexpensive, highly-efficient, worldwide crowdsourcing of calibratable beachfront lighting/light pollution data collected by untrained volunteers. This data can be later processed, analyzed, and used by scientists conducting sea turtle conservation in order to identify beach locations with hazardous levels of light pollution that may alter sea turtle behavior and necessitate human intervention after hatchling emergence.

47 CFR 14.61 - Obligations with respect to internet browsers built into mobile phones.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Obligations with respect to internet browsers... GENERAL ACCESS TO ADVANCED COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES AND EQUIPMENT BY PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES Internet... internet browsers built into mobile phones. (a) Accessibility. If on or after October 8, 2013 a...

47 CFR 14.61 - Obligations with respect to internet browsers built into mobile phones.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Obligations with respect to internet browsers... GENERAL ACCESS TO ADVANCED COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES AND EQUIPMENT BY PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES Internet... internet browsers built into mobile phones. (a) Accessibility. If on or after October 8, 2013 a...

Internet Use Among Older Adults: Association With Health Needs, Psychological Capital, and Social Capital

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Previous studies have identified socioeconomic status and health status as predictors of older adults’ computer and Internet use, but researchers have not examined the relationships between older adults’ health needs and psychological capital (emotional well-being and self-efficacy) and social capital (social integration/ties and support networks) to different types of Internet use. Objective This study examined (1) whether older adults’ health conditions and psychological and social capital differentiate Internet users from nonusers, and (2) whether the Internet users differed in their types of Internet use on the basis of their health conditions and psychological and social capital. Methods Data for this study came from the National Health and Aging Trends Study, which is based on a nationally representative sample of US Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older. The sample for this study were those who resided in the community in their own or others’ homes (N=6680). Binary logistic regression analysis was used to compare health needs, psychological capital, and social capital among (1) any type of Internet users and nonusers, (2) Internet users who engaged in health-related tasks and Internet users who did not, (3) Internet users who engaged in shopping/banking tasks and Internet users who did not, and (4) Internet users only used the Internet for email/texting and all other Internet users. Results Depressive and anxiety symptoms, measures of psychological capital, were negatively associated with Internet use among older adults (odds ratio [OR] 0.83, 95% CI 0.70-0.98, P=.03 and OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.65-0.97, P=.03, respectively), whereas most measures of social capital were positively associated with Internet use. Having more chronic medical conditions and engaging in formal volunteering increased the odds of Internet use for health-related tasks by 1.15 (95% CI 1.08-1.23, P<.001) and 1.28 (95% CI 1.05-1.57, P=.02), respectively, but anxiety symptoms decreased the odds (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.55-0.99, P=.05). Religious service attendance was negatively associated with Internet use for shopping/banking activities (OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.62-0.91, P=.01). Anxiety symptoms increased the odds of using the Internet only for emails/texting (OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.12-2.75, P=.02), but formal volunteering decreased the odds (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.43-0.92, P=.02). Other correlates of Internet use solely for emails/texting were older age (80-84 years and ≥85 years), a black or “other” racial/ethnic background, a high school education or less than high school, and lower income. Conclusions The findings point to the importance of social capital in facilitating older adults’ learning and adoption of Internet technology. Older adults who used the Internet for email/texting purposes only were the most socially and economically disadvantaged group of Internet users. Computer/Internet training for older adults and computer/Internet use for various purposes need to consider the significant role their social capital can play. PMID:23681083

Usability Issues in the User Interfaces of Privacy-Enhancing Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LaTouche, Lerone W.

2013-01-01

Privacy on the Internet has become one of the leading concerns for Internet users. These users are not wrong in their concerns if personally identifiable information is not protected and under their control. To minimize the collection of Internet users' personal information and help solve the problem of online privacy, a number of…

Introduction and comparison of next-generation mobile wireless technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaidi, Syed R.; Hussain, Shahab; Ali, M. A.; Sana, Ajaz; Saddawi, Samir; Carranza, Aparicio

2010-01-01

Mobile networks and services have gone further than voice-only communication services and are rapidly developing towards data-centric services. Emerging mobile data services are expected to see the same explosive growth in demand that Internet and wireless voice services have seen in recent years. To support such a rapid increase in traffic, active users, and advanced multimedia services implied by this growth rate along with the diverse quality of service (QoS) and rate requirements set by these services, mobile operator need to rapidly transition to a simple and cost-effective, flat, all IP-network. This has accelerated the development and deployment of new wireless broadband access technologies including fourth-generation (4G) mobile WiMAX and cellular Long-Term Evolution (LTE). Mobile WiMAX and LTE are two different (but not necessarily competing) technologies that will eventually be used to achieve data speeds of up to 100 Mbps. Speeds that are fast enough to potentially replace wired broadband connections with wireless. This paper introduces both of these next generation technologies and then compares them in the end.

Mobile Healthcare and People with Disabilities: Current State and Future Needs.

PubMed

Jones, Michael; Morris, John; Deruyter, Frank

2018-03-14

Significant health disparities exist between the general population and people with disabilities, particularly with respect to chronic health conditions. Mobile healthcare-the delivery of healthcare via mobile communication devices-is witnessing tremendous growth and has been touted as an important new approach for management of chronic health conditions. At present, little is known about the current state of mobile healthcare for people with disabilities. Early evidence suggests they are not well represented in the growth of mobile healthcare, and particularly the proliferation of mobile health software applications (mHealth apps) for smartphones. Their omission in mHealth could lead to further health disparities. This article describes our research investigating the current state of mHealth apps targeting people with disabilities. Based on a multi-modal approach (literature review, Internet search, survey of disabled smartphone users), we confirm that people with disabilities are under-represented in the growth of mHealth. We identify several areas of future research and development needed to support the inclusion of people with disabilities in the mHealth revolution.

Mobile Healthcare and People with Disabilities: Current State and Future Needs

PubMed Central

Jones, Michael; Morris, John; Deruyter, Frank

2018-01-01

Significant health disparities exist between the general population and people with disabilities, particularly with respect to chronic health conditions. Mobile healthcare—the delivery of healthcare via mobile communication devices—is witnessing tremendous growth and has been touted as an important new approach for management of chronic health conditions. At present, little is known about the current state of mobile healthcare for people with disabilities. Early evidence suggests they are not well represented in the growth of mobile healthcare, and particularly the proliferation of mobile health software applications (mHealth apps) for smartphones. Their omission in mHealth could lead to further health disparities. This article describes our research investigating the current state of mHealth apps targeting people with disabilities. Based on a multi-modal approach (literature review, Internet search, survey of disabled smartphone users), we confirm that people with disabilities are under-represented in the growth of mHealth. We identify several areas of future research and development needed to support the inclusion of people with disabilities in the mHealth revolution. PMID:29538292

Continuously Connected With Mobile IP

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Cisco Systems developed Cisco Mobile Networks, making IP devices mobile. With this innovation, a Cisco router and its connected IP devices can roam across network boundaries and connection types. Because a mobile user is able to keep the same IP address while roaming, a live IP connection can be maintained without interruption. Glenn Research Center jointly tested the technology with Cisco, and is working to use it on low-earth-orbiting research craft. With Cisco's Mobile Networks functionality now available in Cisco IOS Software release 12.2(4)T, the commercial advantages and benefits are numerous. The technology can be applied to public safety, military/homeland security, emergency management services, railroad and shipping systems, and the automotive industry. It will allow ambulances, police, firemen, and the U.S. Coast Guard to stay connected to their networks while on the move. In the wireless battlefield, the technology will provide rapid infrastructure deployment for U.S. national defense. Airline, train, and cruise passengers utilizing Cisco Mobile Networks can fly all around the world with a continuous Internet connection. Cisco IOS(R) Software is a registered trademark of Cisco Systems.

Medical Internet of Things and Big Data in Healthcare.

PubMed

Dimitrov, Dimiter V

2016-07-01

A number of technologies can reduce overall costs for the prevention or management of chronic illnesses. These include devices that constantly monitor health indicators, devices that auto-administer therapies, or devices that track real-time health data when a patient self-administers a therapy. Because they have increased access to high-speed Internet and smartphones, many patients have started to use mobile applications (apps) to manage various health needs. These devices and mobile apps are now increasingly used and integrated with telemedicine and telehealth via the medical Internet of Things (mIoT). This paper reviews mIoT and big data in healthcare fields. mIoT is a critical piece of the digital transformation of healthcare, as it allows new business models to emerge and enables changes in work processes, productivity improvements, cost containment and enhanced customer experiences. Wearables and mobile apps today support fitness, health education, symptom tracking, and collaborative disease management and care coordination. All those platform analytics can raise the relevancy of data interpretations, reducing the amount of time that end users spend piecing together data outputs. Insights gained from big data analysis will drive the digital disruption of the healthcare world, business processes and real-time decision-making. A new category of "personalised preventative health coaches" (Digital Health Advisors) will emerge. These workers will possess the skills and the ability to interpret and understand health and well-being data. They will help their clients avoid chronic and diet-related illness, improve cognitive function, achieve improved mental health and achieve improved lifestyles overall. As the global population ages, such roles will become increasingly important.

Improving Adherence to Web-Based and Mobile Technologies for People With Psychosis: Systematic Review of New Potential Predictors of Adherence.

PubMed

Killikelly, Clare; He, Zhimin; Reeder, Clare; Wykes, Til

2017-07-20

Despite the boom in new technologically based interventions for people with psychosis, recent studies suggest medium to low rates of adherence to these types of interventions. The benefits will be limited if only a minority of service users adhere and engage; if specific predictors of adherence can be identified then technologies can be adapted to increase the service user benefits. The study aimed to present a systematic review of rates of adherence, dropout, and approaches to analyzing adherence to newly developed mobile and Web-based interventions for people with psychosis. Specific predictors of adherence were also explored. Using keywords (Internet or online or Web-based or website or mobile) AND (bipolar disorder or manic depression or manic depressive illness or manic-depressive psychosis or psychosis or schizophr* or psychotic), the following databases were searched: OVID including MedLine, EMBASE and PsychInfo, Pubmed and Web of Science. The objectives and inclusion criteria for suitable studies were defined following PICOS (population: people with psychosis; intervention: mobile or Internet-based technology; comparison group: no comparison group specified; outcomes: measures of adherence; study design: randomized controlled trials (RCT), feasibility studies, and observational studies) criteria. In addition to measurement and analysis of adherence, two theoretically proposed predictors of adherence were examined: (1) level of support from a clinician or researcher throughout the study, and (2) level of service user involvement in the app or intervention development. We provide a narrative synthesis of the findings and followed the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for reporting systematic reviews. Of the 20 studies that reported a measure of adherence and a rate of dropout, 5 of these conducted statistical analyses to determine predictors of dropout, 6 analyzed the effects of specific adherence predictors (eg, symptom severity or type of technological interface) on the effects of the intervention, 4 administered poststudy feedback questionnaires to assess continued use of the intervention, and 2 studies evaluated the effects of different types of interventions on adherence. Overall, the percentage of participants adhering to interventions ranged from 28-100% with a mean of 83%. Adherence was greater in studies with higher levels of social support and service user involvement in the development of the intervention. Studies of shorter duration also had higher rates of adherence. Adherence to mobile and Web-based interventions was robust across most studies. Although 2 studies found specific predictors of nonadherence (male gender and younger age), most did not specifically analyze predictors. The duration of the study may be an important predictor of adherence. Future studies should consider reporting a universal measure of adherence and aim to conduct complex analyses on predictors of adherence such as level of social presence and service user involvement. ©Clare Killikelly, Zhimin He, Clare Reeder, Til Wykes. Originally published in JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 20.07.2017.

Development of Mobile Communications in Slovenia: Looking to the Future Global Information (Mobile/Internet) Society.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simonic, Tomaz; Mlinar, Tomi

2000-01-01

Discusses the planning and provision of mobile communications in Slovenia and suggests areas that will be developed in the future. Topics include the global mobile market; digital mobile networks; evolution from voice to multimedia services; wireless application protocol; the Internet; general packet radio service; and universal mobile…

Internet usage and knowledge of radiation health effects and preventive behaviours among workers in Fukushima after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident.

PubMed

Kanda, Hideyuki; Takahashi, Kenzo; Sugaya, Nagisa; Mizushima, Shunsaku; Koyama, Kikuo

2014-10-01

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident (FDNPPA) was the world's second largest nuclear power plant accident. At the time that it occurred, internet usage prevalence in Japan was as high as 80%. To compare health knowledge on radiation and preventive behaviour between internet users and non-users among adults employed in industries in Fukushima after the nuclear disaster. We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire study among adults employed in industries in Fukushima 3-5 months after the FDNPPA. Targets were 1394 regular workers who took part in health seminars provided by the Fukushima Occupational Health Promotion Center. After applying the selection criteria, there were 1119 eligible participants. The questionnaire asked for personal characteristics and main sources of information about the FDNPPA, as well as health knowledge on radiation and preventive behaviours following the nuclear accident. We assessed the contribution of each variable using logistic regression analysis. Among the eligible respondents, 637 workers (56.9%) were internet users and 482 (43.1%) were non-users. Internet users had more health knowledge than non-users (average 4.6 radiation-related health conditions in internet users vs 3.6 conditions in non-users) and more preventive behaviours (average 2.6 behaviours in internet users vs 1.9 in non-users). According to logistic regression analyses, internet usage was positively associated with greater health knowledge on radiation (OR 1.13; 95% CI 1.08 to 1.20) and more preventive behaviours (OR 1.14; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.23). Internet usage was significantly and positively associated with greater health knowledge and more preventive behaviours. The internet is a useful method of distributing information to the general public in emergency situations such as a nuclear disaster. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Understanding the mobile internet to develop the next generation of online medical teaching tools

PubMed Central

Christiano, Cynthia; Ferris, Maria

2011-01-01

Healthcare providers (HCPs) use online medical information for self-directed learning and patient care. Recently, the mobile internet has emerged as a new platform for accessing medical information as it allows mobile devices to access online information in a manner compatible with their restricted storage. We investigated mobile internet usage parameters to direct the future development of mobile internet teaching websites. Nephrology On-Demand Mobile (NODM) (http://www.nephrologyondemand.org) was made accessible to all mobile devices. From February 1 to December 31, 2010, HCP use of NODM was tracked using code inserted into the root files. Nephrology On-Demand received 15 258 visits, of which approximately 10% were made to NODM, with the majority coming from the USA. Most access to NODM was through the Apple iOS family of devices and cellular connections were the most frequently used. These findings provide a basis for the future development of mobile nephrology and medical teaching tools. PMID:21659443

Understanding the mobile internet to develop the next generation of online medical teaching tools.

PubMed

Desai, Tejas; Christiano, Cynthia; Ferris, Maria

2011-01-01

Healthcare providers (HCPs) use online medical information for self-directed learning and patient care. Recently, the mobile internet has emerged as a new platform for accessing medical information as it allows mobile devices to access online information in a manner compatible with their restricted storage. We investigated mobile internet usage parameters to direct the future development of mobile internet teaching websites. Nephrology On-Demand Mobile (NOD(M)) (http://www.nephrologyondemand.org) was made accessible to all mobile devices. From February 1 to December 31, 2010, HCP use of NOD(M) was tracked using code inserted into the root files. Nephrology On-Demand received 15,258 visits, of which approximately 10% were made to NOD(M), with the majority coming from the USA. Most access to NOD(M) was through the Apple iOS family of devices and cellular connections were the most frequently used. These findings provide a basis for the future development of mobile nephrology and medical teaching tools.

Use of the Internet by Patients Before and After Cardiac Surgery: An Interdisciplinary Telephone Survey

PubMed Central

D'Ancona, Giuseppe; Karamanoukian, Hratch

2001-01-01

Background Little is known about to what extent patients who underwent medical treatment access the Internet and whether they benefit from consulting the Internet. Objective To understand if cardiopathic patients use the Internet for health-related information and whether they find retrieved information understandable and useful. Methods Telephone interviews, using a semi-structured questionnaire, were conducted with 82 patients who had undergone off-pump coronary-artery bypass grafting at the Center for Less Invasive and Robotic Heart Surgery in Buffalo, New York, USA. Study design was multidisciplinary, combining expertise of medical and communication science. Sources of medical information were identified (doctor, Internet, magazines, newspapers, television, radio, family members). Accessibility, quality, and readability of Internet medical information from the patients' point of view were investigated. Results Out of 82 patients, 35 (35/82, 42.7%) were Internet users. Internet users had a significantly higher education level than Internet non-users (college education: 42.9% of users, 10.6% of non-users; P < .001). Among the Internet users, 18 (18/35, 51.4%) had used the Internet for retrieving medical information; 17 (17/35, 48.6%) had not. No statistically significant differences in demographic data were found when comparing these 2 sub-groups of patients. Family-members' involvement was high (15/18, 83.3%). Internet medical information was rated helpful in most cases; readability was acceptable for only 3 patients (3/18, 16.7%). To improve on-line medical information, all patients interviewed suggested sites designed by their physicians. Conclusions Although 1 in 5 patients in our sample has used the Internet to retrieve medical information, the majority of them experiences difficulties comprehending the information retrieved. Health-care providers' should provide Internet medical information that is adequate for the non-medical public's needs. PMID:11720969

Use of the Internet by patients before and after cardiac surgery: telephone survey.

PubMed

Murero, M; D'Ancona, G; Karamanoukian, H

2001-01-01

Little is known about to what extent patients who underwent medical treatment access the Internet and whether they benefit from consulting the Internet. To understand if cardiopathic patients use the Internet for health-related information and whether they find retrieved information understandable and useful. Telephone interviews, using a semi-structured questionnaire, were conducted with 82 patients who had undergone off-pump coronary-artery bypass grafting at the Center for Less Invasive and Robotic Heart Surgery in Buffalo, New York, USA. Study design was multidisciplinary, combining expertise of medical and communication science. Sources of medical information were identified (doctor, Internet, magazines, newspapers, television, radio, family members). Accessibility, quality, and readability of Internet medical information from the patients point of view were investigated. Out of 82 patients, 35 (35/82, 42.7%) were Internet users. Internet users had a significantly higher education level than Internet non-users (college education: 42.9% of users, 10.6% of non-users; P <.001). Among the Internet users, 18 (18/35, 51.4%) had used the Internet for retrieving medical information; 17 (17/35, 48.6%) had not. No statistically significant differences in demographic data were found when comparing these 2 sub-groups of patients. Family-members involvement was high (15/18, 83.3%). Internet medical information was rated helpful in most cases; readability was acceptable for only 3 patients (3/18, 16.7%). To improve on-line medical information, all patients interviewed suggested sites designed by their physicians. Although 1 in 5 patients in our sample has used the Internet to retrieve medical information, the majority of them experiences difficulties comprehending the information retrieved. Health-care providers should provide Internet medical information that is adequate for the non-medical public's needs.

Identifying Problematic Internet Users: Development and Validation of the Internet Motive Questionnaire for Adolescents (IMQ-A)

PubMed Central

Bischof-Kastner, Christina; Kuntsche, Emmanuel

2014-01-01

Background Internationally, up to 15.1% of intensive Internet use among adolescents is dysfunctional. To provide a basis for early intervention and preventive measures, understanding the motives behind intensive Internet use is important. Objective This study aims to develop a questionnaire, the Internet Motive Questionnaire for Adolescents (IMQ-A), as a theory-based measurement for identifying the underlying motives for high-risk Internet use. More precisely, the aim was to confirm the 4-factor structure (ie, social, enhancement, coping, and conformity motives) as well as its construct and concurrent validity. Another aim was to identify the motivational differences between high-risk and low-risk Internet users. Methods A sample of 101 German adolescents (female: 52.5%, 53/101; age: mean 15.9, SD 1.3 years) was recruited. High-risk users (n=47) and low-risk users (n=54) were identified based on a screening measure for online addiction behavior in children and adolescents (Online-Suchtverhalten-Skala, OSVK-S). Here, “high-risk” Internet use means use that exceeds the level of intensive Internet use (OSVK-S sum score ≥7). Results The confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the IMQ-A’s 4-factor structure. A reliability analysis revealed good internal consistencies of the subscales (.71 up to .86). Moreover, regression analyses confirmed that the enhancement and coping motive groups significantly predicted high-risk Internet consumption and the OSVK-S sum score. A mixed-model ANOVA confirmed that adolescents mainly access the Internet for social motives, followed by enhancement and coping motives, and that high-risk users access the Internet more frequently for coping and enhancement motives than low-risk users. Low-risk users were primarily motivated socially. Conclusions The IMQ-A enables the assessment of motives related to adolescent Internet use and thus the identification of populations at risk. The questionnaire enables the development of preventive measures or early intervention programs, especially dealing with internal motives of Internet consumption. PMID:25299174

Identifying problematic Internet users: development and validation of the Internet Motive Questionnaire for Adolescents (IMQ-A).

PubMed

Bischof-Kastner, Christina; Kuntsche, Emmanuel; Wolstein, Jörg

2014-10-09

Internationally, up to 15.1% of intensive Internet use among adolescents is dysfunctional. To provide a basis for early intervention and preventive measures, understanding the motives behind intensive Internet use is important. This study aims to develop a questionnaire, the Internet Motive Questionnaire for Adolescents (IMQ-A), as a theory-based measurement for identifying the underlying motives for high-risk Internet use. More precisely, the aim was to confirm the 4-factor structure (ie, social, enhancement, coping, and conformity motives) as well as its construct and concurrent validity. Another aim was to identify the motivational differences between high-risk and low-risk Internet users. A sample of 101 German adolescents (female: 52.5%, 53/101; age: mean 15.9, SD 1.3 years) was recruited. High-risk users (n=47) and low-risk users (n=54) were identified based on a screening measure for online addiction behavior in children and adolescents (Online-Suchtverhalten-Skala, OSVK-S). Here, "high-risk" Internet use means use that exceeds the level of intensive Internet use (OSVK-S sum score ≥7). The confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the IMQ-A's 4-factor structure. A reliability analysis revealed good internal consistencies of the subscales (.71 up to .86). Moreover, regression analyses confirmed that the enhancement and coping motive groups significantly predicted high-risk Internet consumption and the OSVK-S sum score. A mixed-model ANOVA confirmed that adolescents mainly access the Internet for social motives, followed by enhancement and coping motives, and that high-risk users access the Internet more frequently for coping and enhancement motives than low-risk users. Low-risk users were primarily motivated socially. The IMQ-A enables the assessment of motives related to adolescent Internet use and thus the identification of populations at risk. The questionnaire enables the development of preventive measures or early intervention programs, especially dealing with internal motives of Internet consumption.

Realtime Gas Emission Monitoring at Hazardous Sites Using a Distributed Point-Source Sensing Infrastructure

PubMed Central

Manes, Gianfranco; Collodi, Giovanni; Gelpi, Leonardo; Fusco, Rosanna; Ricci, Giuseppe; Manes, Antonio; Passafiume, Marco

2016-01-01

This paper describes a distributed point-source monitoring platform for gas level and leakage detection in hazardous environments. The platform, based on a wireless sensor network (WSN) architecture, is organised into sub-networks to be positioned in the plant’s critical areas; each sub-net includes a gateway unit wirelessly connected to the WSN nodes, hence providing an easily deployable, stand-alone infrastructure featuring a high degree of scalability and reconfigurability. Furthermore, the system provides automated calibration routines which can be accomplished by non-specialized maintenance operators without system reliability reduction issues. Internet connectivity is provided via TCP/IP over GPRS (Internet standard protocols over mobile networks) gateways at a one-minute sampling rate. Environmental and process data are forwarded to a remote server and made available to authenticated users through a user interface that provides data rendering in various formats and multi-sensor data fusion. The platform is able to provide real-time plant management with an effective; accurate tool for immediate warning in case of critical events. PMID:26805832

The Association between Internet User Characteristics and Dimensions of Internet Addiction among Greek Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andreou, Eleni; Svoli, Hionia

2013-01-01

This study examined how internet users' psychological characteristics, amount of internet use and demographic factors contribute to particular dimensions of internet addiction. The sample consisted of 384 adolescents, ranging in age from 15 to 18 years. Participants were asked to complete the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), measures of Locus of…

Characteristics of Internet use in relation to game genre in Korean adolescents.

PubMed

Lee, Moon-Soo; Ko, Young-Hoon; Song, Hyoung-Seok; Kwon, Ku-Hyung; Lee, Hyeon-Soo; Nam, Min; Jung, In-Kwa

2007-04-01

As the number of internet users increases, a new game genre using the internet as a networking tool is emerging. Some game genres are regarded as having greater addiction potentials than others. Games and the internet are closely related. We investigated games frequently used by adolescents and classified each of them with the help of game professionals. We also examined internet use patterns to identify relationships between game genre and internet use patterns. 627 middle school and high school students (male 488, female 139) completed questionnaires concerning computer and game use patterns and Korean internet addiction scales. Game genres were divided into eight criteria (simulation, role playing game, web board, community, action, adventure, shooting, and sports). Using Korean internet addiction scales, 627 participants were divided into a normal group (474), a potential risk group (128), and a high-risk group (25). Each group showed significant differences in total internet addiction scores. We classified players into specific game users based upon the game types they most prefer. Role playing game users showed significantly higher internet addiction scores than web board and sports game users. Game and internet addictions are also connected with interpersonal relationship patterns. We suggest that users of some game genre have unique psychological addiction potentials that are different from others and that this influences both game selection and internet use.

Guiding users to quality information about osteoarthritis on the Internet: a pilot study.

PubMed

Ilic, Dragan; Maloney, Stephen; Green, Sally

2005-12-01

This pilot study explored the feasibility of and user satisfaction with an Internet User's Guide (IUG) to assist patients in sourcing relevant, valid information about osteoarthritis on the Internet. Twelve people with osteoarthritis participated in focus groups that involved searching the Internet for information relating to their condition with the aid of the IUG. Participants were asked to perform an initial search of the Internet for information on osteoarthritis, followed by a second search with the aid of the IUG. User satisfaction with the IUG and subsequent online searches was obtained during and following the Internet simulations. A total of 92% of all participants had previously used the Internet to search for health information in the past. However, only a third used the Internet to further source information on their condition. Prior to using the IUG, participants cited efficiently searching the Internet for relevant and credible information as the primary obstacle in their continued use of the Internet. All participants reported that the use of the IUG increased their ability to source quality online medical information. The provision of an IUG may support and increase user awareness about searching for relevant, quality medical information on the Internet. Further quantitative and qualitative research is required to identify how best to empower consumers who wish to use the Internet as a medical resource.

Utilization patterns and user characteristics of an ad libitum Internet weight loss program.

PubMed

Binks, Martin; van Mierlo, Trevor

2010-03-29

The Internet holds promise for the delivery of evidence-based weight loss treatment to underserved populations. However, most studies do not reflect the more naturalistic and common ad libitum, or freely at will, use of the Internet. Randomized clinical trials, for example, typically include at least some direct contact with participants and often have restrictive selection criteria. There is a paucity of research examining utilization patterns of online weight loss programs, particularly in the rapidly expanding direct-to-consumer arena. To examine self-reported characteristics (age, body mass index [BMI], gender), behaviors, and Internet site utilization patterns of a sample of users of a direct-to-consumer ad libitum Internet weight loss program. This study is based on analysis of archival data from the initial 15 weeks of an ongoing, free, evidence-based, direct-to-consumer Internet weight loss program, the Healthy Weight Center, which included standard information about nutrition, fitness, and behavioral strategies; monitoring tools; and moderated support group message boards. Participants encountered the program through self-directed Internet searches and anonymously registered to utilize the site. Self-reported user characteristics and electronically tracked utilization data were extracted from existing program data, compiled, and examined. Pearson correlations were computed to examine the association of program utilization with age and BMI. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for gender comparisons. We examined data from the first 204 adult users of the program who were classified as either overweight (BMI 25 to < 30 kg/m(2)) or obese (BMI > or = 30 kg/m(2)). The mean age of participants was 42.0 years (SD 11.7), 81.9% (167/204) were women, and mean BMI was 32.01 kg/m(2) (SD 6.26). The percent of participants who used program tools was as follows: 13.7%, meal planner; 10.8%, nutrition lookup: 17.6%, activity log; 14.2%, journal; and 22.1%, weight tracker. Participants also used the following educational resources: nutrition, 13.2%; fitness, 6.4%; and behavioral, 7.4%. Of the personal self-assessments available through the program, 57.8% of participants assessed personal barriers, and 50.5% assessed relationship with food. Only 7.8% used the support group message boards. No significant associations between site utilization and age, gender, or BMI were found. Reasons for wanting to lose weight were: health, 87%; appearance, 74%; mobility, 44%; doctor recommendation, 23%; and spouse/friend suggested, 12%. The age participants reported first becoming overweight was young adulthood, 31%; late adulthood, 28%; childhood, 22%; adolescence, 17%; and as a toddler, 3%. Self-perceived factors contributing to weight gain were lack of exercise for 70% of participants, emotions for 62%, overeating for 61%, and slow metabolism for 33%. Internet weight loss programs reach many people who cannot access traditional treatment. However, users appear not to be optimally utilizing key aspects of the weight loss intervention, such as education, monitoring, and support. This study provides insight into the patterns of ad libitum use of an online weight loss program across multiple treatment-related domains in a naturalistic Internet environment.

Factors Related to Choosing between the Internet and a Financial Planner

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Son, Jiyeon

2012-01-01

In this dissertation, I aim to clarify the factors affecting a consumers' choice between the Internet and a financial planner for making saving and investment decisions, based on household production theory. Moreover, I explore the likelihood of an individual being an Internet user (vs. a non-user), a financial planner user (vs. a non-user),…

Comparing Canadian and American cybersecurity awareness levels: Educational strategies to increase public awareness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoggard, Amy

Cybersecurity awareness is an important issue that affects everyone who uses a computer or a mobile device. Canada and the United States both recognize the value of mitigating cybersecurity risks in terms of national safety, economic stability and protection of their citizens. The research performed compared the levels of cybersecurity awareness in Canadian and American Internet users. Canadian and American users were equally aware of cybersecurity measures, but were not implementing best practices to keep themselves safe. The research suggested users needed to understand why a cybersecurity measure was important before being motivated to implement it. Educational strategies were reviewed in both Canada and the United States and it was determined that although there were significant resources available, they were not being utilized by both the educators and the public. In order to increase cybersecurity awareness levels, nations should focus on increasing the public's awareness by using various types of messaging, such as cartoons, in media. One possible consideration is a compulsory awareness model before accessing the Internet. Cybersecurity topics should be included in the curriculum for students at all levels of education and a focus on providing training and resources to teachers will help increase the cybersecurity knowledge of children and youth.

Science and Technology Undergraduate Students' Use of the Internet, Cell Phones and Social Networking Sites to Access Library Information

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salisbury, Lutishoor; Laincz, Jozef; Smith, Jeremy J.

2012-01-01

Many academic libraries and publishers have developed mobile-optimized versions of their web sites and catalogs. Almost all database vendors and major journal publishers have provided a way to connect to their resources via the Internet and the mobile web. In light of this pervasive use of the Internet, mobile devices and social networking, this…

A poster and a mobile healthcare application as information tools for dental trauma management.

PubMed

Iskander, Marian; Lou, Jennifer; Wells, Martha; Scarbecz, Mark

2016-12-01

Prompt management of dental trauma in children affects outcomes, and multiple educational resources are available. The aim of this study was to compare subjects' accuracy in answering a survey about dental trauma management utilizing a poster and a mobile healthcare application and to determine user preference for mode of delivery of information. A survey was administered to parents of patients in two pediatric dental practices. Questions collected demographic information, frequency of internet use, and responses to questions regarding dental trauma management for two separate scenarios. Participants used both a poster and a mobile application, but were randomly assigned as to which tool was utilized first. Eighty-nine surveys were usable. The majority of respondents were aged 36-45 years (50.6%), had education beyond high school (64%), and had private insurance (52.8%). Less-educated individuals were more likely to report searching the Internet (74%) compared to individuals with a graduate degree (57%) (P = 0.017). The majority of subjects answered trauma management questions correctly with both tools. However, for an avulsed permanent tooth, individuals receiving the mobile application were more likely to select: 'put the tooth back in place' (71.1%) compared to those utilizing the poster, who chose 'put the tooth in milk' (56.8%) (P = 0.004). Less-educated individuals were willing to pay more for the application (P = 0.015) and were more likely to report being interested in receiving dental information through mobile technology in the future (P = 0.006). Both a poster and a mobile healthcare application are effective in delivering dental trauma information. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Internet Use by Oncology Outpatients: Results of a Survey in Germany].

PubMed

Borges, Uirassu; Riese, Christoph; Baumann, Walter

2017-05-15

Objective Internet has become an important source of information for cancer patients regarding disease and treatment. A national survey was conducted to assess the importance of Internet in the routine care of cancer patients in Germany. Method The cross-sectional survey included 5,984 outpatients (56.7% female, M=64.3 years, SD=12). 3 groups were identified: Internet users, non-users whose families/friends did online research for them, and "complete" non-users. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and group comparisons. Results 1 patient in 2 used the Internet to research health-related information. Internet users considered this research to be helpful, felt better able to participate in health-related decisions, and less alone with their disease. However, the information found online contributed to a feeling of uncertainty. 72.5% of Internet users researched treatment options and 21.3% talked to their doctor about their research. Conclusion The Internet was shown to be an important source of information for cancer patients. For patients to be able to use Internet research meaningfully, it could be helpful that they receive support from their oncologist. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Performance Analysis of Inter-Domain Handoff Scheme Based on Virtual Layer in PMIPv6 Networks for IP-Based Internet of Things.

PubMed

Cho, Chulhee; Choi, Jae-Young; Jeong, Jongpil; Chung, Tai-Myoung

2017-01-01

Lately, we see that Internet of things (IoT) is introduced in medical services for global connection among patients, sensors, and all nearby things. The principal purpose of this global connection is to provide context awareness for the purpose of bringing convenience to a patient's life and more effectively implementing clinical processes. In health care, monitoring of biosignals of a patient has to be continuously performed while the patient moves inside and outside the hospital. Also, to monitor the accurate location and biosignals of the patient, appropriate mobility management is necessary to maintain connection between the patient and the hospital network. In this paper, a binding update scheme on PMIPv6, which reduces signal traffic during location updates by Virtual LMA (VLMA) on the top original Local Mobility Anchor (LMA) Domain, is proposed to reduce the total cost. If a Mobile Node (MN) moves to a Mobile Access Gateway (MAG)-located boundary of an adjacent LMA domain, the MN changes itself into a virtual mode, and this movement will be assumed to be a part of the VLMA domain. In the proposed scheme, MAGs eliminate global binding updates for MNs between LMA domains and significantly reduce the packet loss and latency by eliminating the handoff between LMAs. In conclusion, the performance analysis results show that the proposed scheme improves performance significantly versus PMIPv6 and HMIPv6 in terms of the binding update rate per user and average handoff latency.

E-Rehabilitation - an Internet and mobile phone based tailored intervention to enhance self-management of cardiovascular disease: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Antypas, Konstantinos; Wangberg, Silje C

2012-07-09

Cardiac rehabilitation is very important for the recovery and the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, and one of its main strategies is to increase the level of physical activity. Internet and mobile phone based interventions have been successfully used to help people to achieve this. One of the components that are related to the efficacy of these interventions is tailoring of content to the individual. This trial is studying the effect of a longitudinally tailored Internet and mobile phone based intervention that is based on models of health behaviour, on the level of physical activity and the adherence to the intervention, as an extension of a face-to-face cardiac rehabilitation stay. A parallel group, cluster randomized controlled trial. The study population is adult participants of a cardiac rehabilitation programme in Norway with home Internet access and mobile phone, who in monthly clusters are randomized to the control or the intervention condition. Participants have access to a website with information regarding cardiac rehabilitation, an online discussion forum and an online activity calendar. Those randomized to the intervention condition, receive in addition tailored content based on models of health behaviour, through the website and mobile text messages. The objective is to assess the effect of the intervention on maintenance of self-management behaviours after the rehabilitation stay. Main outcome is the level of physical activity one month, three months and one year after the end of the cardiac rehabilitation programme. The randomization of clusters is based on a true random number online service, and participants, investigators and outcome assessor are blinded to the condition of the clusters. The study suggests a theory-based intervention that combines models of health behaviour in an innovative way, in order to tailor the delivered content. The users have been actively involved in its design, and because of the use of Open-Source software, the intervention can easily and at low-cost be reproduced and expanded by others. Challenges are the recruitment in the elderly population and the possible underrepresentation of women in the study sample. Funding by Northern Norway Regional Health Authority. Trial registry http://www.clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01223170.

Internet use, eHealth literacy and attitudes toward computer/internet among people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders: a cross-sectional study in two distant European regions.

PubMed

Athanasopoulou, Christina; Välimäki, Maritta; Koutra, Katerina; Löttyniemi, Eliisa; Bertsias, Antonios; Basta, Maria; Vgontzas, Alexandros N; Lionis, Christos

2017-09-20

Individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders use the Internet for general and health-related purposes. Their ability to find, understand, and apply the health information they acquire online in order to make appropriate health decisions - known as eHealth literacy - has never been investigated. The European agenda strives to limit health inequalities and enhance mental health literacy. Nevertheless, each European member state varies in levels of Internet use and online health information-seeking. This study aimed to examine computer/Internet use for general and health-related purposes, eHealth literacy, and attitudes toward computer/Internet among adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders from two distant European regions. Data were collected from mental health services of psychiatric clinics in Finland (FI) and Greece (GR). A total of 229 patients (FI = 128, GR = 101) participated in the questionnaire survey. The data analysis included evaluation of frequencies and group comparisons with multiple linear and logistic regression models. The majority of Finnish participants were current Internet users (FI = 111, 87%, vs. GR = 33, 33%, P < .0001), while the majority of Greek participants had never used computers/Internet, mostly due to their perception that they do not need it. In both countries, more than half of Internet users used the Internet for health-related purposes (FI = 61, 55%, vs. GR = 20, 61%). The eHealth literacy of Internet users (previous and current Internet users) was found significantly higher in the Finnish group (FI: Mean = 27.05, SD 5.36; GR: Mean = 23.15, SD = 7.23, P < .0001) upon comparison with their Greek counterparts. For current Internet users, Internet use patterns were significantly different between country groups. When adjusting for gender, age, education and disease duration, country was a significant predictor of frequency of Internet use, eHealth literacy and Interest. The Finnish group of Internet users scored higher in eHealth literacy, while the Greek group of never Internet users had a higher Interest in computer/Internet. eHealth literacy is either moderate (Finnish group) or low (Greek group). Thus, exposure to ICT and eHealth skills training are needed for this population. Recommendations to improve the eHealth literacy and access to health information among these individuals are provided.

Addictive Potential of Internet Applications and Differential Correlates of Problematic Use in Internet Gamers versus Generalized Internet Users in a Representative Sample of Adolescents.

PubMed

Rosenkranz, Tabea; Müller, Kai W; Dreier, Michael; Beutel, Manfred E; Wölfling, Klaus

2017-01-01

This paper examines the addictive potential of 8 different Internet applications, distinguishing male and female users. Moreover, differential correlates of problematic use are investigated in Internet gamers (IG) and generalized Internet users (GIU). In a representative sample of 5,667 adolescents aged 12-19 years, use of Internet applications, problematic Internet use, psychopathologic symptoms (emotional problems, hyperactivity/inattention, and psychosomatic complaints), personality (conscientiousness and extraversion), psychosocial correlates (perceived stress and self-efficacy), and coping strategies were assessed. The addictive potential of Internet applications was examined in boys and girls using regression analysis. MANOVAs were conducted to examine differential correlates of problematic Internet use between IG and GIU. Chatting and social networking most strongly predicted problematic Internet use in girls, while gaming was the strongest predictor in boys. Problematic IG exhibited multiple psychosocial problems compared to non-problematic IG. In problematic Internet users, GIU reported even higher psychosocial burden and displayed dysfunctional coping strategies more frequently than gamers. The results extend previous findings on the addictive potential of Internet applications and validate the proposed distinction between specific and generalized problematic Internet use. In addition to Internet gaming disorder, future studies should also focus on other highly addictive Internet applications, that is, chatting or social networking, regarding differential correlates of problematic use. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Internet Use and Access Among Pregnant Women via Computer and Mobile Phone: Implications for Delivery of Perinatal Care.

PubMed

Peragallo Urrutia, Rachel; Berger, Alexander A; Ivins, Amber A; Beckham, A Jenna; Thorp, John M; Nicholson, Wanda K

2015-03-30

The use of Internet-based behavioral programs may be an efficient, flexible method to enhance prenatal care and improve pregnancy outcomes. There are few data about access to, and use of, the Internet via computers and mobile phones among pregnant women. We describe pregnant women's access to, and use of, computers, mobile phones, and computer technologies (eg, Internet, blogs, chat rooms) in a southern United States population. We describe the willingness of pregnant women to participate in Internet-supported weight-loss interventions delivered via computers or mobile phones. We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 100 pregnant women at a tertiary referral center ultrasound clinic in the southeast United States. Data were analyzed using Stata version 10 (StataCorp) and R (R Core Team 2013). Means and frequency procedures were used to describe demographic characteristics, access to computers and mobile phones, and use of specific Internet modalities. Chi-square testing was used to determine whether there were differences in technology access and Internet modality use according to age, race/ethnicity, income, or children in the home. The Fisher's exact test was used to describe preferences to participate in Internet-based postpartum weight-loss interventions via computer versus mobile phone. Logistic regression was used to determine demographic characteristics associated with these preferences. The study sample was 61.0% white, 26.0% black, 6.0% Hispanic, and 7.0% Asian with a mean age of 31.0 (SD 5.1). Most participants had access to a computer (89/100, 89.0%) or mobile phone (88/100, 88.0%) for at least 8 hours per week. Access remained high (>74%) across age groups, racial/ethnic groups, income levels, and number of children in the home. Internet/Web (94/100, 94.0%), email (90/100, 90.0%), and Facebook (50/100, 50.0%) were the most commonly used Internet technologies. Women aged less than 30 years were more likely to report use of Twitter and chat rooms compared to women 30 years of age or older. Of the participants, 82.0% (82/100) were fairly willing or very willing to participate in postpartum lifestyle intervention. Of the participants, 83.0% (83/100) were fairly willing or very willing to participate in an Internet intervention delivered via computer, while only 49.0% (49/100) were fairly willing or very willing to do so via mobile phone technology. Older women and women with children tended to be less likely to desire a mobile phone-based program. There is broad access and use of computer and mobile phone technology among southern US pregnant women with varied demographic characteristics. Pregnant women are willing to participate in Internet-supported perinatal interventions. Our findings can inform the development of computer- and mobile phone-based approaches for the delivery of clinical and educational interventions.

Internet Use and Access Among Pregnant Women via Computer and Mobile Phone: Implications for Delivery of Perinatal Care

PubMed Central

Peragallo Urrutia, Rachel; Berger, Alexander A; Ivins, Amber A; Beckham, A Jenna; Thorp Jr, John M

2015-01-01

Background The use of Internet-based behavioral programs may be an efficient, flexible method to enhance prenatal care and improve pregnancy outcomes. There are few data about access to, and use of, the Internet via computers and mobile phones among pregnant women. Objective We describe pregnant women’s access to, and use of, computers, mobile phones, and computer technologies (eg, Internet, blogs, chat rooms) in a southern United States population. We describe the willingness of pregnant women to participate in Internet-supported weight-loss interventions delivered via computers or mobile phones. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 100 pregnant women at a tertiary referral center ultrasound clinic in the southeast United States. Data were analyzed using Stata version 10 (StataCorp) and R (R Core Team 2013). Means and frequency procedures were used to describe demographic characteristics, access to computers and mobile phones, and use of specific Internet modalities. Chi-square testing was used to determine whether there were differences in technology access and Internet modality use according to age, race/ethnicity, income, or children in the home. The Fisher’s exact test was used to describe preferences to participate in Internet-based postpartum weight-loss interventions via computer versus mobile phone. Logistic regression was used to determine demographic characteristics associated with these preferences. Results The study sample was 61.0% white, 26.0% black, 6.0% Hispanic, and 7.0% Asian with a mean age of 31.0 (SD 5.1). Most participants had access to a computer (89/100, 89.0%) or mobile phone (88/100, 88.0%) for at least 8 hours per week. Access remained high (>74%) across age groups, racial/ethnic groups, income levels, and number of children in the home. Internet/Web (94/100, 94.0%), email (90/100, 90.0%), and Facebook (50/100, 50.0%) were the most commonly used Internet technologies. Women aged less than 30 years were more likely to report use of Twitter and chat rooms compared to women 30 years of age or older. Of the participants, 82.0% (82/100) were fairly willing or very willing to participate in postpartum lifestyle intervention. Of the participants, 83.0% (83/100) were fairly willing or very willing to participate in an Internet intervention delivered via computer, while only 49.0% (49/100) were fairly willing or very willing to do so via mobile phone technology. Older women and women with children tended to be less likely to desire a mobile phone-based program. Conclusions There is broad access and use of computer and mobile phone technology among southern US pregnant women with varied demographic characteristics. Pregnant women are willing to participate in Internet-supported perinatal interventions. Our findings can inform the development of computer- and mobile phone-based approaches for the delivery of clinical and educational interventions. PMID:25835744

Learning Potentials of the Ubiquitous Internet: Using Mobile Devices to Support the Individual, Social and Physical Context of the Learner

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dalsgaard, Christian; Pedersen, Nicholai Friis; Aaen, Janus Holst

2013-01-01

The aim of this paper is to identify the key learning potentials of the ubiquitous internet. Rather than focusing on mobile technology or the mobility of the learner, the paper emphasises the ubiquity of internet access as a paramount catalyst for new learning in the digital age. From a sociocultural perspective the paper discusses different ways…

Exploring relationship between human mobility and social ties: Physical distance is not dead

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Bo; Liao, Binbing; Yuan, Ning; Wang, Wenjun

2015-06-01

Partly due to the difficulty of the access to a worldwide dataset that simultaneously captures the location history and social networks, our understanding of the relationship between human mobility and the social ties has been limited. However, this topic is essential for a deeper study from human dynamics and social networks aspects. In this paper, we examine the location history data and social networks data of 712 email users and 399 offline events users from a map-editing based social network website. Based on these data, we expand all our experiment both from individual aspect and community aspect. We find that the physical distance is still the most influential factor to social ties among the nine representative human mobility features extracted from our GPS trajectory dataset, although Internet revolution has made long-distance communication dramatically faster, easier and cheaper than ever before, and in turn, partly expand the physical scope of social networks. Furthermore, we find that to a certain extent, the proximity of South-North direction is more influential than East-West direction to social ties. To the our best of our knowledge, this difference between South-North and East-West is the first time to be raised and quantitatively supported by a large dataset. We believe our findings on the interplay of human mobility and social ties offer a new perspective to this field of study.

Design and implementation of embedded un-interruptible power supply system (EUPSS) for web-based mobile application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, De-gan; Zhang, Xiao-dan

2012-11-01

With the growth of the amount of information manipulated by embedded application systems, which are embedded into devices and offer access to the devices on the internet, the requirements of saving the information systemically is necessary so as to fulfil access from the client and the local processing more efficiently. For supporting mobile applications, a design and implementation solution of embedded un-interruptible power supply (UPS) system (in brief, EUPSS) is brought forward for long-distance monitoring and controlling of UPS based on Web. The implementation of system is based on ATmega161, RTL8019AS and Arm chips with TCP/IP protocol suite for communication. In the embedded UPS system, an embedded file system is designed and implemented which saves the data and index information on a serial EEPROM chip in a structured way and communicates with a microcontroller unit through I2C bus. By embedding the file system into UPS system or other information appliances, users can access and manipulate local data on the web client side. Embedded file system on chips will play a major role in the growth of IP networking. Based on our experiment tests, the mobile users can easily monitor and control UPS in different places of long-distance. The performance of EUPSS has satisfied the requirements of all kinds of Web-based mobile applications.

An Overview and Analysis of Mobile Internet Protocols in Cellular Environments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chao, Han-Chieh

2001-01-01

Notes that cellular is the inevitable future architecture for the personal communication service system. Discusses the current cellular support based on Mobile Internet Protocol version 6 (Ipv6) and points out the shortfalls of using Mobile IP. Highlights protocols especially for mobile management schemes which can optimize a high-speed mobile…

47 CFR 64.613 - Numbering directory for Internet-based TRS users.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... the user's Internet Protocol (IP) address. For each record associated with an IP Relay user, the URI... a VRS user's geographically appropriate NANP telephone number, the URI shall contain the IP address of the user's device. For each record associated with an IP Relay user's geographically appropriate...

Effects of mobile Internet use on college student pedestrian injury risk.

PubMed

Byington, Katherine W; Schwebel, David C

2013-03-01

College-age individuals have the highest incidence of pedestrian injuries of any age cohort. One factor that might contribute to elevated pedestrian injuries among this age group is injuries incurred while crossing streets distracted by mobile devices. Examine whether young adult pedestrian safety is compromised while crossing a virtual pedestrian street while distracted using the Internet on a mobile "smartphone." A within-subjects design was implemented with 92 young adults. Participants crossed a virtual pedestrian street 20 times, half the time while undistracted and half while completing an email-driven "scavenger hunt" to answer mundane questions using mobile Internet on their cell phones. Six measures of pedestrian behavior were assessed during crossings. Participants also reported typical patterns of street crossing and mobile Internet use. Participants reported using mobile Internet with great frequency in daily life, including while walking across streets. In the virtual street environment, pedestrian behavior was greatly altered and generally more risky when participants were distracted by Internet use. While distracted, participants waited longer to cross the street (F=42.37), missed more safe opportunities to cross (F=42.63), took longer to initiate crossing when a safe gap was available (F=53.03), looked left and right less often (F=124.68), spent more time looking away from the road (F=1959.78), and were more likely to be hit or almost hit by an oncoming vehicle (F=29.54; all ps<0.01). Results were retained after controlling for randomized order; participant gender, age, and ethnicity; and both pedestrian habits and mobile Internet experience. Pedestrian behavior was influenced, and generally considerably riskier, when participants were simultaneously using mobile Internet and crossing the street than when crossing the street with no distraction. This finding reinforces the need for increased awareness concerning the risks of distracted pedestrian behavior. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Mobile Internet Use On College Student Pedestrian Injury Risk

PubMed Central

Byington, Katherine W.; Schwebel, David C.

2012-01-01

Background College-age individuals have the highest incidence of pedestrian injuries of any age cohort. One factor that might contribute to elevated pedestrian injuries among this age group is injuries incurred while crossing streets distracted by mobile devices. Objectives Examine whether young adult pedestrian safety is compromised while crossing a virtual pedestrian street while distracted using the internet on a mobile “smartphone.” Method A within-subjects design was implemented with 92 young adults. Participants crossed a virtual pedestrian street 20 times, half the time while undistracted and half while completing an email-driven “scavenger hunt” to answer mundane questions using mobile internet on their cell phones. Six measures of pedestrian behavior were assessed during crossings. Participants also reported typical patterns of street crossing and mobile internet use. Results Participants reported using mobile internet with great frequency in daily life, including while walking across streets. In the virtual street environment, pedestrian behavior was greatly altered and generally more risky when participants were distracted by internet use. While distracted, participants waited longer to cross the street (F = 42.37), missed more safe opportunities to cross (F = 42.63), took longer to initiate crossing when a safe gap was available (F = 53.03), looked left and right less often (F = 124.68), spent more time looking away from the road (F = 1959.78), and were more likely to be hit or almost hit by an oncoming vehicle (F = 29.54; all ps< 0.01). Results were retained after controlling for randomized order; participant gender, age, and ethnicity; and both pedestrian habits and mobile internet experience. Conclusion Pedestrian behavior was influenced, and generally considerably riskier, when participants were simultaneously using mobile internet and crossing the street than when crossing the street with no distraction. This finding reinforces the need for increased awareness concerning the risks of distracted pedestrian behavior. PMID:23201755

SOCIAL MEDIA--risk management.

PubMed

Springer, Rachelle

2012-01-01

Approximately 8% of the world's population and 42.3% of the entire American population are on Facebook. About 9% of the adult U.S. internet population has used Twitter as of the end of 2010. More than 200 million people currently access Facebook through their mobile devices. LinkedIn has more than 100 million users worldwide. There are more than 2 billion video views on YouTube everyday. These staggering statistics point to the fact that social media is an integral part of our lives, and that it is here to stay.

47 CFR 64.613 - Numbering directory for Internet-based TRS users.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Numbering directory for Internet-based TRS... for Internet-based TRS users. (a) TRS Numbering Directory. (1) The TRS Numbering Directory shall contain records mapping the geographically appropriate NANP telephone number of each Registered Internet...

47 CFR 64.613 - Numbering directory for Internet-based TRS users.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Numbering directory for Internet-based TRS... for Internet-based TRS users. (a) TRS Numbering Directory. (1) The TRS Numbering Directory shall contain records mapping the geographically appropriate NANP telephone number of each Registered Internet...

47 CFR 64.613 - Numbering directory for Internet-based TRS users.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Numbering directory for Internet-based TRS... for Internet-based TRS users. (a) TRS Numbering Directory. (1) The TRS Numbering Directory shall contain records mapping the geographically appropriate NANP telephone number of each Registered Internet...

Self-reported use of internet by cervical cancer clients in two National Referral Hospitals in Kenya.

PubMed

Kivuti-Bitok, Lucy W; McDonnell, Geoff; Pokhariyal, Ganesh P; Roudsari, Abdul V

2012-10-09

Cervical cancer remains a devastating disease in Kenya accounting for more than 2000 deaths each year. Lack of information on cervical cancer prevention and management has been attributed to the apathy among women in seeking health interventions. Use of internet-based and mobile e-health tools could increase information access among cervical cancer patients. The objective of the study was; to establish the extent of use of mobile phones and internet by cervical cancer patients in accessing information related to cancer treatment and management.; find out the characteristics of patients associated with internet use and identify barriers faced by the patients in internet use. A cross sectional descriptive survey of 199 cervical patients visiting the two main referral hospitals in Kenya was done. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. The average length of illness was 2.43 years (SD ± 3.0). Only 7.5 %( n=15) reported to having used the internet as a source of information. 92.5 %( n=184) did not use internet. With Multiple options, 70.9% did not know how to use a computer, 29.2% did not have access to a computer, 14.6% lacked the money to use computers at the local cyber cafe while other barriers identified accounted for 11.1%. Patients reported that the internet had an important role in the management of cancer of the cervix in health education (17.6%), online consultation (14.6%), booking of patients (13.6%), referrals (8.5%) and collecting data (7%). The 96.5% of the respondents who had access to a mobile phone, recommended mobile phones for health education messages (31.7%), reminder alerts for medication (29.7%) and booking appointments (21.6%). There was a statistically significant association between income of the patients and internet use (p = 0.026) in this study. There is low level use of the internet by cervical cancer clients attended in Public referral facilities in Kenya. This was attributed to; lack of knowledge on how to use computers and lack of access to a computer. High level of access to mobile phones was reported. This is an indicator of great potential for use of mobile phones in the management of cervical cancer through short messaging services (sms), without internet connectivity. There is even greater potential to internet use through web access via mobile phones.

Disparities in internet use among orthopedic outpatients.

PubMed

Walsh, Kenneth P; Rehman, Saqib; Goldhirsh, Jessie

2014-02-01

Internet access has lagged behind for patients with lower incomes and from certain ethnic groups. This study investigated the possible improvement of access to health-related information on the Internet for all patients in an urban outpatient setting, regardless of socioeconomic background. A 28-question survey was completed by 100 orthopedic outpatients evaluating associations between their age, ethnicity, income, or education level and their access to the Internet. The survey also examined how patients used the Internet to obtain information about their medical condition, their privacy concerns when conducting online research, and their use of mobile phones as a primary means of Internet access. The Internet was used by 57% of orthopedic outpatients in this urban setting. Internet access decreased with advancing age but increased with increasing income and education, findings consistent with similar studies. Despite the inability to identify an association between ethnicity and Internet access in this patient population, fewer Latinos (33%) than whites (67%) or African Americans (77%) sought information about their medical condition. Among patients who used a mobile phone as the primary method for online access, 74% were African American or Latino and 26% were white. This difference in mobile phone use for online access suggests that mobile phones have provided ethnic minorities with greater Internet access and thus may have narrowed the digital divide among the races. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

Uptake and Acceptability of Information and Communication Technology in a Community-Based Cohort of People Who Inject Drugs: Implications for Mobile Health Interventions

PubMed Central

Genz, Andrew; Kirk, Gregory; Piggott, Damani; Mehta, Shruti H; Linas, Beth S

2015-01-01

Background Mobile phone and Internet-based technologies are increasingly used to disseminate health information and facilitate delivery of medical care. While these strategies hold promise for reducing barriers to care for medically-underserved populations, their acceptability among marginalized populations such as people who inject drugs is not well-understood. Objective To understand patterns of mobile phone ownership, Internet use and willingness to receive health information via mobile devices among people who inject drugs. Methods We surveyed current and former drug injectors participating in a longitudinal cohort study in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Respondents completed a 12-item, interviewer-administered questionnaire during a regular semi-annual study visit that assessed their use of mobile technology and preferred modalities of receiving health information. Using data from the parent study, we used logistic regression to evaluate associations among participants’ demographic and clinical characteristics and their mobile phone and Internet use. Results The survey was completed by 845 individuals, who had a median age of 51 years. The sample was 89% African-American, 65% male, and 33% HIV-positive. Participants were generally of low education and income levels. Fewer than half of respondents (40%) indicated they had ever used the Internet. Mobile phones were used by 86% of respondents. Among mobile phone owners, 46% had used their phone for text messaging and 25% had accessed the Internet on their phone. A minority of respondents (42%) indicated they would be interested in receiving health information via phone or Internet. Of those receptive to receiving health information, a mobile phone call was the most favored modality (66%) followed by text messaging (58%) and Internet (51%). Conclusions Utilization of information and communication technology among this cohort of people who inject drugs was reported at a lower level than what has been estimated for the general U.S. population. Our findings identify a potential barrier to successful implementation of mobile health and Internet-based interventions for people who inject drugs, particularly those who are older and have lower levels of income and educational attainment. As mobile communication technology continues to expand, future studies should re-examine whether mHealth applications become more accessible and accepted by socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. PMID:26111915

Uptake and Acceptability of Information and Communication Technology in a Community-Based Cohort of People Who Inject Drugs: Implications for Mobile Health Interventions.

PubMed

Genz, Andrew; Kirk, Gregory; Piggott, Damani; Mehta, Shruti H; Linas, Beth S; Westergaard, Ryan P

2015-06-25

Mobile phone and Internet-based technologies are increasingly used to disseminate health information and facilitate delivery of medical care. While these strategies hold promise for reducing barriers to care for medically-underserved populations, their acceptability among marginalized populations such as people who inject drugs is not well-understood. To understand patterns of mobile phone ownership, Internet use and willingness to receive health information via mobile devices among people who inject drugs. We surveyed current and former drug injectors participating in a longitudinal cohort study in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Respondents completed a 12-item, interviewer-administered questionnaire during a regular semi-annual study visit that assessed their use of mobile technology and preferred modalities of receiving health information. Using data from the parent study, we used logistic regression to evaluate associations among participants' demographic and clinical characteristics and their mobile phone and Internet use. The survey was completed by 845 individuals, who had a median age of 51 years. The sample was 89% African-American, 65% male, and 33% HIV-positive. Participants were generally of low education and income levels. Fewer than half of respondents (40%) indicated they had ever used the Internet. Mobile phones were used by 86% of respondents. Among mobile phone owners, 46% had used their phone for text messaging and 25% had accessed the Internet on their phone. A minority of respondents (42%) indicated they would be interested in receiving health information via phone or Internet. Of those receptive to receiving health information, a mobile phone call was the most favored modality (66%) followed by text messaging (58%) and Internet (51%). Utilization of information and communication technology among this cohort of people who inject drugs was reported at a lower level than what has been estimated for the general U.S. Our findings identify a potential barrier to successful implementation of mobile health and Internet-based interventions for people who inject drugs, particularly those who are older and have lower levels of income and educational attainment. As mobile communication technology continues to expand, future studies should re-examine whether mHealth applications become more accessible and accepted by socioeconomically disadvantaged groups.

Prevalence of internet addiction and its association with stressful life events and psychological symptoms among adolescent internet users.

PubMed

Tang, Jie; Yu, Yizhen; Du, Yukai; Ma, Ying; Zhang, Dongying; Wang, Jiaji

2014-03-01

Internet addiction (IA) among adolescents is a serious public health problem around the world. However, there have been few studies that examine the association between IA and stressful life events and psychological symptoms among Chinese adolescent internet users. We examined the association between IA and stressful life events and psychological symptoms among a random sample of school students who were internet users (N=755) in Wuhan, China. Internet addiction, stressful life events, coping style and psychological symptoms were measured by self-rated scales. The prevalence rate of internet addiction was 6.0% among adolescent internet users. Logistic regression analyses indicated that stressors from interpersonal problem and school related problem and anxiety symptoms were significantly associated with IA after controlling for demographic characteristics. Analyses examining the coping style with the IA revealed that negative coping style may mediate the effects of stressful life events to increase the risk of IA. However, no significant interaction of stressful life events and psychological symptoms was found. These findings of the current study indicate a high prevalence of internet addiction among Chinese adolescent internet users and highlight the importance of stressors from interpersonal problem and school related problem as a risk factor for IA which mainly mediated through negative coping style. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Psychological barriers to Internet usage among older adults in the UK.

PubMed

Adams, Nichola; Stubbs, David; Woods, Valerie

2005-03-01

The Internet is an important tool in assisting the older population to lead independent and social lives. However, the majority of Internet users are under 55. This study investigated the following psychological barriers to Internet use by older adults: perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, Internet efficacy, perceived complexity of navigation and perceived complexity of terminology. Twenty-three subjects (aged 55 - 75 years) were interviewed in the UK. The influences of age, computer and Internet experience, and training on these psychological barriers were explored. The results showed that the majority of the older adults who had a positive perception of usefulness, ease of use, and efficacy of the Internet or e-mail, used the Internet or e-mail more often. In addition, it was found that computer or Internet experience increased perceptions of ease of use and efficacy of the Internet and reduced perceived complexity of navigation. There was no difference between the two age groups (55 - 65 and 66 - 75 years) in these psychological barriers. It was concluded that increased marketing of the Internet (aimed at the older user), more simple and uniformly designed Internet pages, more user-friendly online help and error message terminology, and increased provision of training for the older user would assist uptake of the World Wide Web.

Internet health information in the patient-provider dialogue.

PubMed

Hong, Traci

2008-10-01

A patient discussing Internet health information with a health care provider (referred to as "patient-provider communication about Internet health information") can contribute positively to health outcomes. Although research has found that once Internet access is achieved, there are no ethnic differences in Internet health information seeking, it is unclear if there are ethnic differences in patient-provider communication about Internet health information. To help fill this gap in the literature, the National Cancer Institute's Health Information National Trends Survey 2005 was analyzed with Stata 9. Two sets of logistic regression analyses were conducted, one for a subsample of Internet users (n = 3,244) and one for a subsample of Internet users who are first-generation immigrants (n = 563). The dependent variable was patient-provider communication about Internet health information, which assessed whether survey participants had discussed online health information with a health care provider. The predictor variables included trust of health care provider, trust of online health information, Internet use, health care coverage, frequency of visits to health care provider, health status, and demographics. Among all Internet users, Whites had higher levels of patient-provider communication about Internet health information than Blacks and Asians. Similarly, among Internet users who are immigrants, Whites had higher levels of patient-provider communication about Internet health information than Blacks and Asians. While the digital divide is narrowing in terms of Internet access, racial differences in patient-provider communication about Internet health information may undermine the potential benefits of the information age.

Medical Internet of Things and Big Data in Healthcare

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Objectives A number of technologies can reduce overall costs for the prevention or management of chronic illnesses. These include devices that constantly monitor health indicators, devices that auto-administer therapies, or devices that track real-time health data when a patient self-administers a therapy. Because they have increased access to high-speed Internet and smartphones, many patients have started to use mobile applications (apps) to manage various health needs. These devices and mobile apps are now increasingly used and integrated with telemedicine and telehealth via the medical Internet of Things (mIoT). This paper reviews mIoT and big data in healthcare fields. Methods mIoT is a critical piece of the digital transformation of healthcare, as it allows new business models to emerge and enables changes in work processes, productivity improvements, cost containment and enhanced customer experiences. Results Wearables and mobile apps today support fitness, health education, symptom tracking, and collaborative disease management and care coordination. All those platform analytics can raise the relevancy of data interpretations, reducing the amount of time that end users spend piecing together data outputs. Insights gained from big data analysis will drive the digital disruption of the healthcare world, business processes and real-time decision-making. Conclusions A new category of "personalised preventative health coaches" (Digital Health Advisors) will emerge. These workers will possess the skills and the ability to interpret and understand health and well-being data. They will help their clients avoid chronic and diet-related illness, improve cognitive function, achieve improved mental health and achieve improved lifestyles overall. As the global population ages, such roles will become increasingly important. PMID:27525156

eHealth patient-provider communication in the United States: interest, inequalities, and predictors.

PubMed

Spooner, Kiara K; Salemi, Jason L; Salihu, Hamisu M; Zoorob, Roger J

2017-04-01

Health-related Internet use and eHealth technologies, including online patient-provider communication (PPC), are continually being integrated into health care environments. This study aimed to describe sociodemographic and health- and Internet-related correlates that influence adult patients' interest in and electronic exchange of medical information with health care providers in the United States. Nationally representative cross-sectional data from the 2014 Health Information National Trends Survey ( N  = 3677) were analyzed. Descriptive statistics and multivariable regression analyses were performed to examine associations between patient-level characteristics and online PPC behavior and interests. Most respondents were Internet users (82.8%), and 61.5% of information seekers designated the Internet as their first source for health information. Younger respondents (<50 years), Hispanics, those from higher-income households, and those perceiving access to personal health information as important were more likely to be interested in online PPC. Despite varying levels of patient interest, 68.5% had no online PPC in the last year. However, Internet users (odds ratio, OR = 2.87, 95% CI, 1.35-6.08), college graduates (OR = 2.92, 95% CI, 1.42-5.99), and those with frequent provider visits (OR = 1.94, 95% CI, 1.02-3.71) had a higher likelihood of online PPC via email or fax, while Hispanics and those from higher-income households were 2-3 times more likely to communicate via text messaging or phone/mobile apps. Patients' interest in and display of online PPC-related behaviors vary by age, race/ethnicity, education, income, Internet access/behaviors, and information type. These findings can inform efforts aimed at improving the use and adoption of eHealth technologies, which may contribute to a reduction in communication inequalities and health care disparities. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Seeking Medical Information Using Mobile Apps and the Internet: Are Family Caregivers Different from the General Public?

PubMed

Kim, Hyunmin; Paige Powell, M; Bhuyan, Soumitra S; Bhuyan, Soumitra Sudip

2017-03-01

Family caregivers play an important role to care cancer patients since they exchange medical information with health care providers. However, relatively little is known about how family caregivers seek medical information using mobile apps and the Internet. We examined factors associated with medical information seeking by using mobile apps and the Internet among family caregivers and the general public using data from the 2014 Health Information National Trends Survey 4 Cycle 1. The study sample consisted of 2425 family caregivers and 1252 non-family caregivers (the general public). Guided by Comprehensive Model of Information Seeking (CMIS), we examined related factors' impact on two outcome variables for medical information seeking: mobile apps use and Internet use with multivariate logistic regression analyses. We found that online medical information seeking is different between family caregivers and the general public. Overall, the use of the Internet for medical information seeking is more common among family caregivers, while the use of mobile apps is less common among family caregivers compared with the general public. Married family caregivers were less likely to use mobile apps, while family caregivers who would trust cancer information were more likely to use the Internet for medical information seeking as compared to the general public. Medical information seeking behavior among family caregivers can be an important predictor of both their health and the health of their cancer patients. Future research should explore the low usage of mobile health applications among family caregiver population.

How to Protect Children from Internet Predators: A Phenomenological Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alexander, Rodney T.

2012-01-01

Teenage Internet users are the fastest growing segment in the Internet user population. These teenagers are at risk of sexual assault from Internet predators. This phenomenological study explored teacher and counselors' perceptions of how to prevent this sexual assault. Twenty-five teacher and counselor participants were interviewed. A…

Human dynamic model co-driven by interest and social identity in the MicroBlog community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Qiang; Yi, Lanli; Wu, Lianren

2012-02-01

This paper analyzes the behavior of releasing messages in the MicroBlog community and presents a human dynamic model co-driven by interest and social identity. According to the empirical analysis and simulation results, the messaging interval distribution follows a power law, which is mainly influenced by the degree of users' interests. Meanwhile, social identity plays a significant role regarding the change of interests and may slow down the decline of the latter. A positive correlation between social identity and numbers of comments or forwarding of messages is illustrated. Besides, the analysis of data for each 24 h reveals obvious differences between micro-blogging and website visits, email, instant communication, and the use of mobile phones, reflecting how people use small amounts of time via mobile Internet technology.

Design of a multimedia gateway for mobile devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hens, Raf; Goeminne, Nico; Van Hoecke, Sofie; Verdickt, Tom; Bouve, Thomas; Gielen, Frank; Demeester, Piet

2005-03-01

Although mobile users are currently offered a lot more capabilities on their mobile devices, they still experience some limitations. They can surf the Internet, read their e-mail and receive MMS messages, but they have limited processing power, storage capacity and bandwidth and are limited in their access to peripherals (e.g. printers). We have designed and implemented a multimedia gateway for mobile devices that reduces these limitations. It gives the mobile devices transparent access to high capacity devices connected to the gateway, which is built around a central, modularly extensible server that can run on any PC or home gateway. It manages two sets of modules: one set offering the actual services and another set handling the IP-based wireless interaction with the client applications on the mobile devices. These modules can be added and removed dynamically, offering new services on the fly. Currently services for storage, printing, domotics and playing music are provided. Others can easily be added later on. This paper discusses the architecture and development, the management of modules, the actual services and their benefits. Besides a proprietary implementation, it also looks into OSGi and how both platforms compare to each other, concerning design, architecture, ease of development, functionality, ...

Mobility-Enhanced Reliable Geographical Forwarding in Cognitive Radio Sensor Networks.

PubMed

Zubair, Suleiman; Syed Yusoff, Sharifah Kamilah; Fisal, Norsheila

2016-01-29

The emergence of the Internet of Things and the proliferation of mobile wireless devices has brought the area of mobile cognitive radio sensor networks (MCRSN) to the research spot light. Notwithstanding the potentials of CRSNs in terms of opportunistic channel usage for bursty traffic, the effect of the mobility of resource-constrained nodes to route stability, mobility-induced spatio-temporal spectral opportunities and primary user (PU) protection still remain open issues that need to be jointly addressed. To this effect, this paper proposes a mobile reliable geographical forwarding routing (MROR) protocol. MROR provides a robust mobile framework for geographical forwarding that is based on a mobility-induced channel availability model. It presents a comprehensive routing strategy that considers PU activity (to take care of routes that have to be built through PU coverage), PU signal protection (by the introduction of a mobility-induced guard (mguard) distance) and the random mobility-induced spatio-temporal spectrum opportunities (for enhancement of throughput). It also addresses the issue of frequent route maintenance that arises when speeds of the mobile nodes are considered as a routing metric. As a result, simulation has shown the ability of MROR to reduce the route failure rate by about 65% as against other schemes. In addition, further results show that MROR can improve both the throughput and goodput at the sink in an energy-efficient manner that is required in CRSNs as against compared works.

Slumdog romance: Facebook love and digital privacy at the margins.

PubMed

Arora, Payal; Scheiber, Laura

2017-04-01

Facebook has consolidated its position as the one-stop-shop for social activity among the poor in the global South. Sex, romance, and love are key motivations for mobile and Internet technology usage among this demographic, much like the West. Digital romance is a critical context through which we gain fresh perspectives on Internet governance for an emerging digital and globalizing public. Revenge porn, slut-shaming, and Internet romance scams are a common and growing malady worldwide. Focusing on how it manifests in diverse digital cultures will aid in the shaping of new Internet laws for a more inclusive cross-cultural public. In specific, this article examines how low-income youth in two of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) nations - Brazil and India - exercise and express their notions on digital privacy, surveillance, and trust through the lens of romance. This allows for a more thorough investigation of the relationship between sexuality, morality, and governance within the larger Facebook ecology. As Facebook becomes the dominant virtual public sphere for the world's poor, we are compelled to ask whether inclusivity of the digital users comes at the price of diversity of digital platforms.

Slumdog romance: Facebook love and digital privacy at the margins

PubMed Central

Arora, Payal; Scheiber, Laura

2017-01-01

Facebook has consolidated its position as the one-stop-shop for social activity among the poor in the global South. Sex, romance, and love are key motivations for mobile and Internet technology usage among this demographic, much like the West. Digital romance is a critical context through which we gain fresh perspectives on Internet governance for an emerging digital and globalizing public. Revenge porn, slut-shaming, and Internet romance scams are a common and growing malady worldwide. Focusing on how it manifests in diverse digital cultures will aid in the shaping of new Internet laws for a more inclusive cross-cultural public. In specific, this article examines how low-income youth in two of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) nations – Brazil and India – exercise and express their notions on digital privacy, surveillance, and trust through the lens of romance. This allows for a more thorough investigation of the relationship between sexuality, morality, and governance within the larger Facebook ecology. As Facebook becomes the dominant virtual public sphere for the world’s poor, we are compelled to ask whether inclusivity of the digital users comes at the price of diversity of digital platforms. PMID:29708133

An Internet of Things based physiological signal monitoring and receiving system for virtual enhanced health care network.

PubMed

Rajan, J Pandia; Rajan, S Edward

2018-01-01

Wireless physiological signal monitoring system designing with secured data communication in the health care system is an important and dynamic process. We propose a signal monitoring system using NI myRIO connected with the wireless body sensor network through multi-channel signal acquisition method. Based on the server side validation of the signal, the data connected to the local server is updated in the cloud. The Internet of Things (IoT) architecture is used to get the mobility and fast access of patient data to healthcare service providers. This research work proposes a novel architecture for wireless physiological signal monitoring system using ubiquitous healthcare services by virtual Internet of Things. We showed an improvement in method of access and real time dynamic monitoring of physiological signal of this remote monitoring system using virtual Internet of thing approach. This remote monitoring and access system is evaluated in conventional value. This proposed system is envisioned to modern smart health care system by high utility and user friendly in clinical applications. We claim that the proposed scheme significantly improves the accuracy of the remote monitoring system compared to the other wireless communication methods in clinical system.

Can mobile phone technology support a rapid sharing of information on novel psychoactive substances among health and other professionals internationally?

PubMed

Simonato, Pierluigi; Bersani, Francesco S; Santacroce, Rita; Cinosi, Eduardo; Schifano, Fabrizio; Bersani, Giuseppe; Martinotti, Giovanni; Corazza, Ornella

2017-05-01

The diffusion of novel psychoactive substances (NPSs), combined with the ability of the Internet to act as an online marketplace, has led to unprecedented challenges for governments, health agencies, and substance misuse services. Despite increasing research, there is a paucity of reliable information available to professionals working in the field. The paper will present the pilot results of the first mobile application (SMAIL) for rapid information sharing on NPSs among health professionals. The development of SMAIL was divided into 2 parts: (a) the creation of the application for registered users, enabling them to send an SMS or email with the name or "street name" of an NPS and receive within seconds emails or SMS with the information, when available and (b) the development of a database to support the incoming requests. One hundred twenty-two professionals based in 22 countries used the service over the pilot period of 16 months (from May 2012 to September 2013). Five hundred fifty-seven enquires were made. Users received rapid information on NPSs, and 61% of them rated the service as excellent. This is the right time to use mobile phone technologies for rapid information sharing and prevention activities on NPSs. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Securing Real-Time Sessions in an IMS-Based Architecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cennamo, Paolo; Fresa, Antonio; Longo, Maurizio; Postiglione, Fabio; Robustelli, Anton Luca; Toro, Francesco

The emerging all-IP mobile network infrastructures based on 3rd Generation IP Multimedia Subsystem philosophy are characterised by radio access technology independence and ubiquitous connectivity for mobile users. Currently, great focus is being devoted to security issues since most of the security threats presently affecting the public Internet domain, and the upcoming ones as well, are going to be suffered by mobile users in the years to come. While a great deal of research activity, together with standardisation efforts and experimentations, is carried out on mechanisms for signalling protection, very few integrated frameworks for real-time multimedia data protection have been proposed in a context of IP Multimedia Subsystem, and even fewer experimental results based on testbeds are available. In this paper, after a general overview of the security issues arising in an advanced IP Multimedia Subsystem scenario, a comprehensive infrastructure for real-time multimedia data protection, based on the adoption of the Secure Real-Time Protocol, is proposed; then, the development of a testbed incorporating such functionalities, including mechanisms for key management and cryptographic context transfer, and allowing the setup of Secure Real-Time Protocol sessions is presented; finally, experimental results are provided together with quantitative assessments and comparisons of system performances for audio sessions with and without the adoption of the Secure Real-Time Protocol framework.

Emergence of acronyms in a community of language users

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Javarone, Marco Alberto; Armano, Giuliano

2013-11-01

Language is a complex system that evolves over time, due to several phenomena. In recent years, new communication media are affecting interpersonal written communication. In particular, mobile phones and internet-based communication media are leading people to use a small number of characters when writing messages. Hence, acronyms or abbreviations are used in most cases. In particular, a mobile phone message is usually composed by short phrases, the social network Twitter only allows 140 characters per message and in many online forums users have limited space for questions and answers. Although the use of acronyms dates back to ancient times, nowadays this type of linguistic sign is gaining prestige. In this work, we study the introduction of acronyms in social systems. In particular, we define a simple game for the purpose of analyzing how the use of an acronym spreads in a population, considering its ability to create a shared meaning. We performed many numerical simulations according to the proposed model, showing the creation of acronyms to be the result of collective dynamics in a population.

Indoor-Outdoor Detection Using a Smart Phone Sensor.

PubMed

Wang, Weiping; Chang, Qiang; Li, Qun; Shi, Zesen; Chen, Wei

2016-09-22

In the era of mobile internet, Location Based Services (LBS) have developed dramatically. Seamless Indoor and Outdoor Navigation and Localization (SNAL) has attracted a lot of attention. No single positioning technology was capable of meeting the various positioning requirements in different environments. Selecting different positioning techniques for different environments is an alternative method. Detecting the users' current environment is crucial for this technique. In this paper, we proposed to detect the indoor/outdoor environment automatically without high energy consumption. The basic idea was simple: we applied a machine learning algorithm to classify the neighboring Global System for Mobile (GSM) communication cellular base station's signal strength in different environments, and identified the users' current context by signal pattern recognition. We tested the algorithm in four different environments. The results showed that the proposed algorithm was capable of identifying open outdoors, semi-outdoors, light indoors and deep indoors environments with 100% accuracy using the signal strength of four nearby GSM stations. The required hardware and signal are widely available in our daily lives, implying its high compatibility and availability.

Authomatization of Digital Collection Access Using Mobile and Wireless Data Terminals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leontiev, I. V.

Information technologies become vital due to information processing needs, database access, data analysis and decision support. Currently, a lot of scientific projects are oriented on database integration of heterogeneous systems. The problem of on-line and rapid access to large integrated systems of digital collections is also very important. Usually users move between different locations, either at work or at home. In most cases users need an efficient and remote access to information, stored in integrated data collections. Desktop computers are unable to fulfill the needs, so mobile and wireless devices become helpful. Handhelds and data terminals are nessessary in medical assistance (they store detailed information about each patient, and helpful for nurses), immediate access to data collections is used in a Highway patrol services (databanks of cars, owners, driver licences). Using mobile access, warehouse operations can be validated. Library and museum items cyclecounting will speed up using online barcode-scanning and central database access. That's why mobile devices - cell phones, PDA, handheld computers with wireless access, WindowsCE and PalmOS terminals become popular. Generally, mobile devices have a relatively slow processor, and limited display capabilities, but they are effective for storing and displaying textual data, recognize user hand-writing with stylus, support GUI. Users can perform operations on handheld terminal, and exchange data with the main system (using immediate radio access, or offline access during syncronization process) for update. In our report, we give an approach for mobile access to data collections, which raises an efficiency of data processing in a book library, helps to control available books, books in stock, validate service charges, eliminate staff mistakes, generate requests for book delivery. Our system uses mobile devices Symbol RF (with radio-channel access), and data terminals Symbol Palm Terminal for batch-processing and synchronization with remote library databases. We discuss the use of PalmOS-compatible devices, and WindowsCE terminals. Our software system is based on modular, scalable three-tier architecture. Additional functionality can be easily customized. Scalability is also supplied by Internet / Intranet technologies, and radio-access points. The base module of the system supports generic warehouse operations: cyclecounting with handheld barcode-scanners, efficient items delivery and issue, item movement, reserving, report generating on finished and in-process operations. Movements are optimized using worker's current location, operations are sorted in a priority order and transmitted to mobile and wireless worker's terminals. Mobile terminals improve of tasks processing control, eliminate staff mistakes, display actual information about main processes, provide data for online-reports, and significantly raise the efficiency of data exchange.

An Authentication Protocol for Future Sensor Networks.

PubMed

Bilal, Muhammad; Kang, Shin-Gak

2017-04-28

Authentication is one of the essential security services in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) for ensuring secure data sessions. Sensor node authentication ensures the confidentiality and validity of data collected by the sensor node, whereas user authentication guarantees that only legitimate users can access the sensor data. In a mobile WSN, sensor and user nodes move across the network and exchange data with multiple nodes, thus experiencing the authentication process multiple times. The integration of WSNs with Internet of Things (IoT) brings forth a new kind of WSN architecture along with stricter security requirements; for instance, a sensor node or a user node may need to establish multiple concurrent secure data sessions. With concurrent data sessions, the frequency of the re-authentication process increases in proportion to the number of concurrent connections. Moreover, to establish multiple data sessions, it is essential that a protocol participant have the capability of running multiple instances of the protocol run, which makes the security issue even more challenging. The currently available authentication protocols were designed for the autonomous WSN and do not account for the above requirements. Hence, ensuring a lightweight and efficient authentication protocol has become more crucial. In this paper, we present a novel, lightweight and efficient key exchange and authentication protocol suite called the Secure Mobile Sensor Network (SMSN) Authentication Protocol. In the SMSN a mobile node goes through an initial authentication procedure and receives a re-authentication ticket from the base station. Later a mobile node can use this re-authentication ticket when establishing multiple data exchange sessions and/or when moving across the network. This scheme reduces the communication and computational complexity of the authentication process. We proved the strength of our protocol with rigorous security analysis (including formal analysis using the BAN-logic) and simulated the SMSN and previously proposed schemes in an automated protocol verifier tool. Finally, we compared the computational complexity and communication cost against well-known authentication protocols.

An Authentication Protocol for Future Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Bilal, Muhammad; Kang, Shin-Gak

2017-01-01

Authentication is one of the essential security services in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) for ensuring secure data sessions. Sensor node authentication ensures the confidentiality and validity of data collected by the sensor node, whereas user authentication guarantees that only legitimate users can access the sensor data. In a mobile WSN, sensor and user nodes move across the network and exchange data with multiple nodes, thus experiencing the authentication process multiple times. The integration of WSNs with Internet of Things (IoT) brings forth a new kind of WSN architecture along with stricter security requirements; for instance, a sensor node or a user node may need to establish multiple concurrent secure data sessions. With concurrent data sessions, the frequency of the re-authentication process increases in proportion to the number of concurrent connections. Moreover, to establish multiple data sessions, it is essential that a protocol participant have the capability of running multiple instances of the protocol run, which makes the security issue even more challenging. The currently available authentication protocols were designed for the autonomous WSN and do not account for the above requirements. Hence, ensuring a lightweight and efficient authentication protocol has become more crucial. In this paper, we present a novel, lightweight and efficient key exchange and authentication protocol suite called the Secure Mobile Sensor Network (SMSN) Authentication Protocol. In the SMSN a mobile node goes through an initial authentication procedure and receives a re-authentication ticket from the base station. Later a mobile node can use this re-authentication ticket when establishing multiple data exchange sessions and/or when moving across the network. This scheme reduces the communication and computational complexity of the authentication process. We proved the strength of our protocol with rigorous security analysis (including formal analysis using the BAN-logic) and simulated the SMSN and previously proposed schemes in an automated protocol verifier tool. Finally, we compared the computational complexity and communication cost against well-known authentication protocols. PMID:28452937

Security of Mobile Agents on the Internet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corradi, Antonio; Montanari, Rebecca; Stefanelli, Cesare

2001-01-01

Discussion of the Internet focuses on new programming paradigms based on mobile agents. Considers the security issues associated with mobile agents and proposes a security architecture composed of a wide set of services and components capable of adapting to a variety of applications, particularly electronic commerce. (Author/LRW)

Enabling Web-Based GIS Tools for Internet and Mobile Devices To Improve and Expand NASA Data Accessibility and Analysis Functionality for the Renewable Energy and Agricultural Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ross, A.; Stackhouse, P. W.; Tisdale, B.; Tisdale, M.; Chandler, W.; Hoell, J. M., Jr.; Kusterer, J.

2014-12-01

The NASA Langley Research Center Science Directorate and Atmospheric Science Data Center have initiated a pilot program to utilize Geographic Information System (GIS) tools that enable, generate and store climatological averages using spatial queries and calculations in a spatial database resulting in greater accessibility of data for government agencies, industry and private sector individuals. The major objectives of this effort include the 1) Processing and reformulation of current data to be consistent with ESRI and openGIS tools, 2) Develop functions to improve capability and analysis that produce "on-the-fly" data products, extending these past the single location to regional and global scales. 3) Update the current web sites to enable both web-based and mobile application displays for optimization on mobile platforms, 4) Interact with user communities in government and industry to test formats and usage of optimization, and 5) develop a series of metrics that allow for monitoring of progressive performance. Significant project results will include the the development of Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) compliant web services (WMS, WCS, WFS, WPS) that serve renewable energy and agricultural application products to users using GIS software and tools. Each data product and OGC service will be registered within ECHO, the Common Metadata Repository, the Geospatial Platform, and Data.gov to ensure the data are easily discoverable and provide data users with enhanced access to SSE data, parameters, services, and applications. This effort supports cross agency, cross organization, and interoperability of SSE data products and services by collaborating with DOI, NRCan, NREL, NCAR, and HOMER for requirements vetting and test bed users before making available to the wider public.

Mobile Web-Based Monitoring and Coaching: Feasibility in Chronic Migraine

PubMed Central

Mak, Sander B; Houtveen, Jan H; Kleiboer, Annet M; van Doornen, Lorenz JP

2007-01-01

Background The Internet can facilitate diary monitoring (experience sampling, ecological momentary assessment) and behavioral coaching. Online digital assistance (ODA) is a generic tool for mobile Web-based use, intended as an adjuvant to face-to-face or Internet-based cognitive behavioral treatment. A current ODA application was designed to support home-based training of behavioral attack prevention in chronic migraine, focusing on the identification of attack precursors and the support of preventive health behaviour. Objective The aim was to establish feasibility of the ODA approach in terms of technical problems and participant compliance, and ODA acceptability on the basis of ratings of user-friendliness, potential burden, and perceived support of the training for behavioral attack prevention in migraine. Methods ODA combines mobile electronic diary monitoring with direct human online coaching of health behavior according to the information from the diary. The diary contains three parts covering the following: (1) migraine headache and medication use, (2) attack precursors, and (3) self-relaxation and other preventive behavior; in addition, menstruation (assessed in the evening diary) and disturbed sleep (assessed in the morning diary) is monitored. The pilot study consisted of two runs conducted with a total of five women with chronic migraine without aura. ODA was tested for 8.5 days (range 4-12 days) per participant. The first test run with three participants tested 4-5 diary prompts per day. The second run with another three participants (including one subject who participated in both runs) tested a reduced prompting scheme (2-3 prompts per day) and minor adaptations to the diary. Online coaching was executed twice daily on workdays. Results ODA feasibility was established on the basis of acceptable data loss (1.2% due to the personal digital assistant; 5.6% due to failing Internet transmission) and good participant compliance (86.8% in the second run). Run 1 revealed some annoyance with the number of prompts per day. Overall ODA acceptability was evident by the positive participant responses concerning user-friendliness, absence of burden, and perceived support of migraine attack prevention. The software was adapted to further increase the flexibility of the application. Conclusions ODA is feasible and well accepted. Tolerability is a sensitive issue, and the balance between benefit and burden must be considered with care. ODA offers a generic tool to combine mobile coaching with diary monitoring,independently of time and space. ODA effects on improvement of migraine remain to be established. PMID:18166526

Mental health related Internet use among psychiatric patients: a cross-sectional analysis.

PubMed

Kalckreuth, Sophie; Trefflich, Friederike; Rummel-Kluge, Christine

2014-12-24

The Internet is of great importance in today's health sector, as most Internet users utilize online functions for health related purposes. Concerning the mental health care sector, little data exist about the Internet use of psychiatric patients. It is the scope of this current study to analyze the quantity and pattern of Internet usage among mental health patients. Patients from all services of the Department of Psychiatry at a university hospital were surveyed by completing a 29-item questionnaire. The data analysis included evaluation of frequencies, as well as group comparisons. 337 patients participated in the survey, of whom 79.5% were Internet users. Social media was utilized by less than half of the users: social networks (47.8%), forums (19.4%), chats (18.7%), blogs (12.3%). 70.9% used the Internet for mental health related reasons. The contents accessed by the patients included: information on mental disorders (57.8%), information on medication (43.7%), search for mental health services (38.8%), platforms with other patients (19.8%) and platforms with mental health professionals (17.2%). Differences in the pattern of use between users with low, medium and high frequency of Internet use were statistically significant for all entities of social media (p < 0.01), search for mental health services (p = 0.017) and usage of platforms with mental health professionals (p = 0. 048). The analysis of differences in Internet use depending on the participants' type of mental disorder revealed no statistically significant differences, with one exception. Regarding the Internet's role in mental health care, the participants showed differing opinions: 36.2% believe that the Internet has or may have helped them in coping with their mental disorder, while 38.4% stated the contrary. Most psychiatric patients are Internet users. Mental health related Internet use is common among patients, mainly for information seeking. The use of social media is generally less frequent. It varies significantly between different user types and was shown to be associated with high frequency of Internet use. The results illustrate the importance of the Internet in mental health related contexts and may contribute to the further development of mental health related online offers.

IDnet Mesh: Towards User Accountability for the Internet

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deng, Leiwen

2010-01-01

The current Internet architecture hides a user's real identity by design, which is an important factor contributing to the Internet's great success. However, as the Internet is quickly moving towards the mainstream of the societies nowadays, it is also raising tremendous problems on a daily basis, simply because there are no effective means to…

Older Adults' Knowledge of Internet Hazards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grimes, Galen A.; Hough, Michelle G.; Mazur, Elizabeth; Signorella, Margaret L.

2010-01-01

Older adults are less likely to be using computers and less knowledgeable about Internet security than are younger users. The two groups do not differ on trust of Internet information. The younger group shows no age or gender differences. Within the older group, computer users are more trusting of Internet information, and along with those with…

The Use of Applications in Distance Education Specialization Course as a Support Tool for Students Living in Remote Areas Without Internet.

PubMed

Oliveira, Ana Emília F; França, Rômulo M; Castro Júnior, Eurides F; Baesse, Deborah C L; Maia, Mariana F L; Ferreira, Elza B

2015-01-01

The world is experiencing the popularization of mobile devices. This was made possible by the increasing technological advances and the advent of the Internet as a communication and information tool. These facts demonstrate that the development of applications compatible with such devices is an effective way to provide content to diverse audiences. In the educational field, these devices can be seen as technological support artifacts for distance education, serving as strategy for continuous and permanent education for health professionals. The Open University of Brazilian National Health System (UNA-SUS) offers distance learning courses, including specializating on free access. In order to increase the public reach, UNA-SUS developed mobile applications as supporting material for students. These applications can be accessed in offline mode, increasing the accessibility and therefore, improving the efficiency of the material. The 28 applications developed with responsive online books format currently reached the milestone of over 6,000 downloads. This number shows the positive acceptance of the format used, accentuated by the ease of having material downloaded from the device, not requiring the user to be connected to access content.

Students' perceptions of constructivist Internet learning environments by a physics virtual laboratory: the gap between ideal and reality and gender differences.

PubMed

Chuang, Shih-Chyueh; Hwang, Fu-Kwun; Tsai, Chin-Chung

2008-04-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of Internet users of a physics virtual laboratory, Demolab, in Taiwan. Learners' perceptions of Internet-based learning environments were explored and the role of gender was examined by using preferred and actual forms of a revised Constructivist Internet-based Learning Environment Survey (CILES). The students expressed a clear gap between ideal and reality, and they showed higher preferences for many features of constructivist Internet-based learning environments than for features they had actually learned in Demolab. The results further suggested that male users prefer to be involved in the process of discussion and to show critical judgments. In addition, male users indicated they enjoyed the process of negotiation and discussion with others and were able to engage in reflective thoughts while learning in Demolab. In light of these findings, male users seemed to demonstrate better adaptability to the constructivist Internet-based learning approach than female users did. Although this study indicated certain differences between males and females in their responses to Internet-based learning environments, they also shared numerous similarities. A well-established constructivist Internet-based learning environment may encourage more female learners to participate in the science community.

Experiences and Engagement with the Design Features and Strategies of an Internet-Delivered Treatment Programme for Generalised Anxiety Disorder: A Service-Based Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walsh, Amy; Richards, Derek

2017-01-01

Background: Outcome research has highlighted the efficacy of internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT). Some process research has examined users experiences of iCBT. Understanding the user experience provides valuable feedback to developers of internet-delivered interventions. Aim: The present study aimed to evaluate user's experiences…

Internet Passport: NorthWestNet's Guide to Our World Online. Fourth Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kochmer, Jonathan

The purpose of this guide is to help computer network users get over the hurdle of new technologies. Every Internet user is different, but most network activities depend on the mastery of three basic skills: using electronic mail (e-mail) to communicate with other Internet users; logging in to remote computers with a service called Telnet, and…

Vulnerabilities to misinformation in online pharmaceutical marketing.

PubMed

De Freitas, Julian; Falls, Brian A; Haque, Omar S; Bursztajn, Harold J

2013-05-01

Given the large percentage of Internet users who search for health information online, pharmaceutical companies have invested significantly in online marketing of their products. Although online pharmaceutical marketing can potentially benefit both physicians and patients, it can also harm these groups by misleading them. Indeed, some pharmaceutical companies have been guilty of undue influence, which has threatened public health and trust. We conducted a review of the available literature on online pharmaceutical marketing, undue influence and the psychology of decision-making, in order to identify factors that contribute to Internet users' vulnerability to online pharmaceutical misinformation. We find five converging factors: Internet dependence, excessive trust in the veracity of online information, unawareness of pharmaceutical company influence, social isolation and detail fixation. As the Internet continues to change, it is important that regulators keep in mind not only misinformation that surrounds new web technologies and their contents, but also the factors that make Internet users vulnerable to misinformation in the first place. Psychological components are a critical, although often neglected, risk factor for Internet users becoming misinformed upon exposure to online pharmaceutical marketing. Awareness of these psychological factors may help Internet users attentively and safely navigate an evolving web terrain.

Internet use by the socially fearful: addiction or therapy?

PubMed

Campbell, Andrew J; Cumming, Steven R; Hughes, Ian

2006-02-01

The Internet has often been argued to have adverse psychological consequences, such as depression or anxiety symptoms, among "over-users." The present study offers an alternative understanding, suggesting the Internet may be used as a forum for expanding social networks and consequently enhancing the chance of meaningful relationships, self-confidence, social abilities, and social support. An online sample of 188 people was recruited over the Internet, while paper and pencil tests were administered to an offline sample group of 27 undergraduate university students, who were regular Internet users. Subjects completed the Zung Depression Scale (ZDS), Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS), Eysenck Personality Questionnaire?Revised Short Scale (EPQ-R Short), Fear of Negative Evaluation (FNE) scale, Internet Use Questionnaire (IUQ), and an Internet Effects Questionnaire (IEQ). Results suggested that there was no relationship between time spent online and depression, anxiety, or social fearfulness. Those who primarily used the Internet for online chat believed that the Internet is psychologically beneficial to them, but also believed that frequent Internet users are lonely and that the Internet can be addictive. It is argued that "chat" users who are socially fearful may be using the Internet as a form of low-risk social approach and an opportunity to rehearse social behavior and communication skills, which, may help them improve interaction with offline, face-to-face, social environments.

A Mobile IPv6 based Distributed Mobility Management Mechanism of Mobile Internet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Shi; Jiayin, Cheng; Shanzhi, Chen

A flatter architecture is one of the trends of mobile Internet. Traditional centralized mobility management mechanism faces the challenges such as scalability and UE reachability. A MIPv6 based distributed mobility management mechanism is proposed in this paper. Some important network entities and signaling procedures are defined. UE reachability is also considered in this paper through extension to DNS servers. Simulation results show that the proposed approach can overcome the scalability problem of the centralized scheme.

Can Mobile Phone Apps Influence People's Health Behavior Change? An Evidence Review.

PubMed

Zhao, Jing; Freeman, Becky; Li, Mu

2016-10-31

Globally, mobile phones have achieved wide reach at an unprecedented rate, and mobile phone apps have become increasingly prevalent among users. The number of health-related apps that were published on the two leading platforms (iOS and Android) reached more than 100,000 in 2014. However, there is a lack of synthesized evidence regarding the effectiveness of mobile phone apps in changing people's health-related behaviors. The aim was to examine the effectiveness of mobile phone apps in achieving health-related behavior change in a broader range of interventions and the quality of the reported studies. We conducted a comprehensive bibliographic search of articles on health behavior change using mobile phone apps in peer-reviewed journals published between January 1, 2010 and June 1, 2015. Databases searched included Medline, PreMedline, PsycINFO, Embase, Health Technology Assessment, Education Resource Information Center (ERIC), and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL). Articles published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research during that same period were hand-searched on the journal's website. Behavior change mechanisms were coded and analyzed. The quality of each included study was assessed by the Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool. A total of 23 articles met the inclusion criteria, arranged under 11 themes according to their target behaviors. All studies were conducted in high-income countries. Of these, 17 studies reported statistically significant effects in the direction of targeted behavior change; 19 studies included in this analysis had a 65% or greater retention rate in the intervention group (range 60%-100%); 6 studies reported using behavior change theories with the theory of planned behavior being the most commonly used (in 3 studies). Self-monitoring was the most common behavior change technique applied (in 12 studies). The studies suggest that some features improve the effectiveness of apps, such as less time consumption, user-friendly design, real-time feedback, individualized elements, detailed information, and health professional involvement. All studies were assessed as having some risk of bias. Our results provide a snapshot of the current evidence of effectiveness for a range of health-related apps. Large sample, high-quality, adequately powered, randomized controlled trials are required. In light of the bias evident in the included studies, better reporting of health-related app interventions is also required. The widespread adoption of mobile phones highlights a significant opportunity to impact health behaviors globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. ©Jing Zhao, Becky Freeman, Mu Li. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 31.10.2016.

Internet-based versus traditional teaching and learning methods.

PubMed

Guarino, Salvatore; Leopardi, Eleonora; Sorrenti, Salvatore; De Antoni, Enrico; Catania, Antonio; Alagaratnam, Swethan

2014-10-01

The rapid and dramatic incursion of the Internet and social networks in everyday life has revolutionised the methods of exchanging data. Web 2.0 represents the evolution of the Internet as we know it. Internet users are no longer passive receivers, and actively participate in the delivery of information. Medical education cannot evade this process. Increasingly, students are using tablets and smartphones to instantly retrieve medical information on the web or are exchanging materials on their Facebook pages. Medical educators cannot ignore this continuing revolution, and therefore the traditional academic schedules and didactic schemes should be questioned. Analysing opinions collected from medical students regarding old and new teaching methods and tools has become mandatory, with a view towards renovating the process of medical education. A cross-sectional online survey was created with Google® docs and administrated to all students of our medical school. Students were asked to express their opinion on their favourite teaching methods, learning tools, Internet websites and Internet delivery devices. Data analysis was performed using spss. The online survey was completed by 368 students. Although textbooks remain a cornerstone for training, students also identified Internet websites, multimedia non-online material, such as the Encyclopaedia on CD-ROM, and other non-online computer resources as being useful. The Internet represented an important aid to support students' learning needs, but textbooks are still their resource of choice. Among the websites noted, Google and Wikipedia significantly surpassed the peer-reviewed medical databases, and access to the Internet was primarily through personal computers in preference to other Internet access devices, such as mobile phones and tablet computers. Increasingly, students are using tablets and smartphones to instantly retrieve medical information. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Hierarchical Medical System Based on Big Data and Mobile Internet: A New Strategic Choice in Health Care

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

China is setting up a hierarchical medical system to solve the problems of biased resource allocation and high patient flows to large hospitals. The development of big data and mobile Internet technology provides a new perspective for the establishment of hierarchical medical system. This viewpoint discusses the challenges with the hierarchical medical system in China and how big data and mobile Internet can be used to mitigate these challenges. PMID:28790024

Incentive Mechanism for P2P Content Sharing over Heterogenous Access Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, Kenichiro; Hashimoto, Ryo; Yoshino, Makoto; Shinkuma, Ryoichi; Takahashi, Tatsuro

In peer-to-peer (P2P) content sharing, users can share their content by contributing their own resources to one another. However, since there is no incentive for contributing contents or resources to others, users may attempt to obtain content without any contribution. To motivate users to contribute their resources to the service, incentive-rewarding mechanisms have been proposed. On the other hand, emerging wireless technologies, such as IEEE 802.11 wireless local area networks, beyond third generation (B3G) cellular networks and mobile WiMAX, provide high-speed Internet access for wireless users. Using these high-speed wireless access, wireless users can use P2P services and share their content with other wireless users and with fixed users. However, this diversification of access networks makes it difficult to appropriately assign rewards to each user according to their contributions. This is because the cost necessary for contribution is different in different access networks. In this paper, we propose a novel incentive-rewarding mechanism called EMOTIVER that can assign rewards to users appropriately. The proposed mechanism uses an external evaluator and interactive learning agents. We also investigate a way of appropriately controlling rewards based on the system service's quality and managing policy.

Mobile communication using a mobile phone with a glucometer for glucose control in Type 2 patients with diabetes: as effective as an Internet-based glucose monitoring system.

PubMed

Cho, Jae-Hyoung; Lee, Hye-Chung; Lim, Dong-Jun; Kwon, Hyuk-Sang; Yoon, Kun-Ho

2009-01-01

A mobile phone with a glucometer integrated into the battery pack (the 'Diabetes Phone') was launched in Korea in 2003. We compared its effect on management of type 2 diabetes to the Internet-based glucose monitoring system (IBGMS), which had been studied previously. We conducted a randomized trial involving 69 patients for three months. Participants were assigned to an Internet group or a phone group. The phone group communicated with medical staff through the mobile phone only. Their glucose-monitoring data were automatically transferred to individual, web-based charts and they received medical recommendations by short message service. The Internet group used the IBGMS. There were no significant differences between the groups at baseline. After three months' intervention, HbA(1c) levels of both groups had decreased significantly, from 7.6% to 6.9% for the Internet group and from 8.3% to 7.1% for the phone group (P < 0.01). Levels of patient satisfaction and adherence to medical advice were similar. Mobile, bidirectional communication between doctors and patients using the diabetes phone was as effective for glucose control as the previously-studied Internet-based monitoring system and it was good for patient satisfaction and adherence.

Interactive real-time media streaming with reliable communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Xunyu; Free, Kevin M.

2014-02-01

Streaming media is a recent technique for delivering multimedia information from a source provider to an end- user over the Internet. The major advantage of this technique is that the media player can start playing a multimedia file even before the entire file is transmitted. Most streaming media applications are currently implemented based on the client-server architecture, where a server system hosts the media file and a client system connects to this server system to download the file. Although the client-server architecture is successful in many situations, it may not be ideal to rely on such a system to provide the streaming service as users may be required to register an account using personal information in order to use the service. This is troublesome if a user wishes to watch a movie simultaneously while interacting with a friend in another part of the world over the Internet. In this paper, we describe a new real-time media streaming application implemented on a peer-to-peer (P2P) architecture in order to overcome these challenges within a mobile environment. When using the peer-to-peer architecture, streaming media is shared directly between end-users, called peers, with minimal or no reliance on a dedicated server. Based on the proposed software pɛvμa (pronounced [revma]), named for the Greek word meaning stream, we can host a media file on any computer and directly stream it to a connected partner. To accomplish this, pɛvμa utilizes the Microsoft .NET Framework and Windows Presentation Framework, which are widely available on various types of windows-compatible personal computers and mobile devices. With specially designed multi-threaded algorithms, the application can stream HD video at speeds upwards of 20 Mbps using the User Datagram Protocol (UDP). Streaming and playback are handled using synchronized threads that communicate with one another once a connection is established. Alteration of playback, such as pausing playback or tracking to a different spot in the media file, will be reflected in all media streams. These techniques are designed to allow users at different locations to simultaneously view a full length HD video and interactively control the media streaming session. To create a sustainable media stream with high quality, our system supports UDP packet loss recovery at high transmission speed using custom File- Buffers. Traditional real-time streaming protocols such as Real-time Transport Protocol/RTP Control Protocol (RTP/RTCP) provide no such error recovery mechanism. Finally, the system also features an Instant Messenger that allows users to perform social interactions with one another while they enjoy a media file. The ultimate goal of the application is to offer users a hassle free way to watch a media file over long distances without having to upload any personal information into a third party database. Moreover, the users can communicate with each other and stream media directly from one mobile device to another while maintaining an independence from traditional sign up required by most streaming services.

Performance Analysis of Inter-Domain Handoff Scheme Based on Virtual Layer in PMIPv6 Networks for IP-Based Internet of Things

PubMed Central

Choi, Jae-Young; Jeong, Jongpil; Chung, Tai-Myoung

2017-01-01

Lately, we see that Internet of things (IoT) is introduced in medical services for global connection among patients, sensors, and all nearby things. The principal purpose of this global connection is to provide context awareness for the purpose of bringing convenience to a patient’s life and more effectively implementing clinical processes. In health care, monitoring of biosignals of a patient has to be continuously performed while the patient moves inside and outside the hospital. Also, to monitor the accurate location and biosignals of the patient, appropriate mobility management is necessary to maintain connection between the patient and the hospital network. In this paper, a binding update scheme on PMIPv6, which reduces signal traffic during location updates by Virtual LMA (VLMA) on the top original Local Mobility Anchor (LMA) Domain, is proposed to reduce the total cost. If a Mobile Node (MN) moves to a Mobile Access Gateway (MAG)-located boundary of an adjacent LMA domain, the MN changes itself into a virtual mode, and this movement will be assumed to be a part of the VLMA domain. In the proposed scheme, MAGs eliminate global binding updates for MNs between LMA domains and significantly reduce the packet loss and latency by eliminating the handoff between LMAs. In conclusion, the performance analysis results show that the proposed scheme improves performance significantly versus PMIPv6 and HMIPv6 in terms of the binding update rate per user and average handoff latency. PMID:28129355

Self-reported use of internet by cervical cancer clients in two National Referral Hospitals in Kenya

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Cervical cancer remains a devastating disease in Kenya accounting for more than 2000 deaths each year. Lack of information on cervical cancer prevention and management has been attributed to the apathy among women in seeking health interventions. Use of internet-based and mobile e-health tools could increase information access among cervical cancer patients. The objective of the study was; to establish the extent of use of mobile phones and internet by cervical cancer patients in accessing information related to cancer treatment and management.; find out the characteristics of patients associated with internet use and identify barriers faced by the patients in internet use. A cross sectional descriptive survey of 199 cervical patients visiting the two main referral hospitals in Kenya was done. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Findings The average length of illness was 2.43 years (SD ± 3.0). Only 7.5 %( n=15) reported to having used the internet as a source of information. 92.5 %( n=184) did not use internet. With Multiple options, 70.9% did not know how to use a computer, 29.2% did not have access to a computer, 14.6% lacked the money to use computers at the local cyber cafe while other barriers identified accounted for 11.1%. Patients reported that the internet had an important role in the management of cancer of the cervix in health education (17.6%), online consultation (14.6%), booking of patients (13.6%), referrals (8.5%) and collecting data (7%). The 96.5% of the respondents who had access to a mobile phone, recommended mobile phones for health education messages (31.7%), reminder alerts for medication (29.7%) and booking appointments (21.6%). There was a statistically significant association between income of the patients and internet use (p = 0.026) in this study. Conclusions There is low level use of the internet by cervical cancer clients attended in Public referral facilities in Kenya. This was attributed to; lack of knowledge on how to use computers and lack of access to a computer. High level of access to mobile phones was reported. This is an indicator of great potential for use of mobile phones in the management of cervical cancer through short messaging services (sms), without internet connectivity. There is even greater potential to internet use through web access via mobile phones. PMID:23046538

MediLink: a wearable telemedicine system for emergency and mobile applications.

PubMed

Koval, T; Dudziak, M

1999-01-01

The practical needs of the medical professional faced with critical care or emergency situations differ from those working in many environments where telemedicine and mobile computing have been introduced and tested. One constructive criticism of the telemedicine initiative has been to question what positive benefits are gained from videoconferencing, paperless transactions, and online access to patient record. With a goal of producing a positive answer to such questions an architecture for multipurpose mobile telemedicine applications has been developed. The core technology is based upon a wearable personal computer with a smart-card interface coupled with speech, pen, video input and wireless intranet connectivity. The TransPAC system with the MedLink software system is designed to provide an integrated solution for a broad range of health care functions where mobile and hands-free or limited-access systems are preferred or necessary and where the capabilities of other mobile devices are insufficient or inappropriate. Structured and noise-resistant speech-to-text interfacing plus the use of a web browser-like display, accessible through either a flatpanel, standard, or headset monitor, gives the beltpack TransPAC computer the functions of a complete desktop including PCMCIA card interfaces for internet connectivity and a secure smartcard with 16-bit microprocessor and upwards of 64K memory. The card acts to provide user access control for security, user custom configuration of applications and display and vocabulary, and memory to diminish the need for PC-server communications while in an active session. TransPAC is being implemented for EMT and ER staff usage.

Unconventional Cyber Warfare: Cyber Opportunities in Unconventional Warfare

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

thanks to Tunisia’s modern communications infrastructure , pervasive Internet, and mobile phone network.”151 Although the use of information and...and physical space. Tunisia had a well-developed mobile phone and Internet infrastructure with nearly nine out of 10 Tunisians owning a mobile phone...OF TABLES Table 1. Top 20 countries of mobile phones per 100 people .........................................60 Table 2. Top 20 countries by number

Internet Uses and Gratifications: Understanding Motivations for Using the Internet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ko, Hanjun

In this study, the uses and gratifications theory was applied to investigate the Internet users' motivations and their relationship with attitudes toward the Internet as well as types of Web site visited by users. Subjects were 185 college students who completed a self-report questionnaire. Four motivations and five types of Web sites were…

The Internet: The Demise of Traditional Online.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ochsner, Heinz; Thomas, Karen

The Internet has brought about a revolution in the concept of information provision for end-users, and opened up a diverse new market. The Internet has challenged the need for and role of traditional online services. Despite the benefits of the Internet, users face a number of dilemmas: finding needed information in a vast sea of information; time…

Progress on Broadband Access to the Internet and Use of Mobile Devices in the United States.

PubMed

Serrano, Katrina J; Thai, Chan L; Greenberg, Alexandra J; Blake, Kelly D; Moser, Richard P; Hesse, Bradford W

Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) aims to improve population health outcomes through several objectives, including health communication and health information technology. We used 7 administrations of the Health Information National Trends Survey to examine HP2020 goals toward access to the Internet through broadband and mobile devices (N = 34 080). We conducted descriptive analyses and obtained predicted marginals, also known as model-adjusted risks, to estimate the association between demographic characteristics and use of mobile devices. The HP2020 target (7.7% of the US population) for accessing the Internet through a cellular network was surpassed in 2014 (59.7%), but the HP2020 target (83.2%) for broadband access fell short (63.8%). Sex and age were associated with accessing the Internet through a cellular network throughout the years (Wald F test, P <.05). The increase in the percentage of people accessing the Internet through mobile devices presents an opportunity for technology-based health interventions that should be explored.

Progress on Broadband Access to the Internet and Use of Mobile Devices in the United States

PubMed Central

Thai, Chan L.; Greenberg, Alexandra J.; Blake, Kelly D.; Moser, Richard P.; Hesse, Bradford W.

2016-01-01

Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) aims to improve population health outcomes through several objectives, including health communication and health information technology. We used 7 administrations of the Health Information National Trends Survey to examine HP2020 goals toward access to the Internet through broadband and mobile devices (N = 34 080). We conducted descriptive analyses and obtained predicted marginals, also known as model-adjusted risks, to estimate the association between demographic characteristics and use of mobile devices. The HP2020 target (7.7% of the US population) for accessing the Internet through a cellular network was surpassed in 2014 (59.7%), but the HP2020 target (83.2%) for broadband access fell short (63.8%). Sex and age were associated with accessing the Internet through a cellular network throughout the years (Wald F test, P <.05). The increase in the percentage of people accessing the Internet through mobile devices presents an opportunity for technology-based health interventions that should be explored. PMID:28005473

Innovative Leaders Take the Phone and Run: Profiles of Four Trailblazing Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norris, Cathleen; Soloway, Elliot; Menchhofer, Kyle; Bauman, Billie Diane; Dickerson, Mindy; Schad, Lenny; Tomko, Sue

2010-01-01

While the Internet changed everything, mobile will change everything squared. The Internet is just a roadway, and computers--the equivalent of cars for the Internet--have been expensive. The keepers of the information roadway--the telecommunication companies--will give one a "computer," such as cell phone, mobile learning device, or MLD,…

47 CFR 14.60 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... BY PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES Internet Browsers Built Into Telephones Used With Public Mobile Services... mobile services (as such term is defined in 47 U.S.C. 710(b)(4)(B)) that includes an Internet browser in...

47 CFR 14.60 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... BY PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES Internet Browsers Built Into Telephones Used With Public Mobile Services... mobile services (as such term is defined in 47 U.S.C. 710(b)(4)(B)) that includes an Internet browser in...

Wireless cellular networks with Pareto-distributed call holding times

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez-Dagnino, Ramon M.; Takagi, Hideaki

2001-07-01

Nowadays, there is a growing interest in providing internet to mobile users. For instance, NTT DoCoMo in Japan deploys an important mobile phone network with that offers the Internet service, named 'i-mode', to more than 17 million subscribers. Internet traffic measurements show that the session duration of Call Holding Time (CHT) has probability distributions with heavy-tails, which tells us that they depart significantly from the traffic statistics of traditional voice services. In this environment, it is particularly important to know the number of handovers during a call for a network designer to make an appropriate dimensioning of virtual circuits for a wireless cell. The handover traffic has a direct impact on the Quality of Service (QoS); e.g. the service disruption due to the handover failure may significantly degrade the specified QoS of time-constrained services. In this paper, we first study the random behavior of the number of handovers during a call, where we assume that the CHT are Pareto distributed (heavy-tail distribution), and the Cell Residence Times (CRT) are exponentially distributed. Our approach is based on renewal theory arguments. We present closed-form formulae for the probability mass function (pmf) of the number of handovers during a Pareto distributed CHT, and obtain the probability of call completion as well as handover rates. Most of the formulae are expressed in terms of the Whittaker's function. We compare the Pareto case with cases of $k(subscript Erlang and hyperexponential distributions for the CHT.

Multipath for Agricultural and Rural Information Services in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ge, Ningning; Zang, Zhiyuan; Gao, Lingwang; Shi, Qiang; Li, Jie; Xing, Chunlin; Shen, Zuorui

Internet cannot provide perfect information services for farmers in rural regions in China, because farmers in rural regions can hardly access the internet by now. But the wide coverage of mobile signal, telephone line, and television network, etc. gave us a chance to solve the problem. The integrated pest management platform of Northern fruit trees were developed based on the integrated technology, which can integrate the internet, mobile and fixed-line telephone network, and television network, to provide integrated pest management(IPM) information services for farmers in rural regions in E-mail, telephone-voice, short message, voice mail, videoconference or other format, to users' telephone, cell phone, personal computer, personal digital assistant(PDA), television, etc. alternatively. The architecture and the functions of the system were introduced in the paper. The system can manage the field monitoring data of agricultural pests, deal with enquiries to provide the necessary information to farmers accessing the interactive voice response(IVR) in the system with the experts on-line or off-line, and issue the early warnings about the fruit tree pests when it is necessary according to analysis on the monitoring data about the pests of fruit trees in variety of ways including SMS, fax, voice and intersystem e-mail.The system provides a platform and a new pattern for agricultural technology extension with a high coverage rate of agricultural technology in rural regions, and it can solve the problem of agriculture information service 'last kilometer' in China. The effectiveness of the system was certified.

A user authentication scheme using physiological and behavioral biometrics for multitouch devices.

PubMed

Koong, Chorng-Shiuh; Yang, Tzu-I; Tseng, Chien-Chao

2014-01-01

With the rapid growth of mobile network, tablets and smart phones have become sorts of keys to access personal secured services in our daily life. People use these devices to manage personal finances, shop on the Internet, and even pay at vending machines. Besides, it also helps us get connected with friends and business partners through social network applications, which were widely used as personal identifications in both real and virtual societies. However, these devices use inherently weak authentication mechanism, based upon passwords and PINs that is not changed all the time. Although forcing users to change password periodically can enhance the security level, it may also be considered annoyances for users. Biometric technologies are straightforward because of the simple authentication process. However, most of the traditional biometrics methodologies require diverse equipment to acquire biometric information, which may be expensive and not portable. This paper proposes a multibiometric user authentication scheme with both physiological and behavioral biometrics. Only simple rotations with fingers on multitouch devices are required to enhance the security level without annoyances for users. In addition, the user credential is replaceable to prevent from the privacy leakage.

A User Authentication Scheme Using Physiological and Behavioral Biometrics for Multitouch Devices

PubMed Central

Koong, Chorng-Shiuh; Tseng, Chien-Chao

2014-01-01

With the rapid growth of mobile network, tablets and smart phones have become sorts of keys to access personal secured services in our daily life. People use these devices to manage personal finances, shop on the Internet, and even pay at vending machines. Besides, it also helps us get connected with friends and business partners through social network applications, which were widely used as personal identifications in both real and virtual societies. However, these devices use inherently weak authentication mechanism, based upon passwords and PINs that is not changed all the time. Although forcing users to change password periodically can enhance the security level, it may also be considered annoyances for users. Biometric technologies are straightforward because of the simple authentication process. However, most of the traditional biometrics methodologies require diverse equipment to acquire biometric information, which may be expensive and not portable. This paper proposes a multibiometric user authentication scheme with both physiological and behavioral biometrics. Only simple rotations with fingers on multitouch devices are required to enhance the security level without annoyances for users. In addition, the user credential is replaceable to prevent from the privacy leakage. PMID:25147864

Incidence and correlates of Internet usage among adolescents in North Cyprus.

PubMed

Bayraktar, Fatih; Gün, Zübeyit

2007-04-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of Internet usage among adolescents in Northern Cyprus. A total of 686 adolescents (mean age of 14.4 years, range of 12-17 years) were recruited from elementary and high schools. Results showed that the Internet was used primarily by male students. Adolescents used the Internet generally for entertainment and communication. The quality of chat on the Internet was studied, and it was found that adolescents generally introduce themselves differently while chatting. Also, the type of games on the Internet and the correlation between playing these games and aggression was studied in this research. It was found that mostly violent games were played on the Internet and playing these games were related to anti-social aggression and aggression toward the self. Research findings indicated that 1.1% of the students who used the Internet were pathological Internet users. These pathological Internet users visited significantly more chat sites, mp3 sites, pornographic sites, and shopping sites than other users. Also, it was found that students' grade point average (GPA) decreased when pathological Internet usage increased.

Malaysian University Students' Use of Mobile Phones for Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pullen, Darren; J-F; Swabey, Karen; Abadooz, M.; Sing, Termit Kaur Ranjit

2015-01-01

Mobile technology coupled with Internet accessibility has increased not only how we communicate but also how we might engage in learning. The ubiquity of mobile technology, such as smart phones and tablet devices, makes it a valuable tool for accessing learning resources on the Internet. The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology…

Innovative Mobile Smart Photonic Dimensional, Color and Spectral Measurement Engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hofmann, Dr Dietrich, Prof; Dittrich (B. Eng. , Paul-Gerald; Höfner (B. Eng. , Dieter; Kraus, Daniel

2015-02-01

Aim of the paper is the demonstration of a paradigm shift in dimensional, color and spectral measurements in industry, biology/medicine, farming/environmental protection and security, as well as in education and training: Measurement engineering and quality assurance become mobile, modular and smart. Smartpads, smartphones and smartwatches (smartcomps) in combination with innovative hardware apps (hwapps) and conventional software apps (swapps) are fundamental enablers for the transformation from conventional stationary working places towards innovative mobile working places with in-field measurements and point-of-care (POC) diagnostics. Furthermore mobile open online courses (MOOCs) are transforming the study habits. Practical examples for the application of innovative photonic micro dimensiometers, colorimeters and spectrometers will be given. The innovative approach opens so far untapped enormous markets for measurement science, engineering, applications, education and training. These innovative working conditions will be fast accepted due to their convenience, reliability and affordability. A highly visible advantage of smartcomps is the huge number of their real distribution, their worldwide connectivity via Internet and cloud services, the standardized interfaces like USB and HDMI and the experienced capabilities of their users for practical operations, obtained with their private smartcomps.

The Internet as a Source of Academic Research Information: Findings of Two Pilot Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kibirige, Harry M.; DePalo, Lisa

2000-01-01

Discussion of information available on the Internet focuses on two pilot studies that investigated how academic users perceive search engines and subject-oriented databases as sources of topical information. Highlights include information seeking behavior of academic users; undergraduate users; graduate users; faculty; and implications for…

The QoE implications of ultra-high definition video adaptation strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nightingale, James; Awobuluyi, Olatunde; Wang, Qi; Alcaraz-Calero, Jose M.; Grecos, Christos

2016-04-01

As the capabilities of high-end consumer devices increase, streaming and playback of Ultra-High Definition (UHD) is set to become commonplace. The move to these new, higher resolution, video services is one of the main factors contributing to the predicted continuation of growth in video related traffic in the Internet. This massive increases in bandwidth requirement, even when mitigated by the use of new video compression standards such as H.265, will place an ever-increasing burden on network service providers. This will be especially true in mobile environments where users have come to expect ubiquitous access to content. Consequently, delivering UHD and Full UHD (FUHD) video content is one of the key drivers for future Fifth Generation (5G) mobile networks. One often voiced, but as yet unanswered question, is whether users of mobile devices with modest screen sizes (e.g. smartphones or smaller tablet) will actually benefit from consuming the much higher bandwidth required to watch online UHD video, in terms of an improved user experience. In this paper, we use scalable H.265 encoded video streams to conduct a subjective evaluation of the impact on a user's perception of video quality across a comprehensive range of adaptation strategies, covering each of the three adaptation domains, for UHD and FUHD video. The results of our subjective study provide insightful and useful indications of which methods of adapting UHD and FUHD streams have the least impact on user's perceived QoE. In particular, it was observed that, in over 70% of cases, users were unable to distinguish between full HD (1080p) and UHD (4K) videos when they were unaware of which version was being shown to them. Our results from this evaluation can be used to provide adaptation rule sets that will facilitate fast, QoE aware in-network adaptation of video streams in support of realtime adaptation objectives. Undoubtedly they will also promote discussion around how network service providers manage their relationships with end users and how service level agreements might be shaped to account for what may be viewed as `unproductive' use of bandwidth to deliver very marginal or imperceptible improvements in viewing experience.

An application for delivering field results to mobile devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanta, A.; Hloupis, G.; Vallianatos, F.; Rust, D.

2009-04-01

Mobile devices (MD) such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) and Smartphones expand the ability of Internet communication between remote users. In particular these devices have the possibility to interact with data centres in order to request and receive information. For field surveys MDs used primarily for controlling instruments (in case of field measurements) or for entering data needed for later processing (e.g damage description after a natural hazard). It is not unusual in areas with high interest combined measurements took place. The results from these measurements usually stored in data servers and their publicity is driven mainly by web-based applications. Here we present a client / server application capable of displaying the results of several measurements for a specific area to a MD. More specific, we develop an application than can present to the screen of the MD the results of existing measurements according to the position of the user. The server side hosted at data centre and uses a relational data base (including the results), a SMS/MMS gateway and a receiver daemon application waiting for messages from MDs. The client side runs on MD and is a simple menu driven application which asks the user to enter the type of requested data and the geographical coordinates. In case of embedded GPS receiver, coordinates automatically derived from the receiver. Then a message is sent to server which responds with the results. In case of absence of Internet communication the application can switched to common Short/Multimedia Messaging Systems: the client request data using SMS and the server responds with MMS. We demonstrate the application using results from TEM, VES and HVSR measurements Acknowledgements Work of authors AK, GH and FV is partially supported by the EU-FP6-SSA in the frame of project "CYCLOPS: CYber-Infrastructure for CiviL protection Operative ProcedureS"

Data and image transfer using mobile phones to strengthen microscopy-based diagnostic services in low and middle income country laboratories.

PubMed

Tuijn, Coosje J; Hoefman, Bas J; van Beijma, Hajo; Oskam, Linda; Chevrollier, Nicolas

2011-01-01

The emerging market of mobile phone technology and its use in the health sector is rapidly expanding and connecting even the most remote areas of world. Distributing diagnostic images over the mobile network for knowledge sharing, feedback or quality control is a logical innovation. To determine the feasibility of using mobile phones for capturing microscopy images and transferring these to a central database for assessment, feedback and educational purposes. A feasibility study was carried out in Uganda. Images of microscopy samples were taken using a prototype connector that could fix a variety of mobile phones to a microscope. An Information Technology (IT) platform was set up for data transfer from a mobile phone to a website, including feedback by text messaging to the end user. Clear images were captured using mobile phone cameras of 2 megapixels (MP) up to 5MP. Images were sent by mobile Internet to a website where they were visualized and feedback could be provided to the sender by means of text message. The process of capturing microscopy images on mobile phones, relaying them to a central review website and feeding back to the sender is feasible and of potential benefit in resource poor settings. Even though the system needs further optimization, it became evident from discussions with stakeholders that there is a demand for this type of technology.

What keeps female problematic Internet users busy online?

PubMed

Piguet, Claire; Berchtold, André; Akre, Christina; Suris, Joan-Carles

2015-08-01

While problematic Internet use is recognized to be predominant among male adolescents, a female trend is gradually becoming apparent. Our study aimed at investigating the characteristics of female Internet users and distinguishing between the online activities of problematic and regular Internet users' on school days. Data were retrieved from a cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of 3067 8th graders in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland, that completed an online questionnaire in 2012. Only females were included. Based on the Internet addiction test, the sample was divided into regular (RUs) (IAT < 50, n = 1339) and problematic users (PIUs) (IAT ≥ 50, n = 201). Groups were compared regarding sociodemographic variables, online activities, devices used to access the Internet, substance use, and physical activity. Significant variables were included in a backward logistic regression. At the multivariate level, PIUs were more prone to spend time online for leisure activities (odds ratio [OR] 2.38) and to access the Internet through a smartphone (OR 1.79) or tablet (OR 1.84). PIUs were less likely to be physically active (OR 0.86) and more likely to present poor emotional well-being (OR 2.67) and to smoke (OR 1.88). A sizeable percentage of female adolescents are problematic Internet users. When performing a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment, teenagers owning numerous devices to access the Internet, presenting other health-compromising behaviors or poor emotional well-being should be specifically targeted.

An Analysis on the Correlation and Gender Difference between College Students' Internet Addiction and Mobile Phone Addiction in Taiwan

PubMed Central

Chiu, Su-Lin

2013-01-01

This study is aimed at constructing a correlative model between Internet addiction and mobile phone addiction; the aim is to analyse the correlation (if any) between the two traits and to discuss the influence confirming that the gender has difference on this fascinating topic; taking gender into account opens a new world of scientific study to us. The study collected 448 college students on an island as study subjects, with 61.2% males and 38.8% females. Moreover, this study issued Mobile Phone Addiction Scale and Internet Addiction Scale to conduct surveys on the participants and adopts the structural equation model (SEM) to process the collected data. According to the study result, (1) mobile phone addiction and Internet addiction are positively related; (2) female college students score higher than male ones in the aspect of mobile addiction. Lastly, this study proposes relevant suggestions to serve as a reference for schools, college students, and future studies based on the study results. PMID:25938115

An Analysis on the Correlation and Gender Difference between College Students' Internet Addiction and Mobile Phone Addiction in Taiwan.

PubMed

Chiu, Shao-I; Hong, Fu-Yuan; Chiu, Su-Lin

2013-01-01

This study is aimed at constructing a correlative model between Internet addiction and mobile phone addiction; the aim is to analyse the correlation (if any) between the two traits and to discuss the influence confirming that the gender has difference on this fascinating topic; taking gender into account opens a new world of scientific study to us. The study collected 448 college students on an island as study subjects, with 61.2% males and 38.8% females. Moreover, this study issued Mobile Phone Addiction Scale and Internet Addiction Scale to conduct surveys on the participants and adopts the structural equation model (SEM) to process the collected data. According to the study result, (1) mobile phone addiction and Internet addiction are positively related; (2) female college students score higher than male ones in the aspect of mobile addiction. Lastly, this study proposes relevant suggestions to serve as a reference for schools, college students, and future studies based on the study results.

NAFFS: network attached flash file system for cloud storage on portable consumer electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Lin; Huang, Hao; Xie, Changsheng

Cloud storage technology has become a research hotspot in recent years, while the existing cloud storage services are mainly designed for data storage needs with stable high speed Internet connection. Mobile Internet connections are often unstable and the speed is relatively low. These native features of mobile Internet limit the use of cloud storage in portable consumer electronics. The Network Attached Flash File System (NAFFS) presented the idea of taking the portable device built-in NAND flash memory as the front-end cache of virtualized cloud storage device. Modern portable devices with Internet connection have built-in more than 1GB NAND Flash, which is quite enough for daily data storage. The data transfer rate of NAND flash device is much higher than mobile Internet connections[1], and its non-volatile feature makes it very suitable as the cache device of Internet cloud storage on portable device, which often have unstable power supply and intermittent Internet connection. In the present work, NAFFS is evaluated with several benchmarks, and its performance is compared with traditional network attached file systems, such as NFS. Our evaluation results indicate that the NAFFS achieves an average accessing speed of 3.38MB/s, which is about 3 times faster than directly accessing cloud storage by mobile Internet connection， and offers a more stable interface than that of directly using cloud storage API. Unstable Internet connection and sudden power off condition are tolerable, and no data in cache will be lost in such situation.

TTEO (Things Talk to Each Other): Programming Smart Spaces Based on IoT Systems.

PubMed

Yun, Jaeseok; Ahn, Il-Yeup; Choi, Sung-Chan; Kim, Jaeho

2016-04-01

The Internet of Things allows things in the world to be connected to each other and enables them to automate daily tasks without human intervention, eventually building smart spaces. This article demonstrates a prototype service based on the Internet of Things, TTEO (Things Talk to Each Other). We present the full details on the system architecture and the software platforms for IoT servers and devices, called Mobius and &Cube, respectively, complying with the globally-applicable IoT standards, oneM2M, a unique identification scheme for a huge number of IoT devices, and service scenarios with an intuitive smartphone app. We hope that our approach will help developers and lead users for IoT devices and application services to establish an emerging IoT ecosystem, just like the ecosystem for smartphones and mobile applications.

TTEO (Things Talk to Each Other): Programming Smart Spaces Based on IoT Systems

PubMed Central

Yun, Jaeseok; Ahn, Il-Yeup; Choi, Sung-Chan; Kim, Jaeho

2016-01-01

The Internet of Things allows things in the world to be connected to each other and enables them to automate daily tasks without human intervention, eventually building smart spaces. This article demonstrates a prototype service based on the Internet of Things, TTEO (Things Talk to Each Other). We present the full details on the system architecture and the software platforms for IoT servers and devices, called Mobius and &Cube, respectively, complying with the globally-applicable IoT standards, oneM2M, a unique identification scheme for a huge number of IoT devices, and service scenarios with an intuitive smartphone app. We hope that our approach will help developers and lead users for IoT devices and application services to establish an emerging IoT ecosystem, just like the ecosystem for smartphones and mobile applications. PMID:27043578

Distribute Off-Time Office Internet bandwidth Using Topology Mesh For Sorrounding Neighbour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zendrato, Niskarto; Sihombing, Oloan; Laia, Yonata; Sabarita Barus, Ertina

2018-04-01

The Internet as one of the very rapidly growing information technology can provide data and information with wide world, complete, and up to date. Users can download and upload data such as the application file, multimedia and text through the Internet network. But for the Internet availability is still less equal access because of the lack of availability of adequate infrastructure, therefore the author make the utilization of bandwidth that can be establish Internet balancing although still on a small scale. By this research the authors use bandwidth from PT. Deltauli Home Teknikarya that where bandwidth necessity on when time off-time unused office, where the office always pay full for Internet connection even though at the time of the off-time. It’s many of the available bandwidth, so that the author is trying to take advantage of the bandwidth at the time of the off-time the office to be used by the community using radio connection link and use the radius server as user management and server to send sms and user and password to the users who want to enjoy free internet connection.

Internet Addiction, Psychological Distress, and Coping Responses Among Adolescents and Adults

PubMed Central

McNicol, Michelle L.

2017-01-01

Abstract As Internet use grows, so do the benefits and also the risks. Thus, it is important to identify when individuals' Internet use is problematic. In the present study, 449 participants aged from 16 to 71 years of age were sourced from a wide range of English-speaking Internet forums, including social media and self-help groups. Of these, 68.9% were classified as nonproblematic users, 24.4% as problematic users, and 6.7% as addictive Internet users. High use of discussion forums, high rumination levels, and low levels of self-care were the main contributing factors to Internet addiction (IA) among adolescents. For adults IA was mainly predicted through engagement in online video gaming and sexual activity, low email use, as well as high anxiety and high avoidant coping. Problematic Internet users scored higher on emotion and avoidance coping responses in adults and higher on rumination and lower on self-care in adolescents. Avoidance coping responses mediated the relationship between psychological distress and IA. These findings may assist clinicians with designing interventions to target different factors associated with IA. PMID:28414517

Internet Addiction, Psychological Distress, and Coping Responses Among Adolescents and Adults.

PubMed

McNicol, Michelle L; Thorsteinsson, Einar B

2017-05-01

As Internet use grows, so do the benefits and also the risks. Thus, it is important to identify when individuals' Internet use is problematic. In the present study, 449 participants aged from 16 to 71 years of age were sourced from a wide range of English-speaking Internet forums, including social media and self-help groups. Of these, 68.9% were classified as nonproblematic users, 24.4% as problematic users, and 6.7% as addictive Internet users. High use of discussion forums, high rumination levels, and low levels of self-care were the main contributing factors to Internet addiction (IA) among adolescents. For adults IA was mainly predicted through engagement in online video gaming and sexual activity, low email use, as well as high anxiety and high avoidant coping. Problematic Internet users scored higher on emotion and avoidance coping responses in adults and higher on rumination and lower on self-care in adolescents. Avoidance coping responses mediated the relationship between psychological distress and IA. These findings may assist clinicians with designing interventions to target different factors associated with IA.

Internet Competency Predicts Practical Hearing Aid Knowledge and Skills in First-Time Hearing Aid Users.

PubMed

Maidment, David; Brassington, William; Wharrad, Heather; Ferguson, Melanie

2016-10-01

The purpose of the study was to assess whether Internet competency predicted practical hearing aid knowledge and handling skills in first-time hearing aid users. The design was a prospective, randomized controlled trial of a multimedia educational intervention consisting of interactive video tutorials (or reusable learning objects [RLOs]). RLOs were delivered through DVD for TV or PC, and online. Internet competency was measured at the hearing aid fitting appointment, whereas hearing aid knowledge and practical handling skills were assessed 6 weeks postfitting. Internet competency predicted practical hearing aid knowledge and handling skills, controlling for age, hearing sensitivity, educational status, and gender for the group that received the RLOs. Internet competency was inversely related to the number of times the RLOs were watched. Associations between Internet competency and practical hearing aid knowledge, handling skills, and watching the RLOs fewer times may have arisen because of improved self-efficacy. Therefore, first-time hearing aid users who are more competent Internet users may be better equipped to apply newly learned information to effectively manage their hearing loss.

Internet opportunities for the petroleum industry professional

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

Lynn, J.R.

1996-06-01

Following the lead of other AAPG Sections, the Rocky Mountain Section is adding an Internet Poster Session to the presentations this year. The purpose of this presentation is first, to show non-internet users how easy it is to get up to speed on the net, and second, to lead users to internet sites that will contribute useful data to their particular needs.

The Mac Internet Tour Guide: Cruising the Internet the Easy Way. [First Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fraase, Michael

Published exclusively for MacIntosh computer users, this guide provides an overview of Internet resources for new and experienced users. E-mail, file transfer, and decompression software used to access the resources are included on a 800k, 3.5 inch disk. The following chapters are included: (1) "What Is the Internet" covers finding your…

The links between healthy, problematic, and addicted Internet use regarding comorbidities and self-concept-related characteristics.

PubMed

Leménager, Tagrid; Hoffmann, Sabine; Dieter, Julia; Reinhard, Iris; Mann, Karl; Kiefer, Falk

2018-03-01

Background Addicted Internet users present with higher rates of comorbidities, e.g., attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depressive, and anxiety disorders. In addition, deficits in self-concept-related characteristics were found in addicted Internet gamers and social network users. The aim of this study was to examine the links between healthy, problematic, and addicted Internet use regarding comorbidities and self-concept-related characteristics. The association between recently developed ADHD-like symptoms without an underlying diagnosis and addictive Internet use was also examined. Methods n = 79 healthy controls, n = 35 problematic, and n = 93 addicted Internet users were assessed for comorbidities, social and emotional competencies, body image, self-esteem, and perceived stress. Apart from an ADHD-diagnosis, recently developed ADHD-like symptoms were also assessed. Results Addicted users showed more self-concept-related deficits and higher rates of comorbidities with ADHD, depressive, and anxiety disorders. Addicted and problematic users showed similarities in the prevalence of cluster B personality disorders and decreased levels of characteristics related to emotional intelligence. Participants with recently developed ADHD-like symptoms scored higher in lifetime and current severity of Internet use compared with those without ADHD symptoms. Addicted participants with recently developed ADHD symptoms showed higher lifetime Internet use severity compared with those without any symptoms. Conclusions Our findings indicate that cluster B personality disorders and premorbid problems in emotional intelligence might present a link between problematic and addictive Internet use. Furthermore, the findings provide a first indication that addictive Internet use is related to ADHD-like symptoms. Symptoms of ADHD should therefore be assessed against the background of possible addicted Internet use.

Social and Psychological Effects of the Internet Use

PubMed Central

Diomidous, Marianna; Chardalias, Kostis; Magita, Adrianna; Koutonias, Panagiotis; Panagiotopoulou, Paraskevi; Mantas, John

2016-01-01

Background and Aims: Over the past two decades there was an upsurge of the use of Internet in human life. With this continuous development, Internet users are able to communicate with any part of the globe, to shop online, to use it as a mean of education, to work remotely and to conduct financial transactions. Unfortunately, this rapid development of the Internet has a detrimental impact in our life, which leads to various phenomena such as cyber bullying, cyber porn, cyber suicide, Internet addiction, social isolation, cyber racism etc. The main purpose of this paper is to record and analyze all these social and psychological effects that appears to users due to the extensive use of the Internet. Materials and Methods: This review study was a thorough search of bibliography data conducted through Internet and library research studies. Key words were extracted from search engines and data bases including Google, Yahoo, Scholar Google, PubMed. Findings: The findings of this study showed that the Internet offers a quick access to information and facilitates communication however; it is quite dangerous, especially for young users. For this reason, users should be aware of it and face critically any information that is handed from the website PMID:27041814

Social and Psychological Effects of the Internet Use.

PubMed

Diomidous, Marianna; Chardalias, Kostis; Magita, Adrianna; Koutonias, Panagiotis; Panagiotopoulou, Paraskevi; Mantas, John

2016-02-01

Over the past two decades there was an upsurge of the use of Internet in human life. With this continuous development, Internet users are able to communicate with any part of the globe, to shop online, to use it as a mean of education, to work remotely and to conduct financial transactions. Unfortunately, this rapid development of the Internet has a detrimental impact in our life, which leads to various phenomena such as cyber bullying, cyber porn, cyber suicide, Internet addiction, social isolation, cyber racism etc. The main purpose of this paper is to record and analyze all these social and psychological effects that appears to users due to the extensive use of the Internet. This review study was a thorough search of bibliography data conducted through Internet and library research studies. Key words were extracted from search engines and data bases including Google, Yahoo, Scholar Google, PubMed. The findings of this study showed that the Internet offers a quick access to information and facilitates communication however; it is quite dangerous, especially for young users. For this reason, users should be aware of it and face critically any information that is handed from the website.

IoT Applications with 5G Connectivity in Medical Tourism Sector Management: Third-Party Service Scenarios.

PubMed

Psiha, Maria M; Vlamos, Panayiotis

2017-01-01

5G is the next generation of mobile communication technology. Current generation of wireless technologies is being evolved toward 5G for better serving end users and transforming our society. Supported by 5G cloud technology, personal devices will extend their capabilities to various applications, supporting smart life. They will have significant role in health, medical tourism, security, safety, and social life applications. The next wave of mobile communication is to mobilize and automate industries and industry processes via Machine-Type Communication (MTC) and Internet of Things (IoT). The current key performance indicators for the 5G infrastructure for the fully connected society are sufficient to satisfy most of the technical requirements in the healthcare sector. Thus, 5G can be considered as a door opener for new possibilities and use cases, many of which are as yet unknown. In this paper we present heterogeneous use cases in medical tourism sector, based on 5G infrastructure technologies and third-party cloud services.

The Aeroflex: A Bicycle for Mobile Air Quality Measurements

PubMed Central

Elen, Bart; Peters, Jan; Van Poppel, Martine; Bleux, Nico; Theunis, Jan; Reggente, Matteo; Standaert, Arnout

2013-01-01

Fixed air quality stations have limitations when used to assess people's real life exposure to air pollutants. Their spatial coverage is too limited to capture the spatial variability in, e.g., an urban or industrial environment. Complementary mobile air quality measurements can be used as an additional tool to fill this void. In this publication we present the Aeroflex, a bicycle for mobile air quality monitoring. The Aeroflex is equipped with compact air quality measurement devices to monitor ultrafine particle number counts, particulate mass and black carbon concentrations at a high resolution (up to 1 second). Each measurement is automatically linked to its geographical location and time of acquisition using GPS and Internet time. Furthermore, the Aeroflex is equipped with automated data transmission, data pre-processing and data visualization. The Aeroflex is designed with adaptability, reliability and user friendliness in mind. Over the past years, the Aeroflex has been successfully used for high resolution air quality mapping, exposure assessment and hot spot identification. PMID:23262484

Micro modules for mobile shape, color and spectral imaging with smartpads in industry, biology and medicine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hofmann, Dietrich; Dittrich, Paul-Gerald; Düntsch, Eric; Kraus, Daniel

2014-02-01

Aim of the paper is the demonstration of a paradigm shift in shape, color and spectral measurements in industry, biology and medicine as well as in measurement education and training. Innovative hardware apps (hwapps) and software apps (swapps) with smartpads are fundamental enablers for the transformation from conventional stationary working places towards innovative mobile working places with in-field measurements and point-of-care (POC) diagnostics. Mobile open online courses (MOOCs) are transforming the study habits. Practical examples for the application of innovative photonic micro shapemeters, colormeters and spectrometers will be given. The innovative approach opens so far untapped enormous markets for measurement science, engineering and training. These innovative working conditions will be fast accepted due to their convenience, reliability and affordability. A highly visible advantage of smartpads is the huge number of their distribution, their worldwide connectivity via Internet and cloud services, the standardized interfaces like USB and HDMI and the experienced capabilities of their users for practical operations, learned with their private smartpads.

The Aeroflex: a bicycle for mobile air quality measurements.

PubMed

Elen, Bart; Peters, Jan; Poppel, Martine Van; Bleux, Nico; Theunis, Jan; Reggente, Matteo; Standaert, Arnout

2012-12-24

Fixed air quality stations have limitations when used to assess people's real life exposure to air pollutants. Their spatial coverage is too limited to capture the spatial variability in, e.g., an urban or industrial environment. Complementary mobile air quality measurements can be used as an additional tool to fill this void. In this publication we present the Aeroflex, a bicycle for mobile air quality monitoring. The Aeroflex is equipped with compact air quality measurement devices to monitor ultrafine particle number counts, particulate mass and black carbon concentrations at a high resolution (up to 1 second). Each measurement is automatically linked to its geographical location and time of acquisition using GPS and Internet time. Furthermore, the Aeroflex is equipped with automated data transmission, data pre-processing and data visualization. The Aeroflex is designed with adaptability, reliability and user friendliness in mind. Over the past years, the Aeroflex has been successfully used for high resolution air quality mapping, exposure assessment and hot spot identification. 

A hybrid mobile-based patient location tracking system for personal healthcare applications.

PubMed

Chew, S H; Chong, P A; Gunawan, E; Goh, K W; Kim, Y; Soh, C B

2006-01-01

In the next generation of Infocommunications, mobile Internet-enabled devices and third generation mobile communication networks have become reality, location based services (LBS) are expected to be a major area of growth. Providing information, content and services through positioning technologies forms the platform for new services for users and developers, as well as creating new revenue channels for service providers. These crucial advances in location based services have opened up new opportunities in real time patient tracking for personal healthcare applications. In this paper, a hybrid mobile-based location technique using the global positioning system (GPS) and cellular mobile network infrastructure is employed to provide the location tracking capability. This function will be integrated into the patient location tracking system (PLTS) to assist caregivers or family members in locating patients such as elderly or dependents when required, especially in emergencies. The capability of this PLTS is demonstrated through a series of location detection tests conducted over different operating conditions. Although the model is at its initial stage of development, it has shown relatively good accuracy for position tracking and potential of using integrated wireless technology to enhance the existing personal healthcare communication system through location based services.

Space Network IP Services (SNIS): An Architecture for Supporting Low Earth Orbiting IP Satellite Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Israel, David J.

2005-01-01

The NASA Space Network (SN) supports a variety of missions using the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS), which includes ground stations in White Sands, New Mexico and Guam. A Space Network IP Services (SNIS) architecture is being developed to support future users with requirements for end-to-end Internet Protocol (IP) communications. This architecture will support all IP protocols, including Mobile IP, over TDRSS Single Access, Multiple Access, and Demand Access Radio Frequency (RF) links. This paper will describe this architecture and how it can enable Low Earth Orbiting IP satellite missions.

Evaluation of Standards for Access Control Enabling PHR-S Federation.

PubMed

Mense, Alexander; Urbauer, Philipp; Sauermann, Stefan

2017-01-01

The adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) and mobile applications in the healthcare may transform the healthcare industry by offering better disease tracking and management as well as patient empowerment. Unfortunately, almost all of these new systems set up their own ecosystem and to be really valuable for the care process they need to be integrated or federated with user managed access control services based on international standards and profiles to enable interoperability. Thus, this work presents the results of an evaluation of available specifications for federated authorization, based on a set of basic requirements.

Prevalence of problematic internet use in Slovenia.

PubMed

Macur, Mirna; Király, Orsolya; Maraz, Aniko; Nagygyörgy, Katalin; Demetrovics, Zsolt

2016-09-01

Internet use is an integral part of our everyday activities; however, Internet use may become problematic and harmful in a minority of cases. The majority of reported prevalence rates of problematic Internet use refer to adolescent samples, whereas epidemiological studies on representative adult populations are lacking. This study aimed to reveal the prevalence and characteristics of problematic Internet use in Slovenia. Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ) was included in European Health Interview Study (EHIS) on representative Slovenian sample. The frequency of Internet use and problematic Internet use were both assessed. 59.9% of Slovenian adult population uses the Internet daily, and 3.1% are at risk of becoming problematic Internet users, 11% in the age group from 20 to 24 years. Those being at risk for becoming problematic Internet users are younger (mean age 31.3 vs. 48.3 for non-problematic users), more likely to be males (3.6% of males, whereas 2.6% of females are affected), students (12.0%), unemployed (6.3%) or unable to work (8.7%), single (6.5%), with high education (4.5%). Regression analysis revealed that the strongest predictor of being at risk for problematic Internet use is age (ß=-0.338, p<0.001); followed by high educational level (ß=0.145; p<0.001) and student status (ß=0.136; p<0.001). 3.1% of Slovenian adult population are at risk of becoming problematic Internet users, whereas 3 out of 20 Slovenian adolescents aged from 18 to 19 years are at risk (14.6%). Prevention programs and treatment for those affected are paramount, especially for the young generation.

Internet and Mobile Phone Text Messaging Intervention for College Smokers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riley, William; Obermayer, Jami; Jean-Mary, Jersino

2008-01-01

Objective: The authors developed a smoking cessation program using mobile phone text messaging to provide tailored and stage-specific messages to college smokers. Participants and Methods: The authors recruited 31 daily smokers who desired to quit from a college campus and asked them to use an Internet and mobile phone text messaging program to…

A secure user anonymity-preserving three-factor remote user authentication scheme for the telecare medicine information systems.

PubMed

Das, Ashok Kumar

2015-03-01

Recent advanced technology enables the telecare medicine information system (TMIS) for the patients to gain the health monitoring facility at home and also to access medical services over the Internet of mobile networks. Several remote user authentication schemes have been proposed in the literature for TMIS. However, most of them are either insecure against various known attacks or they are inefficient. Recently, Tan proposed an efficient user anonymity preserving three-factor authentication scheme for TMIS. In this paper, we show that though Tan's scheme is efficient, it has several security drawbacks such as (1) it fails to provide proper authentication during the login phase, (2) it fails to provide correct updation of password and biometric of a user during the password and biometric update phase, and (3) it fails to protect against replay attack. In addition, Tan's scheme lacks the formal security analysis and verification. Later, Arshad and Nikooghadam also pointed out some security flaws in Tan's scheme and then presented an improvement on Tan's s scheme. However, we show that Arshad and Nikooghadam's scheme is still insecure against the privileged-insider attack through the stolen smart-card attack, and it also lacks the formal security analysis and verification. In order to withstand those security loopholes found in both Tan's scheme, and Arshad and Nikooghadam's scheme, we aim to propose an effective and more secure three-factor remote user authentication scheme for TMIS. Our scheme provides the user anonymity property. Through the rigorous informal and formal security analysis using random oracle models and the widely-accepted AVISPA (Automated Validation of Internet Security Protocols and Applications) tool, we show that our scheme is secure against various known attacks, including the replay and man-in-the-middle attacks. Furthermore, our scheme is also efficient as compared to other related schemes.

The digital divide: Trends in global mobile and broadband Internet access from 2000–2010

PubMed Central

Ronquillo, Charlene; Currie, Leanne

2012-01-01

The digital divide is described as the gap between those who do and do not have access to digital information and communications technologies (ICT). ICTs are viewed as an indicator of infrastructure and potential for development, and are a growing platform for health information and services delivery. This study compares the penetration of mobile and broadband Internet technologies by global region from 2000 to 2010. Results illustrate the rapid growth of mobile cellular telephone subscriptions in all global regions with trends suggesting a continued increase. Little to modest gains were made in fixed broadband Internet subscriptions globally. There is a growing popularity of mobile subscriptions with use of data communications, exceeding the numbers of fixed Internet subscriptions. This comparison reveals current strengths that can be built on and highlights the importance of awareness of global trends and using such knowledge to inform design and delivery of ICT-based health services. PMID:24199118

Application of Mobile Router to Military Communications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stewart, David H.; Ivancic, William D.; Bell, Terry L.; Kachmar, Brian A.; Shell, Dan; Leung, Kent

2002-01-01

Cisco Systems and NASA Glenn Research Center under a NASA Space Act Agreement have been performing joint networking research to apply Internet technologies and protocols to space-based communications. During this time, Cisco Systems developed the mobile-router which NASA and Cisco jointly tested. The early field trials of this technology have been successfully completed. The mobile-router is software code that resides in a network router. A Mobile-Router allows entire networks to roam while maintaining connectivity to the Internet. This router code is pertinent to a myriad of applications for both the government and commercial sectors. This technology will be applied to the wireless battlefield. NASA and the Department of Defense will utilize this technology for near-planetary observation and sensing spacecraft. It is the enabling technology for communication via the Internet or Intranets to aircraft. Information such as weather, air traffic control, voice and video can be easily and inexpensively transmitted to the aircraft using Internet protocols. The mobile router can be incorporated into emergency vehicles particularly ambulances and life-flight aircraft to provide real-time connectivity back to the hospital and healthcare experts. Commercial applications include entertainment services, IP telephone, and Internet connectivity for cruise ships, commercial shipping, tour busses, aircraft, and eventually cars. This paper will briefly describe the mobile router operation. An upcoming wide area network field test with application to US Coast Guard communications will be described. The paper will also highlight military and government networks that will benefit from the deployment of mobile router and the associated applications.

Mobility-Enhanced Reliable Geographical Forwarding in Cognitive Radio Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Zubair, Suleiman; Syed Yusoff, Sharifah Kamilah; Fisal, Norsheila

2016-01-01

The emergence of the Internet of Things and the proliferation of mobile wireless devices has brought the area of mobile cognitive radio sensor networks (MCRSN) to the research spot light. Notwithstanding the potentials of CRSNs in terms of opportunistic channel usage for bursty traffic, the effect of the mobility of resource-constrained nodes to route stability, mobility-induced spatio-temporal spectral opportunities and primary user (PU) protection still remain open issues that need to be jointly addressed. To this effect, this paper proposes a mobile reliable geographical forwarding routing (MROR) protocol. MROR provides a robust mobile framework for geographical forwarding that is based on a mobility-induced channel availability model. It presents a comprehensive routing strategy that considers PU activity (to take care of routes that have to be built through PU coverage), PU signal protection (by the introduction of a mobility-induced guard (mguard) distance) and the random mobility-induced spatio-temporal spectrum opportunities (for enhancement of throughput). It also addresses the issue of frequent route maintenance that arises when speeds of the mobile nodes are considered as a routing metric. As a result, simulation has shown the ability of MROR to reduce the route failure rate by about 65% as against other schemes. In addition, further results show that MROR can improve both the throughput and goodput at the sink in an energy-efficient manner that is required in CRSNs as against compared works. PMID:26840312

Telecommunications: Characteristics and Choices of Internet Users. Report to the Ranking Minority Member, Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Czerwinski, Stanley J.

This study examined the demographic characteristics of Internet users compared with those of the general U.S. population, the characteristics of areas where broadband Internet transport is available and of consumers who selected a broadband transport provider, and the factors influencing consumers' choice of an ISP (Internet service provider) and…

Design and management of public health outreach using interoperable mobile multimedia: an analysis of a national winter weather preparedness campaign.

PubMed

Bandera, Cesar

2016-05-25

The Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (OPHPR) in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducts outreach for public preparedness for natural and manmade incidents. In 2011, OPHPR conducted a nationwide mobile public health (m-Health) campaign that pushed brief videos on preparing for severe winter weather onto cell phones, with the objective of evaluating the interoperability of multimedia m-Health outreach with diverse cell phones (including handsets without Internet capability), carriers, and user preferences. Existing OPHPR outreach material on winter weather preparedness was converted into mobile-ready multimedia using mobile marketing best practices to improve audiovisual quality and relevance. Middleware complying with opt-in requirements was developed to push nine bi-weekly multimedia broadcasts onto subscribers' cell phones, and OPHPR promoted the campaign on its web site and to subscribers on its govdelivery.com notification platform. Multimedia, text, and voice messaging activity to/from the middleware was logged and analyzed. Adapting existing media into mobile video was straightforward using open source and commercial software, including web pages, PDF documents, and public service announcements. The middleware successfully delivered all outreach videos to all participants (a total of 504 videos) regardless of the participant's device. 54 % of videos were viewed on cell phones, 32 % on computers, and 14 % were retrieved by search engine web crawlers. 21 % of participating cell phones did not have Internet access, yet still received and displayed all videos. The time from media push to media viewing on cell phones was half that of push to viewing on computers. Video delivered through multimedia messaging can be as interoperable as text messages, while providing much richer information. This may be the only multimedia mechanism available to outreach campaigns targeting vulnerable populations impacted by the digital divide. Anti-spam laws preserve the integrity of mobile messaging, but complicate campaign promotion. Person-to-person messages may boost enrollment.

High mobile phone ownership, but low internet and email usage among pregnant, HIV-infected women attending antenatal care in Johannesburg

PubMed Central

Clouse, Kate; Schwartz, Sheree R.; Van Rie, Annelies; Bassett, Jean; Vermund, Sten H.; Pettifor, Audrey E.

2016-01-01

Summary We investigated mobile phone usage amongst HIV-positive pregnant women attending antenatal services in a primary care clinic in Johannesburg (n=50). We conducted a semi-structured interview and asked them about their mobile phone, Internet and email use. The median age of the women was 28 years, 36% had moved one or more times in the past year, and most were employed or recently employed, albeit earning low wages. Nearly all women (94%) reported that they did not share their phone and 76% of the SIM cards were registered to the woman herself. The median time with the current phone was one year (range 1 month–6 years) and the median time with the current phone number was three years (range 1 month–13 years). Even though 42% of the participants were from outside South Africa, they all had mobile phone numbers local to South Africa. About one-third of respondents reported Internet use (30%) and about one-fifth reported using email (18%). Overall, 20% accessed the Internet and 10% accessed email on their mobile phone. Mobile phone interventions are feasible amongst HIV-positive pregnant women and may be useful in prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT). Email and Internet-based interventions may not yet be appropriate. PMID:25586808

High mobile phone ownership, but low Internet and email usage among pregnant, HIV-infected women attending antenatal care in Johannesburg.

PubMed

Clouse, Kate; Schwartz, Sheree R; Van Rie, Annelies; Bassett, Jean; Vermund, Sten H; Pettifor, Audrey E

2015-03-01

We investigated mobile phone usage amongst HIV-positive pregnant women attending antenatal services in a primary care clinic in Johannesburg (n = 50). We conducted a semi-structured interview and asked them about their mobile phone, Internet and email use. The median age of the women was 28 years, 36% had moved one or more times in the past year, and most were employed or recently employed, albeit earning low wages. Nearly all women (94%) reported that they did not share their phone and 76% of the SIM cards were registered to the woman herself. The median time with the current phone was one year (range 1 month-6 years) and the median time with the current phone number was three years (range 1 month-13 years). Even though 42% of the participants were from outside South Africa, they all had mobile phone numbers local to South Africa. About one-third of respondents reported Internet use (30%) and about one-fifth reported using email (18%). Overall, 20% accessed the Internet and 10% accessed email on their mobile phone. Mobile phone interventions are feasible amongst HIV-positive pregnant women and may be useful in prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT). Email and Internet-based interventions may not yet be appropriate. © The Author(s) 2015 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

An Authoring Tool for User Generated Mobile Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Danado, José; Davies, Marcin; Ricca, Paulo; Fensel, Anna

Imagine what kind of applications become possible when our mobile devices not only present data but provide valuable information to other users. Users become able to instantaneously create services and to publish content and knowledge on their own mobile device, which can be discovered and accessed remotely by other mobile users in a simple way. To achieve the vision of customizable and context aware user-generated mobile services, we present a mobile authoring tool for end-users to create, customize and deploy mobile services while on-the-go. This tool is designed to allow users with different levels of technical expertise to create mobile services. The paper also gives insight on the performed usability evaluations, namely user interviews and an online survey.

Wearable 3D measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manabe, Yoshitsugu; Imura, Masataka; Tsuchiya, Masanobu; Yasumuro, Yoshihiro; Chihara, Kunihiro

2003-01-01

Wearable 3D measurement realizes to acquire 3D information of an objects or an environment using a wearable computer. Recently, we can send voice and sound as well as pictures by mobile phone in Japan. Moreover it will become easy to capture and send data of short movie by it. On the other hand, the computers become compact and high performance. And it can easy connect to Internet by wireless LAN. Near future, we can use the wearable computer always and everywhere. So we will be able to send the three-dimensional data that is measured by wearable computer as a next new data. This paper proposes the measurement method and system of three-dimensional data of an object with the using of wearable computer. This method uses slit light projection for 3D measurement and user"s motion instead of scanning system.

Understanding the Internet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oblinger, Diana

The Internet is an international network linking hundreds of smaller computer networks in North America, Europe, and Asia. Using the Internet, computer users can connect to a variety of computers with little effort or expense. The potential for use by college faculty is enormous. The largest problem faced by most users is understanding what such…

A user anonymity preserving three-factor authentication scheme for telecare medicine information systems.

PubMed

Tan, Zuowen

2014-03-01

The telecare medicine information system enables the patients gain health monitoring at home and access medical services over internet or mobile networks. In recent years, the schemes based on cryptography have been proposed to address the security and privacy issues in the telecare medicine information systems. However, many schemes are insecure or they have low efficiency. Recently, Awasthi and Srivastava proposed a three-factor authentication scheme for telecare medicine information systems. In this paper, we show that their scheme is vulnerable to the reflection attacks. Furthermore, it fails to provide three-factor security and the user anonymity. We propose a new three-factor authentication scheme for the telecare medicine information systems. Detailed analysis demonstrates that the proposed scheme provides mutual authentication, server not knowing password and freedom of password, biometric update and three-factor security. Moreover, the new scheme provides the user anonymity. As compared with the previous three-factor authentication schemes, the proposed scheme is more secure and practical.

Internet use and cancer-preventive behaviors in older adults: findings from a longitudinal cohort study.

PubMed

Xavier, Andre Junqueira; d'Orsi, Eleonora; Wardle, Jane; Demakakos, Panayotes; Smith, Samuel G; von Wagner, Christian

2013-11-01

The Internet is a key provider of health information, but little is known about its associations with cancer-preventive behaviors. This study investigated the associations between Internet use and cancer-preventive behaviors among older adults. Data were taken from Waves 1 to 5 (2002-2011) of the English Longitudinal Study of Aging, a cohort study of men and women 50 years or older in England, United Kingdom. Internet use was recorded at each wave. Breast and colorectal screening, fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity, and smoking were recorded at Wave 5. Social, cognitive, and physical function variables recorded at Wave 1 were analyzed as predictors of Internet use and included as covariates in analyses linking Internet use to behavior. Of 5,943 respondents, 41.4% did not report any Internet use, 38.3% reported using it in one to three waves ("intermittent users"), and 20.3% used it in all waves ("consistent users"). Internet use was higher in younger, male, White, wealthier, more educated respondents, and those without physical limitations. Multivariable analysis showed that consistent users were more likely than "never users" to report CRC screening, weekly moderate/vigorous physical activity, and five or more daily servings of fruit and vegetables, and less likely to report smoking. There was no significant association between Internet use and breast screening. Internet use showed a quantitative association with cancer-preventive behaviors even after controlling for various social, cognitive, and physical correlates of Internet use. Promoting Internet use among older adults from all backgrounds could contribute to improving cancer outcomes and reducing inequalities. ©2013 AACR.

Internet Forums for Suicide Bereavement.

PubMed

Bailey, Eleanor; Krysinska, Karolina; O'Dea, Bridianne; Robinson, Jo

2017-11-01

Bereavement by suicide is associated with a number of consequences including poor mental health outcomes and increased suicide risk. Despite this, the bereaved by suicide may be reluctant to seek help from friends, family, and professionals. Internet forums and social networking sites are a popular avenue of support for the bereaved, but to date there is a lack of research into their use and efficacy. To survey users of suicide bereavement Internet forums and Facebook groups regarding their help-seeking behaviors, use of forums, and perceived benefits and limitations of such use. This study employed a cross-sectional design in which users of suicide bereavement Internet forums and Facebook groups completed an anonymous online survey. Participants were 222 users of suicide bereavement Internet forums. Most participants (93.2%) had sought face-to-face help from sources other than Internet forums, but were more likely to seek help in the near future from informal rather than formal sources. Forums were perceived as highly beneficial and there were few limitations. The generalizability of these results to other internet forums may be limited. Additionally, we were not able to examine differences between forums in terms of quality or user-reported efficacy. Finally, the data reflects the subjective views of forum users, which may differ from the views of moderators or experts. Internet forums, including Facebook groups, appear to be a useful adjunct to face-to-face help-seeking for supporting those who have been bereaved by suicide.

A mobile telephone-based SMS and internet survey system for self-assessment in Australian anaesthesia: experience of a single practitioner.

PubMed

Belavy, D

2014-11-01

Self-assessment and audit in anaesthesia require a systematic approach to postoperative data collection. The increasing prevalence of mobile internet technology offers a new data collection method for anaesthetists. In this paper, a system for mobile internet data collection is described and the preliminary experience with its use is presented. The system was developed by the author and combined an open source survey application and a short message service (SMS) gateway to send SMS messages to patients after their anaesthesia and surgery. The messages requested patients to complete an online Quality of Recovery survey questionnaire if they had a smartphone. The results were immediately available. A preliminary survey of consenting patients with available mobile telephone numbers in a private practice was undertaken by the author. A total of 123 procedures were eligible for follow-up and survey requests were sent to 94 patients. Sixty-five surveys were completed. This represents 69% of surveys requested, demonstrating that mobile phone technology can be used to provide significant amounts of data for quality assurance. However, the implementation of a mobile internet data collection system requires consideration of privacy principles, security and ethical handling of data.

Internet Tomography in Support of Internet and Network Simulation and Emulation Modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moloisane, A.; Ganchev, I.; O'Droma, M.

Internet performance measurement data extracted through Internet Tomography techniques and metrics and how it may be used to enhance the capacity of network simulation and emulation modelling is addressed in this paper. The advantages of network simulation and emulation as a means to aid design and develop the component networks, which make up the Internet and are fundamental to its ongoing evolution, are highlighted. The Internet's rapid growth has spurred development of new protocols and algorithms to meet changing operational requirements such as security, multicast delivery, mobile networking, policy management, and quality of service (QoS) support. Both the development and evaluation of these operational tools requires the answering of many design and operational questions. Creating the technical support required by network engineers and managers in their efforts to seek answers to these questions is in itself a major challenge. Within the Internet the number and range of services supported continues to grow exponentially, from legacy and client/server applications to VoIP, multimedia streaming services and interactive multimedia services. Services have their own distinctive requirements and idiosyncrasies. They respond differently to bandwidth limitations, latency and jitter problems. They generate different types of “conversations” between end-user terminals, back-end resources and middle-tier servers. To add to the complexity, each new or enhanced service introduced onto the network contends for available bandwidth with every other service. In an effort to ensure networking products and resources being designed and developed handling diverse conditions encountered in real Internet environments, network simulation and emulation modelling is a valuable tool, and becoming a critical element, in networking product and application design and development. The better these laboratory tools reflect real-world environment and conditions the more helpful to designers they will be.

Vulnerabilities to misinformation in online pharmaceutical marketing

PubMed Central

De Freitas, Julian; Falls, Brian A; Haque, Omar S; Bursztajn, Harold J

2013-01-01

Given the large percentage of Internet users who search for health information online, pharmaceutical companies have invested significantly in online marketing of their products. Although online pharmaceutical marketing can potentially benefit both physicians and patients, it can also harm these groups by misleading them. Indeed, some pharmaceutical companies have been guilty of undue influence, which has threatened public health and trust. We conducted a review of the available literature on online pharmaceutical marketing, undue influence and the psychology of decision-making, in order to identify factors that contribute to Internet users’ vulnerability to online pharmaceutical misinformation. We find five converging factors: Internet dependence, excessive trust in the veracity of online information, unawareness of pharmaceutical company influence, social isolation and detail fixation. As the Internet continues to change, it is important that regulators keep in mind not only misinformation that surrounds new web technologies and their contents, but also the factors that make Internet users vulnerable to misinformation in the first place. Psychological components are a critical, although often neglected, risk factor for Internet users becoming misinformed upon exposure to online pharmaceutical marketing. Awareness of these psychological factors may help Internet users attentively and safely navigate an evolving web terrain. PMID:23761527

Physiological markers of biased decision-making in problematic Internet users.

PubMed

Nikolaidou, Maria; Fraser, Danaë Stanton; Hinvest, Neal

2016-09-01

Background and aims Addiction has been reliably associated with biased emotional reactions to risky choices. Problematic Internet use (PIU) is a relatively new concept and its classification as an addiction is debated. Implicit emotional responses were measured in individuals expressing nonproblematic and problematic Internet behaviors while they made risky/ambiguous decisions to explore whether they showed similar responses to those found in agreed-upon addictions. Methods The design of the study was cross sectional. Participants were adult Internet users (N = 72). All testing took place in the Psychophysics Laboratory at the University of Bath, UK. Participants were given the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) which provides an index of an individual's ability to process and learn probabilities of reward and loss. Integration of emotions into current decision-making frameworks is vital for optimal performance on the IGT and thus, skin conductance responses (SCRs) to reward, punishment, and in anticipation of both were measured to assess emotional function. Results Performance on the IGT did not differ between the groups of Internet users. However, problematic Internet users expressed increased sensitivity to punishment as revealed by stronger SCRs to trials with higher punishment magnitude. Discussion and conclusions PIU seems to differ on behavioral and physiological levels with other addictions. However, our data imply that problematic Internet users were more risk-sensitive, which is a suggestion that needs to be incorporated into in any measure and, potentially, any intervention for PIU.

A Modified Decision Tree Algorithm Based on Genetic Algorithm for Mobile User Classification Problem

PubMed Central

Liu, Dong-sheng; Fan, Shu-jiang

2014-01-01

In order to offer mobile customers better service, we should classify the mobile user firstly. Aimed at the limitations of previous classification methods, this paper puts forward a modified decision tree algorithm for mobile user classification, which introduced genetic algorithm to optimize the results of the decision tree algorithm. We also take the context information as a classification attributes for the mobile user and we classify the context into public context and private context classes. Then we analyze the processes and operators of the algorithm. At last, we make an experiment on the mobile user with the algorithm, we can classify the mobile user into Basic service user, E-service user, Plus service user, and Total service user classes and we can also get some rules about the mobile user. Compared to C4.5 decision tree algorithm and SVM algorithm, the algorithm we proposed in this paper has higher accuracy and more simplicity. PMID:24688389

Prevalence of problematic internet use in Slovenia

PubMed Central

Király, Orsolya; Maraz, Aniko; Nagygyörgy, Katalin; Demetrovics, Zsolt

2016-01-01

Abstract Background Internet use is an integral part of our everyday activities; however, Internet use may become problematic and harmful in a minority of cases. The majority of reported prevalence rates of problematic Internet use refer to adolescent samples, whereas epidemiological studies on representative adult populations are lacking. This study aimed to reveal the prevalence and characteristics of problematic Internet use in Slovenia. Methods Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ) was included in European Health Interview Study (EHIS) on representative Slovenian sample. The frequency of Internet use and problematic Internet use were both assessed. Results 59.9% of Slovenian adult population uses the Internet daily, and 3.1% are at risk of becoming problematic Internet users, 11% in the age group from 20 to 24 years. Those being at risk for becoming problematic Internet users are younger (mean age 31.3 vs. 48.3 for non-problematic users), more likely to be males (3.6% of males, whereas 2.6% of females are affected), students (12.0%), unemployed (6.3%) or unable to work (8.7%), single (6.5%), with high education (4.5%). Regression analysis revealed that the strongest predictor of being at risk for problematic Internet use is age (ß=-0.338, p<0.001); followed by high educational level (ß=0.145; p<0.001) and student status (ß=0.136; p<0.001). Conclusion 3.1% of Slovenian adult population are at risk of becoming problematic Internet users, whereas 3 out of 20 Slovenian adolescents aged from 18 to 19 years are at risk (14.6%). Prevention programs and treatment for those affected are paramount, especially for the young generation. PMID:27703540

User-generated online health content: a survey of Internet users in the United Kingdom.

PubMed

O'Neill, Braden; Ziebland, Sue; Valderas, Jose; Lupiáñez-Villanueva, Francisco

2014-04-30

The production of health information has begun to shift from commercial organizations to health care users themselves. People increasingly go online to share their own health and illness experiences and to access information others have posted, but this behavior has not been investigated at a population level in the United Kingdom. This study aims to explore access and production of user-generated health content among UK Internet users and to investigate relationships between frequency of use and other variables. We undertook an online survey of 1000 UK Internet users. Descriptive and multivariate statistical analyses were used to interpret the data. Nearly one-quarter of respondents (23.7%, 237/1000) reported accessing and sharing user-generated health content online, whereas more than 20% (22.2%, 222/1000) were unaware that it was possible to do this. Respondents could be divided into 3 groups based on frequency of use: rare users (78.7%, 612/778) who accessed and shared content less than weekly, users (13.9%, 108/778) who did so weekly, and superusers (7.5%, 58/778) who did so on a daily basis. Superusers were more likely to be male (P<.001) and to be employed (P<.001), but there were no differences between the groups with respect to educational level (P=.99) or health status (P=.63). They were more likely to use the Internet for varied purposes such as banking and shopping (P<.001). Although this study found reasonably widespread access of user-generated online health content, only a minority of respondents reported doing so frequently. As this type of content proliferates, superusers are likely to shape the health information that others access. Further research should assess the effect of user-generated online content on health outcomes and use of health services by Internet users.

Research and application of mobile teaching platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Ping; Xue, Hongjiao

2017-08-01

The application of mobile technology in university digital campus is ripe. This article mainly introduced the necessity of teaching platform based on mobile Internet in the teaching of higher vocational education, and the key to the construction of the feasibility of mobile learning platform, which is a feasible and effective teaching model under the new situation, worthy of promotion. The design and application of teaching platform based on mobile Internet is the change of educational ideas and working methods, and is the new starting point of Higher Vocational education.

Overview of internet development in Russia.

PubMed

Gronskaya-Palesh, O

1999-01-01

Internet use in Russia has been growing steadily. In the last four years the number of Russian Internet users grew from a few hundred thousand to over one million. Russian websites are diverse, and range from educational-informative to purely entertaining. This paper discusses several interesting and controversial Russian websites and possible implications associated with their use. It aims to understand and analyze a typical Internet user in Russia, by answering questions about their interests and demographics. The paper also discusses several other studies that were conducted in Russia on Internet use and looks at the currently available psychological resources on the Russian Internet.

FASTMap v. 2010.01

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

Bynum, Leo

FASTMap is mapping application available for the web or on mobile devices (IOS and Android) that browses geospatial data and produces detailed reports of objects within any area of analysis. FASTMap can access any geospatial dataset. The software can provide immediate access to the selected data through a fully symbolized interactive mapping interface. FASTMap can load arbitrary contours that represent a region of interest and can dynamically identify and geospatially select objects that reside within the region. The software can produce a report listing the objects and aggregations for the region, as well as producing publication quality maps. FASTMap alsomore » has the ability to post and maintain authored maps, any GIS data included in the map, areas of interest, as well as any titles, and labels. These defining ingredients of a map are called map contexts. These mao contexts can be instantly broadcast via the internet through any of an infinite number of named channels to small or large numbers of users monitouring any of the channels being posted to, so a user can author a map and immediately share that map with others instantly, whether they are on traditional desktop computer, laptop, mobile tablet or smartphone. Further, users receiving broadcast maps can also alter the maps can also alter the maps, or create new ones and publish back to the channel in a collaborative manner. FASTMap can be configured to access virtually any geospatial data.« less

Proceedings of the Second Annual NASA Science Internet User Working Group Conference

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jackson, Lenore A. (Editor); Gary, J. Patrick (Editor)

1991-01-01

Copies of the agenda, list of attendees, meeting summaries, and all presentations and exhibit material are contained. Included are plenary sessions, exhibits of advanced networking applications, and user subgroup meetings on NASA Science Internet policy, networking, security, and user services and applications topics.

A data encryption solution for mobile health apps in cooperation environments.

PubMed

Silva, Bruno M; Rodrigues, Joel J P C; Canelo, Fábio; Lopes, Ivo C; Zhou, Liang

2013-04-25

Mobile Health (mHealth) proposes health care delivering anytime and anywhere. It aims to answer several emerging problems in health services, including the increasing number of chronic diseases, high costs on national health services, and the need to provide direct access to health services, regardless of time and place. mHealth systems include the use of mobile devices and apps that interact with patients and caretakers. However, mobile devices present several constraints, such as processor, energy, and storage resource limitations. The constant mobility and often-required Internet connectivity also exposes and compromises the privacy and confidentiality of health information. This paper presents a proposal, construction, performance evaluation, and validation of a data encryption solution for mobile health apps (DE4MHA), considering a novel and early-proposed cooperation strategy. The goal was to present a robust solution based on encryption algorithms that guarantee the best confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity of users health information. In this paper, we presented, explained, evaluated the performance, and discussed the cooperation mechanisms and the proposed encryption solution for mHealth apps. First, we designed and deployed the DE4MHA. Then two studies were performed: (1) study and comparison of symmetric and asymmetric encryption/decryption algorithms in an mHealth app under a cooperation environment, and (2) performance evaluation of the DE4MHA. Its performance was evaluated through a prototype using an mHealth app for obesity prevention and cares, called SapoFit. We then conducted an evaluation study of the mHealth app with cooperation mechanisms and the DE4MHA using real users and a real cooperation scenario. In 5 days, 5 different groups of 7 students selected randomly agreed to use and experiment the SapoFit app using the 7 devices available for trials. There were 35 users of SapoFit that participated in this study. The performance evaluation of the app was done using 7 real mobile devices in 5 different days. The results showed that confidentiality and protection of the users' health information was guaranteed and SapoFit users were able to use the mHealth app with satisfactory quality. Results also showed that the app with the DE4MHA presented nearly the same results as the app without the DE4MHA. The performance evaluation results considered the probability that a request was successfully answered as a function of the number of uncooperative nodes in the network. The service delivery probability decreased with the increase of uncooperative mobile nodes. Using DE4MHA, it was observed that performance presented a slightly worse result. The service average was also slightly worse but practically insignificantly different than with DE4MHA, being considered negligible. This paper proposed a data encryption solution for mobile health apps, called DE4MHA. The data encryption algorithm DE4MHA with cooperation mechanisms in mobile health allow users to safely obtain health information with the data being carried securely. These security mechanisms did not deteriorate the overall network performance and the app, maintaining similar performance levels as without the encryption. More importantly, it offers a robust and reliable increase of privacy, confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity of their health information. Although it was experimented on a specific mHealth app, SapoFit, both DE4MHA and the cooperation strategy can be deployed in other mHealth apps.

Continued Use of a Chinese Online Portal: An Empirical Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shih, Hung-Pin

2008-01-01

The evolution of the internet has made online portals a popular means of surfing the internet. In internet commerce, understanding the post-adoption behaviour of users of online portals can help enterprises to attract new users and retain existing customers. For predicting continued use intentions, this empirical study focused on applying and…

Seeking sex partners through the internet and mobile phone applications among men who have sex with men in Taiwan.

PubMed

Ko, Nai-Ying; Tseng, Po-Chia; Huang, Yu-Chao; Chen, Yen-Chin; Hsu, Su-Ting

2016-07-01

It has become popular for men who have sex with men (MSM) to use mobile-phone geosocial networking applications (mobile apps) to find sex partners. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Taiwan to compare the sexual and substance-use behaviors of MSM seeking sex partners through the internet and mobile apps. Of the 1060 participants, 65.8% used the internet via computer and 37.7% used a mobile app to find sexual partners, while 30.3% used recreational drugs or alcohol in the previous 6 months. MSM who exclusively used mobile apps to seek sex partners were significantly more likely than MSM seeking sex via computer to be older, to have used recreational drugs or alcohol, and to have sex with HIV-positive partners. Additionally, using mobile apps to seek sex partners was significantly associated with having sex with online partners through either mobile apps or computer-based internet use (adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 7.12 [3.87-13.11]), self-reporting as HIV-positive (AOR, 2.24 [1.12-4.12]), using recreational drugs (AOR, 1.67 [1.21-2.32]), having disclosed HIV status to sexual partners (AOR, 1.44 [1.03-2.02]), and having sex with HIV-positive partners (AOR, 1.81 [1.06-3.10]). In conclusion, the mobile apps may serve as a feasible platform for HIV-positive MSM to find other HIV-positive partners.

a Mobile Application for Virtual Heritage and UGC Public Sharing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gongli, L.; Jin, S.; Huilian, C.

2013-07-01

Heritage documentation and representation is now a growing concern in the contemporary world, with unprecedentedly rapid technological development that pushes the frontier further every day. This ever growing means benefits both professionals and the general public, and the two can now be connected by this virtual bridge that channels heritage information from one end of the spectrum to the other, thus facilitating a dialogue never considered before. 4D virtual heritage with visualized tempo-spatial information can be easily shared across the continents and the story of heritage is told by a simple move of the thumb. Mobile LBS (Location-Based Service) enhances visitors' on-site experience and is readily available on the popular iOS platform. UGC (User Generated Content) on the internet provides interaction among users and managers, and brings the heritage site and the public into a live conversation. Although the above technological exploration is promising in itself, the question still remains as how it may be best implemented. The Re-yuangmingyuan program for the reconstruction and representation of an imperial garden in Beijing has made several attempts that deserve discussion, and contributes to heritage documentation and conservation in general.

Design of Secure and Lightweight Authentication Protocol for Wearable Devices Environment.

PubMed

Das, Ashok Kumar; Wazid, Mohammad; Kumar, Neeraj; Khan, Muhammad Khurram; Choo, Kim-Kwang Raymond; Park, YoungHo

2017-09-18

Wearable devices are used in various applications to collect information including step information, sleeping cycles, workout statistics, and health related information. Due to the nature and richness of the data collected by such devices, it is important to ensure the security of the collected data. This paper presents a new lightweight authentication scheme suitable for wearable device deployment. The scheme allows a user to mutually authenticate his/her wearable device(s) and the mobile terminal (e.g., Android and iOS device) and establish a session key among these devices (worn and carried by the same user) for secure communication between the wearable device and the mobile terminal. The security of the proposed scheme is then demonstrated through the broadly-accepted Real-Or-Random model, as well as using the popular formal security verification tool, known as the Automated Validation of Internet Security Protocols and Applications (AVISPA). Finally, we present a comparative summary of the proposed scheme in terms of the overheads such as computation and communication costs, security and functionality features of the proposed scheme and related schemes, and also the evaluation findings from the NS2 simulation.

The Third Annual NASA Science Internet User Working Group Conference

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lev, Brian S. (Editor); Gary, J. Patrick (Editor)

1993-01-01

The NASA Science Internet (NSI) User Support Office (USO) sponsored the Third Annual NSI User Working Group (NSIUWG) Conference March 30 through April 3, 1992, in Greenbelt, MD. Approximately 130 NSI users attended to learn more about the NSI, hear from projects which use NSI, and receive updates about new networking technologies and services. This report contains material relevant to the conference; copies of the agenda, meeting summaries, presentations, and descriptions of exhibitors. Plenary sessions featured a variety of speakers, including NSI project management, scientists, and NSI user project managers whose projects and applications effectively use NSI, and notable citizens of the larger Internet community. The conference also included exhibits of advanced networking applications; tutorials on internetworking, computer security, and networking technologies; and user subgroup meetings on the future direction of the conference, networking, and user services and applications.

Endpoint Security Using Biometric Authentication for Secure Remote Mission Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Donohue, John T.; Critchfield, Anna R.

2000-01-01

We propose a flexible security authentication solution for the spacecraft end-user, which will allow the user to interact over Internet with the spacecraft, its instruments, or with the ground segment from anywhere, anytime based on the user's pre-defined set of privileges. This package includes biometrics authentication products, such as face, voice or fingerprint recognition, authentication services and procedures, such as: user registration and verification over the Internet and user database maintenance, with a configurable schema of spacecraft users' privileges. This fast and reliable user authentication mechanism will become an integral part of end-to-end ground-to-space secure Internet communications and migration from current practice to the future. All modules and services of the proposed package are commercially available and built to the NIST BioAPI standard, which facilitates "pluggability" and interoperability.

Internet Addiction Among Elementary and Middle School Students in China: A Nationally Representative Sample Study

PubMed Central

Li, Yajun; Zhang, Xinghui; Lu, Furong; Zhang, Qin

2014-01-01

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of Internet addiction in a nationally representative sample of Chinese elementary and middle school students and to investigate Internet addiction among Internet users with different usages. The data were from the National Children's Study of China (NCSC) in which 24,013 fourth- to ninth-grade students were recruited from 100 counties in 31 provinces in China. Only 54.2% of the students had accessed the Internet. According to the criteria of Young's Diagnostic Questionnaire (YDQ), an eight-item instrument, the prevalence of Internet addiction in the total sample was 6.3%, and among Internet users was 11.7%. Among the Internet users, males (14.8%) and rural students (12.1%) reported Internet addiction more than females (7.0%) and urban students (10.6%). The percentage of Internet addicts in elementary school students (11.5%) was not significantly lower than the percentage of middle school students (11.9%). There was no statistically significant difference between the four geographical regions (9.6%, 11.5%, 12.3%, 11.1%) characterized by different levels of economy, health, education, and social environment. As the frequency of Internet use and time spent online per week increased, the percentage of Internet addicts increased. When considering the location and purpose of Internet use, the percentage of Internet addicts was highest in adolescents typically surfing in Internet cafes (18.1%) and playing Internet games (22.5%). PMID:23971432

Research on Influence of Cloud Environment on Traditional Network Security

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ming, Xiaobo; Guo, Jinhua

2018-02-01

Cloud computing is a symbol of the progress of modern information network, cloud computing provides a lot of convenience to the Internet users, but it also brings a lot of risk to the Internet users. Second, one of the main reasons for Internet users to choose cloud computing is that the network security performance is great, it also is the cornerstone of cloud computing applications. This paper briefly explores the impact on cloud environment on traditional cybersecurity, and puts forward corresponding solutions.

Web N.0, the New Development Trend of Internet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Zhiguo; Wang, Wensheng

This article analyzes the Internet basic theory, the network foundation environment and the user behavior change and so on, Which analyzes the development tendency of existing partial Internet products in the future Internet environment. The article also hot on the concept of cloud computing, Demonstrates the relation between Cloud Computing and Web 2.0 from the angle of Cloud-based end-user applications, The possibly killing application in the future was discussed.

The internet and social life.

PubMed

Bargh, John A; McKenna, Katelyn Y A

2004-01-01

The Internet is the latest in a series of technological breakthroughs in interpersonal communication, following the telegraph, telephone, radio, and television. It combines innovative features of its predecessors, such as bridging great distances and reaching a mass audience. However, the Internet has novel features as well, most critically the relative anonymity afforded to users and the provision of group venues in which to meet others with similar interests and values. We place the Internet in its historical context, and then examine the effects of Internet use on the user's psychological well-being, the formation and maintenance of personal relationships, group memberships and social identity, the workplace, and community involvement. The evidence suggests that while these effects are largely dependent on the particular goals that users bring to the interaction-such as self-expression, affiliation, or competition-they also interact in important ways with the unique qualities of the Internet communication situation.

User Perspectives of the Future of the Internet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barr, Trevor

This paper presents user perspectives on the future of the Internet. The first section discusses understanding users, including the difference between technology service offerings and potential uses, the need for investigation into the relationship between new communications technology and social behavior, and the shift from supply-led development…

Internet Ethics for Users and Providers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ben-Jacob, Marion G.

2017-01-01

This article deliberates concepts of Internet ethics from the perspectives of user and providers. It discusses concerns of the users from different disciplines. It addresses issues and corresponding regulations of service providers. It considers matters of privacy. The culmination is an exercise for students that incorporates usage of the Internet…

Identification of general characteristics, motivation, and satisfaction of internet-based medical consultation service users in Croatia.

PubMed

Klinar, Ivana; Balazin, Ana; Barsić, Bruno; Tiljak, Hrvoje

2011-08-15

To identify users' reasons to look for physician consultation on the internet instead of visiting a physician and to explore their general characteristics, motivation, and satisfaction with internet medical consultation service 'Your Questions.' Users of a free internet medical consultation service 'Your Questions' (www.plivazdravlje.hr) were invited to participate in a web-based survey designed to explore their general characteristics (age, sex, etc), reasons for using the service, the nature of their health problem or question, and their satisfaction with the service. Respondents were divided into two groups: users who consulted an internet physician only (Group I) and users who used internet consulting before or after visiting a physician (Group II). The response rate was 38% (1036/2747), with 79% female respondents. A fifth of the respondents (21%) consulted an internet physician only (Group I). Multivariate analysis revealed that the respondents in Group I were younger (median 24 vs 28 years in Group II), more interested into questions about pregnancy (odds ratio [OR], 1.984; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.203-3.272), more often embarrassed to talk to a physician in person (OR, 1.828; 95% CI, 1.119-2.989), and more motivated to protect their privacy (OR, 1.727; 95% CI, 1.252-2.380). They also had greater satisfaction with the service (77% vs 60%, P<0.001). The factors associated with the use of internet-based medical consultation services were younger age, need for privacy protection, avoidance of embarrassment at the physician's office, and having a question related to pregnancy. This reveals the internet medical consultation service as a useful health promotion supplement that is particularly applicable for the population of young adults.

Clinical trial resources on the internet must be designed to reach underrepresented minorities.

PubMed

Wilson, John J; Mick, Rosemarie; Wei, S Jack; Rustgi, Anil K; Markowitz, Sanford D; Hampshire, Maggie; Metz, James M

2006-01-01

Internet-based clinical trial information services are being developed to increase recruitment to studies. However, there are limited data that evaluate their ability to reach elderly and underrepresented minority populations. This study was designed to evaluate the ability of an established clinical trials registry to reach these populations based on expected Internet use. This study compares general Internet users to participants who enrolled in an Internet based colorectal cancer clinical trials registry established by OncoLink (www.oncolink.org) and the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance. Observed rates of demographic groupings were compared to those established for general Internet users. Two thousand, four hundred and thirty-seven participants from the continental United States used the Internet to register for the database. New England, the Mid-Atlantic region, and the Southeast had the highest relative frequency of participation in the database, whereas the Upper Midwest, California, and the South had the lowest rates. Compared to general Internet users, there was an overrepresentation of women (73% vs. 50%) and participants over 55 years old (27% vs. 14%). However, there was an underrepresentation of minorities (10.3% vs. 22%), particularly African Americans (3.1% vs. 8%) and Hispanics (2.8% vs. 9%). The Internet is a growing medium for registry into clinical trials databases. However, even taking into account the selection bias of Internet accessibility, there are still widely disparate demographics between general Internet users and those registering for clinical trials, particularly the underrepresentation of minorities. Internet-based educational and recruitment services for clinical trials must be designed to reach these underrepresented minorities to avoid selection biases in future clinical trials.

Access Control for Mobile Assessment Systems Using ID.

PubMed

Nakayama, Masaharu; Ishii, Tadashi; Morino, Kazuma

2015-01-01

The assessment of shelters during disaster is critical to ensure the health of evacuees and prevent pandemic. In the Ishinomaki area, one of the areas most damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake, the highly organized assessment helped to successfully manage a total of 328 shelters with a total of 46,480 evacuees. The input and analysis of vast amounts of data was tedious work for staff members. However, a web-based assessment system that utilized mobile devices was thought to decrease workload and standardize the evaluation form. The necessary access of information should be controlled in order to maintain individuals' privacy. We successfully developed an access control system using IDs. By utilizing a unique numerical ID, users can access the input form or assessment table. This avoids unnecessary queries to the server, resulting in a quick response and easy availability, even with poor internet connection.

The effects of innovation factors on smartphone adoption among nurses in community hospitals.

PubMed

Putzer, Gavin J; Park, Yangil

2010-01-01

A relatively new mobile technological device is the smartphone-a phone with advanced features such as Windows Mobile software, access to the Internet, and other computer processing capabilities. This article investigates the decision to adopt a smartphone among healthcare professionals, specifically nurses. The study examines constructs that affect an individual's decision to adopt a smartphone by employing innovation attributes leading to perceived attitudes. We hypothesize that individual intentions to use a smartphone are mostly determined by attitudes toward using a smartphone, which in turn are affected by innovation characteristics. Innovation characteristics are factors that help explain whether a user will adopt a new technology. The study consisted of a survey disseminated to 200 practicing nurses selected from two community hospitals in the southeastern United States. In our model, the innovation characteristics of observability, compatibility, job relevance, internal environment, and external environment were significant predictors of attitude toward using a smartphone.

Development of a Mobile User Interface for Image-based Dietary Assessment.

PubMed

Kim, Sungye; Schap, Tusarebecca; Bosch, Marc; Maciejewski, Ross; Delp, Edward J; Ebert, David S; Boushey, Carol J

2010-12-31

In this paper, we present a mobile user interface for image-based dietary assessment. The mobile user interface provides a front end to a client-server image recognition and portion estimation software. In the client-server configuration, the user interactively records a series of food images using a built-in camera on the mobile device. Images are sent from the mobile device to the server, and the calorie content of the meal is estimated. In this paper, we describe and discuss the design and development of our mobile user interface features. We discuss the design concepts, through initial ideas and implementations. For each concept, we discuss qualitative user feedback from participants using the mobile client application. We then discuss future designs, including work on design considerations for the mobile application to allow the user to interactively correct errors in the automatic processing while reducing the user burden associated with classical pen-and-paper dietary records.

Is the Internet the Right Medium for a "Don't Quit Campaign?"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wynne, Liam G.; Mai, Li-Wei

2002-01-01

A survey of 98 British adolescents intending to continue postcompulsory education and 30 not continuing revealed similar levels of television, newspaper, and radio use. Internet users included 87% of group one, 42% of group two; the latter are less likely to have access. Among Internet users, only 40.8% use it for information on…

Determining the Navigational Aids Use on the Internet: The Information Technologies Teacher Candidates' Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuzu, Abdullah; Firat, Mehmet

2010-01-01

The Internet users who fail to cope with navigation may generally face various problems such as disorientation, distraction, low motivation and abandonment of information retrieval. Therefore, navigational aids are frequently used in today's Web browsers and Web sites to help users navigate on the Internet. However, it is asserted that…

End User Information Searching on the Internet: How Do Users Search and What Do They Search For? (SIG USE)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saracevic, Tefko

2000-01-01

Summarizes a presentation that discussed findings and implications of research projects using an Internet search service and Internet-accessible vendor databases, representing the two sides of public database searching: query formulation and resource utilization. Presenters included: Tefko Saracevic, Amanda Spink, Dietmar Wolfram and Hong Xie.…

Evaluation of smartphone oral contraceptive reminder applications.

PubMed

Gal, Noga; Zite, Nikki B; Wallace, Lorraine S

2015-01-01

Oral contraceptives (OCs) are the most widely used contraceptive method among women of reproductive age in the United States (US). Routine download and use of health-related smartphone applications (apps) continues to increase. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of English-language, smartphone-platform OC reminder apps currently available for download in the US. During June-July 2013, official Internet-based, mobile app platforms for the two major smartphone operating systems in the US-Android (Google Play Store) and iPhone (iTunes)-were searched. "Birth control," "the pill," and "contraception" were entered into the search-bar of each Smartphone store. Apps were assessed for the following: cost, health care professionals' involvement in app development, reminder mechanisms, and functionality. Of the 39 unique OC reminder apps meeting inclusion criteria, 7 (18%) did not operate as intended when downloaded. Most apps functioned without an Internet connection (97%) and included pop-up notifications (84%). Certain app features overcome common causes of missing an alarm, and hypothetically, may minimize likelihood of an OC user missing a daily pill. Health care providers should inform users of potential pitfalls and advise them that an OC reminder app should be not be used as a sole reminder method. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of patients seeking health information online via social health networks versus general Internet sites: a comparative study.

PubMed

Magnezi, Racheli; Grosberg, Dafna; Novikov, Ilya; Ziv, Arnona; Shani, Mordechai; Freedman, Laurence S

2015-03-01

Camoni.co.il, a Hebrew-language social health network offers advice, consultation, and connection to others with chronic illness. This study compared characteristics and objectives of Camoni.co.il users and individuals seeking medical information through general Internet sites. Similar questionnaires were sent to 1009 Internet and 900 Camoni users. Cluster analysis defined four modes of online social health network use: "acquiring information and support", "communicating", "networking" and "browsing". Six hundred and five Internet and 125 Camoni users responded. Diabetes, hypertension, obesity and lung diseases were found more often among general Internet users than Camoni users. Among Camoni users, "acquiring information and support" was the main motivation for individuals over age 55 years, women, those with lower income, chronic pain, obesity and depression. "Communicating" was the main incentive of men, those 20-34 years old, those with less education, or an eating disorder. "Networking" was the most significant motivation for those with multiple sclerosis or depression. Browsing was most frequent among individuals with multiple sclerosis. Identifying needs of social health network surfers will allow planning unique contents and enhancing social health sites. Physicians might advise patients to use them to obtain support and information regarding their conditions, possibly leading to improved compliance and self-management.

The Development and User Satisfaction Evaluation of Internet-Based N-Screen Healthcare Walking Content to Increase Continuous Usage Motivation.

PubMed

Youm, Sekyoung

2015-08-01

The purpose of the current study is (1) to apply Internet-based N-Screen (this is used like the term "emultiscreen"; as the technology that provides services of shared content or application via N devices, it includes all screens such as personal computers [PCs], TV, and mobile devices) services to healthcare services by developing games for improving one's health and (2) to present ways to activate the use of health promotion contents in the future by investigating user satisfaction and whether there is any intention to accept the contents and/or use the services continuously. In order to evaluate the customized health maintenance content provided by the healthcare walking system developed in the current study, 98 adult men and women residing in Seoul, Korea, were instructed to use 10 minutes' worth of the walking content. Perceived quality, level of trust in the results, effectiveness of the exercise, and overall satisfaction were measured in regard to the N-Screen-based walking content, including those for the cell phone, PC, and Internet protocol TV (IPTV). Walking contents using N-Screen services were perceived with high levels of trust in the results of the exercise, the effectiveness of the exercise, and overall satisfaction. In terms of the usability of N-Screen services, the younger the participants, the more usable they found the mobile or PC programs. The older the participants, the more usable they found the IPTV screens, although they still struggled with using the content given; operating IPTVs proved to be difficult for them. Furthermore, participants who were engaged in exercise on a regular basis were less satisfied with the program, in general. The present study has developed a walking system using N-Screen programs to make the most common and effective forms of exercise-walking and running-accessible indoors. This may increase motivation to exercise by offering services that boost one's interest in exercising, such as personal monitoring and real-time feedback regarding one's workout progress.

Truth in Reform: Reversing Fifty Years of Information Suppression in Burma

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-30

suit with a broader offering that includes next generation 3G services and legacy 2G services that are more affordable to most Burmese citizens. 46...with the same effect during the 2007 Saffron Revolution, when citizen journalists used grainy mobile phone video, Burmese Internet cafes, and web...Internet controls were not technically sophisticated, the government quickly resorted to a complete block on mobile and Internet access during the 2007

Study on the contract characteristics of Internet architecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Chuan; Zhang, Guoqing; Yang, Jing; Liu, Xiaona

2011-11-01

The importance of Internet architecture goes beyond the technical aspects. The architecture of Internet has a profound influence on the Internet-based economy in term of how the profits are shared by different market participants (Internet Server Provider, Internet Content Provider), since it is the physical foundation upon which the profit-sharing contracts are derived. In order to facilitate the continuing growth of the Internet, it is necessary to systematically study factors that curtail the Internet-based economy including the existing Internet architecture. In this paper, we used transaction cost economics and contract economics as new tools to analyse the contracts derived from the current Internet architecture. This study sheds light on how the macro characteristics of Internet architecture effect the microeconomical decisions of market participants. Based on the existing Internet architecture, we discuss the possibility of promoting Internet-based economy by encouraging user to connect their private stub network to the Internet and giving the user more right of self-governing.

Smart internet search engine through 6W

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goehler, Stephen; Cader, Masud; Szu, Harold

2006-04-01

Current Internet search engine technology is limited in its ability to display necessary relevant information to the user. Yahoo, Google and Microsoft use lookup tables or indexes which limits the ability of users to find their desired information. While these companies have improved their results over the years by enhancing their existing technology and algorithms with specialized heuristics such as PageRank, there is a need for a next generation smart search engine that can effectively interpret the relevance of user searches and provide the actual information requested. This paper explores whether a smarter Internet search engine can effectively fulfill a user's needs through the use of 6W representations.

Substance abuse precedes internet addiction

PubMed Central

Lee, Young Sik; Han, Doug Hyun; Kim, Sun Mi; Renshaw, Perry F.

2015-01-01

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate possible overlapping substance abuse and internet addiction in a large, uniformly sampled population, ranging in age from 13 to 18 years. Participants (N=73,238) in the current study were drawn from the 6th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBWS-V) for students from 400 middle schools and 400 high schools in 16 cities within South Korea. Of adolescent internet users, 85.2% were general users (GU), 11.9% were users with potential risk for internet addiction (PR), and 3.0% were users with high risk for internet addiction (HR). There was a difference in the number of students with alcohol drinking among the GU, PR, and HR groups (20.8% vs 23.1% vs 27.4%). There was a difference in the number of students who smoked among the GS, PR, and HR groups (11.7% vs 13.5% vs 20.4%). There was a difference in the number of students with drug use among the GU, PR, and HR groups (1.7% vs 2.0% vs 6.5%). After adjusting for sex, age, stress, depressed mood, and suicidal ideation, smoking may predict a high risk for internet addiction (OR=1.203, p=0.004). In addition, drug use may predict a high risk for internet addiction (OR=2.591, p<0.001). Because students with a high risk for internet addiction have vulnerability for addictive behaviors, co-morbid substance abuse should be evaluated and, if found, treated in adolescents with internet addiction. PMID:23384457

Physiological markers of biased decision-making in problematic Internet users

PubMed Central

Nikolaidou, Maria; Fraser, Danaë Stanton

2016-01-01

Background and aims Addiction has been reliably associated with biased emotional reactions to risky choices. Problematic Internet use (PIU) is a relatively new concept and its classification as an addiction is debated. Implicit emotional responses were measured in individuals expressing nonproblematic and problematic Internet behaviors while they made risky/ambiguous decisions to explore whether they showed similar responses to those found in agreed-upon addictions. Methods The design of the study was cross sectional. Participants were adult Internet users (N = 72). All testing took place in the Psychophysics Laboratory at the University of Bath, UK. Participants were given the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) which provides an index of an individual’s ability to process and learn probabilities of reward and loss. Integration of emotions into current decision-making frameworks is vital for optimal performance on the IGT and thus, skin conductance responses (SCRs) to reward, punishment, and in anticipation of both were measured to assess emotional function. Results Performance on the IGT did not differ between the groups of Internet users. However, problematic Internet users expressed increased sensitivity to punishment as revealed by stronger SCRs to trials with higher punishment magnitude. Discussion and conclusions PIU seems to differ on behavioral and physiological levels with other addictions. However, our data imply that problematic Internet users were more risk-sensitive, which is a suggestion that needs to be incorporated into in any measure and, potentially, any intervention for PIU. PMID:27554505

Open Drug Discovery Teams: A Chemistry Mobile App for Collaboration.

PubMed

Ekins, Sean; Clark, Alex M; Williams, Antony J

2012-08-01

The Open Drug Discovery Teams (ODDT) project provides a mobile app primarily intended as a research topic aggregator of predominantly open science data collected from various sources on the internet. It exists to facilitate interdisciplinary teamwork and to relieve the user from data overload, delivering access to information that is highly relevant and focused on their topic areas of interest. Research topics include areas of chemistry and adjacent molecule-oriented biomedical sciences, with an emphasis on those which are most amenable to open research at present. These include rare and neglected diseases, and precompetitive and public-good initiatives such as green chemistry. The ODDT project uses a free mobile app as user entry point. The app has a magazine-like interface, and server-side infrastructure for hosting chemistry-related data as well as value added services. The project is open to participation from anyone and provides the ability for users to make annotations and assertions, thereby contributing to the collective value of the data to the engaged community. Much of the content is derived from public sources, but the platform is also amenable to commercial data input. The technology could also be readily used in-house by organizations as a research aggregator that could integrate internal and external science and discussion. The infrastructure for the app is currently based upon the Twitter API as a useful proof of concept for a real time source of publicly generated content. This could be extended further by accessing other APIs providing news and data feeds of relevance to a particular area of interest. As the project evolves, social networking features will be developed for organizing participants into teams, with various forms of communication and content management possible.

Open Drug Discovery Teams: A Chemistry Mobile App for Collaboration

PubMed Central

Ekins, Sean; Clark, Alex M; Williams, Antony J

2012-01-01

Abstract The Open Drug Discovery Teams (ODDT) project provides a mobile app primarily intended as a research topic aggregator of predominantly open science data collected from various sources on the internet. It exists to facilitate interdisciplinary teamwork and to relieve the user from data overload, delivering access to information that is highly relevant and focused on their topic areas of interest. Research topics include areas of chemistry and adjacent molecule-oriented biomedical sciences, with an emphasis on those which are most amenable to open research at present. These include rare and neglected diseases, and precompetitive and public-good initiatives such as green chemistry. The ODDT project uses a free mobile app as user entry point. The app has a magazine-like interface, and server-side infrastructure for hosting chemistry-related data as well as value added services. The project is open to participation from anyone and provides the ability for users to make annotations and assertions, thereby contributing to the collective value of the data to the engaged community. Much of the content is derived from public sources, but the platform is also amenable to commercial data input. The technology could also be readily used in-house by organizations as a research aggregator that could integrate internal and external science and discussion. The infrastructure for the app is currently based upon the Twitter API as a useful proof of concept for a real time source of publicly generated content. This could be extended further by accessing other APIs providing news and data feeds of relevance to a particular area of interest. As the project evolves, social networking features will be developed for organizing participants into teams, with various forms of communication and content management possible. PMID:23198003

Digital divide among people with disabilities: Analysis of data from a nationwide study for determinants of Internet use and activities performed online.

PubMed

Duplaga, Mariusz

2017-01-01

The Internet is both an opportunity as well as a challenge for people with disabilities. However, this segment of the population is usually indicated among social groups experiencing digital divide. The study is focused on the analysis of factors determining Internet usage and undertaking specific activities online among people with disabilities based on a nationwide study performed in 2013 in Poland. Secondary analysis was performed on the data of persons who declared disability status in 2013 "Social Diagnosis" study. Multivariate logistic regression models were developed for the use of the Internet and performing three types of activities online. Among 3,556 respondents with disability 51.02% were females, 25.19% 65 years of age and over and 33.05% were Internet users. The predictors of Internet usage included the degree of disability, place of residence, level of education, marital status, occupational status, net income, use of health care service and the use of mobile phone. The odds ratio that a person with disability belonging to the oldest category will use the Internet was only 0.04 (95% CI 0.02-0.09), when compared to the youngest category. The odds that a person with disability from the highest category of education will use the Internet were 18 times higher than in the case of persons with only basic education (OR 18.17, 95% CI 11.70-28.21). Common predictors of online activities (accessing websites of public institutions, checking and sending emails, publishing own content on the Internet) included age category and net income. People with disabilities in Poland are facing a significant digital divide. The factors determining the use of the Internet in this group are similar to those of the general population. On the other hand, people with disabilities who are active online, access diversified types of services including presentation of their own content online.

Digital divide among people with disabilities: Analysis of data from a nationwide study for determinants of Internet use and activities performed online

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Introduction The Internet is both an opportunity as well as a challenge for people with disabilities. However, this segment of the population is usually indicated among social groups experiencing digital divide. The study is focused on the analysis of factors determining Internet usage and undertaking specific activities online among people with disabilities based on a nationwide study performed in 2013 in Poland. Methods Secondary analysis was performed on the data of persons who declared disability status in 2013 “Social Diagnosis” study. Multivariate logistic regression models were developed for the use of the Internet and performing three types of activities online. Results Among 3,556 respondents with disability 51.02% were females, 25.19% 65 years of age and over and 33.05% were Internet users. The predictors of Internet usage included the degree of disability, place of residence, level of education, marital status, occupational status, net income, use of health care service and the use of mobile phone. The odds ratio that a person with disability belonging to the oldest category will use the Internet was only 0.04 (95% CI 0.02–0.09), when compared to the youngest category. The odds that a person with disability from the highest category of education will use the Internet were 18 times higher than in the case of persons with only basic education (OR 18.17, 95% CI 11.70–28.21). Common predictors of online activities (accessing websites of public institutions, checking and sending emails, publishing own content on the Internet) included age category and net income. Conclusions People with disabilities in Poland are facing a significant digital divide. The factors determining the use of the Internet in this group are similar to those of the general population. On the other hand, people with disabilities who are active online, access diversified types of services including presentation of their own content online. PMID:28662125

Design of multi-language trading system of ethnic characteristic agricultural products based on android

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huanqin, Wu; Yasheng, Jin; Yugang, Dai

2017-06-01

Under the current situation where Internet technology develops rapidly, mobile E-commerce technology has brought great convenience to our life. Now, the graphical user interface (GUI) of most E-commerce platforms only supports Chinese. Thus, the development of Android client of E-commerce that supports ethnic languages owns a great prospect. The principle that combines front end design and database technology is adopted in this paper to construct the Android client system of E-commerce platforms that supports ethnic languages, which realizes the displaying, browsing, querying, searching, trading and other functions of ethnic characteristic agricultural products on android platforms.

Psychosocial Risk Factors Associated with Internet Addiction in Korea

PubMed Central

Lee, Ju Young; Shin, Kyoung Min; Cho, Sun-Mi

2014-01-01

Objective The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of Internet addiction in middle school students and to identify associated psychosocial risk factors and depression. Methods This study was part of a larger epidemiological study on childhood psychiatric disorders conducted in Osan, a city of Republic of Korea. We used IAS for internet addiction, K-YSR for subjects' emotional and behavioral problems and K-CDI for depressive symptoms. We used the data of n=1217 completed cases. We put on independent variables, which are sex, age, smoking and alcohol experiences, economic status, age of first Internet use, K-YSR and K-CDI score. Results The subjects consisted of addicted users (2.38%), over users (36.89%) and normal Internet users (60.72%). Attention problems, sex, delinquent problems, K-CDI scores, thought problems, age and aggressive behavior were predictable variables of internet addiction. Age of initial Internet use negatively predicted Internet addiction. Conclusion This result showed similar to other researches about sociodemographic, emotional or behavioral factors related to internet addiction. Generally, subjects with more severe internet addiction had more emotional or behavioral problems. It means that they already have had various difficulties when we found internet addiction of adolescents. Therefore it is necessary to evaluate whether the subjects have any emotional or behavioral troubles and to intervene to prevent internet addiction. PMID:25395968

Computer and internet use by persons after traumatic spinal cord injury.

PubMed

Goodman, Naomi; Jette, Alan M; Houlihan, Bethlyn; Williams, Steve

2008-08-01

To determine whether computer and internet use by persons post spinal cord injury (SCI) is sufficiently prevalent and broad-based to consider using this technology as a long-term treatment modality for patients who have sustained SCI. A multicenter cohort study. Twenty-six past and current U.S. regional Model Spinal Cord Injury Systems. Patients with traumatic SCI (N=2926) with follow-up interviews between 2004 and 2006, conducted at 1 or 5 years postinjury. Not applicable. Results revealed that 69.2% of participants with SCI used a computer; 94.2% of computer users accessed the internet. Among computer users, 19.1% used assistive devices for computer access. Of the internet users, 68.6% went online 5 to 7 days a week. The most frequent use for internet was e-mail (90.5%) and shopping sites (65.8%), followed by health sites (61.1%). We found no statistically significant difference in computer use by sex or level of neurologic injury, and no difference in internet use by level of neurologic injury. Computer and internet access differed significantly by age, with use decreasing as age group increased. The highest computer and internet access rates were seen among participants injured before the age of 18. Computer and internet use varied by race: 76% of white compared with 46% of black subjects were computer users (P<.001), and 95.3% of white respondents who used computers used the internet, compared with 87.6% of black respondents (P<.001). Internet use increased with education level (P<.001): eighty-six percent of participants who did not graduate from high school or receive a degree used the internet, while over 97% of those with a college or associate's degree did. While the internet holds considerable potential as a long-term treatment modality after SCI, limited access to the internet by those who are black, those injured after age 18, and those with less education does reduce its usefulness in the short term for these subgroups.

Self-reported dependence on mobile phones in young adults: A European cross-cultural empirical survey

PubMed Central

Lopez-Fernandez, Olatz; Kuss, Daria J.; Romo, Lucia; Morvan, Yannick; Kern, Laurence; Graziani, Pierluigi; Rousseau, Amélie; Rumpf, Hans-Jürgen; Bischof, Anja; Gässler, Ann-Kathrin; Schimmenti, Adriano; Passanisi, Alessia; Männikkö, Niko; Kääriänen, Maria; Demetrovics, Zsolt; Király, Orsolya; Chóliz, Mariano; Zacarés, Juan José; Serra, Emilia; Griffiths, Mark D.; Pontes, Halley M.; Lelonek-Kuleta, Bernadeta; Chwaszcz, Joanna; Zullino, Daniele; Rochat, Lucien; Achab, Sophia; Billieux, Joël

2017-01-01

Background and aims Despite many positive benefits, mobile phone use can be associated with harmful and detrimental behaviors. The aim of this study was twofold: to examine (a) cross-cultural patterns of perceived dependence on mobile phones in ten European countries, first, grouped in four different regions (North: Finland and UK; South: Spain and Italy; East: Hungary and Poland; West: France, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland), and second by country, and (b) how socio-demographics, geographic differences, mobile phone usage patterns, and associated activities predicted this perceived dependence. Methods A sample of 2,775 young adults (aged 18–29 years) were recruited in different European Universities who participated in an online survey. Measures included socio-demographic variables, patterns of mobile phone use, and the dependence subscale of a short version of the Problematic Mobile Phone Use Questionnaire (PMPUQ; Billieux, Van der Linden, & Rochat, 2008). Results The young adults from the Northern and Southern regions reported the heaviest use of mobile phones, whereas perceived dependence was less prevalent in the Eastern region. However, the proportion of highly dependent mobile phone users was more elevated in Belgium, UK, and France. Regression analysis identified several risk factors for increased scores on the PMPUQ dependence subscale, namely using mobile phones daily, being female, engaging in social networking, playing video games, shopping and viewing TV shows through the Internet, chatting and messaging, and using mobile phones for downloading-related activities. Discussion and conclusions Self-reported dependence on mobile phone use is influenced by frequency and specific application usage. PMID:28425777

Self-reported dependence on mobile phones in young adults: A European cross-cultural empirical survey.

PubMed

Lopez-Fernandez, Olatz; Kuss, Daria J; Romo, Lucia; Morvan, Yannick; Kern, Laurence; Graziani, Pierluigi; Rousseau, Amélie; Rumpf, Hans-Jürgen; Bischof, Anja; Gässler, Ann-Kathrin; Schimmenti, Adriano; Passanisi, Alessia; Männikkö, Niko; Kääriänen, Maria; Demetrovics, Zsolt; Király, Orsolya; Chóliz, Mariano; Zacarés, Juan José; Serra, Emilia; Griffiths, Mark D; Pontes, Halley M; Lelonek-Kuleta, Bernadeta; Chwaszcz, Joanna; Zullino, Daniele; Rochat, Lucien; Achab, Sophia; Billieux, Joël

2017-06-01

Background and aims Despite many positive benefits, mobile phone use can be associated with harmful and detrimental behaviors. The aim of this study was twofold: to examine (a) cross-cultural patterns of perceived dependence on mobile phones in ten European countries, first, grouped in four different regions (North: Finland and UK; South: Spain and Italy; East: Hungary and Poland; West: France, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland), and second by country, and (b) how socio-demographics, geographic differences, mobile phone usage patterns, and associated activities predicted this perceived dependence. Methods A sample of 2,775 young adults (aged 18-29 years) were recruited in different European Universities who participated in an online survey. Measures included socio-demographic variables, patterns of mobile phone use, and the dependence subscale of a short version of the Problematic Mobile Phone Use Questionnaire (PMPUQ; Billieux, Van der Linden, & Rochat, 2008). Results The young adults from the Northern and Southern regions reported the heaviest use of mobile phones, whereas perceived dependence was less prevalent in the Eastern region. However, the proportion of highly dependent mobile phone users was more elevated in Belgium, UK, and France. Regression analysis identified several risk factors for increased scores on the PMPUQ dependence subscale, namely using mobile phones daily, being female, engaging in social networking, playing video games, shopping and viewing TV shows through the Internet, chatting and messaging, and using mobile phones for downloading-related activities. Discussion and conclusions Self-reported dependence on mobile phone use is influenced by frequency and specific application usage.

Written online situational feedback via mobile phone to support self-management of chronic widespread pain: a usability study of a Web-based intervention

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background This pretrial study aimed to develop and test the usability of a four-week Internet intervention delivered by a Web-enabled mobile phone to support self-management of chronic widespread pain. Methods The intervention included daily online entries and individualized written feedback, grounded in a mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral approach. The participants registered activities, emotions and pain cognitions three times daily using the mobile device. The therapist had immediate access to this information through a secure Web site. The situational information was used to formulate and send a personalized text message to the participant with the aim of stimulating effective self-management of the current situation. Six women participated and evaluated the experience. Results The intervention was rated as supportive, meaningful and user-friendly by the majority of the women. The response rate to the daily registration entries was high and technical problems were few. Conclusion The results indicate a feasible intervention. Web-applications are fast becoming standard features of mobile phones and interventions of this kind can therefore be more available than before. Trial registration number ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01236209 PMID:21352516

Ethical Issues of Social Media Usage in Healthcare.

PubMed

Denecke, K; Bamidis, P; Bond, C; Gabarron, E; Househ, M; Lau, A Y S; Mayer, M A; Merolli, M; Hansen, M

2015-08-13

Social media, web and mobile technologies are increasingly used in healthcare and directly support patientcentered care. Patients benefit from disease self-management tools, contact to others, and closer monitoring. Researchers study drug efficiency, or recruit patients for clinical studies via these technologies. However, low communication barriers in socialmedia, limited privacy and security issues lead to problems from an ethical perspective. This paper summarizes the ethical issues to be considered when social media is exploited in healthcare contexts. Starting from our experiences in social-media research, we collected ethical issues for selected social-media use cases in the context of patient-centered care. Results were enriched by collecting and analyzing relevant literature and were discussed and interpreted by members of the IMIA Social Media Working Group. Most relevant issues in social-media applications are confidence and privacy that need to be carefully preserved. The patient-physician relationship can suffer from the new information gain on both sides since private information of both healthcare provider and consumer may be accessible through the Internet. Physicians need to ensure they keep the borders between private and professional intact. Beyond, preserving patient anonymity when citing Internet content is crucial for research studies. Exploiting medical social-media in healthcare applications requires a careful reflection of roles and responsibilities. Availability of data and information can be useful in many settings, but the abuse of data needs to be prevented. Preserving privacy and confidentiality of online users is a main issue, as well as providing means for patients or Internet users to express concerns on data usage.

Ethical Issues of Social Media Usage in Healthcare

PubMed Central

Bamidis, P.; Bond, C.; Gabarron, E.; Househ, M.; Lau, A. Y. S.; Mayer, M. A.; Merolli, M.; Hansen, M.

2015-01-01

Summary Objective Social media, web and mobile technologies are increasingly used in healthcare and directly support patient-centered care. Patients benefit from disease self-management tools, contact to others, and closer monitoring. Researchers study drug efficiency, or recruit patients for clinical studies via these technologies. However, low communication barriers in social-media, limited privacy and security issues lead to problems from an ethical perspective. This paper summarizes the ethical issues to be considered when social media is exploited in healthcare contexts. Methods Starting from our experiences in social-media research, we collected ethical issues for selected social-media use cases in the context of patient-centered care. Results were enriched by collecting and analyzing relevant literature and were discussed and interpreted by members of the IMIA Social Media Working Group. Results Most relevant issues in social-media applications are confidence and privacy that need to be carefully preserved. The patient-physician relationship can suffer from the new information gain on both sides since private information of both healthcare provider and consumer may be accessible through the Internet. Physicians need to ensure they keep the borders between private and professional intact. Beyond, preserving patient anonymity when citing Internet content is crucial for research studies. Conclusion Exploiting medical social-media in healthcare applications requires a careful reflection of roles and responsibilities. Availability of data and information can be useful in many settings, but the abuse of data needs to be prevented. Preserving privacy and confidentiality of online users is a main issue, as well as providing means for patients or Internet users to express concerns on data usage. PMID:26293861

Technology Use and Sleep Quality in Preadolescence and Adolescence.

PubMed

Bruni, Oliviero; Sette, Stefania; Fontanesi, Lilybeth; Baiocco, Roberto; Laghi, Fiorenzo; Baumgartner, Emma

2015-12-15

The purpose of this study was to analyze differences between preadolescents and adolescents on the use of technology and to test the contribution of using Internet and mobile phone, and circadian preference on sleep quality. We recruited a sample of 850 (364 males) preadolescents and adolescents. Self-report questionnaires about sleep schedule, sleep wake behavior problems, circadian preferences, and the use of technology (e.g., Internet and mobile phone) were administered. Students were asked to fill out the School Sleep Habits Survey, a self-report questionnaire on the use of technology, the Mobile Phone Involvement Questionnaire (MPIQ), and the Shorter Promis Questionnaire (SPQ). Adolescents reported more sleep problems, a tendency toward eveningness, and an increase of Internet and phone activities, as well as social network activities, while preadolescents were more involved in gaming console and television viewing. The regression analysis performed separately in the two age groups showed that sleep quality was affected by the circadian preference (eveningness) in both groups. Adolescents' bad sleep quality was consistently associated with the mobile phone use and number of devices in the bedroom, while in preadolescents, with Internet use and turning-off time. The evening circadian preference, mobile phone and Internet use, numbers of other activities after 21:00, late turning off time, and number of devices in the bedroom have different negative influence on sleep quality in preadolescents and adolescents. © 2015 American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

A Context-Aware Mobile User Behavior-Based Neighbor Finding Approach for Preference Profile Construction †

PubMed Central

Gao, Qian; Fu, Deqian; Dong, Xiangjun

2016-01-01

In this paper, a new approach is adopted to update the user preference profile by seeking users with similar interests based on the context obtainable for a mobile network instead of from desktop networks. The trust degree between mobile users is calculated by analyzing their behavior based on the context, and then the approximate neighbors are chosen by combining the similarity of the mobile user preference and the trust degree. The approach first considers the communication behaviors between mobile users, the mobile network services they use as well as the corresponding context information. Then a similarity degree of the preference between users is calculated with the evaluation score of a certain mobile web service provided by a mobile user. Finally, based on the time attenuation function, the users with similar preference are found, through which we can dynamically update the target user’s preference profile. Experiments are then conducted to test the effect of the context on the credibility among mobile users, the effect of time decay factors and trust degree thresholds. Simulation shows that the proposed approach outperforms two other methods in terms of Recall Ratio, Precision Ratio and Mean Absolute Error, because neither of them consider the context mobile information. PMID:26805852

Online Social Networking, Sexual Risk and Protective Behaviors: Considerations for Clinicians and Researchers.

PubMed

Holloway, Ian W; Dunlap, Shannon; Del Pino, Homero E; Hermanstyne, Keith; Pulsipher, Craig; Landovitz, Raphael J

2014-09-01

Online social networking refers to the use of internet-based technologies that facilitate connection and communication between users. These platforms may be accessed via computer or mobile device (e.g., tablet, smartphone); communication between users may include linking of profiles, posting of text, photo and video content, instant messaging and email. This review provides an overview of recent research on the relationship between online social networking and sexual risk and protective behaviors with a focus on use of social networking sites (SNS) among young people and populations at high risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). While findings are mixed, the widespread use of SNS for sexual communication and partner seeking presents opportunities for the delivery and evaluation of public health interventions. Results of SNS-based interventions to reduce sexual risk are synthesized in order to offer hands-on advice for clinicians and researchers interested in engaging patients and study participants via online social networking.

Global Social Media Directory. A Resource Guide

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

Noonan, Christine F.; Piatt, Andrew W.

Social media platforms are internet-based applications focused on broadcasting user-generated content. While primarily web-based, these services are increasingly available on mobile platforms. Communities and individuals share information, photos, music, videos, provide commentary and ratings/reviews, and more. In essence, social media is about sharing information, consuming information, and repurposing content. Social media technologies identified in this report are centered on social networking services, media sharing, blogging and microblogging. The purpose of this Resource Guide is to provide baseline information about use and application of social media platforms around the globe. It is not intended to be comprehensive as social media evolvesmore » on an almost daily basis. The long-term goal of this work is to identify social media information about all geographic regions and nations. The primary objective is that of understanding the evolution and spread of social networking and user-generated content technologies internationally.« less

A survey on internet usage and online learning behaviour among medical undergraduates.

PubMed

Venkatesh, Soma; Chandrasekaran, Venkatesh; Dhandapany, Gunasekaran; Palanisamy, Soundararajan; Sadagopan, Srinivasan

2017-05-01

To determine the magnitude and pattern of internet usage by undergraduate medical students to retrieve medical information. A pretested questionnaire-based survey was conducted among undergraduate medical students who were willing to participate. The institute ethics committee approved the study. The responses of students to the questionnaire were analysed using VassarStats online statistical programme. Categorical variables were expressed as proportions. To determine the significance of the difference between proportions, the χ 2 test or Fisher's exact test was used. Log-linear analysis was performed for significance of association among interacting variables. A p value <0.05 was considered significant. A total of 115 undergraduate medical students participated in the survey. The response was 100% and involved mainly IX and VIII semester students. Internet usage was found to be 97.4%. Of the students interviewed, 35.7% were frequent internet users and 57.4% used their mobile phones to access the internet. The majority (60.9%) had their own portable 3G internet connection. Monthly expenditure for the majority (82.6%) was less than 1000 Indian Rupees per month. The most popular medical site accessed by students was Medscape, followed by Wikipedia and WebMD. Of the students studied, 8% had attended one or more online continuing medical education programmes. On log-linear analysis, a linear relationship was found for medical time and social time. An encouraging trend is seen in the use of the internet by medical students to access medical information, but this has not translated into improved online learning behaviour. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Using metaphors to investigate cognition-behavior link in problematic Internet use among college students.

PubMed

Koc, Mustafa

2015-09-01

This study employed metaphor analysis as a novel approach to explore college students' metaphorical representations of the Internet and their associations with problematic Internet use (PIU). It aimed to find out whether normal and problematic Internet users conceive the Internet through the same cognitive framework. The sample included 370 college students in Turkey. A questionnaire was conducted to gather metaphorical conceptions of the Internet, patterns of Internet usage, and PIU status. Data were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Of the sample, 8.6% were diagnosed with PIU. Home access and entertainment gratification were strong correlates of PIU. Gender and major had no effects on PIU. Participants produced 66 metaphors that were grouped into eight conceptual categories: information source, immensity, basic need, addictive substance, double-edged sword, transporter, mood regulator, and supporter. PIU was the highest in the addictive substance category, followed by basic need and mood regulator categories, with cigarette, water, and friend being the dominant metaphors in these categories, respectively. Problematic users are less likely to conceptualize the Internet as a supportive entity. Normal users are able to verbalize the good and bad aspects of the Internet, but those negatively affected appear to have lost sight of the most useful function of the Internet. © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

The Internet's effect on personality traits: An important casualty of the "Internet addiction" paradigm.

PubMed

Aboujaoude, Elias

2017-03-01

Background and aims The "Internet addiction" paradigm has been criticized for several shortcomings, including inattention to specific online behaviors, not distinguishing the Internet from other media, insufficient focus on comorbidities, and definitions that do not take into account the constant access now possible. The paradigm's biggest casualty, however, may be that it has diverted attention away from subtle personality changes that seem to occur online, including in users who cannot be considered "addicted" under any definition. Methods A narrative assessment of the literature was conducted, focusing on the Internet's effects on personality traits as revealed in studies of Internet users. Results Impulsivity, narcissism, and aggression are some of the personality traits that seem to be nurtured by the Internet, with possible negative offline consequences. Discussion Ignoring the Internet's subtle effects on personality as we embrace an addiction model that implies severe pathology makes the majority of Internet users feel deceptively immune to the psychological effects of new technologies. It also limits our understanding of the big cultural shifts that are happening as a result. Conclusion The Internet's potentially negative effect on personality, and by extension on society at large, is a fundamental part of online psychology, one well worthy of further investigation.

Design and development of an IoT-based web application for an intelligent remote SCADA system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kao, Kuang-Chi; Chieng, Wei-Hua; Jeng, Shyr-Long

2018-03-01

This paper presents a design of an intelligent remote electrical power supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system based on the Internet of Things (IoT), with Internet Information Services (IIS) for setting up web servers, an ASP.NET model-view- controller (MVC) for establishing a remote electrical power monitoring and control system by using responsive web design (RWD), and a Microsoft SQL Server as the database. With the web browser connected to the Internet, the sensing data is sent to the client by using the TCP/IP protocol, which supports mobile devices with different screen sizes. The users can provide instructions immediately without being present to check the conditions, which considerably reduces labor and time costs. The developed system incorporates a remote measuring function by using a wireless sensor network and utilizes a visual interface to make the human-machine interface (HMI) more instinctive. Moreover, it contains an analog input/output and a basic digital input/output that can be applied to a motor driver and an inverter for integration with a remote SCADA system based on IoT, and thus achieve efficient power management.

[Mobile Health Units: An Analysis of Concepts and Implementation Requirements in Rural Regions.

PubMed

Hämel, K; Kutzner, J; Vorderwülbecke, J

2017-12-01

Access to health services in rural regions represents a challenge. The development of care models that respond to health service shortages and pay particular attention to the increasing health care needs of the elderly is an important concern. A model that has been implemented in other countries is that of mobile health units. But until now, there is no overview of their possible objectives, functions and implementation requirements. This paper is based on a literature analysis and an internet research on mobile health units in rural regions. Mobile health units aim to avoid regional undersupply and address particularly vulnerable population groups. In the literature, mobile health units are described with a focus on specific illnesses, as well as those that provide comprehensive, partly multi-professional primary care that is close to patients' homes. The implementation of mobile health units is demanding; the key challenges are (a) alignment to the needs of the regional population, (b) user-oriented access and promotion of awareness and acceptance of mobile health units by the local population, and (c) network building within existing care structures to ensure continuity of care for patients. To fulfill these requirements, a community-oriented program development and implementation is important. Mobile health units could represent an interesting model for the provision of health care in rural regions in Germany. International experiences are an important starting point and should be taken into account for the further development of models in Germany. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Worst-Case Cooperative Jamming for Secure Communications in CIoT Networks.

PubMed

Li, Zhen; Jing, Tao; Ma, Liran; Huo, Yan; Qian, Jin

2016-03-07

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a significant branch of the ongoing advances in the Internet and mobile communications. The use of a large number of IoT devices makes the spectrum scarcity problem even more serious. The usable spectrum resources are almost entirely occupied, and thus, the increasing radio access demands of IoT devices cannot be met. To tackle this problem, the Cognitive Internet of Things (CIoT) has been proposed. In a CIoT network, secondary users, i.e., sensors and actuators, can access the licensed spectrum bands provided by licensed primary users (such as telephones). Security is a major concern in CIoT networks. However, the traditional encryption method at upper layers (such as symmetric cryptography and asymmetric cryptography) may be compromised in CIoT networks, since these types of networks are heterogeneous. In this paper, we address the security issue in spectrum-leasing-based CIoT networks using physical layer methods. Considering that the CIoT networks are cooperative networks, we propose to employ cooperative jamming to achieve secrecy transmission. In the cooperative jamming scheme, a certain secondary user is employed as the helper to harvest energy transmitted by the source and then uses the harvested energy to generate an artificial noise that jams the eavesdropper without interfering with the legitimate receivers. The goal is to minimize the signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) at the eavesdropper subject to the quality of service (QoS) constraints of the primary traffic and the secondary traffic. We formulate the considered minimization problem into a two-stage robust optimization problem based on the worst-case Channel State Information of the Eavesdropper. By using semi-definite programming (SDP), the optimal solutions of the transmit covariance matrices can be obtained. Moreover, in order to build an incentive mechanism for the secondary users, we propose an auction framework based on the cooperative jamming scheme. The proposed auction framework jointly formulates the helper selection and the corresponding energy allocation problems under the constraint of the eavesdropper's SINR. By adopting the Vickrey auction, truthfulness and individual rationality can be guaranteed. Simulation results demonstrate the good performance of the cooperative jamming scheme and the auction framework.

Development of a Mobile User Interface for Image-based Dietary Assessment

PubMed Central

Kim, SungYe; Schap, TusaRebecca; Bosch, Marc; Maciejewski, Ross; Delp, Edward J.; Ebert, David S.; Boushey, Carol J.

2011-01-01

In this paper, we present a mobile user interface for image-based dietary assessment. The mobile user interface provides a front end to a client-server image recognition and portion estimation software. In the client-server configuration, the user interactively records a series of food images using a built-in camera on the mobile device. Images are sent from the mobile device to the server, and the calorie content of the meal is estimated. In this paper, we describe and discuss the design and development of our mobile user interface features. We discuss the design concepts, through initial ideas and implementations. For each concept, we discuss qualitative user feedback from participants using the mobile client application. We then discuss future designs, including work on design considerations for the mobile application to allow the user to interactively correct errors in the automatic processing while reducing the user burden associated with classical pen-and-paper dietary records. PMID:24455755

The Potential of Using a Mobile Phone to Access the Internet for Learning EFL Listening Skills within a Korean Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nah, Ki Chune; White, Peter; Sussex, Roland

2008-01-01

Interest in the use of a mobile phone to access the Internet for learning English in general, and listening skills in particular, has been increasing in Korea over the last few years. However, there has been only a small number of studies on this topic in Korea. The present paper investigates the potential of using a mobile phone to browse…

Public health practice course using Google Plus.

PubMed

Wu, Ting-Ting; Sung, Tien-Wen

2014-03-01

In recent years, mobile device-assisted clinical education has become popular among nursing school students. The introduction of mobile devices saves manpower and reduces errors while enhancing nursing students' professional knowledge and skills. To respond to the demands of various learning strategies and to maintain existing systems of education, the concept of Cloud Learning is gradually being introduced to instructional environments. Cloud computing facilitates learning that is personalized, diverse, and virtual. This study involved assessing the advantages of mobile devices and Cloud Learning in a public health practice course, in which Google+ was used as the learning platform, integrating various application tools. Users could save and access data by using any wireless Internet device. The platform was student centered and based on resource sharing and collaborative learning. With the assistance of highly flexible and convenient technology, certain obstacles in traditional practice training can be resolved. Our findings showed that the students who adopted Google+ were learned more effectively compared with those who were limited to traditional learning systems. Most students and the nurse educator expressed a positive attitude toward and were satisfied with the innovative learning method.

User-Generated Online Health Content: A Survey of Internet Users in the United Kingdom

PubMed Central

Ziebland, Sue; Valderas, Jose; Lupiáñez-Villanueva, Francisco

2014-01-01

Background The production of health information has begun to shift from commercial organizations to health care users themselves. People increasingly go online to share their own health and illness experiences and to access information others have posted, but this behavior has not been investigated at a population level in the United Kingdom. Objective This study aims to explore access and production of user-generated health content among UK Internet users and to investigate relationships between frequency of use and other variables. Methods We undertook an online survey of 1000 UK Internet users. Descriptive and multivariate statistical analyses were used to interpret the data. Results Nearly one-quarter of respondents (23.7%, 237/1000) reported accessing and sharing user-generated health content online, whereas more than 20% (22.2%, 222/1000) were unaware that it was possible to do this. Respondents could be divided into 3 groups based on frequency of use: rare users (78.7%, 612/778) who accessed and shared content less than weekly, users (13.9%, 108/778) who did so weekly, and superusers (7.5%, 58/778) who did so on a daily basis. Superusers were more likely to be male (P<.001) and to be employed (P<.001), but there were no differences between the groups with respect to educational level (P=.99) or health status (P=.63). They were more likely to use the Internet for varied purposes such as banking and shopping (P<.001). Conclusions Although this study found reasonably widespread access of user-generated online health content, only a minority of respondents reported doing so frequently. As this type of content proliferates, superusers are likely to shape the health information that others access. Further research should assess the effect of user-generated online content on health outcomes and use of health services by Internet users. PMID:24784798

Commissions as information organizations: Meeting the information needs of an electronic society

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

Sevel, F.

1997-11-01

This paper describes how commission-sponsored web sites can effectively meet electronic information needs. Demographics of internet users are presented and analyzed. Online activities and user access data are also described. The implications of the characteristics of internet users for commission-sponsored web sites are discussed, and guidelines for determining marketing objectives are presented.

Analysis of Handoff Mechanisms in Mobile IP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jayaraj, Maria Nadine Simonel; Issac, Biju; Haldar, Manas Kumar

2011-06-01

One of the most important challenges in mobile Internet Protocol (IP) is to provide service for a mobile node to maintain its connectivity to network when it moves from one domain to another. IP is responsible for routing packets across network. The first major version of IP is the Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4). It is one of the dominant protocols relevant to wireless network. Later a newer version of IP called the IPv6 was proposed. Mobile IPv6 is mainly introduced for the purpose of mobility. Mobility management enables network to locate roaming nodes in order to deliver packets and maintain connections with them when moving into new domains. Handoff occurs when a mobile node moves from one network to another. It is a key factor of mobility because a mobile node can trigger several handoffs during a session. This paper briefly explains on mobile IP and its handoff issues, along with the drawbacks of mobile IP.

Understanding Health and Health-Related Behavior of Users of Internet Health Information.

PubMed

Wimble, Matt

2016-10-01

Little is known about how actual use of Internet health-related information is associated with health or health-related behavior. Using a nationally representative sample of 34,525 from 2012, this study examined the demographics of users of Internet health-related information (users), reports estimates of association with several health and behavioral outcomes adjusting for demographic factors, and analyzed the sample by education level, race, gender, and age. Analysis of a large nationally representative sample shows evidence that users of health-related information (users) on the Internet are younger, more educated, more likely to be insured, more likely to be female, and less likely to be African American. After adjusting for demographic differences, users are more likely to have been diagnosed with hypertension, cancer, stroke, and high cholesterol, but no evidence of current hypertension, weight-related issues, or being in fair or poor health. Users are less likely to smoke and among smokers are more likely to attempt quitting. Users are more likely to exercise, get a flu shot, pap smear, mammogram, HIV test, colon cancer screening, blood pressure check, and cholesterol check, but likely to be heavy drinkers. With few exceptions, results appear robust across gender, age groups, level of education, and ethnicity. Use is generally positively associated with prior diagnosis for several conditions and behaviors related to improved health, but I find no relationship with existing health status. The association between use of health-related Internet information and health-related behavior seems robust across levels of education, age, gender, and race.

Who commits virtual identity suicide? Differences in privacy concerns, Internet addiction, and personality between Facebook users and quitters.

PubMed

Stieger, Stefan; Burger, Christoph; Bohn, Manuel; Voracek, Martin

2013-09-01

Social networking sites such as Facebook attract millions of users by offering highly interactive social communications. Recently, a counter movement of users has formed, deciding to leave social networks by quitting their accounts (i.e., virtual identity suicide). To investigate whether Facebook quitters (n=310) differ from Facebook users (n=321), we examined privacy concerns, Internet addiction scores, and personality. We found Facebook quitters to be significantly more cautious about their privacy, having higher Internet addiction scores, and being more conscientious than Facebook users. The main self-stated reason for committing virtual identity suicide was privacy concerns (48 percent). Although the adequacy of privacy in online communication has been questioned, privacy is still an important issue in online social communications.

Mobile learning in medicine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serkan Güllüoüǧlu, Sabri

2013-03-01

This paper outlines the main infrastructure for implicating mobile learning in medicine and present a sample mobile learning application for medical learning within the framework of mobile learning systems. Mobile technology is developing nowadays. In this case it will be useful to develop different learning environments using these innovations in internet based distance education. M-learning makes the most of being on location, providing immediate access, being connected, and acknowledges learning that occurs beyond formal learning settings, in places such as the workplace, home, and outdoors. Central to m-learning is the principle that it is the learner who is mobile rather than the device used to deliver m learning. The integration of mobile technologies into training has made learning more accessible and portable. Mobile technologies make it possible for a learner to have access to a computer and subsequently learning material and activities; at any time and in any place. Mobile devices can include: mobile phone, personal digital assistants (PDAs), personal digital media players (eg iPods, MP3 players), portable digital media players, portable digital multimedia players. Mobile learning (m-learning) is particularly important in medical education, and the major users of mobile devices are in the field of medicine. The contexts and environment in which learning occurs necessitates m-learning. Medical students are placed in hospital/clinical settings very early in training and require access to course information and to record and reflect on their experiences while on the move. As a result of this paper, this paper strives to compare and contrast mobile learning with normal learning in medicine from various perspectives and give insights and advises into the essential characteristics of both for sustaining medical education.

The relationship between elderly suicide rates and the internet: a cross-national study.

PubMed

Shah, Ajit

2010-05-01

Suicide rates generally increase with age. Internet websites and chat rooms have been reported both to promote suicides and to have a positive beneficial effect on suicidal individuals. The role of the internet in elderly suicides has not been studied. The relationship between elderly suicide rates and the prevalence of internet users was examined in a cross-national study using data from the World Health Organization and the United Nations website. The prevalence of internet users was significantly and positively correlated with suicide rates in both genders in the age bands 65-74 years and 75+ years. On multiple regression analysis the prevalence of internet users was independently associated with suicide rates in both genders in both age bands. Caution should be exercised in the attribution of a causal relationship and the direction of this relationship because of the cross-sectional and ecological study design whereby the findings are subject to ecological fallacy. However, the findings identify and support a need for further research.

Lead users' ideas on core features to support physical activity in rheumatoid arthritis: a first step in the development of an internet service using participatory design.

PubMed

Revenäs, Åsa; Opava, Christina H; Åsenlöf, Pernilla

2014-03-22

Despite the growing evidence of the benefits of physical activity (PA) in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the majority is not physically active enough. An innovative strategy is to engage lead users in the development of PA interventions provided over the internet. The aim was to explore lead users' ideas and prioritization of core features in a future internet service targeting adoption and maintenance of healthy PA in people with RA. Six focus group interviews were performed with a purposively selected sample of 26 individuals with RA. Data were analyzed with qualitative content analysis and quantification of participants' prioritization of most important content. Six categories were identified as core features for a future internet service: up-to-date and evidence-based information and instructions, self-regulation tools, social interaction, personalized set-up, attractive design and content, and access to the internet service. The categories represented four themes, or core aspects, important to consider in the design of the future service: (1) content, (2) customized options, (3) user interface and (4) access and implementation. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first study involving people with RA in the development of an internet service to support the adoption and maintenance of PA.Participants helped identifying core features and aspects important to consider and further explore during the next phase of development. We hypothesize that involvement of lead users will make transfer from theory to service more adequate and user-friendly and therefore will be an effective mean to facilitate PA behavior change.

Who Uses Mobile Phone Health Apps and Does Use Matter? A Secondary Data Analytics Approach.

PubMed

Carroll, Jennifer K; Moorhead, Anne; Bond, Raymond; LeBlanc, William G; Petrella, Robert J; Fiscella, Kevin

2017-04-19

Mobile phone use and the adoption of healthy lifestyle software apps ("health apps") are rapidly proliferating. There is limited information on the users of health apps in terms of their social demographic and health characteristics, intentions to change, and actual health behaviors. The objectives of our study were to (1) to describe the sociodemographic characteristics associated with health app use in a recent US nationally representative sample; (2) to assess the attitudinal and behavioral predictors of the use of health apps for health promotion; and (3) to examine the association between the use of health-related apps and meeting the recommended guidelines for fruit and vegetable intake and physical activity. Data on users of mobile devices and health apps were analyzed from the National Cancer Institute's 2015 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS), which was designed to provide nationally representative estimates for health information in the United States and is publicly available on the Internet. We used multivariable logistic regression models to assess sociodemographic predictors of mobile device and health app use and examine the associations between app use, intentions to change behavior, and actual behavioral change for fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity, and weight loss. From the 3677 total HINTS respondents, older individuals (45-64 years, odds ratio, OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.47-68; 65+ years, OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.14-0.24), males (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.66-0.94), and having degree (OR 2.83, 95% CI 2.18-3.70) or less than high school education (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.24-0.72) were all significantly associated with a reduced likelihood of having adopted health apps. Similarly, both age and education were significant variables for predicting whether a person had adopted a mobile device, especially if that person was a college graduate (OR 3.30). Individuals with apps were significantly more likely to report intentions to improve fruit (63.8% with apps vs 58.5% without apps, P=.01) and vegetable (74.9% vs 64.3%, P<.01) consumption, physical activity (83.0% vs 65.4%, P<.01), and weight loss (83.4% vs 71.8%, P<.01). Individuals with apps were also more likely to meet recommendations for physical activity compared with those without a device or health apps (56.2% with apps vs 47.8% without apps, P<.01). The main users of health apps were individuals who were younger, had more education, reported excellent health, and had a higher income. Although differences persist for gender, age, and educational attainment, many individual sociodemographic factors are becoming less potent in influencing engagement with mobile devices and health app use. App use was associated with intentions to change diet and physical activity and meeting physical activity recommendations. ©Jennifer K Carroll, Anne Moorhead, Raymond Bond, William G LeBlanc, Robert J Petrella, Kevin Fiscella. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 19.04.2017.

A Comparative Analysis of User Preferences for for Major Internet Based Education Media in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wan, Chunyang; Jiang, Yanqing

2014-01-01

Internet based education media are developing at an amazing rate and being seen as an upstart that will likely take the place of traditional education means worldwide in the future. This paper presents the results of a comparative analysis on user preferences for four major categories of internet-based media used in China. In this paper, we first…

Incentive Mechanisms for Mobile Music Distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furini, Marco; Montangero, Manuela

The mobile digital world is seen as an important business opportunity for two main reasons: the widespread usage of cellphones (more than two billions [30], most of them with sound features) and the pervasiveness of mobile technologies. As a result, music industry and telecoms are bringing the successful Internet-based music market strategy into the mobile scenario: record labels are setting up agreements with cellphone network providers (Sprint, Verizon, Vodafone, Orange just to name a few) to offer a download music service also in the mobile scenario. The strategy is to use wireless channels to distribute music contents in the attempt of replicating the success of the Internet-based download scenario.

Cost Consideration for Future Communications Satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iida, Takashi

2002-01-01

This paper discusses the cost driving factors of the future communications satellite rather than discussing its cost itself directly, in terms of development period of time, services, and R&D by government. In the first, a period of time for development of a communications system is discussed in comparison of satellite communications system with a terrestrial communications system. Generally speaking, the terrestrial communications system is developed in a short period. Especially, the recent network related IT technology changes very rapidly, like so-called as "Dog Year". On the other hand, it takes a long time, more than several years, to develop a satellite communications system. This paper will discuss this time period of development is how to influence the system realization in various cases. In the second, the service related cost is discussed. First, a mobile communications satellite system is considered as an example. The tremendous penetration speed of the terrestrial cellular phones prevents from the success of the mobile satellite communications system. The success of the mobile satellite communications system depends on how early and user friendly to develop its user terminals. Second, the broadcasting service is described as a successful example. It is described that the satellite broadcasting has a very competitive advantage to the terrestrial broadcasting service from the cost point of view. Finally, the cost of the technology R&D for the future communication satellite by the government is discussed. A model of the future communications satellite for next 30 years has been proposed(1)(2). As an example, this paper estimates the satellite cost of the 60 Gbps range of capacity which is called as 1.5G satellite, where the capacity of the second generation Internet satellite (2G) is 50-500 Gbps per satellite. In the paper, the R&D plan of the future communications satellite will be discussed as a next R&D project to the first generation Internet satellite from a cost point of view. References (1)T.Iida and Y.Suzuki: "Satellite Communications R&D for Next 30 Years", 19th AIAA (2)T.Iida, Y.Suzuki and A.Akaishi: "Satellite Communications R&D for Next 30 Years:

75 FR 55297 - Further Inquiry Into Two Under-Developed Issues in the Open Internet Proceeding

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-10

... facilities as broadband Internet access service (commonly called ``managed'' or ``specialized'' services). The second is the application of open Internet rules to mobile wireless Internet access services... Framework for Broadband Access to the Internet Over Wireline Facilities et al., CC Docket Nos. 02-33, 01-337...

Truck Drivers' Use of the Internet: A Mobile Health Lifeline.

PubMed

Heaton, Karen; Combs, Bryan; Griffin, Russell

2017-06-01

Because of their social isolation, irregular and unpredictable schedules, limited access to health care, and long periods of travel, long-haul truckers may benefit from the use of mobile health applications on Internet-capable devices. The purpose of this study was to determine Internet access and usage among a sample of long-haul truck drivers. In this cross-sectional study, truck drivers completed a pencil and paper survey with questions on demographics, work and health histories, and Internet access and usage for both personal and job reasons. A total of 106 truck drivers were recruited from trucking industry trade shows, by word of mouth, and directly from trucking companies. Overall, the truck drivers' use of the Internet was limited. Their usage for personal and job-related reasons differed. Social connectivity and access to health and wellness information were important during personal usage time. Job-related Internet use was highly practical, and applied to seeking information for directions and maps, fuel stops and pricing, and communicating with employers or transmitting documents. Age and experience were associated with Internet use. Younger, less-experienced drivers used the Internet more than older, experienced drivers. Targeted mobile health messaging may be a useful tool to inform truck drivers of health conditions and plans, and may provide links to primary care providers needing to monitor or notify drivers of diagnostic results or treatment plans.

Problematic Use of the Internet and Smartphones in University Students: 2006-2017.

PubMed

Carbonell, Xavier; Chamarro, Andrés; Oberst, Ursula; Rodrigo, Beatriz; Prades, Mariona

2018-03-08

It has been more than a decade since a concern about the addictive use of the Internet and mobile phones was first expressed, and its possible inclusion into the lists of mental disorders has recently become a popular topic of scientific discussion. Thus, it seems to be a fitting moment to investigate the prevalence of this issue over time. The aim of the present study was to analyze the prevalence of the perception of problematic Internet and smartphone use in young people over the period 2006-2017. To this end, a questionnaire on Internet use habits and two questionnaires on the negative consequences of Internet and smartphone use were administered to a sample of 792 university students. The scores were then compared with the results of former studies that had used these questionnaires. The perception of problematic Internet and mobile phone use has increased over the last decade, social networks are considered responsible for this increase, and females are perceived to be more affected than males. The current study shows how strong smartphone and Internet addiction and social media overlap. Participants from 2017 report higher negative consequences of both Internet and mobile phone use than those from 2006, but long-term observations show a decrease in problematic use after a sharp increase in 2013. We conclude that the diagnosis of technological addictions is influenced by both time and social and culture changes.

Impact of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) symptoms in Internet users

PubMed Central

Chamberlain, Samuel R.; Leppink, Eric W.; Redden, Sarah A.; Stein, Dan J.; Lochner, Christine; Grant, Jon E.

2017-01-01

Background Internet use is pervasive in many cultures. Little is known about the impact of Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) symptoms on impulsive and compulsive psychopathologies in people who use the Internet. Method 1323 adult Internet users completed an online questionnaire quantifying OCPD symptoms, likely occurrence of select mental disorders (OCD, ADHD, problematic Internet use, anxiety), and personality questionnaires of impulsivity (Barratt) and compulsivity (Padua). Predictors of presence of OCPD symptoms (endorsement of at least 4 of 8 DSM criteria) were identified using binary logistic regression. Results In regression (p<0.001, AUC 0.77), OCPD symptoms were significantly associated with (in order of decreasing effect size): lower non-planning impulsivity, higher ADHD symptoms, problematic Internet use, avoidant personality disorder, female gender, generalized anxiety disorder, and some types of compulsions (checking, dressing/washing). Conclusions These data suggest that OCPD symptoms, defined in terms of at least 4 of 8 DSM tick-list criteria being met, are common in Internet users. OCPD symptoms were associated with considerably higher levels of psychopathology relating to both impulsive (ADHD) and compulsive (OC-related and problematic Internet use) disorders. These data merit replication and extension using gold-standard in-person clinical assessments, as the current study relied on self-report over the Internet. PMID:28738097

Impact of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder symptoms in Internet users.

PubMed

Chamberlain, Samuel R; Redden, Sarah A; Stein, Dan J; Lochner, Christine; Grant, Jon E

2017-08-01

Internet use is pervasive in many cultures. Little is known about the impact of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) symptoms on impulsive and compulsive psychopathologies in people who use the Internet. Adult Internet users (N = 1,323) completed an online questionnaire quantifying OCPD symptoms, likely occurrence of select mental disorders (obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD], problematic Internet use, generalized anxiety disorder), and personality questionnaires of impulsivity and compulsivity. Predictors of the presence of OCPD symptoms (endorsement of at least 4 of 8 DSM-5 criteria) were identified using binary logistic regression. In regression (P < .001, area under the curve, 0.77), OCPD symptoms were significantly associated with (in order of decreasing effect size) lower non-planning impulsivity, higher ADHD symptoms, problematic Internet use, avoidant personality disorder, female sex, generalized anxiety disorder, and some types of compulsions (checking, dressing/washing). These data suggest that OCPD symptoms, defined in terms of at least 4 of 8 DSM criteria being met, are common in Internet users. OCPD symptoms were associated with considerably higher levels of psychopathology relating to both impulsive (ADHD) and compulsive (OCD-related and problematic Internet use) disorders. These data merit replication and extension using standard in-person clinical assessments, because the current study relied on self-report over the Internet.

Social bonds and internet pornographic exposure among adolescents.

PubMed

Mesch, Gustavo S

2009-06-01

Concern has grown regarding possible harm to the social and psychological development of children and adolescents exposed to Internet pornography. Parents, academics and researchers have documented pornography from the supply side, assuming that its availability explains consumption satisfactorily. The current paper explored the user's dimension, probing whether pornography consumers differed from other Internet users, as well as the social characteristics of adolescent frequent pornography consumers. Data from a 2004 survey of a national representative sample of the adolescent population in Israel were used (n=998). Adolescent frequent users of the Internet for pornography were found to differ in many social characteristics from the group that used the Internet for information, social communication and entertainment. Weak ties to mainstream social institutions were characteristic of the former group but not of the latter. X-rated material consumers proved to be a distinct sub-group at risk of deviant behaviour.

Use of Mobile Phones, Computers and Internet Among Clients of an Inner-City Community Psychiatric Clinic

PubMed Central

COLDER CARRAS, MICHELLE; MOJTABAI, RAMIN; FURR-HOLDEN, C. DEBRA; EATON, WILLIAM; CULLEN, BERNADETTE A.M.

2017-01-01

Objective Recent years have witnessed an expansion of Internet- and mobile-phone-based interventions for health promotion, yet few studies have focused on the use of technology by individuals with mental illness. This study examined the extent to which patients at an inner-city community psychiatry clinic had access to information and communications technology (ICT) and how they used those resources. Methods Patients of an outpatient, inner-city community psychiatry program (N = 189) completed a survey that included questions about demographics and ICT use which were adapted from an existing local population-based health survey (community sample, N = 968). Frequencies of ICT use were assessed for the clinic sample and questions common to both the surveys completed by the clinic and community samples were compared using logistic regression. Results Among clinic cases, 105 (55.6%) reported owning or using a computer, 162 (85.7%) reported owning or using a mobile phone, and 112 (59.3%) reported using the Internet. Among those who used mobile phones, the majority reported using them daily; 42% of those who used the Internet reported using it several times per day. Differences in frequency of Internet use between samples were not significant, but clinic participants used the Internet more intensively to email, instant message, access health information, and use social media sites. Conclusions A majority of patients in this community psychiatry clinic sample use ICT. Greater access to and use of the Internet by those with mental illness has important implications for the feasibility and impact of technology-based interventions. PMID:24638044

Use of mobile phones, computers and internet among clients of an inner-city community psychiatric clinic.

PubMed

Colder Carras, Michelle; Mojtabai, Ramin; Furr-Holden, C Debra; Eaton, William; Cullen, Bernadette A M

2014-03-01

Recent years have witnessed an expansion of Internet- and mobile-phone-based interventions for health promotion, yet few studies have focused on the use of technology by individuals with mental illness. This study examined the extent to which patients at an inner-city community psychiatry clinic had access to information and communications technology (ICT) and how they used those resources. Patients of an outpatient, inner-city community psychiatry program (N=189) completed a survey that included questions about demographics and ICT use which were adapted from an existing local population-based health survey (community sample, N=968). Frequencies of ICT use were assessed for the clinic sample and questions common to both the surveys completed by the clinic and community samples were compared using logistic regression. Among clinic cases, 105 (55.6%) reported owning or using a computer, 162 (85.7%) reported owning or using a mobile phone, and 112 (59.3%) reportedf using the Internet. Among those who used mobile phones, the majority reported using them daily; 42% of those who used the Internet reported using it several times per day. Differences in frequency of Internet use between samples were not significant, but clinic participants used the Internet more intensively to email, instant message, access health information, and use social media sites. A majority of patients in this community psychiatry clinic sample use ICT. Greater access to and use of the Internet by those with mental illness has important implications for the feasibility and impact of technology-based interventions.

Understanding Co-Development of Conceptual and Epistemic Understanding through Modeling Practices with Mobile Internet

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ryu, Suna; Han, Yuhwha; Paik, Seoung-Hey

2015-01-01

The present study explores how engaging in modeling practice, along with argumentation, leverages students' epistemic and conceptual understanding in an afterschool science/math class of 16 tenth graders. The study also explores how students used mobile Internet phones (smart phones) productively to support modeling practices. As the modeling…

Mobile Phone Usage for M-Learning: Comparing Heavy and Light Mobile Phone Users

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suki, Norbayah Mohd; Suki, Norazah Mohd

2007-01-01

Purpose: Mobile technologies offer the opportunity to embed learning in a natural environment. The objective of the study is to examine how the usage of mobile phones for m-learning differs between heavy and light mobile phone users. Heavy mobile phone users are hypothesized to have access to/subscribe to one type of mobile content than light…

Mobile Router Developed and Tested

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ivancic, William D.

2002-01-01

The NASA Glenn Research Center, under a NASA Space Act Agreement with Cisco Systems, has been performing joint networking research to apply Internet-based technologies and protocols to space-based communications. As a result of this research, NASA performed stringent performance testing of the mobile router, including the interaction of routing and the transport-level protocol. In addition, Cisco Systems developed the mobile router for both commercial and Government markets. The code has become part of the Cisco Systems Internetworking Operating System (IOS) as of release 12.2 (4) T--which will make this capability available to the community at large. The mobile router is software code that resides in a network router and enables entire networks to roam while maintaining connectivity to the Internet. This router code is pertinent to a myriad of applications for both Government and commercial sectors, including the "wireless battlefield." NASA and the Department of Defense will utilize this technology for near-planetary observation and sensing spacecraft. It is also a key enabling technology for aviation-based information applications. Mobile routing will make it possible for information such as weather, air traffic control, voice, and video to be transmitted to aircraft using Internet-based protocols. This technology shows great promise in reducing congested airways and mitigating aviation disasters due to bad weather. The mobile router can also be incorporated into emergency vehicles (such as ambulances and life-flight aircraft) to provide real-time connectivity back to the hospital and health-care experts, enabling the timely application of emergency care. Commercial applications include entertainment services, Internet protocol (IP) telephone, and Internet connectivity for cruise ships, commercial shipping, tour buses, aircraft, and eventually cars. A mobile router, which is based on mobile IP, allows hosts (mobile nodes) to seamlessly "roam" among various IP subnetworks. This is essential in many wireless networks. A mobile router, unlike a mobile IP node, allows entire networks to roam. Hence, a device connected to the mobile router does not need to be a mobile node because the mobile router provides the roaming capabilities. There are three basic elements in the mobile IP: the home agent, the foreign agent, and the mobile node. The home agent is a router on a mobile node's home network that tunnels datagrams for delivery to the mobile node when it is away from home. The foreign agent is a router on a remote network that provides routing services to a registered mobile node. The mobile node is a host or router that changes its point of attachment from one network or subnetwork to another. In mobile routing, virtual communications are maintained by the home agent, which forwards all packets for the mobile networks to the foreign agent. The foreign agent passes the packets to the mobile router, which then forwards the packets to the devices on its networks. As the mobile router moves, it will register with its home agent on its whereabouts via the foreign agent to assure continuous connectivity.

The Internet and Education: Some Lessons on Privacy and Pitfalls.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Descy, Don E.

1997-01-01

Most users have misconceptions about how the Internet works. Provides a brief history of the Internet and Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP); discusses electronic mail, privacy, and voluntary and involuntary information gathering; and contrasts the Internet and libraries, focusing on the Internet's lack of consistent…

Internet Use Frequency and Patient-Centered Care: Measuring Patient Preferences for Participation Using the Health Information Wants Questionnaire

PubMed Central

Wang, Mo; Feldman, Robert; Zhou, Le

2013-01-01

Background The Internet is bringing fundamental changes to medical practice through improved access to health information and participation in decision making. However, patient preferences for participation in health care vary greatly. Promoting patient-centered health care requires an understanding of the relationship between Internet use and a broader range of preferences for participation than previously measured. Objective To explore (1) whether there is a significant relationship between Internet use frequency and patients’ overall preferences for obtaining health information and decision-making autonomy, and (2) whether the relationships between Internet use frequency and information and decision-making preferences differ with respect to different aspects of health conditions. Methods The Health Information Wants Questionnaire (HIWQ) was administered to gather data about patients’ preferences for the (1) amount of information desired about different aspects of a health condition, and (2) level of decision-making autonomy desired across those same aspects. Results The study sample included 438 individuals: 226 undergraduates (mean age 20; SD 2.15) and 212 community-dwelling older adults (mean age 72; SD 9.00). A significant difference was found between the younger and older age groups’ Internet use frequencies, with the younger age group having significantly more frequent Internet use than the older age group (younger age group mean 5.98, SD 0.33; older age group mean 3.50, SD 2.00; t 436=17.42, P<.01). Internet use frequency was positively related to the overall preference rating (γ=.15, P<.05), suggesting that frequent Internet users preferred significantly more information and decision making than infrequent Internet users. The relationships between Internet use frequency and different types of preferences varied: compared with infrequent Internet users, frequent Internet users preferred more information but less decision making for diagnosis (γ=.57, P<.01); more information and more decision-making autonomy for laboratory test (γ=.15, P<.05), complementary and alternative medicine (γ=.32, P<.01), and self-care (γ=.15, P<.05); and less information but more decision-making autonomy for the psychosocial (γ=-.51, P<.01) and health care provider (γ=-.27, P<.05) aspects. No significant difference was found between frequent and infrequent Internet users in their preferences for treatment information and decision making. Conclusions Internet use frequency has a positive relationship with the overall preferences for obtaining health information and decision-making autonomy, but its relationship with different types of preferences varies. These findings have important implications for medical practice. PMID:23816979

Predictors of Internet use for health information among male and female Internet users: Findings from the 2009 Taiwan National Health Interview Survey.

PubMed

Koo, Malcolm; Lu, Ming-Chi; Lin, Shih-Chun

2016-10-01

The Internet is an increasingly important source of health information for the general population. Both preventive health behavior and Internet use are known to be different between men and women. However, few studies have compared predictors of Internet use for health information between the sexes. To investigate the prevalence and predictors of Internet use for health information among male and female adult Internet users using data from a population-based survey in Taiwan. Respondents between the ages of 20-65 years were identified from the dataset of the 2009 Taiwan National Health Interview Survey. The outcome variable of the study, the utilization of the Internet for health information, was ascertained by asking whether the respondent had ever used the Internet to search for health information or obtain health services. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted separately for men and women to evaluate factors associated with the use of Internet for health information. Of the 2741 adults aged 20-65 years who had ever used the Internet, 1766 (64.4%) of them had used it for health information or services. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that a higher educational level (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=3.60, P<0.001), living alone (AOR=1.77, P=0.019), had exercised in the past two weeks (AOR=2.41, P<0.001), residing in city or urban district (AOR=1.28, P=0.049), with a perceived health status of extremely good, very good, or good (AOR=1.34, P=0.022), and had used Western medicine services in the past month (AOR=1.51, P=0.005) were significantly associated with health information use in male Internet users. On the other hand, age between 20-44.9 years (AOR=1.87, P<0.001), a higher educational level (AOR=3.57, P<0.001), being married (AOR=1.68, P=0.001), had exercised in the past two weeks (AOR=1.56, P<0.001), and had a mean monthly personal income of NT$ 20,000 and above were significant factors in female Internet users. This secondary data analysis of a representative sample of Taiwan population revealed that a similar but not identical set of independent factors was associated with the use of Internet for health information between male and female Internet users. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Self-reported wrist and finger symptoms associated with other physical/mental symptoms and use of computers/mobile phones.

PubMed

Korpinen, Leena; Pääkkönen, Rauno; Gobba, Fabriziomaria

2018-03-01

Recently, computer, mobile phone and Internet use has increased. This study aimed to determine the possible relation between self-reported wrist and finger symptoms (aches, pain or numbness) and using computers/mobile phones, and to analyze how the symptoms are specifically associated with utilizing desktop computers, portable computers or mini-computers and mobile phones. A questionnaire was sent to 15,000 working-age Finns (age 18-65). Via a questionnaire, 723 persons reported wrist and finger symptoms often or more with use. Over 80% use mobile phones daily and less than 30% use desktop computers or the Internet daily at leisure, e.g., over 89.8% quite often or often experienced pain, numbness or aches in the neck, and 61.3% had aches in the hips and the lower back. Only 33.7% connected their symptoms to computer use. In the future, the development of new devices and Internet services should incorporate the ergonomics of the hands and wrists.

Internet and mobile technologies: addressing the mental health of trauma survivors in less resourced communities.

PubMed

Ruzek, J I; Yeager, C M

2017-01-01

Internet and mobile technologies offer potentially critical ways of delivering mental health support in low-resource settings. Much evidence indicates an enormous negative impact of mental health problems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and many of these problems are caused, or worsened, by exposure to wars, conflicts, natural and human-caused disasters, and other traumatic events. Though specific mental health treatments have been found to be efficacious and cost-effective for low-resource settings, most individuals living in these areas do not have access to them. Low-intensity task-sharing interventions will help, but there is a limit to the scalability and sustainability of human resources in these settings. To address the needs of trauma survivors, it will be important to develop and implement Internet and mobile technology resources to help reduce the scarcity, inequity, and inefficiency of current mental health services in LMICs. Mobile and Internet resources are experiencing a rapid growth in LMICs and can help address time, stigma, and cost barriers and connect those who have been socially isolated by traumatic events. This review discusses current research in technological interventions in low-resource settings and outlines key issues and future challenges and opportunities. Though formidable challenges exist for large-scale deployment of mobile and Internet mental health technologies, work to date indicates that these technologies are indeed feasible to develop, evaluate, and deliver to those in need of mental health services, and that they can be effective.

Information Technology and Lifestyle: A Systematic Evaluation of Internet and Mobile Interventions for Improving Diet, Physical Activity, Obesity, Tobacco, and Alcohol Use.

PubMed

Afshin, Ashkan; Babalola, Damilola; Mclean, Mireille; Yu, Zhi; Ma, Wenjie; Chen, Cheng-Yu; Arabi, Mandana; Mozaffarian, Dariush

2016-08-31

Novel interventions are needed to improve lifestyle and prevent noncommunicable diseases, the leading cause of death and disability globally. This study aimed to systematically review, synthesize, and grade scientific evidence on effectiveness of novel information and communication technology to reduce noncommunicable disease risk. We systematically searched PubMed for studies evaluating the effect of Internet, mobile phone, personal sensors, or stand-alone computer software on diet, physical activity, adiposity, tobacco, or alcohol use. We included all interventional and prospective observational studies conducted among generally healthy adults published between January 1990 and November 2013. American Heart Association criteria were used to evaluate and grade the strength of evidence. From 8654 abstracts, 224 relevant reports were identified. Internet and mobile interventions were most common. Internet interventions improved diet (N=20 studies) (Class IIa A), physical activity (N=33), adiposity (N=35), tobacco (N=22), and excess alcohol (N=47) (Class I A each). Mobile interventions improved physical activity (N=6) and adiposity (N=3) (Class I A each). Evidence limitations included relatively brief durations (generally <6 months, nearly always <1 year), heterogeneity in intervention content and intensity, and limited representation from middle/low-income countries. Internet and mobile interventions improve important lifestyle behaviors up to 1 year. This systematic review supports the need for long-term interventions to evaluate sustainability. © 2016 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.

A Framework for Finding and Summarizing Product Defects, and Ranking Helpful Threads from Online Customer Forums through Machine Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jiao, Jian

2013-01-01

The Internet has revolutionized the way users share and acquire knowledge. As important and popular Web-based applications, online discussion forums provide interactive platforms for users to exchange information and report problems. With the rapid growth of social networks and an ever increasing number of Internet users, online forums have…

CAPTCHA: Impact on User Experience of Users with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gafni, Ruti; Nagar, Idan

2016-01-01

CAPTCHA is one of the most common solutions to check if the user trying to enter a Website is a real person or an automated piece of software. This challenge-response test, implemented in many Internet Websites, emphasizes the gaps between accessibility and security on the Internet, as it poses an obstacle for the learning-impaired in the reading…

Searching Online for Information About Vaccination: Assessing the Influence of User-Specific Cognitive Factors Using Eye-Tracking.

PubMed

Kessler, Sabrina Heike; Zillich, Arne Freya

2018-04-20

In Germany, the Internet is gaining increasing importance for laypeople as a source of health information, including information about vaccination. While previous research has focused on the characteristics of online information about vaccination, this study investigated the influence of relevant user-specific cognitive factors on users' search behavior for online information about vaccination. Additionally, it examined how searching online for information about vaccination influences users' attitudes toward vaccination. We conducted an experimental study with 56 undergraduate students from a German university that consisted of a survey and eye-tracking while browsing the Internet, followed by a content analysis of the eye-tracking data. The results show that the users exposed themselves to balanced and diverse online information about vaccination. However, none of the examined cognitive factors (attitude toward vaccination, attitude salience, prior knowledge about vaccination, need for cognition, and cognitive involvement) influenced the amount of time users spent searching the Internet for information about vaccination. Our study was not able to document any effects of attitude-consistent selective exposure to online information about vaccination. In addition, we found no effect on attitude change after having searched the Internet for vaccine-related information. Thus, users' search behavior regarding vaccination seems to be relatively stable.

An intelligent and secure system for predicting and preventing Zika virus outbreak using Fog computing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sareen, Sanjay; Gupta, Sunil Kumar; Sood, Sandeep K.

2017-10-01

Zika virus is a mosquito-borne disease that spreads very quickly in different parts of the world. In this article, we proposed a system to prevent and control the spread of Zika virus disease using integration of Fog computing, cloud computing, mobile phones and the Internet of things (IoT)-based sensor devices. Fog computing is used as an intermediary layer between the cloud and end users to reduce the latency time and extra communication cost that is usually found high in cloud-based systems. A fuzzy k-nearest neighbour is used to diagnose the possibly infected users, and Google map web service is used to provide the geographic positioning system (GPS)-based risk assessment to prevent the outbreak. It is used to represent each Zika virus (ZikaV)-infected user, mosquito-dense sites and breeding sites on the Google map that help the government healthcare authorities to control such risk-prone areas effectively and efficiently. The proposed system is deployed on Amazon EC2 cloud to evaluate its performance and accuracy using data set for 2 million users. Our system provides high accuracy of 94.5% for initial diagnosis of different users according to their symptoms and appropriate GPS-based risk assessment.

A Middleware Solution for Wireless IoT Applications in Sparse Smart Cities

PubMed Central

Lanzone, Stefano; Riberto, Giulio; Stefanelli, Cesare; Tortonesi, Mauro

2017-01-01

The spread of off-the-shelf mobile devices equipped with multiple wireless interfaces together with sophisticated sensors is paving the way to novel wireless Internet of Things (IoT) environments, characterized by multi-hop infrastructure-less wireless networks where devices carried by users act as sensors/actuators as well as network nodes. In particular, the paper presents Real Ad-hoc Multi-hop Peer-to peer-Wireless IoT Application (RAMP-WIA), a novel solution that facilitates the development, deployment, and management of applications in sparse Smart City environments, characterized by users willing to collaborate by allowing new applications to be deployed on their smartphones to remotely monitor and control fixed/mobile devices. RAMP-WIA allows users to dynamically configure single-hop wireless links, to manage opportunistically multi-hop packet dispatching considering that the network topology (together with the availability of sensors and actuators) may abruptly change, to actuate reliably sensor nodes specifically considering that only part of them could be actually reachable in a timely manner, and to upgrade dynamically the nodes through over-the-air distribution of new software components. The paper also reports the performance of RAMP-WIA on simple but realistic cases of small-scale deployment scenarios with off-the-shelf Android smartphones and Raspberry Pi devices; these results show not only the feasibility and soundness of the proposed approach, but also the efficiency of the middleware implemented when deployed on real testbeds. PMID:29099745

A Middleware Solution for Wireless IoT Applications in Sparse Smart Cities.

PubMed

Bellavista, Paolo; Giannelli, Carlo; Lanzone, Stefano; Riberto, Giulio; Stefanelli, Cesare; Tortonesi, Mauro

2017-11-03

The spread of off-the-shelf mobile devices equipped with multiple wireless interfaces together with sophisticated sensors is paving the way to novel wireless Internet of Things (IoT) environments, characterized by multi-hop infrastructure-less wireless networks where devices carried by users act as sensors/actuators as well as network nodes. In particular, the paper presents Real Ad-hoc Multi-hop Peer-to peer-Wireless IoT Application (RAMP-WIA), a novel solution that facilitates the development, deployment, and management of applications in sparse Smart City environments, characterized by users willing to collaborate by allowing new applications to be deployed on their smartphones to remotely monitor and control fixed/mobile devices. RAMP-WIA allows users to dynamically configure single-hop wireless links, to manage opportunistically multi-hop packet dispatching considering that the network topology (together with the availability of sensors and actuators) may abruptly change, to actuate reliably sensor nodes specifically considering that only part of them could be actually reachable in a timely manner, and to upgrade dynamically the nodes through over-the-air distribution of new software components. The paper also reports the performance of RAMP-WIA on simple but realistic cases of small-scale deployment scenarios with off-the-shelf Android smartphones and Raspberry Pi devices; these results show not only the feasibility and soundness of the proposed approach, but also the efficiency of the middleware implemented when deployed on real testbeds.

A Data Encryption Solution for Mobile Health Apps in Cooperation Environments

PubMed Central

Silva, Bruno M; Canelo, Fábio; Lopes, Ivo C; Zhou, Liang

2013-01-01

Background Mobile Health (mHealth) proposes health care delivering anytime and anywhere. It aims to answer several emerging problems in health services, including the increasing number of chronic diseases, high costs on national health services, and the need to provide direct access to health services, regardless of time and place. mHealth systems include the use of mobile devices and apps that interact with patients and caretakers. However, mobile devices present several constraints, such as processor, energy, and storage resource limitations. The constant mobility and often-required Internet connectivity also exposes and compromises the privacy and confidentiality of health information. Objective This paper presents a proposal, construction, performance evaluation, and validation of a data encryption solution for mobile health apps (DE4MHA), considering a novel and early-proposed cooperation strategy. The goal was to present a robust solution based on encryption algorithms that guarantee the best confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity of users health information. In this paper, we presented, explained, evaluated the performance, and discussed the cooperation mechanisms and the proposed encryption solution for mHealth apps. Methods First, we designed and deployed the DE4MHA. Then two studies were performed: (1) study and comparison of symmetric and asymmetric encryption/decryption algorithms in an mHealth app under a cooperation environment, and (2) performance evaluation of the DE4MHA. Its performance was evaluated through a prototype using an mHealth app for obesity prevention and cares, called SapoFit. We then conducted an evaluation study of the mHealth app with cooperation mechanisms and the DE4MHA using real users and a real cooperation scenario. In 5 days, 5 different groups of 7 students selected randomly agreed to use and experiment the SapoFit app using the 7 devices available for trials. Results There were 35 users of SapoFit that participated in this study. The performance evaluation of the app was done using 7 real mobile devices in 5 different days. The results showed that confidentiality and protection of the users’ health information was guaranteed and SapoFit users were able to use the mHealth app with satisfactory quality. Results also showed that the app with the DE4MHA presented nearly the same results as the app without the DE4MHA. The performance evaluation results considered the probability that a request was successfully answered as a function of the number of uncooperative nodes in the network. The service delivery probability decreased with the increase of uncooperative mobile nodes. Using DE4MHA, it was observed that performance presented a slightly worse result. The service average was also slightly worse but practically insignificantly different than with DE4MHA, being considered negligible. Conclusions This paper proposed a data encryption solution for mobile health apps, called DE4MHA. The data encryption algorithm DE4MHA with cooperation mechanisms in mobile health allow users to safely obtain health information with the data being carried securely. These security mechanisms did not deteriorate the overall network performance and the app, maintaining similar performance levels as without the encryption. More importantly, it offers a robust and reliable increase of privacy, confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity of their health information. Although it was experimented on a specific mHealth app, SapoFit, both DE4MHA and the cooperation strategy can be deployed in other mHealth apps. PMID:23624056

Effect of mobile usage on serum melatonin levels among medical students.

PubMed

Shrivastava, Abha; Saxena, Yogesh

2014-01-01

Exposure to extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic radiations from mobile phones may affect the circadian rhythm of melatonin in mobile users. The study was designed with objective to evaluate the influence of mobile phone on circadian rhythm of melatonin and to find the association if any between the hours of mobile usage with serum melatonin levels. All the volunteers medical students using mobiles for > 2 hrs/day were included in high users group and volunteers who used mobile for ≤ 2 hrs where included in low users group. Both high and low users volunteers were sampled three times in the same day (Morning-3-4 am, Noon 1-2 pm, Evening-5-6 pm) for estimation of serum melatonin levels: Comparsion of sernum melatonin levels in high users and low users were done by Mann Whitney "U" Test. Reduced morning melatonin levels (3-4 am) was observed in high users (> 2 hrs/day) i.e high users had a disturbed melatonin circadian rhythm.There was a negative correlation between melatonin secretion and hours of mobile usages.

Mobile Phone and Internet Use Mostly for Sex-Seeking and Associations with Sexually Transmitted Infections and Sample Characteristics among Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino Men who have Sex with Men in Three U.S. Cities

PubMed Central

Allen, Jacob E.; Mansergh, Gordon; Mimiaga, Matthew J.; Holman, Jeremy; Herbst, Jeffrey H.

2017-01-01

Background Men who have sex with men (MSM) have a relatively high prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This study examines the association of self-reported STIs and use of mobile phones and/or computer-based Internet to meet sexual partners among black and Hispanic/Latino MSM in the U.S. Methods Black and Hispanic/Latino MSM (N=853) were recruited from three U.S. cities (Chicago, IL, Kansas City, MO, and Fort Lauderdale, FL) via online and community outreach. Men completed a computer-assisted, self-interview assessment on demographics, use of mobile phones and computer-based Internet for sex-seeking, sexual risk behavior, and self-reported bacterial STIs in the past year. Multivariable logistic regression was used to model independent associations of STIs and use of these technologies to meet sexual partners. Results 23% of the sample reported having an STI in the past year; 29% reported using a mobile phone and 28% a computer-based Internet mostly for sex-seeking; and 22% reported using both. Number of male sexual partners (past year) was associated with any STI (AOR=1.03, 95% CI =1.01–1.06). Adjusting for HIV status, number of male sexual partners (past year), and demographic variables, men who reported use of both mobile phones and computer-based Internet for sex-seeking had increased odds of reporting an STI (AOR=2.59, 95% CI=1.75–3.83), as well as with separate reports of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis (p’s<.05). Conclusions Enhanced community education regarding STI prevention, testing and treatment options are necessary among this subpopulation of MSM, who may benefit from messaging via Internet and mobile phone application sites. PMID:28407644

Mobile Phone and Internet Use Mostly for Sex-Seeking and Associations With Sexually Transmitted Infections and Sample Characteristics Among Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino Men Who Have Sex With Men in 3 US Cities.

PubMed

Allen, Jacob E; Mansergh, Gordon; Mimiaga, Matthew J; Holman, Jeremy; Herbst, Jeffrey H

2017-05-01

Men who have sex with men (MSM) have a relatively high prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This study examines the association of self-reported STIs and use of mobile phones and/or computer-based Internet to meet sexual partners among black and Hispanic/Latino MSM in the United States. Black and Hispanic/Latino MSM (N = 853) were recruited from 3 US cities (Chicago, IL; Kansas City, MO; and Fort Lauderdale, FL) via online and community outreach. Men completed a computer-assisted, self-interview assessment on demographics, use of mobile phones and computer-based Internet for sex-seeking, sexual risk behavior, and self-reported bacterial STIs in the past year. Multivariable logistic regression was used to model independent associations of STIs and use of these technologies to meet sexual partners. Twenty-three percent of the sample reported having an STI in the past year; 29% reported using a mobile phone and 28% a computer-based Internet mostly for sex-seeking; and 22% reported using both. Number of male sexual partners (past year) was associated with any STI (adjusted odds ratio, 1.03; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.06). Adjusting for human immunodeficiency virus status, number of male sexual partners (past year), and demographic variables, men who reported use of both mobile phones and computer-based Internet for sex-seeking had increased odds of reporting an STI (adjusted odds ratio, 2.59; 95% confidence interval, 1.75-3.83), as well as with separate reports of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis (P's < 0.05). Enhanced community education regarding STI prevention, testing, and treatment options are necessary among this subpopulation of MSM who may benefit from messaging via Internet and mobile phone application sites.

Design and architecture of retailapp: an application to support conventional retailers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaya, I.; Tarigan, J. T.; Hardi, S. M.; Nasution, M. K. M.

2018-03-01

Over the last few years, the preference on shopping over internet application, usually called online shopping or e-shopping, has increased significantly. One of the major advantage of online shopping is the capability to use digital content to support the marketing process. Prospective buyers can conveniently browse and look to a certain object and find the information needed with a few clicks. Moreover, the use of multimedia (such as images, sound, and movies) may help prospective buyers to make a decision faster than conventional shopping at retailers. However, shoppers still consider that conventional shopping is the best way to perform shopping due to the ability to make a physical contact to the object. Our objective is to merge these experiences by enabling user to find digital content that relate to nearby retailers. In this research, we built a mobile application that collects data from nearby retailers and shows it to its user. By using this application, it will be easier to users to find the location of the object and to find nearby promotion.

Smart travel guide: from internet image database to intelligent system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chareyron, Ga"l.; Da Rugna, Jérome; Cousin, Saskia

2011-02-01

To help the tourist to discover a city, a region or a park, many options are provided by public tourism travel centers, by free online guides or by dedicated book guides. Nonetheless, these guides provide only mainstream information which are not conform to a particular tourist behavior. On the other hand, we may find several online image databases allowing users to upload their images and to localize each image on a map. These websites are representative of tourism practices and constitute a proxy to analyze tourism flows. Then, this work intends to answer this question: knowing what I have visited and what other people have visited, where should I go now? This process needs to profile users, sites and photos. our paper presents the acquired data and relationship between photographers, sites and photos and introduces the model designed to correctly estimate the site interest of each tourism point. The third part shows an application of our schema: a smart travel guide on geolocated mobile devices. This android application is a travel guide truly matching the user wishes.

Notions of reliability: considering the importance of difference in guiding patients to health care Web sites.

PubMed

Adams, S A; De Bont, A A

2003-01-01

This article analyzes the efforts of three organizations to provide a standard that guides Internet users to reliable health care sites. Comparison of health Internet sites, interviews and document studies. In comparing these approaches, three different constructions of reliability are identified. The resulting possibilities and restrictions of these constructions for users that are searching for health information on the Internet are revealed.

[Regulating the internet: a comparative analysis of Brazil, Chile, Spain, the US, and France].

PubMed

Segurado, Rosemary; Lima, Carolina Silva Mandú de; Ameni, Cauê S

2015-12-01

Global governance is of key concern in the current debate over the workings of the world's computer network, and Brazil has played a notable role in this process, especially after approval of the Marco Civil da Internet (law 12.965, april 23, 2014), which defines Brazil's regulatory framework for the internet. Dubbed the internet bill of rights, this law sets out the principles, guarantees, rights, and duties of internet users and providers in Brazil. Based on the fundamental categories of net neutrality, internet users' right to privacy, and copyright discussions from the perspective of intellectual property, the article offers a comparative analysis of regulations in five countries: Brazil, Chile, Spain, the US, and France.

User Experience Evaluation in the Mobile Context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Obrist, Marianna; Meschtscherjakov, Alexander; Tscheligi, Manfred

Multimedia services on mobile devices are becoming increasingly popular. Whereas the mobile phone is the most likely platform for mobile TV, PDAs, portable game consoles, and music players are attractive alternatives. Mobile TV consumption on mobile phones allows new kinds of user experiences, but it also puts designers and researchers in front of new challenges. On the one hand, designers have to take these novel experience potentials into account. On the other hand, the right methods to collect user feedback to further improve services for the mobile context have to be applied. In this chapter the importance of user experience research for mobile TV within the mobile context is highlighted. We present how different experience levels can be evaluated taking different mobile context categories into account. In particular, we discuss the Experience Sampling Method (ESM), which seems to be a fruitful approach for investigating user TV experiences.

Online Social Engagement by Cancer Patients: A Clinic-Based Patient Survey

PubMed Central

Wallner, Lauren

2016-01-01

Background The Internet is commonly used as a source of health information, but little is known about the Internet practices specific to cancer patients. Objective To understand cancer patients’ use of the Internet as an informational resource and for social support. Methods The researchers conducted a survey of 1282 patients at a comprehensive cancer center to assess frequency of Internet access and online behaviors. Results Of the cancer patients surveyed, 1096 (85.49%) had Internet access; of those with Internet access, 953 (86.95%) reported going online at least weekly, and 747 (68.16%) reported daily online activity. Grouping Internet users by their level of online social engagement revealed that out of 1096 users, 331 (30.20%) had not sought out social connections online, 227 (20.71%) had read about experiences from other cancer patients, 410 (37.41%) had also written about their personal experiences, and 128 (11.68%) had participated in a formal online group for cancer patients. Increased online social engagement was associated with an increased perception that the Internet was useful for social support. Conclusions Internet use among cancer patients was common, and most patients reported that they found useful information about their cancer diagnosis online. Cancer patients who actively posted or shared content perceived more social support from the Internet than those who used the Internet solely as an informational resource or to read about other cancer patients’ experiences. Physicians have a great opportunity to direct users to quality health information on the Web. PMID:28410186

Time Spent on the Internet and Adolescent Blood Pressure.

PubMed

Cassidy-Bushrow, Andrea E; Johnson, Dayna A; Peters, Rosalind M; Burmeister, Charlotte; Joseph, Christine L M

2015-10-01

Internet use is nearly ubiquitous among adolescents. Growing evidence suggests heavy Internet use negatively impacts health, yet the relationship between time spent on the Internet and adolescent blood pressure (BP) is unknown. We examined the association between Internet use and elevated BP in a racially diverse cross-sectional sample of 331 healthy adolescents (ages 14-17 years). Heavy Internet use was defined as ≥ 2 hr/day, moderate use as <2 hr/day and ≥ 5 days/week, and light use as < 2 hr/day and ≤ 4 days/week. Elevated BP was defined as systolic or diastolic BP ≥ 90 th percentile. Heavy Internet users had statistically significantly higher odds of elevated BP compared to light Internet users. School nurses can play an important role in preventing high BP through assessment of BP and other health behaviors including Internet use, and health teaching to individuals, student groups, faculty, and parents to increase awareness of the relationship between Internet use and health. © The Author(s) 2014.

The Impact of Internet Use for Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puspita, R. H.; Rohedi, D.

2018-02-01

Development of Internet technology increasingly modern and sophisticated not only benefit users but also have an effect that is not good for users, especially among students, from a study of 120 students sampled, Internet usage will become addicted and more likely to ha-case negative and less support in learning activities. This is evident from the results of research using the Internet for social media as much as 82 respondents or 68.33% answered always and 50 respondents or 41.67% answered frequently, use for online gaming activity, response of 120 respondents 65 respondents or 54, 17% answered always utilize the internet for online games, 50 respondents or 41.67% answered frequently use the internet for online games, while utilizing the Internet for watch youtube, 56 respondents or 46.67% answered frequently use the Internet to watch youtube and 62 respondents or 51.67% always use the Internet to watch youtube, answers of 120 respondents 41 respondents or 34.17% answered rarely use the Internet to learn and seek information

Feasibility and reliability of a mobile tool to evaluate exposure to tobacco product marketing and messages using ecological momentary assessment.

PubMed

Hébert, Emily T; Vandewater, Elizabeth A; Businelle, Michael S; Harrell, Melissa B; Kelder, Steven H; Perry, Cheryl L

2017-10-01

Existing measures of tobacco marketing and messaging exposure are limited, relying on recall, recognition, or proxy measures. This study aimed to determine the feasibility and reliability of a mobile application for the measurement of tobacco and e-cigarette marketing and message exposure using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Young adults from Austin, TX (n=181, ages 18-29) were instructed to use a mobile application to record all sightings of marketing or social media related to tobacco (including e-cigarettes) in real-time for 28days (Event EMAs). Tobacco product use and recall of message encounters were assessed daily using an app-initiated EMA (Daily EMAs). The mobile app was a feasible and acceptable method to measure exposure to tobacco messages. The majority of messages (45.0%) were seen on the Internet, and many were user-generated. Thirty-day recall of messages at baseline was poorly correlated with messages reported via Event EMA during the study period; however, the correlation between post-study 30-day recall and Event EMA was much stronger (r=0.603 for industry-sponsored messages, r=0.599 for user-generated messages). Correlations between Daily EMAs and 30-day recall of message exposure (baseline and post-study) were small (baseline: r=0.329-0.389) to large (post-study: r=0.656-0.766). These findings suggest that EMA is a feasible and reliable method for measuring tobacco message exposure, especially given the prevalence of messages encountered online and on social media. Recall measures are limited in their ability to accurately represent marketing exposure, but might be improved by a period of priming or clearer response categories. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A New Approach to Predict user Mobility Using Semantic Analysis and Machine Learning.

PubMed

Fernandes, Roshan; D'Souza G L, Rio

2017-10-19

Mobility prediction is a technique in which the future location of a user is identified in a given network. Mobility prediction provides solutions to many day-to-day life problems. It helps in seamless handovers in wireless networks to provide better location based services and to recalculate paths in Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANET). In the present study, a framework is presented which predicts user mobility in presence and absence of mobility history. Naïve Bayesian classification algorithm and Markov Model are used to predict user future location when user mobility history is available. An attempt is made to predict user future location by using Short Message Service (SMS) and instantaneous Geological coordinates in the absence of mobility patterns. The proposed technique compares the performance metrics with commonly used Markov Chain model. From the experimental results it is evident that the techniques used in this work gives better results when considering both spatial and temporal information. The proposed method predicts user's future location in the absence of mobility history quite fairly. The proposed work is applied to predict the mobility of medical rescue vehicles and social security systems.

How to set up a low cost tele-ultrasound capable videoconferencing system with wide applicability

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Worldwide ultrasound equipment accessibility is at an all-time high, as technology improves and costs decrease. Ensuring that patients benefit from more accurate resuscitation and diagnoses from a user-dependent technology, such as ultrasound, requires accurate examination, typically entailing significant training. Remote tele-mentored ultrasound (RTUS) examination is, however, a technique pioneered in space medicine that has increased applicability on earth. We, thus, sought to create and demonstrate a cost-minimal approach and system with potentially global applicability. Methods The cost-minimal RTUS system was constructed by utilizing a standard off-the-shelf laptop computer that connected to the internet through an internal wireless receiver and/or was tethered through a smartphone. A number of portable hand-held ultrasound devices were digitally streamed into the laptop utilizing a video converter. Both the ultrasound video and the output of a head-mounted video camera were transmitted over freely available Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) software to remote experts who could receive and communicate using any mobile device (computer, tablet, or smartphone) that could access secure VOIP transmissions from the internet. Results The RTUS system allowed real-time mentored tele-ultrasound to be conducted from a variety of settings that were inside buildings, outside on mountainsides, and even within aircraft in flight all unified by the simple capability of receiving and transmitting VOIP transmissions. . Numerous types of ultrasound examinations were conducted such as abdominal and thoracic examinations with a variety of users mentored who had previous skills ranging from none to expert. Internet connectivity was rarely a limiting factor, with competing logistical and scheduling demands of the participants predominating. Conclusions RTUS examinations can educate and guide point of care clinical providers to enhance their use of ultrasound. The scope of the examinations conducted is limited only by the time available and the criticality of the subject being examined. As internet connectivity will only improve worldwide, future developments need to focus on the human factors to optimize tele-sonographic interactions. PMID:22871099

Imagining the Digital Library in a Commercialized Internet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heckart, Ronald J.

1999-01-01

Discusses digital library planning in light of Internet commerce and technological innovation in marketing and customer relations that are transforming user expectations about Web sites that offer products and services. Topics include user self-sufficiency; personalized service; artificial intelligence; collaborative filtering; and electronic…

Insecurity on the Net.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brandt, D. Scott

1998-01-01

Examines Internet security risks and how users can protect themselves. Discusses inadvertent bugs in software; programming problems with Common Gateway Interface (CGI); viruses; tracking of Web users; and preventing access to selected Web pages and filtering software. A glossary of Internet security-related terms is included. (AEF)

Hybrid evolutionary computing model for mobile agents of wireless Internet multimedia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hortos, William S.

2001-03-01

The ecosystem is used as an evolutionary paradigm of natural laws for the distributed information retrieval via mobile agents to allow the computational load to be added to server nodes of wireless networks, while reducing the traffic on communication links. Based on the Food Web model, a set of computational rules of natural balance form the outer stage to control the evolution of mobile agents providing multimedia services with a wireless Internet protocol WIP. The evolutionary model shows how mobile agents should behave with the WIP, in particular, how mobile agents can cooperate, compete and learn from each other, based on an underlying competition for radio network resources to establish the wireless connections to support the quality of service QoS of user requests. Mobile agents are also allowed to clone themselves, propagate and communicate with other agents. A two-layer model is proposed for agent evolution: the outer layer is based on the law of natural balancing, the inner layer is based on a discrete version of a Kohonen self-organizing feature map SOFM to distribute network resources to meet QoS requirements. The former is embedded in the higher OSI layers of the WIP, while the latter is used in the resource management procedures of Layer 2 and 3 of the protocol. Algorithms for the distributed computation of mobile agent evolutionary behavior are developed by adding a learning state to the agent evolution state diagram. When an agent is in an indeterminate state, it can communicate to other agents. Computing models can be replicated from other agents. Then the agents transitions to the mutating state to wait for a new information-retrieval goal. When a wireless terminal or station lacks a network resource, an agent in the suspending state can change its policy to submit to the environment before it transitions to the searching state. The agents learn the facts of agent state information entered into an external database. In the cloning process, two agents on a host station sharing a common goal can be merged or married to compose a new agent. Application of the two-layer set of algorithms for mobile agent evolution, performed in a distributed processing environment, is made to the QoS management functions of the IP multimedia IM sub-network of the third generation 3G Wideband Code-division Multiple Access W-CDMA wireless network.

Using Smartphones and Health Apps to Change and Manage Health Behaviors: A Population-Based Survey.

PubMed

Ernsting, Clemens; Dombrowski, Stephan U; Oedekoven, Monika; O Sullivan, Julie L; Kanzler, Melanie; Kuhlmey, Adelheid; Gellert, Paul

2017-04-05

Chronic conditions are an increasing challenge for individuals and the health care system. Smartphones and health apps are potentially promising tools to change health-related behaviors and manage chronic conditions. The aim of this study was to explore (1) the extent of smartphone and health app use, (2) sociodemographic, medical, and behavioral correlates of smartphone and health app use, and (3) associations of the use of apps and app characteristics with actual health behaviors. A population-based survey (N=4144) among Germans, aged 35 years and older, was conducted. Sociodemographics, presence of chronic conditions, health behaviors, quality of life, and health literacy, as well as the use of the Internet, smartphone, and health apps were assessed by questionnaire at home visit. Binary logistic regression models were applied. It was found that 61.25% (2538/4144) of participants used a smartphone. Compared with nonusers, smartphone users were younger, did more research on the Internet, were more likely to work full-time and more likely to have a university degree, engaged more in physical activity, and less in low fat diet, and had a higher health-related quality of life and health literacy. Among smartphone users, 20.53% (521/2538) used health apps. App users were younger, less likely to be native German speakers, did more research on the Internet, were more likely to report chronic conditions, engaged more in physical activity, and low fat diet, and were more health literate compared with nonusers who had a smartphone. Health apps focused on smoking cessation (232/521, 44.5%), healthy diet (201/521, 38.6%), and weight loss (121/521, 23.2%). The most common app characteristics were planning (264/521, 50.7%), reminding (188/521, 36.1%), prompting motivation (179/521 34.4%), and the provision of information (175/521, 33.6%). Significant associations were found between planning and the health behavior physical activity, between feedback or monitoring and physical activity, and between feedback or monitoring and adherence to doctor's advice. Although there were many smartphone and health app users, a substantial proportion of the population was not engaged. Findings suggest age-related, socioeconomic-related, literacy-related, and health-related disparities in the use of mobile technologies. Health app use may reflect a user's motivation to change or maintain health behaviors. App developers and researchers should take account of the needs of older people, people with low health literacy, and chronic conditions. ©Clemens Ernsting, Stephan U Dombrowski, Monika Oedekoven, Julie L O´Sullivan, Melanie Kanzler, Adelheid Kuhlmey, Paul Gellert. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 05.04.2017.

Assessing the quality of open spatial data for mobile location-based services research and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciepłuch, C.; Mooney, P.; Jacob, R.; Zheng, J.; Winstanely, A. C.

2011-12-01

New trends in GIS such as Volunteered Geographical Information (VGI), Citizen Science, and Urban Sensing, have changed the shape of the geoinformatics landscape. The OpenStreetMap (OSM) project provided us with an exciting, evolving, free and open solution as a base dataset for our geoserver and spatial data provider for our research. OSM is probably the best known and best supported example of VGI and user generated spatial content on the Internet. In this paper we will describe current results from the development of quality indicators for measures for OSM data. Initially we have analysed the Ireland OSM data in grid cells (5km) to gather statistical data about the completeness, accuracy, and fitness for purpose of the underlying spatial data. This analysis included: density of user contributions, spatial density of points and polygons, types of tags and metadata used, dominant contributors in a particular area or for a particular geographic feature type, etc. There greatest OSM activity and spatial data density is highly correlated with centres of large population. The ability to quantify and assess if VGI, such as OSM, is of sufficient quality for mobile mapping applications and Location-based services is critical to the future success of VGI as a spatial data source for these technologies.

Developing framework for agent- based diabetes disease management system: user perspective.

PubMed

Mohammadzadeh, Niloofar; Safdari, Reza; Rahimi, Azin

2014-02-01

One of the characteristics of agents is mobility which makes them very suitable for remote electronic health and tele medicine. The aim of this study is developing a framework for agent based diabetes information management at national level through identifying required agents. The main tool is a questioner that is designed in three sections based on studying library resources, performance of major organizations in the field of diabetes in and out of the country and interviews with experts in the medical, health information management and software fields. Questionnaires based on Delphi methods were distributed among 20 experts. In order to design and identify agents required in health information management for the prevention and appropriate and rapid treatment of diabetes, the results were analyzed using SPSS 17 and Results were plotted with FREEPLANE mind map software. ACCESS TO DATA TECHNOLOGY IN PROPOSED FRAMEWORK IN ORDER OF PRIORITY IS: mobile (mean 1/80), SMS, EMAIL (mean 2/80), internet, web (mean 3/30), phone (mean 3/60), WIFI (mean 4/60). In delivering health care to diabetic patients, considering social and human aspects is essential. Having a systematic view for implementation of agent systems and paying attention to all aspects such as feedbacks, user acceptance, budget, motivation, hierarchy, useful standards, affordability of individuals, identifying barriers and opportunities and so on, are necessary.

Structural analysis of behavioral networks from the Internet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meiss, M. R.; Menczer, F.; Vespignani, A.

2008-06-01

In spite of the Internet's phenomenal growth and social impact, many aspects of the collective communication behavior of its users are largely unknown. Understanding the structure and dynamics of the behavioral networks that connect users with each other and with services across the Internet is key to modeling the network and designing future applications. We present a characterization of the properties of the behavioral networks generated by several million users of the Abilene (Internet2) network. Structural features of these networks offer new insights into scaling properties of network activity and ways of distinguishing particular patterns of traffic. For example, we find that the structure of the behavioral network associated with Web activity is characterized by such extreme heterogeneity as to challenge any simple attempt to model Web server traffic.

Identification of general characteristics, motivation, and satisfaction of internet-based medical consultation service users in Croatia

PubMed Central

Klinar, Ivana; Balažin, Ana; Baršić, Bruno; Tiljak, Hrvoje

2011-01-01

Aim To identify users’ reasons to look for physician consultation on the internet instead of visiting a physician and to explore their general characteristics, motivation, and satisfaction with internet medical consultation service ‘Your Questions.’ Methods Users of a free internet medical consultation service ‘Your Questions’ (www.plivazdravlje.hr) were invited to participate in a web-based survey designed to explore their general characteristics (age, sex, etc), reasons for using the service, the nature of their health problem or question, and their satisfaction with the service. Respondents were divided into two groups: users who consulted an internet physician only (Group I) and users who used internet consulting before or after visiting a physician (Group II). Results The response rate was 38% (1036/2747), with 79% female respondents. A fifth of the respondents (21%) consulted an internet physician only (Group I). Multivariate analysis revealed that the respondents in Group I were younger (median 24 vs 28 years in Group II), more interested into questions about pregnancy (odds ratio [OR], 1.984; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.203-3.272), more often embarrassed to talk to a physician in person (OR, 1.828; 95% CI, 1.119-2.989), and more motivated to protect their privacy (OR, 1.727; 95% CI, 1.252-2.380). They also had greater satisfaction with the service (77% vs 60%, P < 0.001). Conclusion The factors associated with the use of internet-based medical consultation services were younger age, need for privacy protection, avoidance of embarrassment at the physician’s office, and having a question related to pregnancy. This reveals the internet medical consultation service as a useful health promotion supplement that is particularly applicable for the population of young adults. PMID:21853551

Mobile: Letting Go of the Device and Building for Innovation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Jim; Rocchio, Rosemary A.

2011-01-01

Mobile use of the Internet is on target to surpass fixed use by 2014. Three-fourths of all college/university students have purchased or intend to purchase an Internet-enabled handheld device within the next year. The smartphone market is changing almost monthly. Attempting to manage even just one or a few "devices" is becoming a lost…

Architectural and Mobility Management Designs in Internet-Based Infrastructure Wireless Mesh Networks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhao, Weiyi

2011-01-01

Wireless mesh networks (WMNs) have recently emerged to be a cost-effective solution to support large-scale wireless Internet access. They have numerous applications, such as broadband Internet access, building automation, and intelligent transportation systems. One research challenge for Internet-based WMNs is to design efficient mobility…

Internet Addiction in Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rebisz, Slawomir; Sikora, Ilona

2016-01-01

The possibilities offered by the use of the Internet increasingly intensify the problem of Internet addiction, which has become more prevalent in the last decade, marked by the growing availability of mobile devices and new media and their exacerbation of the problem. Research on Internet addiction, initiated by Kimberly Young at the end of the…

The Impact of Suicidality-Related Internet Use: A Prospective Large Cohort Study with Young and Middle-Aged Internet Users

PubMed Central

Sueki, Hajime; Yonemoto, Naohiro; Takeshima, Tadashi; Inagaki, Masatoshi

2014-01-01

Background There has been no study that has allowed clear conclusions about the impact of suicide-related or mental health consultation-related internet use. Aim To investigate the impacts of suicide-related or mental health consultation-related internet use. Methods We conducted prospective observational longitudinal study with data collection at baseline screening (T0), 1 week after T0 (T1) and 7 weeks after T0 (T2). Participants with a stratified random sampling from 744,806 internet users were 20–49 years of age who employed the internet for suicide-related or mental health consultation-related reasons and internet users who did not. The main outcome was suicidal ideation. Secondary outcome measures comprised hopelessness, depression/anxiety, and loneliness. Results The internet users who had employed the internet for suicide-related or mental health consultation-related reasons at T0 (n = 2813), compared with those who had not (n = 2682), showed a significant increase in suicidal ideation (β = 0.38, 95%CI: 0.20–0.55) and depression/anxiety (β = 0.37, 95%CI: 0.12–0.61) from T1 to T2. Those who disclosed their own suicidal ideation and browsed for information about suicide methods on the web showed increased suicidal ideation (β = 0.55, 95%CI: 0.23–0.88; β = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.26–0.63, respectively). Although mental health consultation with an anonymous other online did not increase suicidal ideation, increased depression/anxiety was observed (β = 0.34, 95%CI: −0.03–0.71). Conclusions An increased suicidal ideation was observed in the young and middle-aged who employed the internet for suicide-related or mental health consultation-related reasons. Mental health consultation via the internet was not useful, but those who did so showed worsened depression/anxiety. PMID:24740115

The impact of suicidality-related internet use: a prospective large cohort study with young and middle-aged internet users.

PubMed

Sueki, Hajime; Yonemoto, Naohiro; Takeshima, Tadashi; Inagaki, Masatoshi

2014-01-01

There has been no study that has allowed clear conclusions about the impact of suicide-related or mental health consultation-related internet use. To investigate the impacts of suicide-related or mental health consultation-related internet use. We conducted prospective observational longitudinal study with data collection at baseline screening (T0), 1 week after T0 (T1) and 7 weeks after T0 (T2). Participants with a stratified random sampling from 744,806 internet users were 20-49 years of age who employed the internet for suicide-related or mental health consultation-related reasons and internet users who did not. The main outcome was suicidal ideation. Secondary outcome measures comprised hopelessness, depression/anxiety, and loneliness. The internet users who had employed the internet for suicide-related or mental health consultation-related reasons at T0 (n = 2813), compared with those who had not (n = 2682), showed a significant increase in suicidal ideation (β = 0.38, 95%CI: 0.20-0.55) and depression/anxiety (β = 0.37, 95%CI: 0.12-0.61) from T1 to T2. Those who disclosed their own suicidal ideation and browsed for information about suicide methods on the web showed increased suicidal ideation (β = 0.55, 95%CI: 0.23-0.88; β = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.26-0.63, respectively). Although mental health consultation with an anonymous other online did not increase suicidal ideation, increased depression/anxiety was observed (β = 0.34, 95%CI: -0.03-0.71). An increased suicidal ideation was observed in the young and middle-aged who employed the internet for suicide-related or mental health consultation-related reasons. Mental health consultation via the internet was not useful, but those who did so showed worsened depression/anxiety.

Frequency of In-Home Internet Use Among Prekidney and Postkidney Transplant Patients-Facilitators and Barriers to Use and Trends Over Time.

PubMed

Lockwood, Mark B; Dunn-Lopez, Karen; Burke, Larisa; Becker, Yolanda T; Saunders, Milda

2017-11-01

As health-related communications become digitized, strategies to increase adoption of these Web-based platforms are needed. The purpose of this study was to assess facilitators and barriers to in-home Internet use among prekidney and postkidney transplant patients. A single center, cross-sectional survey of 240 consecutive patients of all levels of technological proficiency who presented to an urban transplant center in the United States. The Patient Information and Technology Assessment consists of 6 demographic questions, 3 disease-related questions, and 8 technology-related questions. Much of the sample was African American, male with a mean age of 51 years, and median income of $53 800/year. Logistic regression analysis was undertaken, and after adjusting for covariates, we found Smartphone ownership (odds ratio [OR], 4.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.32-10.52), a higher number of Internet users in the home (OR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.11-3.62), and having college education and beyond (OR, 4.88; 95% CI, 2.03-11.74) increased the likelihood of being a frequent Internet user. African American or Hispanic/Latino patients were less likely to be frequent Internet users compared with white patients (OR, 0.26 and 0.24, respectively, compared with whites, all P < 0.05). As the total number of people in the household increased, frequent Internet use decreased (OR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.29-0.92). As age increased, reports of frequent Internet use decreased. Lower rates of Internet use among African Americans and Hispanic/Latinos in urban areas in the United States remains a problem despite a significant increase in access to the Internet and Smartphone ownership. The finding that Internet use increases as the number of Internet users in the household increases indicates that leveraging the patient's social support network and/or the development of patient information champion programs may aid with patient's adoption of health technology and patient engagement in self-care.

Real People Don't Do Boolean: How To Teach End Users To Find High-Quality Information on the Internet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vine, Rita

2001-01-01

Explains how to train users in effective Web searching. Discusses challenges of teaching Web information retrieval; a framework for information searching; choosing the right search tools for users; the seven-step lesson planning process; tips for delivering group Internet training; and things that help people work faster and smarter on the Web.…

Internet-based interface for STRMDEPL08

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reeves, Howard W.; Asher, A. Jeremiah

2010-01-01

The core of the computer program STRMDEPL08 that estimates streamflow depletion by a pumping well with one of four analytical solutions was re-written in the Javascript software language and made available through an internet-based interface (web page). In the internet-based interface, the user enters data for one of the four analytical solutions, Glover and Balmer (1954), Hantush (1965), Hunt (1999), and Hunt (2003), and the solution is run for constant pumping for a desired number of simulation days. Results are returned in tabular form to the user. For intermittent pumping, the interface allows the user to request that the header information for an input file for the stand-alone executable STRMDEPL08 be created. The user would add the pumping information to this header information and run the STRMDEPL08 executable that is available for download through the U.S. Geological Survey. Results for the internet-based and stand-alone versions of STRMDEPL08 are shown to match.

Excessive internet use in European adolescents: what determines differences in severity?

PubMed

Blinka, Lukas; Škařupová, Kateřina; Ševčíková, Anna; Wölfling, Klaus; Müller, Kai W; Dreier, Michael

2015-02-01

This study investigated the differences between non-excessive, moderately excessive, and highly excessive internet use among adolescents. These differences were explored in terms of personal characteristics, psychological difficulties, environmental factors, and manner of internet use. A representative sample was investigated, consisting of 18,709 adolescents aged 11-16 and their parents, from 25 European countries. Excessive internet use was measured using a five item scale covering following factors: salience, conflict, tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, and relapse and reinstatement. The main data analysis utilised multinomial and binary logistic regression models. The vast majority of respondents reported no signs of excessive internet use. Moderately excessive users (4.4%) reported higher emotional and behavioural difficulties, but also more sophisticated digital skills and a broader range of online activities. The highly excessive users (1.4%) differed from the non-excessive and moderately excessive users in their preference for online games and in having more difficulties with self-control. Adolescents who struggle with attention and self-control and who are inclined toward online gaming may be especially vulnerable to the otherwise uncommon phenomenon of excessive internet use.

Impact of Predicting Health Care Utilization Via Web Search Behavior: A Data-Driven Analysis.

PubMed

Agarwal, Vibhu; Zhang, Liangliang; Zhu, Josh; Fang, Shiyuan; Cheng, Tim; Hong, Chloe; Shah, Nigam H

2016-09-21

By recent estimates, the steady rise in health care costs has deprived more than 45 million Americans of health care services and has encouraged health care providers to better understand the key drivers of health care utilization from a population health management perspective. Prior studies suggest the feasibility of mining population-level patterns of health care resource utilization from observational analysis of Internet search logs; however, the utility of the endeavor to the various stakeholders in a health ecosystem remains unclear. The aim was to carry out a closed-loop evaluation of the utility of health care use predictions using the conversion rates of advertisements that were displayed to the predicted future utilizers as a surrogate. The statistical models to predict the probability of user's future visit to a medical facility were built using effective predictors of health care resource utilization, extracted from a deidentified dataset of geotagged mobile Internet search logs representing searches made by users of the Baidu search engine between March 2015 and May 2015. We inferred presence within the geofence of a medical facility from location and duration information from users' search logs and putatively assigned medical facility visit labels to qualifying search logs. We constructed a matrix of general, semantic, and location-based features from search logs of users that had 42 or more search days preceding a medical facility visit as well as from search logs of users that had no medical visits and trained statistical learners for predicting future medical visits. We then carried out a closed-loop evaluation of the utility of health care use predictions using the show conversion rates of advertisements displayed to the predicted future utilizers. In the context of behaviorally targeted advertising, wherein health care providers are interested in minimizing their cost per conversion, the association between show conversion rate and predicted utilization score, served as a surrogate measure of the model's utility. We obtained the highest area under the curve (0.796) in medical visit prediction with our random forests model and daywise features. Ablating feature categories one at a time showed that the model performance worsened the most when location features were dropped. An online evaluation in which advertisements were served to users who had a high predicted probability of a future medical visit showed a 3.96% increase in the show conversion rate. Results from our experiments done in a research setting suggest that it is possible to accurately predict future patient visits from geotagged mobile search logs. Results from the offline and online experiments on the utility of health utilization predictions suggest that such prediction can have utility for health care providers.

Factors associated with patterns of mobile technology use among persons who inject drugs.

PubMed

Collins, Kelly M; Armenta, Richard F; Cuevas-Mota, Jazmine; Liu, Lin; Strathdee, Steffanie A; Garfein, Richard S

2016-01-01

New and innovative methods of delivering interventions are needed to further reduce risky behaviors and increase overall health among persons who inject drugs (PWID). Mobile health (mHealth) interventions have potential for reaching PWID; however, little is known about mobile technology use (MTU) in this population. In this study, the authors identify patterns of MTU and identified factors associated with MTU among a cohort of PWID. Data were collected through a longitudinal cohort study examining drug use, risk behaviors, and health status among PWID in San Diego, California. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to define patterns of MTU (i.e., making voice calls, text messaging, and mobile Internet access). Multinomial logistic regression was then used to identify demographic characteristics, risk behaviors, and health indicators associated with mobile technology use class. In LCA, a 4-class solution fit the data best. Class 1 was defined by low MTU (22%, n = 100); class 2, by PWID who accessed the Internet using a mobile device but did not use voice or text messaging (20%, n = 95); class 3, by primarily voice, text, and connected Internet use (17%, n = 91); and class 4, by high MTU (41%, n = 175). Compared with low MTU, high MTU class members were more likely to be younger, have higher socioeconomic status, sell drugs, and inject methamphetamine daily. The majority of PWID in San Diego use mobile technology for voice, text, and/or Internet access, indicating that rapid uptake of mHealth interventions may be possible in this population. However, low ownership and use of mobile technology among older and/or homeless individuals will need to be considered when implementing mHealth interventions among PWID.

Problematic Use of the Internet and Smartphones in University Students: 2006–2017

PubMed Central

Rodrigo, Beatriz; Prades, Mariona

2018-01-01

It has been more than a decade since a concern about the addictive use of the Internet and mobile phones was first expressed, and its possible inclusion into the lists of mental disorders has recently become a popular topic of scientific discussion. Thus, it seems to be a fitting moment to investigate the prevalence of this issue over time. The aim of the present study was to analyze the prevalence of the perception of problematic Internet and smartphone use in young people over the period 2006–2017. To this end, a questionnaire on Internet use habits and two questionnaires on the negative consequences of Internet and smartphone use were administered to a sample of 792 university students. The scores were then compared with the results of former studies that had used these questionnaires. The perception of problematic Internet and mobile phone use has increased over the last decade, social networks are considered responsible for this increase, and females are perceived to be more affected than males. The current study shows how strong smartphone and Internet addiction and social media overlap. Participants from 2017 report higher negative consequences of both Internet and mobile phone use than those from 2006, but long-term observations show a decrease in problematic use after a sharp increase in 2013. We conclude that the diagnosis of technological addictions is influenced by both time and social and culture changes. PMID:29518050

Adult recall of tobacco advertising on the Internet.

PubMed

Hrywna, Mary; Delnevo, Cristine D; Lewis, M Jane

2007-11-01

This study examined the prevalence and characteristics of New Jersey adults who reported seeing tobacco products advertised on the Internet and described the means by which these products were advertised. Data were analyzed from the New Jersey Adult Tobacco Survey (NJATS), a repeated, cross-sectional, random-digit-dial telephone survey conducted with a statewide representative sample. We used logistic regression to determine factors associated with recall of tobacco Internet advertising, adjusting for demographics, smoking behavior variables, and receipt of tobacco industry direct mail. Participants included 3,930 adults who completed the 2001 NJATS, 4,004 adults who completed the 2002 survey, and 3,062 adults who completed the 2005 survey. The proportion of adult Internet users reporting exposure to tobacco product advertising on the Internet has increased each year (6.9% in 2001, 15.6% in 2002, 17.8% in 2005). Based on 2005 data, recall of tobacco product advertising on the Internet was higher among males young adults aged 18-24 years, Asians, adults who reported receipt of direct mail advertising, and adults with a postcollege education. In addition, adult Internet users most often reported seeing tobacco products advertised on the Internet via pop-up or banner ads (60.7%), followed by E-mail messages (24.6%), and Web sites (14.9%). Recall of tobacco advertising by Internet users increased between 2001 and 2005 and was particularly high among certain subgroups. An urgent need exists for expanded surveillance of Internet tobacco sales and marketing practices.

Do We Really Have an Internet Problem? Statistics, Credibility and Issues Concerning Public Internet Access in Academic Libraries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cubbage, Charlotte

2002-01-01

Discusses problems with patron Internet access in academic libraries and describes a study conducted at Northwestern University (Illinois) that used Internet tracking software to assess user Internet behavior. Topics include Internet use policies; pornography; and loss of control over library services and information content that is provided. (LRW)

"On the Internet no one knows I'm an introvert": extroversion, neuroticism, and Internet interaction.

PubMed

Amichai-Hamburger, Yair; Wainapel, Galit; Fox, Shaul

2002-04-01

Social communication is one of the most common reasons for using the Internet. This paper examines how the personality characteristics of the user affect the meaning and importance of Internet social interaction in comparison with "real life," face-to-face interactions. Forty subjects all of whom were familiar with using "chat" participated in this study. After a at" session, they were instructed to answer several questionnaires. It was found that introverted and neurotic people locate their "real me" on the Internet, while extroverts and nonneurotic people locate their "real me" through traditional social interaction. The implications of our results for understanding the user-net interaction, the "real-me" location, extroversion, neuroticism, and Internet interaction, and the treatment of social phobics are examined.

Technology Use and Sleep Quality in Preadolescence and Adolescence

PubMed Central

Bruni, Oliviero; Sette, Stefania; Fontanesi, Lilybeth; Baiocco, Roberto; Laghi, Fiorenzo; Baumgartner, Emma

2015-01-01

Study Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyze differences between preadolescents and adolescents on the use of technology and to test the contribution of using Internet and mobile phone, and circadian preference on sleep quality. Methods: We recruited a sample of 850 (364 males) preadolescents and adolescents. Self-report questionnaires about sleep schedule, sleep wake behavior problems, circadian preferences, and the use of technology (e.g., Internet and mobile phone) were administered. Students were asked to fill out the School Sleep Habits Survey, a self-report questionnaire on the use of technology, the Mobile Phone Involvement Questionnaire (MPIQ), and the Shorter Promis Questionnaire (SPQ). Results: Adolescents reported more sleep problems, a tendency toward eveningness, and an increase of Internet and phone activities, as well as social network activities, while preadolescents were more involved in gaming console and television viewing. The regression analysis performed separately in the two age groups showed that sleep quality was affected by the circadian preference (eveningness) in both groups. Adolescents' bad sleep quality was consistently associated with the mobile phone use and number of devices in the bedroom, while in preadolescents, with Internet use and turning-off time. Conclusions: The evening circadian preference, mobile phone and Internet use, numbers of other activities after 21:00, late turning off time, and number of devices in the bedroom have different negative influence on sleep quality in preadolescents and adolescents. Citation: Bruni O, Sette S, Fontanesi L, Baiocco R, Laghi F, Baumgartner E. Technology use and sleep quality in preadolescence and adolescence. J Clin Sleep Med 2015;11(12):1433–1441. PMID:26235161

Assessing mobile health applications with twitter analytics.

PubMed

Pai, Rajesh R; Alathur, Sreejith

2018-05-01

Advancement in the field of information technology and rise in the use of Internet has changed the lives of people by enabling various services online. In recent times, healthcare sector which faces its service delivery challenges started promoting and using mobile health applications with the intention of cutting down the cost making it accessible and affordable to the people. The objective of the study is to perform sentiment analysis using the Twitter data which measures the perception and use of various mobile health applications among the citizens. The methodology followed in this research is qualitative with the data extracted from a social networking site "Twitter" through a tool RStudio. This tool with the help of Twitter Application Programming Interface requested one thousand tweets each for four different phrases of mobile health applications (apps) such as "fitness app", "diabetes app", "meditation app", and "cancer app". Depending on the tweets, sentiment analysis was carried out, and its polarity and emotions were measured. Except for cancer app there exists a positive polarity towards the fitness, diabetes, and meditation apps among the users. Following a system thinking approach for our results, this paper also explains the causal relationships between the accessibility and acceptability of mobile health applications which helps the healthcare facility and the application developers in understanding and analyzing the dynamics involved the adopting a new system or modifying an existing one. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

TOXBASE: Poisons information on the internet

PubMed Central

Bateman, D; Good, A; Laing, W; Kelly, C

2002-01-01

Objectives: To assess the uptake, usage and acceptability of TOXBASE, the National Poisons Information Service internet toxicology information service. Methods: An observational study of database usage, and a questionnaire of users were undertaken involving users of TOXBASE within the UK between August 1999, when the internet site was launched, and May 2000. The main outcome measures were numbers of registered users, usage patterns on the database, responses to user satisfaction questionnaire. Results: The number of registered users increased from 567 to 1500. There was a 68% increase in accident and emergency departments registered, a 159% increase in general practitioners, but a 324% increase in other hospital departments. Between January 2000 and the end of May there had been 60 281 accesses to the product database, the most frequent to the paracetamol entry (7291 accesses). Ecstasy was the seventh most frequent entry accessed. Altogether 165 of 330 questionnaires were returned. The majority came from accident and emergency departments, the major users of the system. Users were generally well (>95%) satisfied with ease and speed of access. A number of suggestions for improvements were put forward. Conclusions: TOXBASE has been extensively accessed since being placed on the internet (http://www.spib.axl.co.uk). The pattern of enquiries mirrors clinical presentation with poisoning. The system seems to be easily used. It is a model for future delivery of treatment guidelines at the point of patient care. PMID:11777868

Adaptation of the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q) to Spanish in a sample of adolescents.

PubMed

González-Cabrera, Joaquín; León-Mejía, Ana; Pérez-Sancho, Carlota; Calvete, Esther

2017-07-01

Nomophobia is the fear of being out of mobile phone contact. People suffering from this anxiety disorder have feelings of stress and nervousness when access to their mobiles or computers is not possible. This work is an adaptation and validation study of the Spanish version of the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q). The study included 306 students (46.1% males and 53.9% females) with ages ranging 13 to 19 years (Md=15.41±1.22). Exploratory factor analysis revealed four dimensions that accounted for 64.4% of total variance. The ordinal α-value was 0.95, ranging from 0.75 to 0.92 across factors. Measure of stability was calculated by the testretest method (r=0.823). Indicators of convergence with the Spanish versions of the “Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale” (r=0.654) and the “Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale” (r=0.531) were identified. Problematic mobile phone use patterns were examined taking the 15P, 80P and 95P percentiles as cut-off points. Scores of 39, 87 and 116 on NMP-Q corresponded to occasional, at-risk and problematic users, respectively. Psychometric analysis shows that the Spanish version of the NMP-Q is a valid and reliable tool for the study of nomophobia.

Unsupervised user similarity mining in GSM sensor networks.

PubMed

Shad, Shafqat Ali; Chen, Enhong

2013-01-01

Mobility data has attracted the researchers for the past few years because of its rich context and spatiotemporal nature, where this information can be used for potential applications like early warning system, route prediction, traffic management, advertisement, social networking, and community finding. All the mentioned applications are based on mobility profile building and user trend analysis, where mobility profile building is done through significant places extraction, user's actual movement prediction, and context awareness. However, significant places extraction and user's actual movement prediction for mobility profile building are a trivial task. In this paper, we present the user similarity mining-based methodology through user mobility profile building by using the semantic tagging information provided by user and basic GSM network architecture properties based on unsupervised clustering approach. As the mobility information is in low-level raw form, our proposed methodology successfully converts it to a high-level meaningful information by using the cell-Id location information rather than previously used location capturing methods like GPS, Infrared, and Wifi for profile mining and user similarity mining.

SmallTool - a toolkit for realizing shared virtual environments on the Internet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Broll, Wolfgang

1998-09-01

With increasing graphics capabilities of computers and higher network communication speed, networked virtual environments have become available to a large number of people. While the virtual reality modelling language (VRML) provides users with the ability to exchange 3D data, there is still a lack of appropriate support to realize large-scale multi-user applications on the Internet. In this paper we will present SmallTool, a toolkit to support shared virtual environments on the Internet. The toolkit consists of a VRML-based parsing and rendering library, a device library, and a network library. This paper will focus on the networking architecture, provided by the network library - the distributed worlds transfer and communication protocol (DWTP). DWTP provides an application-independent network architecture to support large-scale multi-user environments on the Internet.

The Digital Divide and Health Disparities in China: Evidence From a National Survey and Policy Implications.

PubMed

Hong, Y Alicia; Zhou, Zi; Fang, Ya; Shi, Leiyu

2017-09-11

The digital divide persists despite broad accessibility of mobile tools. The relationship between the digital divide and health disparities reflects social status in terms of access to resources and health outcomes; however, data on this relationship are limited from developing countries such as China. The aim of this study was to examine the current rates of access to mobile tools (Internet use and mobile phone ownership) among older Chinese individuals (aged ≥45 years), the predictors of access at individual and community levels, and the relationship between access to mobile tools and health outcomes. We drew cross-sectional data from a national representative survey, the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), which focused on the older population (aged ≥45 years). We used two-level mixed logistic regression models, controlling for unobserved heterogeneity at the community and individual levels for data analysis. In addition to individual-level socioeconomic status (SES), we included community-level resources such as neighborhood amenities, health care facilities, and community organizations. Health outcomes were measured by self-reported health and absence of disability based on validated scales. Among the 18,215 participants, 6.51% had used the Internet in the past month, and 83% owned a mobile phone. In the multivariate models, Internet use was strongly associated with SES, rural or urban residence, neighborhood amenities, community resources, and geographic region. Mobile phone ownership was strongly associated with SES and rural/urban residence but not so much with neighborhood amenities and community resources. Internet use was a significant predictor of self-reported health status, and mobile phone ownership was significantly associated with having disability even after controlling for potential confounders at the individual and community levels. This study is one of the first to examine digital divide and its relationship with health disparities in China. The data showed a significant digital divide in China, especially in the older population. Internet access is still limited to people with higher SES; however, the mobile phone has been adopted by the general population. The digital divide is associated with not only individual SES but also community resources. Future electronic health (eHealth) programs need to consider the accessibility of mobile tools and develop culturally appropriate programs for various social groups. ©Y Alicia Hong, Zi Zhou, Ya Fang, Leiyu Shi. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 11.09.2017.

Internet-Based Resources for Disease Self-Care Among Middle-Aged and Older Women with Chronic Conditions.

PubMed

Pettus, Amanda J; Mendez-Luck, Carolyn A; Bergeron, Caroline D; Ahn, SangNam; Towne, Samuel D; Ory, Marcia G; Smith, Matthew Lee

2017-03-01

This two-part study analyzed data collected from middle-aged (age 44-64) and older women (age 65+) with one or more chronic conditions who completed the National Council on Aging Chronic Care Survey. Part One analyzed data from 418 women to describe sociodemographics, disease types, and healthcare utilization associated with Internet use among middle-aged and older women with 1 or more chronic diseases. Part Two analyzed data from the 251 Internet-using women to identify the online self-care resources they are using (format, host organization) and for what purposes. Approximately 31% of participants were age 65 years or older, 30% reported having three or more chronic condition types, and 65% reported using the Internet. A significantly larger proportion of older women reported multiple chronic conditions, and a significantly fewer number of older women reported using the Internet. A significantly smaller proportion of Internet users were non-Hispanic white, more educated, and employed. A significantly larger proportion of non-Internet users reported needing help learning what to do to manage their health conditions and needing help learning how to care for their health conditions. Among only Internet-using women, 18.7% participated in online discussions/chatrooms/listserv and 45.2% read about the experiences of others with chronic diseases. Interest in websites and online courses varied. Understanding Internet use among women with chronic conditions can inform targeted efforts to increase Internet availability, educate potential users about the benefits of online resources, and effectively tailor Internet-based materials to self-care needs.

How Much Is Too Much to Pay for Internet Access? A Behavioral Economic Analysis of Internet Use.

PubMed

Broadbent, Julie; Dakki, Michelle A

2015-08-01

The popularity of online recreational activities, such as social networking, has dramatically increased the amount of time spent on the Internet. Excessive or inappropriate use of the Internet can result in serious adverse consequences. The current study used a behavioral economic task to determine if the amount of time spent online by problematic and nonproblematic users can be modified by price. The Internet Purchase Task was used to determine how much time undergraduate students (N=233) would spend online at 13 different prices. Despite high demand for Internet access when access was free, time spent online by both problematic and nonproblematic users decreased dramatically, even at low prices. These results suggest that the amount of time spent online may be modified by having a tangible cost associated with use, whereas having free access to the Internet may encourage excessive, problematic use.

Sensor Network-Based and User-Friendly User Location Discovery for Future Smart Homes.

PubMed

Ahvar, Ehsan; Lee, Gyu Myoung; Han, Son N; Crespi, Noel; Khan, Imran

2016-06-27

User location is crucial context information for future smart homes where many location based services will be proposed. This location necessarily means that User Location Discovery (ULD) will play an important role in future smart homes. Concerns about privacy and the need to carry a mobile or a tag device within a smart home currently make conventional ULD systems uncomfortable for users. Future smart homes will need a ULD system to consider these challenges. This paper addresses the design of such a ULD system for context-aware services in future smart homes stressing the following challenges: (i) users' privacy; (ii) device-/tag-free; and (iii) fault tolerance and accuracy. On the other hand, emerging new technologies, such as the Internet of Things, embedded systems, intelligent devices and machine-to-machine communication, are penetrating into our daily life with more and more sensors available for use in our homes. Considering this opportunity, we propose a ULD system that is capitalizing on the prevalence of sensors for the home while satisfying the aforementioned challenges. The proposed sensor network-based and user-friendly ULD system relies on different types of inexpensive sensors, as well as a context broker with a fuzzy-based decision-maker. The context broker receives context information from different types of sensors and evaluates that data using the fuzzy set theory. We demonstrate the performance of the proposed system by illustrating a use case, utilizing both an analytical model and simulation.

Lessons Learned About Public Health from Online Crowd Surveillance

PubMed Central

Merchant, Raina; Ungar, Lyle

2013-01-01

Abstract The Internet has forever changed the way people access information and make decisions about their healthcare needs. Patients now share information about their health at unprecedented rates on social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook and on medical discussion boards. In addition to explicitly shared information about health conditions through posts, patients reveal data on their inner fears and desires about health when searching for health-related keywords on search engines. Data are also generated by the use of mobile phone applications that track users' health behaviors (e.g., eating and exercise habits) as well as give medical advice. The data generated through these applications are mined and repackaged by surveillance systems developed by academics, companies, and governments alike to provide insight to patients and healthcare providers for medical decisions. Until recently, most Internet research in public health has been surveillance focused or monitoring health behaviors. Only recently have researchers used and interacted with the crowd to ask questions and collect health-related data. In the future, we expect to move from this surveillance focus to the “ideal” of Internet-based patient-level interventions where healthcare providers help patients change their health behaviors. In this article, we highlight the results of our prior research on crowd surveillance and make suggestions for the future. PMID:25045598

LESSONS LEARNED ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH FROM ONLINE CROWD SURVEILLANCE.

PubMed

Hill, Shawndra; Merchant, Raina; Ungar, Lyle

2013-09-10

The Internet has forever changed the way people access information and make decisions about their healthcare needs. Patients now share information about their health at unprecedented rates on social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook and on medical discussion boards. In addition to explicitly shared information about health conditions through posts, patients reveal data on their inner fears and desires about health when searching for health-related keywords on search engines. Data are also generated by the use of mobile phone applications that track users' health behaviors (e.g., eating and exercise habits) as well as give medical advice. The data generated through these applications are mined and repackaged by surveillance systems developed by academics, companies, and governments alike to provide insight to patients and healthcare providers for medical decisions. Until recently, most Internet research in public health has been surveillance focused or monitoring health behaviors. Only recently have researchers used and interacted with the crowd to ask questions and collect health-related data. In the future, we expect to move from this surveillance focus to the "ideal" of Internet-based patient-level interventions where healthcare providers help patients change their health behaviors. In this article, we highlight the results of our prior research on crowd surveillance and make suggestions for the future.

The use of social media among adolescents in Dar es Salaam and Mtwara, Tanzania.

PubMed

Pfeiffer, Constanze; Kleeb, Matthis; Mbelwa, Alice; Ahorlu, Collins

2014-05-01

Social media form part of the rapid worldwide digital development that is re-shaping the life of many young people. While the use of social media by youths is increasingly researched in the North, studies about youth in the South are missing. It therefore remains unclear how social media can be included in interventions that aim at informing young people in many countries of the global South about sexual and reproductive health. This paper presents findings of a mixed-methods study of young people's user behaviour on the internet and specifically of social media as a platform for sexual health promotion in Tanzania. The study used questionnaires with 60 adolescents and in-depth interviews with eight students aged 15 to 19 years in Dar es Salaam, and in Mtwara, Southern Tanzania. Findings show that youth in Dar es Salaam and Mtwara access the internet mainly through mobile phones. Facebook is by far the most popular internet site. Adolescents highlighted their interest in reproductive and sexual health messages and updates being delivered through humorous posts, links and clips, as well as by youth role models like music stars and actors that are entertaining and reflect up-to-date trends of modern youth culture. Copyright © 2014 Reproductive Health Matters. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

77 FR 1039 - Internet-Based Telecommunications Relay Service Numbering

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-09

... FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 47 CFR Part 64 [WC Docket No. 10-191; Report No. 2939] Internet... toll-free numbers by users of Internet- based Telecommunications Relay Services (iTRS). DATES... any rules of particular applicability. Subject: Internet-Based Telecommunications Relay Service...

Remote Patron Validation: Posting a Proxy Server at the Digital Doorway.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webster, Peter

2002-01-01

Discussion of remote access to library services focuses on proxy servers as a method for remote access, based on experiences at Saint Mary's University (Halifax). Topics include Internet protocol user validation; browser-directed proxies; server software proxies; vendor alternatives for validating remote users; and Internet security issues. (LRW)

The Digital Divide: The View from Latin America and the Caribbean.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Adolfo

This paper discusses the digital divide from the perspective of Latin America and the Caribbean. Highlights include: new issues that make access to electronic resources difficult for users; differences in technological infrastructure among countries; how Internet users are distributed worldwide; Internet access in Africa; the number of students…

The CDS at the Age of Multitouch Interfaces and Mobility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaaff, A.; Boch, T.; Fernique, P.; Kaestlé, V.

2012-09-01

Currently, we are witnessing a rapid evolution of new human-machine interfaces based on the widespread use of multitouch screens. This evolution is not just a replacement of the mouse-keyboard couple but requires a recast of the interfaces to take advantage of the new features (example: simultaneous selections in different parts of the screen). Traditional operating systems (mostly Windows and Linux) are also moving towards the integration of multitouch. It is possible in Windows7, also in Ubuntu (since release 10.10). The user interfaces of existing applications should be deeply impacted, as it is not just an adaptation of the existing ones: it is a transition from a selection in menus, click on button, to an intuitive based interaction. In this context the use of the semantics could help to understand what the user wants to do and to simplify the interfaces. The number of mobile devices (Smartphones based on iPhoneOS, AndroidOS and others, tablet computers (iPad, Galaxy Tab, etc.) is growing exponentially with a sustained frequency of replacement (18 months for a device). Smartphones provide an access to Web services but also to dedicated applications (available on App Store, Android Market, etc.). Investment in human resources to provide services on mobile devices could be limited in the first case (a simple adaptation of existing Web pages), but is higher in the case of dedicated applications (software development for a given operating system and the porting to other systems to achieve sufficient diffusion). Following this step, we have developed an Aladin Allsky lite application for Android, SkySurveys. This application is based on HEALPix and it was a real challenge to provide a tool with good display performances on a basic hardware device compared to a desktop or a laptop. We are now focusing the study on the use of HTML5, an emerging technology supported by recent versions of Internet browsers, which can provide rich content. HTML5 has the advantage of allowing developments independent of the mobile platform (‘write once, run everywhere’). We also expect broadening of the user of the services to new audiences and in particular to the educational community through new interface user-friendlier in terms of usability and interaction.

A Cloud-Based Car Parking Middleware for IoT-Based Smart Cities: Design and Implementation

PubMed Central

Ji, Zhanlin; Ganchev, Ivan; O'Droma, Máirtín; Zhao, Li; Zhang, Xueji

2014-01-01

This paper presents the generic concept of using cloud-based intelligent car parking services in smart cities as an important application of the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm. This type of services will become an integral part of a generic IoT operational platform for smart cities due to its pure business-oriented features. A high-level view of the proposed middleware is outlined and the corresponding operational platform is illustrated. To demonstrate the provision of car parking services, based on the proposed middleware, a cloud-based intelligent car parking system for use within a university campus is described along with details of its design, implementation, and operation. A number of software solutions, including Kafka/Storm/Hbase clusters, OSGi web applications with distributed NoSQL, a rule engine, and mobile applications, are proposed to provide ‘best’ car parking service experience to mobile users, following the Always Best Connected and best Served (ABC&S) paradigm. PMID:25429416

A cloud-based car parking middleware for IoT-based smart cities: design and implementation.

PubMed

Ji, Zhanlin; Ganchev, Ivan; O'Droma, Máirtín; Zhao, Li; Zhang, Xueji

2014-11-25

This paper presents the generic concept of using cloud-based intelligent car parking services in smart cities as an important application of the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm. This type of services will become an integral part of a generic IoT operational platform for smart cities due to its pure business-oriented features. A high-level view of the proposed middleware is outlined and the corresponding operational platform is illustrated. To demonstrate the provision of car parking services, based on the proposed middleware, a cloud-based intelligent car parking system for use within a university campus is described along with details of its design, implementation, and operation. A number of software solutions, including Kafka/Storm/Hbase clusters, OSGi web applications with distributed NoSQL, a rule engine, and mobile applications, are proposed to provide 'best' car parking service experience to mobile users, following the Always Best Connected and best Served (ABC&S) paradigm.

A Web Service-Based Framework Model for People-Centric Sensing Applications Applied to Social Networking

PubMed Central

Nunes, David; Tran, Thanh-Dien; Raposo, Duarte; Pinto, André; Gomes, André; Silva, Jorge Sá

2012-01-01

As the Internet evolved, social networks (such as Facebook) have bloomed and brought together an astonishing number of users. Mashing up mobile phones and sensors with these social environments enables the creation of people-centric sensing systems which have great potential for expanding our current social networking usage. However, such systems also have many associated technical challenges, such as privacy concerns, activity detection mechanisms or intermittent connectivity, as well as limitations due to the heterogeneity of sensor nodes and networks. Considering the openness of the Web 2.0, good technical solutions for these cases consist of frameworks that expose sensing data and functionalities as common Web-Services. This paper presents our RESTful Web Service-based model for people-centric sensing frameworks, which uses sensors and mobile phones to detect users’ activities and locations, sharing this information amongst the user’s friends within a social networking site. We also present some screenshot results of our experimental prototype. PMID:22438732

Investigating Sociodemographic Factors and HIV Risk Behaviors Associated With Social Networking Among Adolescents in Soweto, South Africa: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

PubMed

Dietrich, Janan Janine; Laher, Fatima; Hornschuh, Stefanie; Nkala, Busisiwe; Chimoyi, Lucy; Otwombe, Kennedy; Kaida, Angela; Gray, Glenda Elisabeth; Miller, Cari

2016-09-28

Internet access via mobile phones and computers facilitates interaction and potential health communication among individuals through social networking. Many South African adolescents own mobile phones and can access social networks via apps. We investigated sociodemographic factors and HIV risk behaviors of adolescent social networking users in Soweto, South Africa. We conducted an interviewer-administered, cross-sectional survey of adolescents aged 14-19 years. Independent covariates of social networking were assessed by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Of 830 adolescents, 57% (475/830) were females and the median age was found to be 18 years (interquartile range 17-18). Social networking was used by 60% of adolescents (494/830); more than half, that is, 87% (396/494) accessed social networks through mobile phones and 56% (275/494) spent more than 4 hours per day using their mobile phones. Social networking was independently associated with mobile usage 2-4 hours (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 3.06, CI: 1.69-5.51) and more than 4 hours per day (AOR: 6.16, CI: 3.46-10.9) and one (AOR: 3.35, CI: 1.79-6.27) or more sexual partner(s) (AOR: 2.58, CI: 1.05-6.36). Mobile phone-based social networking is prevalent among sexually active adolescents living in Soweto and may be used as an entry point for health promotion and initiation of low-cost adolescent health interventions.

Investigating Sociodemographic Factors and HIV Risk Behaviors Associated With Social Networking Among Adolescents in Soweto, South Africa: A Cross-Sectional Survey

PubMed Central

Laher, Fatima; Hornschuh, Stefanie; Nkala, Busisiwe; Chimoyi, Lucy; Otwombe, Kennedy; Kaida, Angela; Gray, Glenda Elisabeth; Miller, Cari

2016-01-01

Background Internet access via mobile phones and computers facilitates interaction and potential health communication among individuals through social networking. Many South African adolescents own mobile phones and can access social networks via apps. Objective We investigated sociodemographic factors and HIV risk behaviors of adolescent social networking users in Soweto, South Africa. Methods We conducted an interviewer-administered, cross-sectional survey of adolescents aged 14-19 years. Independent covariates of social networking were assessed by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results Of 830 adolescents, 57% (475/830) were females and the median age was found to be 18 years (interquartile range 17-18). Social networking was used by 60% of adolescents (494/830); more than half, that is, 87% (396/494) accessed social networks through mobile phones and 56% (275/494) spent more than 4 hours per day using their mobile phones. Social networking was independently associated with mobile usage 2-4 hours (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 3.06, CI: 1.69-5.51) and more than 4 hours per day (AOR: 6.16, CI: 3.46-10.9) and one (AOR: 3.35, CI: 1.79-6.27) or more sexual partner(s) (AOR: 2.58, CI: 1.05-6.36). Conclusions Mobile phone–based social networking is prevalent among sexually active adolescents living in Soweto and may be used as an entry point for health promotion and initiation of low-cost adolescent health interventions. PMID:27683173

`Googling' Terrorists: Are Northern Irish Terrorists Visible on Internet Search Engines?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reilly, P.

In this chapter, the analysis suggests that Northern Irish terrorists are not visible on Web search engines when net users employ conventional Internet search techniques. Editors of mass media organisations traditionally have had the ability to decide whether a terrorist atrocity is `newsworthy,' controlling the `oxygen' supply that sustains all forms of terrorism. This process, also known as `gatekeeping,' is often influenced by the norms of social responsibility, or alternatively, with regard to the interests of the advertisers and corporate sponsors that sustain mass media organisations. The analysis presented in this chapter suggests that Internet search engines can also be characterised as `gatekeepers,' albeit without the ability to shape the content of Websites before it reaches net users. Instead, Internet search engines give priority retrieval to certain Websites within their directory, pointing net users towards these Websites rather than others on the Internet. Net users are more likely to click on links to the more `visible' Websites on Internet search engine directories, these sites invariably being the highest `ranked' in response to a particular search query. A number of factors including the design of the Website and the number of links to external sites determine the `visibility' of a Website on Internet search engines. The study suggests that Northern Irish terrorists and their sympathisers are unlikely to achieve a greater degree of `visibility' online than they enjoy in the conventional mass media through the perpetration of atrocities. Although these groups may have a greater degree of freedom on the Internet to publicise their ideologies, they are still likely to be speaking to the converted or members of the press. Although it is easier to locate Northern Irish terrorist organisations on Internet search engines by linking in via ideology, ideological description searches, such as `Irish Republican' and `Ulster Loyalist,' are more likely to generate links pointing towards the sites of research institutes and independent media organisations than sites sympathetic to Northern Irish terrorist organisations. The chapter argues that Northern Irish terrorists are only visible on search engines if net users select the correct search terms.