Better Educational Website Interface Design: The Implications from Gender-Specific Preferences in Graduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsu, Yu-chang

2006-01-01

This study investigated graduate students gender-specific preferences for certain website interface design features, intending to generate useful information for instructors in choosing and for website designers in creating educational websites. The features investigated in this study included colour value, major navigation buttons placement, and…

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

PubMed Central

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

2010-01-01

Background There is a growing trend for individuals to seek health information from online sources. Alcohol and other drug (AOD) use is a significant health problem worldwide, but access and use of AOD websites is poorly understood. Objective To investigate content and functionality preferences for AOD and other health websites. Methods An anonymous online survey examined general Internet and AOD-specific usage and search behaviors, valued features of AOD and health-related websites (general and interactive website features), indicators of website trustworthiness, valued AOD website tools or functions, and treatment modality preferences. Results Surveys were obtained from 1214 drug (n = 766) and alcohol website users (n = 448) (mean age 26.2 years, range 16-70). There were no significant differences between alcohol and drug groups on demographic variables, Internet usage, indicators of website trustworthiness, or on preferences for AOD website functionality. A robust website design/navigation, open access, and validated content provision were highly valued by both groups. While attractiveness and pictures or graphics were also valued, high-cost features (videos, animations, games) were minority preferences. Almost half of respondents in both groups were unable to readily access the information they sought. Alcohol website users placed greater importance on several AOD website tools and functions than did those accessing other drug websites: online screening tools (χ²2 = 15.8, P < .001, n = 985); prevention programs (χ²2 = 27.5, P < .001, n = 981); tracking functions (χ²2 = 11.5, P = .003, n = 983); self help treatment programs (χ²2 = 8.3, P = .02, n = 984); downloadable fact sheets for friends (χ²2 = 11.6, P = .003, n = 981); or family (χ²2 = 12.7, P = .002, n = 983). The most preferred online treatment option for both the user groups was an Internet site with email therapist support. Explorations of demographic differences were also performed. While gender did not affect survey responses, younger respondents were more likely to value interactive and social networking features, whereas downloading of credible information was most highly valued by older respondents. Conclusions Significant deficiencies in the provision of accessible information on AOD websites were identified, an important problem since information seeking was the most common reason for accessing these websites, and, therefore, may be a key avenue for engaging website users in behaviour change. The few differences between AOD website users suggested that both types of websites may have similar features, although alcohol website users may more readily be engaged in screening, prevention and self-help programs, tracking change, and may value fact sheets more highly. While the sociodemographic differences require replication and clarification, these differences support the notion that the design and features of AOD websites should target specific audiences to have maximal impact. PMID:21169168

Improving Website Hyperlink Structure Using Server Logs

PubMed Central

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

2016-01-01

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

Website Policies and Important Links | OSTI, US Dept of Energy Office of

Science.gov Websites

Scientific and Technical Information skip to main content Sign In Create Account OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information Search terms: Advanced to OSTI Websites Linking to Outside Websites Freedom of Information Information Quality No Fear Act

MitoAge: a database for comparative analysis of mitochondrial DNA, with a special focus on animal longevity.

PubMed

Toren, Dmitri; Barzilay, Thomer; Tacutu, Robi; Lehmann, Gilad; Muradian, Khachik K; Fraifeld, Vadim E

2016-01-04

Mitochondria are the only organelles in the animal cells that have their own genome. Due to a key role in energy production, generation of damaging factors (ROS, heat), and apoptosis, mitochondria and mtDNA in particular have long been considered one of the major players in the mechanisms of aging, longevity and age-related diseases. The rapidly increasing number of species with fully sequenced mtDNA, together with accumulated data on longevity records, provides a new fascinating basis for comparative analysis of the links between mtDNA features and animal longevity. To facilitate such analyses and to support the scientific community in carrying these out, we developed the MitoAge database containing calculated mtDNA compositional features of the entire mitochondrial genome, mtDNA coding (tRNA, rRNA, protein-coding genes) and non-coding (D-loop) regions, and codon usage/amino acids frequency for each protein-coding gene. MitoAge includes 922 species with fully sequenced mtDNA and maximum lifespan records. The database is available through the MitoAge website (www.mitoage.org or www.mitoage.info), which provides the necessary tools for searching, browsing, comparing and downloading the data sets of interest for selected taxonomic groups across the Kingdom Animalia. The MitoAge website assists in statistical analysis of different features of the mtDNA and their correlative links to longevity. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

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

PubMed

Brower, Stewart M

2004-10-01

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

Desirable attributes of public educational websites.

PubMed

Whitbeck, Caroline

2005-07-01

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

Website Policies / Important Links | Data Explorer

Science.gov Websites

: Collaborations: Publication Date: to Sort: Relevance (highest to lowest) Publication Date (newest first ) Publication Date (oldest first) Close Clear All Find DOE Data Explorer Website Policies / Important Links

Framing medical tourism: an analysis of persuasive appeals, risks and benefits, and new media features of medical tourism broker websites.

PubMed

Lee, Hyunmin; Wright, Kevin B; O'Connor, Michaela; Wombacher, Kevin

2014-01-01

This study explores the benefits and risks featured in medical tourism broker websites, as well as the types of persuasive appeals that these websites use to attract potential customers, from a framing theory perspective. In addition, it examines relationships among types of appeals and specific types of health-related services offered by medical facilities abroad and the role of new media modalities within medical tourism broker sites. A content analysis of 91 medical tourism broker websites was conducted. The results indicate that the websites highly emphasized benefits while downplaying the risks. Specifically, despite offering consumers complicated and risky medical procedures, the websites failed to report any procedural, postoperative, or legal concerns associated with them. Moreover, the results indicated that the websites relied on heavy use of new media features to enhance the appeal of the medical services that were offered. The implications of these findings, future directions for research, and limitations of the study are discussed.

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

PubMed

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

2008-11-01

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

Public health information and statistics dissemination efforts for Indonesia on the Internet.

PubMed

Hanani, Febiana; Kobayashi, Takashi; Jo, Eitetsu; Nakajima, Sawako; Oyama, Hiroshi

2011-01-01

To elucidate current issues related to health statistics dissemination efforts on the Internet in Indonesia and to propose a new dissemination website as a solution. A cross-sectional survey was conducted. Sources of statistics were identified using link relationship and Google™ search. Menu used to locate statistics, mode of presentation and means of access to statistics, and available statistics were assessed for each site. Assessment results were used to derive design specification; a prototype system was developed and evaluated with usability test. 49 sources were identified on 18 governmental, 8 international and 5 non-government websites. Of 49 menus identified, 33% used non-intuitive titles and lead to inefficient search. 69% of them were on government websites. Of 31 websites, only 39% and 23% used graph/chart and map for presentation. Further, only 32%, 39% and 19% provided query, export and print feature. While >50% sources reported morbidity, risk factor and service provision statistics, <40% sources reported health resource and mortality statistics. Statistics portal website was developed using Joomla!™ content management system. Usability test demonstrated its potential to improve data accessibility. In this study, government's efforts to disseminate statistics in Indonesia are supported by non-governmental and international organizations and existing their information may not be very useful because it is: a) not widely distributed, b) difficult to locate, and c) not effectively communicated. Actions are needed to ensure information usability, and one of such actions is the development of statistics portal website.

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

PubMed Central

Brower, Stewart M.

2004-01-01

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

Robotic surgery claims on United States hospital websites.

PubMed

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

2011-11-01

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

Internet marketing directed at children on food and restaurant websites in two policy environments.

PubMed

Kent, M Potvin; Dubois, L; Kent, E A; Wanless, A J

2013-04-01

Food and beverage marketing has been associated with childhood obesity yet little research has examined the influence of advertising policy on children's exposure to food/beverage marketing on the Internet. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of Quebec's Consumer Protection Act and the self-regulatory Canadian Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CAI) on food manufacturer and restaurant websites in Canada. A content analysis of 147 French and English language food and restaurant websites was undertaken. The presence of child-directed content was assessed and an analysis of marketing features, games and activities, child protection features, and the promotion of healthy lifestyle messages was then examined on those sites with child-directed content. There were statistically no fewer French language websites (n = 22) with child-directed content compared to English language websites (n = 27). There were no statistically significant differences in the number of the various marketing features, or in the average number of marketing features between the English and French websites. There were no fewer CAI websites (n = 14) with child-directed content compared to non-CAI websites (n = 13). The CAI sites had more healthy lifestyle messages and child protection features compared to the non-CAI sites. Systematic surveillance of the Consumer Protection Act in Quebec is recommended. In the rest of Canada, the CAI needs to be significantly expanded or replaced by regulatory measures to adequately protect children from the marketing of foods/beverages high in fat, sugar, and sodium on the Internet. Copyright © 2012 The Obesity Society.

Recruitment to online therapies for depression: pilot cluster randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Jones, Ray B; Goldsmith, Lesley; Hewson, Paul; Williams, Christopher J

2013-03-05

Raising awareness of online cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) could benefit many people with depression, but we do not know how purchasing online advertising compares to placing free links from relevant local websites in increasing uptake. To pilot a cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing purchase of Google AdWords with placing free website links in raising awareness of online CBT resources for depression in order to better understand research design issues. We compared two online interventions with a control without intervention. The pilot RCT had 4 arms, each with 4 British postcode areas: (A) geographically targeted AdWords, (B) adverts placed on local websites by contacting website owners and requesting links be added, (C) both interventions, (D) control. Participants were directed to our research project website linking to two freely available online CBT resource sites (Moodgym and Living Life To The Full (LLTTF)) and two other depression support sites. We used data from (1) AdWords, (2) Google Analytics for our project website and for LLTTF, and (3) research project website. We compared two outcomes: (1) numbers with depression accessing the research project website, and then chose an onward link to one of the two CBT websites, and (2) numbers registering with LLTTF. We documented costs, and explored intervention and assessment methods to make general recommendations to inform researchers aiming to use similar methodologies in future studies. Trying to place local website links appeared much less cost effective than AdWords and although may prove useful for service delivery, was not worth pursuing in the context of the current study design. Our AdWords intervention was effective in recruiting people to the project website but our location targeting "leaked" and was not as geographically specific as claimed. The impact on online CBT was also diluted by offering participants other choices of destinations. Measuring the impact on LLTTF use was difficult as the total number using LLTTF was less than 5% of all users and record linkage across websites was impossible. Confounding activity may have resulted in some increase in registrations in the control arm. Practitioners should consider online advertising to increase uptake of online therapy but need to check its additional value. A cluster RCT using location targeted adverts is feasible and this research design provides the best evidence of cost-effectiveness. Although our British pilot study is limited to online CBT for depression, a cluster RCT with similar design would be appropriate for other online treatments and countries and our recommendations may apply. They include ways of dealing with possible contamination (buffer zones and AdWords techniques), confounding factors (large number of clusters), advertising dose (in proportion to total number of users), record linkage (landing within target website), and length of study (4-6 months). clinicaltrials.gov (Registration No. NCT01469689); http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01469689 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6EtTthDOp).

An audit of alcohol brand websites.

PubMed

Gordon, Ross

2011-11-01

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

Unhealthy food marketing to New Zealand children and adolescents through the internet.

PubMed

Vandevijvere, Stefanie; Sagar, Karuna; Kelly, Bridget; Swinburn, Boyd

2017-02-17

To assess the extent and nature of unhealthy food marketing to New Zealand children and adolescents through the internet. Internet traffic data for January 2014 was purchased from AC Nielsen to identify the most popular websites (n=110) among children and adolescents aged 6-17 years. In addition, websites (n=70) of food and beverage brands most frequently marketed to children through television, sports, magazines and Facebook were included. Marketing techniques and features on those websites were analysed. The extent of food marketing on popular non-food websites was low. A wide range of marketing techniques and features was, however, identified on food brand websites, including advercation (87%), viral marketing (64%), cookies (54%), free downloadable items (43%), promotional characters (39%), designated children's sections (19%) and advergaming (13%). Most techniques appeared more frequently on websites specifically targeting children and adolescents, than on other websites targeting the general public. Compared to traditional media, the internet allows food marketers to use engaging techniques to directly interact with children. While the range of marketing techniques and features identified on food brand websites was extensive, the most popular websites among children and adolescents were non-food related, and the extent of food marketing on those websites was found to be low. Additional assessment of food marketing to children through social and other digital media is recommended.

Recruitment of mental health survey participants using Internet advertising: content, characteristics and cost effectiveness.

PubMed

Batterham, Philip J

2014-06-01

Postal and telephone survey research is threatened by declining response rates and high cost. Online recruitment is becoming more popular, although there is little empirical evidence about its cost-effectiveness or the representativeness of online samples. There is also limited research on optimal strategies for developing advertising content for online recruitment. The present study aimed to assess these aspects of online recruitment. Two mental health surveys used advertisements within a social network website (Facebook) to recruit adult Australian participants. The initial survey used advertisements linking directly to an external survey website, and recruited 1283 participants at $9.82 per completed survey. A subsequent survey used advertisements linking to a Facebook page that featured links to the external survey, recruiting 610 participants at $1.51 per completion. Both surveys were more cost-effective than similar postal surveys conducted previously, which averaged $19.10 per completion. Online and postal surveys both had somewhat unrepresentative samples. However, online surveys tended to be more successful in recruiting hard-to-reach populations. Advertising using "problem" terminology was more effective than "positive" terminology, while there was no significant effect of altruistic versus self-gain terminology. Online recruitment is efficient, flexible and cost-effective, suggesting that online recruitment has considerable potential for specific research designs. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Website Babies Portal: development and evaluation of the contents regarding orofacial functions

PubMed Central

CORRÊA, Camila de Castro; PAULETO, Adriana Regina Colombo; FERRARI, Deborah Viviane; BERRETIN-FELIX, Giédre

2013-01-01

Education mediated by technology facilitates the access to information and can reach more people, including a broader range of socio-economic groups and ages, and at a low-cost. The website "Babies Portal - Speech-Language Pathology/Audiology and Dentistry" (http://portaldosbebes.fob.usp.br) was developed to provide parents with information on communication procedure disorders and oral health, enabling them to prevent and identify any changes in development early while looking for the best treatment. Objective: The objective is to describe the development and evaluation of the content pertaining to the oral functions featured in the "Babies Portal". Methods: The first stage consisted of a literature review, development/selection of illustrations and an evaluation of the possible external links that could be available. In the second stage, 10 speech-language and hearing pathologists (group A) and five parents of babies (group B) evaluated the website via an online form, which included ethical and personal information and questions about the quality, technical information and comparative prior knowledge acquired after the access. In the first stage, there was the construction of five sections ("The Oral Functions", "Breastfeeding", "Food", "Pacifier, baby bottle and finger sucking" and "Breath") based on scientific studies, presenting objective information, content links prepared by the Ministry of Health and a Dentistry section in the "Babies Portal" website. Videos, static and dynamic images were also distributed throughout the sections. Results: Regarding the second stage, 90% of all speech-language and hearing pathologists judged a good/excellent quality for all sections and classified the technical quality as very good. By their turn, 88% of the parents (group B) reported that the website helped or helped very much in understanding the contents, and 80% rated the quality as good or excellent. Conclusions: Five sections concerning the oral functions were structured, and the results collected from groups A and B suggest that the content provided is adequate and reliable. PMID:24473726

What College and University Websites Reveal about the Purposes of Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saichaie, Kem; Morphew, Christopher C.

2014-01-01

College and university websites play an important role in the college search process. This study examines the textual and visual elements on the websites of 12 colleges and universities. Findings suggest that websites communicate a message consistent with private purposes of education and inconsistent with those linked to public purposes.

PatientViewpoint: a website for patient-reported outcomes assessment.

PubMed

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

2009-09-01

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

Community Websites: Linking the Personal to Urban History

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Wildt, Annemarie

2013-01-01

New technology enables museums and other heritage institutions to establish more personal links with their audience, and hopefully by doing so make history more compelling to them. The author explores some Dutch practices with interactive community websites and other ways of making connections between personal stories and urban history.

Pharmaceutical company internet sites as sources of information about antidepressant medications.

PubMed

Graber, Mark A; Weckmann, Michelle

2002-01-01

To determine the informational content of nine pharmaceutical company websites about the antidepressant medication marketed by the company. A structured, explicit review of materials found on pharmaceutical company websites about nine antidepressants for which no generic drug is available was conducted using eight popular search engines. The accessibility of these websites was also determined using these search engines. Of 72 searches (one for each drug using each search engine), 46 yielded the pharmaceutical company website within the top 10 links. When outliers were removed, the company website was found in the top 10 links for 45 of 56 searches. All of the websites contain information of an advertising and emotive nature. Of the nine company websites, three contain anecdotal information; only two mention electroconvulsive therapy and four mention other types of drug therapy; and only one mentions the tradenames of other drugs. None of the websites mention drug costs, only one has efficacy statistics for the company's drug and, although all of the websites mention at least one adverse effect of the company's drug, only one lists percentages for adverse effects. The information about drugs for treating depression on pharmaceutical company websites aimed at consumers is limited and makes it difficult for consumers to compare drugs.

The Pedagogical, Linguistic, and Content Features of Popular English Language Learning Websites in China: A Framework for Analysis and Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kettle, Margaret; Yuan, Yifeng; Luke, Allan; Ewing, Robyn; Shen, Huizhong

2012-01-01

As increasing numbers of Chinese language learners choose to learn English online, there is a need to investigate popular websites and their language learning designs. This paper reports on the first stage of a study that analyzed the pedagogical, linguistic, and content features of 25 Chinese English Language Learning (ELL) websites ranked…

Recruitment to Online Therapies for Depression: Pilot Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Goldsmith, Lesley; Hewson, Paul; Williams, Christopher J

2013-01-01

Background Raising awareness of online cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) could benefit many people with depression, but we do not know how purchasing online advertising compares to placing free links from relevant local websites in increasing uptake. Objective To pilot a cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing purchase of Google AdWords with placing free website links in raising awareness of online CBT resources for depression in order to better understand research design issues. Methods We compared two online interventions with a control without intervention. The pilot RCT had 4 arms, each with 4 British postcode areas: (A) geographically targeted AdWords, (B) adverts placed on local websites by contacting website owners and requesting links be added, (C) both interventions, (D) control. Participants were directed to our research project website linking to two freely available online CBT resource sites (Moodgym and Living Life To The Full (LLTTF)) and two other depression support sites. We used data from (1) AdWords, (2) Google Analytics for our project website and for LLTTF, and (3) research project website. We compared two outcomes: (1) numbers with depression accessing the research project website, and then chose an onward link to one of the two CBT websites, and (2) numbers registering with LLTTF. We documented costs, and explored intervention and assessment methods to make general recommendations to inform researchers aiming to use similar methodologies in future studies. Results Trying to place local website links appeared much less cost effective than AdWords and although may prove useful for service delivery, was not worth pursuing in the context of the current study design. Our AdWords intervention was effective in recruiting people to the project website but our location targeting “leaked” and was not as geographically specific as claimed. The impact on online CBT was also diluted by offering participants other choices of destinations. Measuring the impact on LLTTF use was difficult as the total number using LLTTF was less than 5% of all users and record linkage across websites was impossible. Confounding activity may have resulted in some increase in registrations in the control arm. Conclusions Practitioners should consider online advertising to increase uptake of online therapy but need to check its additional value. A cluster RCT using location targeted adverts is feasible and this research design provides the best evidence of cost-effectiveness. Although our British pilot study is limited to online CBT for depression, a cluster RCT with similar design would be appropriate for other online treatments and countries and our recommendations may apply. They include ways of dealing with possible contamination (buffer zones and AdWords techniques), confounding factors (large number of clusters), advertising dose (in proportion to total number of users), record linkage (landing within target website), and length of study (4-6 months). Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov (Registration No. NCT01469689); http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01469689 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6EtTthDOp) PMID:23462072

What do electronic health record vendors reveal about their products: an analysis of vendor websites.

PubMed

Yeung, Natalie K; Jadad, Alejandro R; Shachak, Aviv

2013-02-19

Purchasing electronic health records (EHRs) typically follows a process in which potential adopters actively seek information, compare alternatives, and form attitudes towards the product. A potential source of information on EHRs that can be used in the process is vendor websites. It is unclear how much product information is presented on EHR vendor websites or the extent of its value during EHR purchasing decisions. To explore what features of EHR systems are presented by vendors in Ontario, Canada, on their websites, and the persuasive means they use to market such systems; to compare the online information available about primary care EHR systems with that about hospital EHR systems, and with data compiled by OntarioMD, a regional certifying agency. A list of EHR systems available in Ontario was created. The contents of vendor websites were analyzed. A template for data collection and organization was developed and used to collect and organize information on the vendor, website content, and EHR features. First, we mapped information on system features to categories based on a framework from the Institute of Medicine (IOM). Second, we used a grounded theory-like approach to explore information for building consumer confidence in the vendor and product, and the various persuasive strategies employed on vendor websites. All data were first coded by one researcher. A peer reviewer independently analyzed a randomly chosen subset of the websites (10 of 21; 48%) and provided feedback towards a unified coding scheme. All data were then re-coded and categorized into themes. Finally, we compared information from vendor websites and data gathered by OntarioMD. Vendors provided little specific product information on their websites. Only two of five acute care EHR websites (40%) and nine of 16 websites for primary care systems (56%) featured seven or all eight of the IOM components. Several vendor websites included system interface demonstrations: screenshots (six websites), public videos or slideshows (four websites), or for registered viewers only (three websites). Persuasive means used by vendors included testimonials on 14/21 (67%) websites, and directional language. Except for one free system, trial EHR versions were not available. OntarioMD provided more comprehensive information about primary care systems than the vendors' websites. Of 14 points of comparison, only the inclusion of templates and bilingual interfaces were fully represented in both data sources. For all other categories, the vendor websites were less complete than the OntarioMD site. EHR vendor websites employ various persuasive means, but lack product-specific information and do not provide options for trying systems on a limited basis. This may impede the ability of potential adopters to form perceptions and compare various offerings. Both vendors and clients could benefit from greater transparency and more specific product information on the Web. N/A.

IT Resources - Betty Petersen Memorial Library

Science.gov Websites

Available NOAA-wide. Note: This link takes you to a nonfederal website. Guide for usage Apress.com Free eBooks Free eBooks available through Apress publishers. Topics include PHP, Perl, and programming VB .Net . Note: This link takes you to a nonfederal website. Online Programming Books Free programming books

A Study towards Building An Optimal Graph Theory Based Model For The Design of Tourism Website

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panigrahi, Goutam; Das, Anirban; Basu, Kajla

2010-10-01

Effective tourism website is a key to attract tourists from different parts of the world. Here we identify the factors of improving the effectiveness of website by considering it as a graph, where web pages including homepage are the nodes and hyperlinks are the edges between the nodes. In this model, the design constraints for building a tourism website are taken into consideration. Our objectives are to build a framework of an effective tourism website providing adequate level of information, service and also to enable the users to reach to the desired page by spending minimal loading time. In this paper an information hierarchy specifying the upper limit of outgoing link of a page has also been proposed. Following the hierarchy, the web developer can prepare an effective tourism website. Here loading time depends on page size and network traffic. We have assumed network traffic as uniform and the loading time is directly proportional with page size. This approach is done by quantifying the link structure of a tourism website. In this approach we also propose a page size distribution pattern of a tourism website.

Kinesiology taping and the world wide web: a quality and content analysis of internet-based information.

PubMed

Beutel, Bryan G; Cardone, Dennis A

2014-10-01

Due to limited regulation of websites, the quality and content of online health-related information has been questioned as prior studies have shown that websites often misrepresent orthopaedic conditions and treatments. Kinesio tape has gained popularity among athletes and the general public despite limited evidence supporting its efficacy. The primary objective of this study was to assess the quality and content of Internet-based information on Kinesio taping. An Internet search using the terms "Kinesio tape" and "kinesiology tape" was performed using the Google search engine. Websites returned within the first two pages of results, as well as hyperlinks embedded within these sites, were included in the study. These sites were subsequently classified by type. The quality of the website was determined by the Health On the Net (HON) score, an objective metric based upon recommendations from the United Nations for the ethical representation of health information. A content analysis was performed by noting specific misleading versus balanced features in each website. A total of 31 unique websites were identified. The majority of the websites (71%) were commercial. Out of a total possible 16 points, the mean HON score among the websites was 8.9 points (SD 2.2 points). The number of misleading features was significantly higher than the balanced features (p < 0.001). Fifty-eight percent of sites used anecdotal testimonials to promote the product. Only small percentages of websites discussed complications, alternatives, or provided accurate medical outcomes. Overall, commercial sites had a greater number of misleading features compared to non-commercial sites (p = 0.01). Websites discussing Kinesio tape are predominantly of poor quality and present misleading, imbalanced information. It is of ever-increasing importance that healthcare providers work to ensure that reliable, balanced, and accurate information be available to Internet users. IV.

Breast cancer on the world wide web: cross sectional survey of quality of information and popularity of websites

PubMed Central

Meric, Funda; Bernstam, Elmer V; Mirza, Nadeem Q; Hunt, Kelly K; Ames, Frederick C; Ross, Merrick I; Kuerer, Henry M; Pollock, Raphael E; Musen, Mark A; Singletary, S Eva

2002-01-01

Objectives To determine the characteristics of popular breast cancer related websites and whether more popular sites are of higher quality. Design The search engine Google was used to generate a list of websites about breast cancer. Google ranks search results by measures of link popularity—the number of links to a site from other sites. The top 200 sites returned in response to the query “breast cancer” were divided into “more popular” and “less popular” subgroups by three different measures of link popularity: Google rank and number of links reported independently by Google and by AltaVista (another search engine). Main outcome measures Type and quality of content. Results More popular sites according to Google rank were more likely than less popular ones to contain information on ongoing clinical trials (27% v 12%, P=0.01 ), results of trials (12% v 3%, P=0.02), and opportunities for psychosocial adjustment (48% v 23%, P<0.01). These characteristics were also associated with higher number of links as reported by Google and AltaVista. More popular sites by number of linking sites were also more likely to provide updates on other breast cancer research, information on legislation and advocacy, and a message board service. Measures of quality such as display of authorship, attribution or references, currency of information, and disclosure did not differ between groups. Conclusions Popularity of websites is associated with type rather than quality of content. Sites that include content correlated with popularity may best meet the public's desire for information about breast cancer. What is already known on this topicPatients are using the world wide web to search for health informationBreast cancer is one of the most popular search topicsCharacteristics of popular websites may reflect the information needs of patientsWhat this study addsType rather than quality of content correlates with popularity of websitesMeasures of quality correlate with accuracy of medical information PMID:11884322

What Do Electronic Health Record Vendors Reveal About Their Products: An Analysis of Vendor Websites

PubMed Central

Yeung, Natalie K; Jadad, Alejandro R

2013-01-01

Background Purchasing electronic health records (EHRs) typically follows a process in which potential adopters actively seek information, compare alternatives, and form attitudes towards the product. A potential source of information on EHRs that can be used in the process is vendor websites. It is unclear how much product information is presented on EHR vendor websites or the extent of its value during EHR purchasing decisions. Objective To explore what features of EHR systems are presented by vendors in Ontario, Canada, on their websites, and the persuasive means they use to market such systems; to compare the online information available about primary care EHR systems with that about hospital EHR systems, and with data compiled by OntarioMD, a regional certifying agency. Methods A list of EHR systems available in Ontario was created. The contents of vendor websites were analyzed. A template for data collection and organization was developed and used to collect and organize information on the vendor, website content, and EHR features. First, we mapped information on system features to categories based on a framework from the Institute of Medicine (IOM). Second, we used a grounded theory–like approach to explore information for building consumer confidence in the vendor and product, and the various persuasive strategies employed on vendor websites. All data were first coded by one researcher. A peer reviewer independently analyzed a randomly chosen subset of the websites (10 of 21; 48%) and provided feedback towards a unified coding scheme. All data were then re-coded and categorized into themes. Finally, we compared information from vendor websites and data gathered by OntarioMD. Results Vendors provided little specific product information on their websites. Only two of five acute care EHR websites (40%) and nine of 16 websites for primary care systems (56%) featured seven or all eight of the IOM components. Several vendor websites included system interface demonstrations: screenshots (six websites), public videos or slideshows (four websites), or for registered viewers only (three websites). Persuasive means used by vendors included testimonials on 14/21 (67%) websites, and directional language. Except for one free system, trial EHR versions were not available. OntarioMD provided more comprehensive information about primary care systems than the vendors’ websites. Of 14 points of comparison, only the inclusion of templates and bilingual interfaces were fully represented in both data sources. For all other categories, the vendor websites were less complete than the OntarioMD site. Conclusions EHR vendor websites employ various persuasive means, but lack product-specific information and do not provide options for trying systems on a limited basis. This may impede the ability of potential adopters to form perceptions and compare various offerings. Both vendors and clients could benefit from greater transparency and more specific product information on the Web. Trial Registration N/A PMID:23422722

Quality of malaria information provided on Internet travel operator websites.

PubMed

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

2010-09-01

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

Accredited Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship Websites: An Updated Assessment of Accessibility and Content.

PubMed

Yayac, Michael; Javandal, Mitra; Mulcahey, Mary K

2017-01-01

A substantial number of orthopaedic surgeons apply for sports medicine fellowships after residency completion. The Internet is one of the most important resources applicants use to obtain information about fellowship programs, with the program website serving as one of the most influential sources. The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM), San Francisco Match (SFM), and Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA) maintain databases of orthopaedic sports medicine fellowship programs. A 2013 study evaluated the content and accessibility of the websites for accredited orthopaedic sports medicine fellowships. To reassess these websites based on the same parameters and compare the results with those of the study published in 2013 to determine whether any improvement has been made in fellowship website content or accessibility. Cross-sectional study. We reviewed all existing websites for the 95 accredited orthopaedic sports medicine fellowships included in the AOSSM, SFM, and AANA databases. Accessibility of the websites was determined by performing a Google search for each program. A total of 89 sports fellowship websites were evaluated for overall content. Websites for the remaining 6 programs could not be identified, so they were not included in content assessment. Of the 95 accredited sports medicine fellowships, 49 (52%) provided links in the AOSSM database, 89 (94%) in the SFM database, and 24 (25%) in the AANA database. Of the 89 websites, 89 (100%) provided a description of the program, 62 (70%) provided selection process information, and 40 (45%) provided a link to the SFM website. Two searches through Google were able to identify links to 88% and 92% of all accredited programs. The majority of accredited orthopaedic sports medicine fellowship programs fail to utilize the Internet to its full potential as a resource to provide applicants with detailed information about the program, which could help residents in the selection and ranking process. Orthopaedic sports medicine fellowship websites that are easily accessible through the AOSSM, SFM, AANA, or Google and that provide all relevant information for applicants would simplify the process of deciding where to apply, interview, and ultimately how to rank orthopaedic sports medicine fellowship programs for the Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship Match.

NEWS: Web's wonders!

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2000-07-01

Introducing this month's collection of useful websites for physics teachers. If you have any suggestions for this column then please send them to us at ped@ioppublishing.co.uk Dave Pickersgill has drawn our attention to the following: www.sheffcol.ac.uk/links/ which has annotated, classified and searchable links to over 1700 educational sites. Included are around 500 science links. Members of the American Association of Physics Teachers were recently informed of a website for those hoping to arouse interest and knowledge of astronomy in their students. Space.com, a comprehensive space news website, had launched `spaceKids', a new channel specifically targeted at children complete with a gallery of space images, space and science news, stories, a space question and answer section hosted by a team of science teachers, interactive games, weekly polls and competitions. The website can be found at www.spacekids.com Those fascinated by all aspects of nuclear fusion should take a look at the General Atomics educational site: FusionEd.gat.com as well as the national site fusion.gat.com/PlasmaOutreach

Investigating a Student-Driven Taxonomy for Library Website Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hulseberg, Anna; Monson, Sarah

2011-01-01

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

An evaluation of websites to help neurosurgical trainees learn histopathology.

PubMed

Jeffree, R L

2013-10-01

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

Comics, Crowdsourcing and Up-Votes: EFL on the Front Page of the Internet

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

York, James; Stiller, Scott

2013-01-01

The social-media news website "Reddit" boasts a huge readership with over 35 million unique visitors for December 2011 alone. Content is generated by users, who submit links from other websites to the various sub-forums. Users also have the ability to comment on links, providing the means for a community to be developed. Both content and…

Design and implementation of an interactive website to support long-term maintenance of weight loss.

PubMed

Stevens, Victor J; Funk, Kristine L; Brantley, Phillip J; Erlinger, Thomas P; Myers, Valerie H; Champagne, Catherine M; Bauck, Alan; Samuel-Hodge, Carmen D; Hollis, Jack F

2008-01-25

For most individuals, long-term maintenance of weight loss requires long-term, supportive intervention. Internet-based weight loss maintenance programs offer considerable potential for meeting this need. Careful design processes are required to maximize adherence and minimize attrition. This paper describes the development, implementation and use of a Web-based intervention program designed to help those who have recently lost weight sustain their weight loss over 1 year. The weight loss maintenance website was developed over a 1-year period by an interdisciplinary team of public health researchers, behavior change intervention experts, applications developers, and interface designers. Key interactive features of the final site include social support, self-monitoring, written guidelines for diet and physical activity, links to appropriate websites, supportive tools for behavior change, check-in accountability, tailored reinforcement messages, and problem solving and relapse prevention training. The weight loss maintenance program included a reminder system (automated email and telephone messages) that prompted participants to return to the website if they missed their check-in date. If there was no log-in response to the email and telephone automated prompts, a staff member called the participant. We tracked the proportion of participants with at least one log-in per month, and analyzed log-ins as a result of automated prompts. The mean age of the 348 participants enrolled in an ongoing randomized trial and assigned to use the website was 56 years; 63% were female, and 38% were African American. While weight loss data will not be available until mid-2008, website use remained high during the first year with over 80% of the participants still using the website during month 12. During the first 52 weeks, participants averaged 35 weeks with at least one log-in. Email and telephone prompts appear to be very effective at helping participants sustain ongoing website use. Developing interactive websites is expensive, complex, and time consuming. We found that extensive paper prototyping well in advance of programming and a versatile product manager who could work with project staff at all levels of detail were essential to keeping the development process efficient. clinicaltrials.gov NCT00054925.

Using ant-behavior-based simulation model AntWeb to improve website organization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Weigang; Pinheiro Dib, Marcos V.; Teles, Wesley M.; Morais de Andrade, Vlaudemir; Alves de Melo, Alba C. M.; Cariolano, Judas T.

2002-03-01

Some web usage mining algorithms showed the potential application to find the difference among the organizations expected by visitors to the website. However, there are still no efficient method and criterion for a web administrator to measure the performance of the modification. In this paper, we developed an AntWeb, a model inspired by ants' behavior to simulate the sequence of visiting the website, in order to measure the efficient of the web structure. We implemented a web usage mining algorithm using backtrack to the intranet website of the Politec Informatic Ltd., Brazil. We defined throughput (the number of visitors to reach their target pages per time unit relates to the total number of visitors) as an index to measure the website's performance. We also used the link in a web page to represent the effect of visitors' pheromone trails. For every modification in the website organization, for example, putting a link from the expected location to the target object, the simulation reported the value of throughput as a quick answer about this modification. The experiment showed the stability of our simulation model, and a positive modification to the intranet website of the Politec.

A Website for Astronomy Education and Outreach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Impey, C.; Danehy, A.

2017-09-01

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

An Analysis of Website Accessibility in Higher Education in Indonesia Based on WCAG 2.0 Guidelines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arasid, W.; Abdullah, A. G.; Wahyudin, D.; Abdullah, C. U.; Widiaty, I.; Zakaria, D.; Amelia, N.; Juhana, A.

2018-02-01

Website accessibility is a simple way to access a website by everyone so that information on the website can be easily understood. This study aims to improve the accessibility of universities’ website to analyze website accessibility problems based on WCAG 2.0 guidelines. This study analyzed 13 universities’ websites in West Java, Indonesia by using TAW as an evaluation tool. The evaluation results were presented in a graph showing the error rate of each university’s website. The same errors that occurred in almost all websites were: non-text content, info and relationships, page title, link purpose, language of page, on input, labels and instructions, parsing, and name, role, value criteria. This study was expected to provide information to the university and to perform as guidelines for website accessibility improvements.

Comparison of online marketing techniques on food and beverage companies' websites in six countries.

PubMed

Bragg, Marie A; Eby, Margaret; Arshonsky, Josh; Bragg, Alex; Ogedegbe, Gbenga

2017-10-26

Food and beverage marketing contributes to poor dietary choices among adults and children. As consumers spend more time on the Internet, food and beverage companies have increased their online marketing efforts. Studies have shown food companies' online promotions use a variety of marketing techniques to promote mostly energy-dense, nutrient-poor products, but no studies have compared the online marketing techniques and nutritional quality of products promoted on food companies' international websites. For this descriptive study, we developed a qualitative codebook to catalogue the marketing themes used on 18 international corporate websites associated with the world's three largest fast food and beverage companies (i.e. Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken). Nutritional quality of foods featured on those websites was evaluated based on quantitative Nutrient Profile Index scores and food category (e.g. fried, fresh). Beverages were sorted into categories based on added sugar content. We report descriptive statistics to compare the marketing techniques and nutritional quality of products featured on the company websites for the food and beverage company websites in two high-income countries (HICs), Germany and the United States, two upper-middle-income countries (UMICs), China and Mexico, and two lower-middle-income countries (LMICs), India and the Philippines. Of the 406 screenshots captured from company websites, 67·8% depicted a food or beverage product. HICs' websites promoted diet food or beverage products/healthier alternatives (e.g. baked chicken sandwich) significantly more often on their pages (25%), compared to LMICs (14·5%). Coca-Cola featured diet products significantly more frequently on HIC websites compared to LMIC websites. Charities were featured more often on webpages in LMICs (15·4%) compared to UMICs (2·6%) and HICs (2·3%). This study demonstrates that companies showcase healthier products in wealthier countries and advertise their philanthropic activities in lower income countries, which is concerning given the negative effect of nutrition transition (double burden of overnutrition and undernutrition) on burden of non-communicable diseases and obesity in lower income countries.

Interactive Sections Of An Internet-Based Intervention Increase Patient Empowerment: A Study With Chronic Back Pain Patients

ClinicalTrials.gov

2014-04-12

Group 1 (Control): Access to a Static Version of the Website Containing Only Static Features (i.e. Library, First Aid, and FAQ); Group2 (Intervention) Access to an Interactive Version of the Website Containing Both Static and Interactive Features

Physics To Go: an Outreach Digital Library

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Edward V.

2006-12-01

Physics to Go, part of the NSF-funded ComPADRE digital library, is a collection of websites for informal physics learning. This talk will present Physics To Go’s homepage features, show how these features are created, how resources are identified, and how Physics To Go complements other physics outreach websites.

Audit of a sexual health website email link for general practitioners.

PubMed

Biggs, K; Lowe, P; Walsh, J; Lagios, K

2010-01-01

The aim of this review was to evaluate an 'Email a Clinician' link on a medically reviewed sexual health website, which was established to allow general practitioners (GPs) to communicate remotely with sexual health clinic specialists. The website was developed in consultation with GPs and extensively promoted throughout the relevant professional primary health-care networks. Despite this, the email link appeared to fail in its objective of facilitating GP access to specialist sexual health physician opinion within five working days. An audit examining use of the email link was conducted for a one-year period, during which time 324 emails were received. Results showed that the bulk of the emails (93.2%) were spam, and only 6.8% were genuine enquiries. Of the 22 genuine emails, 21 (95%) originated from the general public and there were no enquiries from the GPs, who were the target audience of the website, resulting in removal of the email link from the site. Direct survey of local GPs to evaluate reasons for non-utilization of the link was not possible. However, discomfort with the technology, time added to existing workload, lack of direct perceived benefit and lack of immediate response have been cited as contributing factors that may limit widespread adoption of other telemedicine services. As a new generation of recently graduated GPs enters the Australian workforce, who might be expected to be skilled and comfortable with electronic medical communication, the option of a direct email link to a sexual health clinic, with a faster turnaround time, may be worth re-visiting in the future.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Zunyu

2018-04-01

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

Kids' Quest: Tourette

MedlinePlus

... know about Tourette » Return to Steps World-Wide Web Search CDC’s website on Tourette syndrome This site ... outside this website We provide links to other web pages if you want to learn more about ...

Web-based health resources at US colleges: early patterns and missed opportunities in preventive health.

PubMed

Jue, J Jane S; Metlay, Joshua P

2011-11-01

Web-based health resources on college websites have the potential to reach a substantial number of college students. The objective of this study was to characterize how colleges use their websites to educate about and promote health. This study was a cross-sectional analysis of websites from a nationally representative sample of 426 US colleges. Reviewers abstracted information about Web-based health resources from college websites, namely health information, Web links to outside health resources, and interactive Web-based health programs. Nearly 60% of US colleges provided health resources on their websites, 49% provided health information, 48% provided links to outside resources, and 28% provided interactive Web-based health programs. The most common topics of Web-based health resources were mental health and general health. We found widespread presence of Web-based health resources available from various delivery modes and covering a range of health topics. Although further research in this new modality is warranted, Web-based health resources hold promise for reaching more US college students.

DNASU plasmid and PSI:Biology-Materials repositories: resources to accelerate biological research

PubMed Central

Seiler, Catherine Y.; Park, Jin G.; Sharma, Amit; Hunter, Preston; Surapaneni, Padmini; Sedillo, Casey; Field, James; Algar, Rhys; Price, Andrea; Steel, Jason; Throop, Andrea; Fiacco, Michael; LaBaer, Joshua

2014-01-01

The mission of the DNASU Plasmid Repository is to accelerate research by providing high-quality, annotated plasmid samples and online plasmid resources to the research community through the curated DNASU database, website and repository (http://dnasu.asu.edu or http://dnasu.org). The collection includes plasmids from grant-funded, high-throughput cloning projects performed in our laboratory, plasmids from external researchers, and large collections from consortia such as the ORFeome Collaboration and the NIGMS-funded Protein Structure Initiative: Biology (PSI:Biology). Through DNASU, researchers can search for and access detailed information about each plasmid such as the full length gene insert sequence, vector information, associated publications, and links to external resources that provide additional protein annotations and experimental protocols. Plasmids can be requested directly through the DNASU website. DNASU and the PSI:Biology-Materials Repositories were previously described in the 2010 NAR Database Issue (Cormier, C.Y., Mohr, S.E., Zuo, D., Hu, Y., Rolfs, A., Kramer, J., Taycher, E., Kelley, F., Fiacco, M., Turnbull, G. et al. (2010) Protein Structure Initiative Material Repository: an open shared public resource of structural genomics plasmids for the biological community. Nucleic Acids Res., 38, D743–D749.). In this update we will describe the plasmid collection and highlight the new features in the website redesign, including new browse/search options, plasmid annotations and a dynamic vector mapping feature that was developed in collaboration with LabGenius. Overall, these plasmid resources continue to enable research with the goal of elucidating the role of proteins in both normal biological processes and disease. PMID:24225319

Adding a Feature: Can a Pop-Up Chat Box Enhance Virtual Reference Services?

PubMed

Fan, Suhua Caroline; Fought, Rick L; Gahn, Paul C

2017-01-01

Online users seek help from virtual reference services via email, phone, texting, and live chat. Technologies have enabled new features in library websites to help make this service more accessible and effective. This article is an evaluation of an experimental pop-up live chat box on the website of a health sciences library to see whether the feature would enhance virtual reference services.

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

PubMed

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

2006-09-01

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

Family physicians' interests in special features of electronic publication

PubMed Central

Torre, Dario M.; Wright, Scott M.; Wilson, Renee F.; Diener-West, Marie; Bass, Eric B.

2003-01-01

Objective: Because many of the medical journals read by family physicians now have an electronic version, the authors conducted a survey to determine the interest of family physicians in specific features of electronic journal publications. Setting and Participants: We surveyed 175 family physicians randomly selected from the American Academy of Family Physicians. Results: The response rate was 63%. About half of family physicians reported good to excellent computer proficiency, and about one quarter used online journals sometimes or often. Many respondents reported high interest in having links to: an electronic medical text (48% for original articles, 56% for review articles), articles' list of references (52% for original articles, 56% for review articles), and health-related Websites (48% for original and review articles). Conclusion: Primary care–oriented journals should consider the interests of family physicians when developing and offering electronic features for their readers. PMID:12883561

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

PubMed Central

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

2017-01-01

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

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

PubMed

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

2017-02-01

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

Survey of quality, readability, and social reach of websites on osteosarcoma in adolescents.

PubMed

Lam, Catherine G; Roter, Debra L; Cohen, Kenneth J

2013-01-01

Little is known about Internet resources for adolescent patients. This study assessed the quality, readability, and social reach of websites on an illustrative adolescent cancer diagnosis, osteosarcoma. The top 50 results from four queries in two search engines were screened. Quality and readability were determined using standard DISCERN tool, Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kinkaid Grade. Social reach was gauged by social networking links, global website traffic, and a pilot adolescent-specificity measure. Of 400 websites assessed, 56 (14%) met inclusion criteria. Websites' mean quality was fair (49.8 on 75-point scale; range 31.0-66.0, poor to excellent); 86% failed readability standards (Grade>8); 75% offered at least one social networking link; and 34% offered site-specific social media. More than 60% received over 50,000 visits in the past month. Only 12.5% included adolescent-specific content. Of the 10 websites ranked highest for quality, only one achieved both readability targets and adolescent-specific content. Although some patient-oriented websites on osteosarcoma are of acceptable quality, most failed readability targets, and few appeared to address adolescents. Better awareness of Internet health resources and social media for adolescents with cancer is needed to address gaps, promote health literacy and facilitate patient-provider communication. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

David Lee, Douglas Osheroff, Superfluidity, and Helium 3

Science.gov Websites

, and experimental searches for new magnetically ordered two dimensional phases of both solid and liquid non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from this site. Website Policies/Important Links U.S

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Website Content Features Using Retrospective Pretest Methodology: An Experimental Test.

PubMed

Mueller, Christoph Emanuel

2015-06-01

In order to assess website content effectiveness (WCE), investigations have to be made into whether the reception of website contents leads to a change in the characteristics of website visitors or not. Because randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are not always the method of choice, researchers may have to follow other strategies such as using retrospective pretest methodology (RPM), a straightforward and easy-to-implement tool for estimating intervention effects. This article aims to introduce RPM in the context of website evaluation and test its viability under experimental conditions. Building on the idea that RCTs deliver unbiased estimates of the true causal effects of website content reception, I compared the performance of RPM with that of an RCT within the same study. Hence, if RPM provides effect estimates similar to those of the RCT, it can be considered a viable tool for assessing the effectiveness of the website content features under study. RPM was capable of delivering comparatively resilient estimates of the effects of a YouTube video and a text feature on knowledge and attitudes. With regard to all of the outcome variables considered, the differences between the sizes of the effects estimated by the RCT and RPM were not significant. Additionally, RPM delivered relatively accurate effect size estimates in most of the cases. Therefore, I conclude that RPM could be a viable alternative for assessing WCE in cases where RCTs are not the preferred method. © The Author(s) 2015.

Network Analysis of an Emergent Massively Collaborative Creation on Video Sharing Website

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamasaki, Masahiro; Takeda, Hideaki; Nishimura, Takuichi

The Web technology enables numerous people to collaborate in creation. We designate it as massively collaborative creation via the Web. As an example of massively collaborative creation, we particularly examine video development on Nico Nico Douga, which is a video sharing website that is popular in Japan. We specifically examine videos on Hatsune Miku, a version of a singing synthesizer application software that has inspired not only song creation but also songwriting, illustration, and video editing. As described herein, creators of interact to create new contents through their social network. In this paper, we analyzed the process of developing thousands of videos based on creators' social networks and investigate relationships among creation activity and social networks. The social network reveals interesting features. Creators generate large and sparse social networks including some centralized communities, and such centralized community's members shared special tags. Different categories of creators have different roles in evolving the network, e.g., songwriters gather more links than other categories, implying that they are triggers to network evolution.

Impact of e-AV Biology Website for Learning about Renewable Energy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nugraini, Siti Hadiati; Choo, Koo Ah; Hin, Hew Soon; Hoon, Teoh Sian

2013-01-01

This paper considers the design and development of a Website for Biology in senior high schools in Indonesia. The teaching media, namely e-AV Biology, was developed with the main features of video lessons and other features in supporting the students' learning process. Some video lessons describe the production process of Biofuel or Renewable…

An Introduction to the Solar System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McBride, Neil; Gilmour, Iain

2004-02-01

Compiled by a team of experts, this textbook has been designed for introductory university courses in planetary science. It starts with a tour of the Solar System and an overview of its formation. The composition, internal structure, surface morphology and atmospheres of the terrestrial planets are then described. This leads naturally to a discussion of the giant planets and why they are compositionally different. Minor bodies are reviewed and the book concludes with a discussion of the origin of the Solar System and the evidence from meteorites. Written in an accessible style that avoids complex mathematics, and illustrated in colour throughout, this book is suitable for self-study and will appeal to amateur enthusiasts as well as undergraduate students. It contains numerous helpful learning features such as boxed summaries, student exercises with full solutions, and a glossary of terms. The book is also supported by a website hosting further teaching materials. Written by a team of experts in an accessible style that avoids complex mathematics, and illustrated in colour throughout Contains numerous pedagogical features including boxed summaries, brief biographies of pioneering astronomers, bulleted questions and answers throughout, over 90 exercises with full solutions, and a glossary of terms Supported by a website hosting additional teaching materials including illustrations, further exercises and links to other Internet resources

Linking Policy | Smokefree 60+

Cancer.gov

Links to individual pages within the Smokefree 60+ website are permissible, provided attribution is made to 60plus.smokefree.gov and any descriptive notes accurately reflect the content of the linked page(s).

A workplace email-linked website intervention for modifying cancer-related dietary and lifestyle risk factors: rationale, design and baseline findings.

PubMed

Ang, Y K; Mirnalini, K; Zalilah, M S

2013-04-01

The use of email and website as channels for workplace health information delivery is not fully explored. This study aims to describe the rationale, design, and baseline findings of an email-linked website intervention to improve modifiable cancer risk factors. Employees of a Malaysian public university were recruited by systematic random sampling and randomised into an intervention (n = 174) or control group (n = 165). A website was developed for the intervention and educational modules were uploaded onto the website. The intervention group received ten consecutive weekly emails with hypertext links to the website for downloading the modules and two individual phone calls as motivational support whilst the control group received none. Diet, lifestyle, anthropometric measurements, psychosocial factors and stages of change related to dietary fat, fruit and vegetable intake, and physical activity were assessed. Participants were predominantly female and in non-academic positions. Obesity was prevalent in 15% and 37% were at risk of co-morbidities. Mean intake of fats was 31%, fruit was -1 serving/day and vegetable was < 1 serving/day. Less than 20% smoked and drank alcohol and about 40% were physically inactive. The majority of the participants fell into the Preparation stage for decreasing fat intake, eating more fruit and vegetables, and increasing physical activity. Self-efficacy and perceived benefits were lowest among participants in the Precontemplation/Contemplation stage compared to the Preparation and Action/Maintenance stages. Baseline data show that dietary and lifestyle practices among the employees did not meet the international guidelines for cancer prevention. Hence the findings warrant the intervention planned.

Web-based information on the treatment of oral leukoplakia - quality and readability.

PubMed

Wiriyakijja, Paswach; Fedele, Stefano; Porter, Stephen; Ni Riordain, Richeal

2016-09-01

To categorise the content and assess the quality and readability of the online information regarding the treatment for oral leukoplakia. An online search using the term 'leukoplakia treatment' was carried out on 8th June 2015 using the Google search engine. The content, quality and readability of the first 100 sites were explored. The quality of the web information was assessed using the following tools, the DISCERN instrument and the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmarks for website analysis and the HON seal. Readability was assessed via the Flesch Reading Ease Score. The search strategy generated 357 000 sites on the Google search engine. Due to duplicate links, non-operating links and irrelevant links, a total of 47 of the first 100 websites were included in this study. The mean overall rating achieved by included websites using the DISCERN instrument was 2.3. With regard to the JAMA benchmarks, the vast majority of examined websites (95.7%) completely fulfilled the disclosure benchmark and less than 50% of included websites met the three remaining criteria. A mean total readability score of 47.5 was recorded with almost 90% of websites having a readability level ranging from fairly difficult to very difficult. Based on this study, the online health information regarding oral leukoplakia has challenging readability with content of questionable accuracy. As patients often search for health information online, it would be prudent for clinicians to highlight the caution with which online information should be interpreted. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Associations of internet website use with weight change in a long-term weight loss maintenance program.

PubMed

Funk, Kristine L; Stevens, Victor J; Appel, Lawrence J; Bauck, Alan; Brantley, Phillip J; Champagne, Catherine M; Coughlin, Janelle; Dalcin, Arlene T; Harvey-Berino, Jean; Hollis, Jack F; Jerome, Gerald J; Kennedy, Betty M; Lien, Lillian F; Myers, Valerie H; Samuel-Hodge, Carmen; Svetkey, Laura P; Vollmer, William M

2010-07-27

The Weight Loss Maintenance Trial (WLM) compared two long-term weight-maintenance interventions, a personal contact arm and an Internet arm, with a no-treatment control after an initial six-month Phase I weight loss program. The Internet arm focused on use of an interactive website for support of long-term weight maintenance. There is limited information about patterns of website use and specific components of an interactive website that might help promote maintenance of weight loss. This paper presents a secondary analysis of the subset of participants in the Internet arm and focuses on website use patterns and features associated with long-term weight maintenance. Adults at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) who lost at least 4 kilograms in an initial 20-week group-based, behavioral weight-loss program were trained to use an interactive website for weight loss maintenance. Of the 348 participants, 37% were male and 38% were African American. Mean weight loss was 8.6 kilograms. Participants were encouraged to log in at least weekly and enter a current weight for the 30-month study period. The website contained features that encouraged setting short-term goals, creating action plans, and reinforcing self-management habits. The website also included motivational modules, daily tips, and tailored messages. Based on log-in and weight-entry frequency, we divided participants into three website use categories: consistent, some, and minimal. Participants in the consistent user group (n = 212) were more likely to be older (P = .002), other than African American (P = .02), and more educated (P = .01). While there was no significant difference between website use categories in the amount of Phase I change in body weight (P = .45) or income (P = .78), minimal website users (n = 75) were significantly more likely to have attended fewer Phase I sessions (P = .001) and had a higher initial body mass index (BMI) (P < .001). After adjusting for baseline characteristics including initial BMI, variables most associated with less weight regain included: number of log-ins (P = .001), minutes on the website (P < .001), number of weight entries (P = .002), number of exercise entries (P < .001), and sessions with additional use of website features after weight entry (P = .002). Participants defined as consistent website users of an interactive behavioral website designed to promote maintenance of weight loss were more successful at maintaining long-term weight loss. NCT00054925; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00054925 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/5rC7523ue).

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

PubMed

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

2014-06-01

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

U.S. Department of Defense Official Website

Science.gov Websites

DefenseLink.mil Aug. 04, 2015 War on Terror Transformation News Products Press Resources Images Websites Contact presidential election expected to be a major stabilizing effort in a lynchpin country in the war on terror

Design and Implementation of an Interactive Website to Support Long-Term Maintenance of Weight Loss

PubMed Central

Stevens, Victor J; Brantley, Phillip J; Erlinger, Thomas P; Myers, Valerie H; Champagne, Catherine M; Bauck, Alan; Samuel-Hodge, Carmen D; Hollis, Jack F

2008-01-01

Background For most individuals, long-term maintenance of weight loss requires long-term, supportive intervention. Internet-based weight loss maintenance programs offer considerable potential for meeting this need. Careful design processes are required to maximize adherence and minimize attrition. Objective This paper describes the development, implementation and use of a Web-based intervention program designed to help those who have recently lost weight sustain their weight loss over 1 year. Methods The weight loss maintenance website was developed over a 1-year period by an interdisciplinary team of public health researchers, behavior change intervention experts, applications developers, and interface designers. Key interactive features of the final site include social support, self-monitoring, written guidelines for diet and physical activity, links to appropriate websites, supportive tools for behavior change, check-in accountability, tailored reinforcement messages, and problem solving and relapse prevention training. The weight loss maintenance program included a reminder system (automated email and telephone messages) that prompted participants to return to the website if they missed their check-in date. If there was no log-in response to the email and telephone automated prompts, a staff member called the participant. We tracked the proportion of participants with at least one log-in per month, and analyzed log-ins as a result of automated prompts. Results The mean age of the 348 participants enrolled in an ongoing randomized trial and assigned to use the website was 56 years; 63% were female, and 38% were African American. While weight loss data will not be available until mid-2008, website use remained high during the first year with over 80% of the participants still using the website during month 12. During the first 52 weeks, participants averaged 35 weeks with at least one log-in. Email and telephone prompts appear to be very effective at helping participants sustain ongoing website use. Conclusions Developing interactive websites is expensive, complex, and time consuming. We found that extensive paper prototyping well in advance of programming and a versatile product manager who could work with project staff at all levels of detail were essential to keeping the development process efficient. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov NCT00054925 PMID:18244892

InforMD: a new initiative to raise public awareness about breast density

PubMed Central

Hugo, Honor J; Zysk, Aneta; Dasari, Pallave; Britt, Kara; Hopper, John L; Stone, Jennifer; Thompson, Erik W; Ingman, Wendy V

2018-01-01

On a mammogram, breast density (also known as mammographic density) is shown as white and bright regions and is associated with reduced sensitivity in cancer detection and increased breast cancer risk. However, many Australian women are unaware of the significance of breast density as it is not routinely reported or discussed. In order to address this lack of knowledge, Australian breast cancer researchers with expertise in mammographic density formed the InforMD alliance (INformation FORum on Mammographic Density) in 2016. The alliance is working to raise awareness of breast density with the goal of improving breast cancer diagnosis and health outcomes for women. The InforMD website (www.InforMD.org.au) was launched in October 2016, coinciding with a major nationwide public awareness campaign by the alliance during breast cancer awareness month. The website contains unbiased, accurate, updated information on breast density. The website also provides summaries of major research articles in layperson language, recent news items related to breast density, links to relevant information for health professionals, events, and feature articles. Members of the public and health professionals can also subscribe for news updates. The interactive online Forum section facilitates discussion between health professionals, scientists and members of the public. To increase online traffic to the website, Facebook (www.facebook.com/BeInforMD) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/BeInforMD_) pages were launched in December 2016. Since its launch, InforMD has generated considerable interest. The public awareness campaign reached over 7 million Australians through a combination of newspaper, TV, radio, and online news. The website has attracted 13,058 unique visitors and 30,353 page views (data as of 19/12/2017). Breast cancer researchers have a significant role to play in disseminating information to the public on breast density. A combination of mainstream and social media, together with a well-informed and updated website, has laid the groundwork for the InforMD alliance to reach a wide audience. PMID:29492101

InforMD: a new initiative to raise public awareness about breast density.

PubMed

Hugo, Honor J; Zysk, Aneta; Dasari, Pallave; Britt, Kara; Hopper, John L; Stone, Jennifer; Thompson, Erik W; Ingman, Wendy V

2018-01-01

On a mammogram, breast density (also known as mammographic density) is shown as white and bright regions and is associated with reduced sensitivity in cancer detection and increased breast cancer risk. However, many Australian women are unaware of the significance of breast density as it is not routinely reported or discussed. In order to address this lack of knowledge, Australian breast cancer researchers with expertise in mammographic density formed the InforMD alliance (INformation FORum on Mammographic Density) in 2016. The alliance is working to raise awareness of breast density with the goal of improving breast cancer diagnosis and health outcomes for women. The InforMD website (www.InforMD.org.au) was launched in October 2016, coinciding with a major nationwide public awareness campaign by the alliance during breast cancer awareness month. The website contains unbiased, accurate, updated information on breast density. The website also provides summaries of major research articles in layperson language, recent news items related to breast density, links to relevant information for health professionals, events, and feature articles. Members of the public and health professionals can also subscribe for news updates. The interactive online Forum section facilitates discussion between health professionals, scientists and members of the public. To increase online traffic to the website, Facebook (www.facebook.com/BeInforMD) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/BeInforMD_) pages were launched in December 2016. Since its launch, InforMD has generated considerable interest. The public awareness campaign reached over 7 million Australians through a combination of newspaper, TV, radio, and online news. The website has attracted 13,058 unique visitors and 30,353 page views (data as of 19/12/2017). Breast cancer researchers have a significant role to play in disseminating information to the public on breast density. A combination of mainstream and social media, together with a well-informed and updated website, has laid the groundwork for the InforMD alliance to reach a wide audience.

Kohonen Self-Organizing Feature Maps as a Means to Benchmark College and University Websites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, Cameron; Burns, Andrew

2007-01-01

Websites for colleges and universities have become the primary means for students to obtain information in the college search process. Consequently, institutions of higher education should target their websites toward prospective and current students' needs, interests, and tastes. Numerous parameters must be determined in creating a school website…

An Educational System to Help Students Assess Website Features and Identify High-Risk Websites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kajiyama, Tomoko; Echizen, Isao

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to propose an effective educational system to help students assess Web site risk by providing an environment in which students can better understand a Web site's features and determine the risks of accessing the Web site for themselves. Design/methodology/approach: The authors have enhanced a prototype…

WALK 2.0: examining the effectiveness of Web 2.0 features to increase physical activity in a 'real world' setting: an ecological trial.

PubMed

Caperchione, Cristina M; Kolt, Gregory S; Savage, Trevor N; Rosenkranz, Richard R; Maeder, Anthony J; Vandelanotte, Corneel; Duncan, Mitch J; Van Itallie, Anetta; Tague, Rhys; Mummery, W Kerry

2014-10-10

Low levels of health-enhancing physical activity require novel approaches that have the potential to reach broad populations. Web-based interventions are a popular approach for behaviour change given their wide reach and accessibility. However, challenges with participant engagement and retention reduce the long-term maintenance of behaviour change. Web 2.0 features present a new and innovative online environment supporting greater interactivity, with the potential to increase engagement and retention. In order to understand the applicability of these innovative interventions for the broader population, 'real-world' interventions implemented under 'everyday conditions' are required. The aim of this study is to investigate the difference in physical activity behaviour between individuals using a traditional Web 1.0 website with those using a novel Web 2.0 website. In this study we will aim to recruit 2894 participants. Participants will be recruited from individuals who register with a pre-existing health promotion website that currently provides Web 1.0 features (http://www.10000steps.org.au). Eligible participants who provide informed consent will be randomly assigned to one of the two trial conditions: the pre-existing 10 000 Steps website (with Web 1.0 features) or the newly developed WALK 2.0 website (with Web 2.0 features). Primary and secondary outcome measures will be assessed by self-report at baseline, 3 months and 12 months, and include: physical activity behaviour, height and weight, Internet self-efficacy, website usability, website usage and quality of life. This study has received ethics approval from the University of Western Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee (Reference Number H8767) and has been funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (Reference Number 589903). Study findings will be disseminated widely through peer-reviewed publications, academic conferences and local community-based presentations. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry Number: ACTRN12611000253909, WHO Universal Trial Number: U111-1119-1755. 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.

U.S. Department of Defense Official Website

Science.gov Websites

DefenseLink.mil Aug. 05, 2015 War on Terror Transformation News Products Press Resources Images Websites Contact the forefront of his mind as he works as a coalition partner in the global war on terror. Story PHOTO

Finasteride Reduces the Risk of Low-Grade Prostate Cancer in Men 55 and Older

MedlinePlus

... the researchers gathered using data from the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) from the time the trial ... Websites POLICIES Accessibility Comment Policy Disclaimer FOIA Privacy & Security Reuse & Copyright Syndication Services Website Linking U.S. Department ...

Experience of maintaining laboratory educational website's sustainability

PubMed Central

Dimenstein, Izak B.

2016-01-01

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

Experience of maintaining laboratory educational website's sustainability.

PubMed

Dimenstein, Izak B

2016-01-01

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

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

MedlinePlus

... sites Expand Expand Home - Opens in a new window About CMS Newsroom Archive - Opens in a new window Tools dropdown menu to share, print or email ... the medicare.gov website - Opens in a new window MyMedicare.gov Link to the MyMedicare.gov website - ...

HGDB: A web retrieving cardiovascular-associated gene data.

PubMed

Noorabad-Ghahroodi, Faezeh; Abdi, Samaneh; Zand, Amir Hossein; Najafi, Mohammad

2017-04-01

The use of data obtained from high throughput techniques in genetics studies is an essential subject in biology. The system approaches of networking and enriching may improve the data management. Here, we annotated the molecular features for cardiovascular-associated genes and presented the HGDB search-based database (www.hgdb.ir). The initial seed data was primarily used from Gene Ontology and was automatically enriched with other molecular features. The data was managed in a SQL popular and open source. The search tabs on the HGDB homepage were applied for ID/Name Gene, chromosome, cell organelle and all gene options. The search results were presented on the gene text-based and source link-based descriptions. The HGDB is a friendly website to present gene data in the cardiovascular field. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development and Usability Testing of a Web-based Self-management Intervention for Oral Cancer Survivors and their Family Caregivers

PubMed Central

Badr, Hoda; Lipnick, Daniella; Diefenbach, Michael A; Posner, Marshall; Kotz, Tamar; Miles, Brett; Genden, Eric

2016-01-01

Oral cancer (OC) survivors experience debilitating side effects that affect their quality of life (QOL) and that of their caregivers. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a dyadic, web-based intervention to improve survivor self-management and survivor/caregiver QOL. A qualitative needs assessment (semi-structured interviews) with 13 OC survivors and 12 caregivers was conducted to discern information and support needs as well as preferences regarding website features and tools. Results using Grounded Theory analysis showed that OC survivors and caregivers: 1) want and need practical advice about managing side effects; 2) want to reach out to other survivors/caregivers for information and support; and, 3) have both overlapping and unique needs and preferences regarding website features. Usability testing (N=6 survivors; 5 caregivers) uncovered problems with the intuitiveness, navigation, and design of the website that were subsequently addressed. Users rated the website favorably on the dimensions of attractiveness, controllability, efficiency, intuitiveness, and learnability, and gave it a total usability score of 80/100. Overall, this study demonstrates that OC survivors and caregivers are interested in using an online program to improve QOL, and that providing tailored website content and features based on the person’s role as survivor or caregiver is important in this population. PMID:26507369

EPA Facility Registry System (FRS): NEPT

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This web feature service contains location and facility identification information from EPA's Facility Registry System (FRS) for the subset of facilities that link to the National Environmental Performance Track (NEPT) Program dataset. FRS identifies and geospatially locates facilities, sites or places subject to environmental regulations or of environmental interest. Using vigorous verification and data management procedures, FRS integrates facility data from EPA's national program systems, other federal agencies, and State and tribal master facility records and provides EPA with a centrally managed, single source of comprehensive and authoritative information on facilities. Additional information on FRS is available at the EPA website https://www.epa.gov/enviro/facility-registry-service-frs

EPA Facility Registry Service (FRS): NEI

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This web feature service contains location and facility identification information from EPA's Facility Registry Service (FRS) for the subset of facilities that link to the National Emissions Inventory (NEI) Program dataset. FRS identifies and geospatially locates facilities, sites or places subject to environmental regulations or of environmental interest. Using vigorous verification and data management procedures, FRS integrates facility data from EPA's national program systems, other federal agencies, and State and tribal master facility records and provides EPA with a centrally managed, single source of comprehensive and authoritative information on facilities. Additional information on FRS is available at the EPA website https://www.epa.gov/enviro/facility-registry-service-frs

Recent Developments on the Turbulence Modeling Resource Website (Invited)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rumssey, Christopher L.

2015-01-01

The NASA Langley Turbulence Model Resource (TMR) website has been active for over five years. Its main goal of providing a one-stop, easily accessible internet site for up-to-date information on Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes turbulence models remains unchanged. In particular, the site strives to provide an easy way for users to verify their own implementations of widely-used turbulence models, and to compare the results from different models for a variety of simple unit problems covering a range of flow physics. Some new features have been recently added to the website. This paper documents the site's features, including recent developments, future plans, and open questions.

Internet information on colorectal cancer: commercialization and lack of quality control.

PubMed

Sajid, M S; Iftikhar, M; Monteiro, R S; Miles, A F W; Woods, W G A; Baig, M K

2008-05-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the internet as a source of information for colorectal cancer (CRC). Six of the most common search engines (Yahoo, Google, MSN search, Alta Vista, Excite and Lycos) were used for the search of the generic term 'CRC'. First 300 links were analysed and classified by information type, provider, readership and commercial orientation. The average time delay was 1.70 s before matches were located. A total of 3.2827 million matches on CRC were found using the six search engines ranging from 700 (Excite) to 1 417 000 (Lycos) websites. Approximately 50% of the links were based on information from textbooks or governmental websites. Commercial companies giving information about private hospitals and products provided over 50% of the websites on CRC. The distribution of target readers was uneven, although a majority of websites were delivering CRC information to public and patients. Readability of information was difficult to comprehend by the public. The internet is becoming an essential tool for disseminating information about CRC to consumers. Half of the links on CRC are commercially oriented, containing information on goods or private health services. Less than 1% information is being provided by professional societies. To provide relevant CRC information, key consensus criteria for evaluating healthcare-related websites have to be established. There is an urgent need for CRC information on the internet to be regulated through the establishment of government-funded organizations (e.g. NHS) or professional societies (e.g. ACPGBI).

Availability of websites offering to sell psilocybin spores and psilocybin.

PubMed

Lott, Jason P; Marlowe, Douglas B; Forman, Robert F

2009-09-01

This study assesses the availability of websites offering to sell psilocybin spores and psilocybin, a powerful hallucinogen contained in Psilocybe mushrooms. Over a 25-month period beginning in March 2003, eight searches were conducted in Google using the term "psilocybin spores." In each search the first 100 nonsponsored links obtained were scored by two independent raters according to standardized criteria to determine whether they offered to sell psilocybin or psilocybin spores. No attempts were made to procure the products offered for sale in order to ascertain whether the marketed psilocybin was in fact "genuine" or "counterfeit." Of the 800 links examined, 58% led to websites offering to sell psilocybin spores. Additionally, evidence that whole Psilocybe mushrooms are offered for sale online was obtained. Psilocybin and psilocybin spores were found to be widely available for sale over the Internet. Online purchase of psilocybin may facilitate illicit use of this potent psychoactive substance. Additional studies are needed to assess whether websites offering to sell psilocybin and psilocybin spores actually deliver their products as advertised.

Schizophrenia, drug companies and the internet.

PubMed

Read, John

2008-01-01

To investigate differences in the content of websites funded, and not funded, by drug companies, the top 50 websites about 'schizophrenia' in Google and Yahoo were analysed in relation to five variables: three scales relating to causes, treatments and violence, and two categorical variables about the condition being extremely severe and about linking coming off medication to violence. Fifty eight percent of the websites analysed received funding from drug companies. Drug company funded websites were significantly more likely to espouse bio-genetic rather than psycho-social causal explanations, to emphasise medication rather than psycho-social treatments, to portray 'schizophrenia' as a debilitating, devastating and long-term illness, and to link violence to coming off medication. They were neither more nor less likely to describe 'schizophrenics' as violent. These results suggest that the documented influence of the pharmaceutical industry over research, professional organisations, teaching institutions, clinical practice and regulatory bodies may now extend to public promotion, via the internet, of perspectives conducive to maximisation of sales.

Comparison of Parent and Teacher Perceptions of Essential Website Features and Elementary Teacher Website Use: Implications for Teacher Communication Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roman, Tiffany A.; Ottenbreit-Leftwich, Anne T.

2016-01-01

Within the United States, there has been a call for timely, effective, and targeted communication between home and school environments to increase student achievement and engage parents (Project Tomorrow, 2011a). Although teachers can use websites as a means of communication to connect with parents online (Dunn, 2011; Janicki &…

Content Analysis of Virtual Reference Data: Reshaping Library Website Design.

PubMed

Fan, Suhua Caroline; Welch, Jennifer M

2016-01-01

An academic health sciences library wanted to redesign its website to provide better access to health information in the community. Virtual reference data were used to provide information about user searching behavior. This study analyzed three years (2012-2014) of virtual reference data, including e-mail questions, text messaging, and live chat transcripts, to evaluate the library website for redesigning, especially in areas such as the home page, patrons' terminology, and issues prompting patrons to ask for help. A coding system based on information links in the current library website was created to analyze the data.

Features and heterogeneities in growing network models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferretti, Luca; Cortelezzi, Michele; Yang, Bin; Marmorini, Giacomo; Bianconi, Ginestra

2012-06-01

Many complex networks from the World Wide Web to biological networks grow taking into account the heterogeneous features of the nodes. The feature of a node might be a discrete quantity such as a classification of a URL document such as personal page, thematic website, news, blog, search engine, social network, etc., or the classification of a gene in a functional module. Moreover the feature of a node can be a continuous variable such as the position of a node in the embedding space. In order to account for these properties, in this paper we provide a generalization of growing network models with preferential attachment that includes the effect of heterogeneous features of the nodes. The main effect of heterogeneity is the emergence of an “effective fitness” for each class of nodes, determining the rate at which nodes acquire new links. The degree distribution exhibits a multiscaling behavior analogous to the the fitness model. This property is robust with respect to variations in the model, as long as links are assigned through effective preferential attachment. Beyond the degree distribution, in this paper we give a full characterization of the other relevant properties of the model. We evaluate the clustering coefficient and show that it disappears for large network size, a property shared with the Barabási-Albert model. Negative degree correlations are also present in this class of models, along with nontrivial mixing patterns among features. We therefore conclude that both small clustering coefficients and disassortative mixing are outcomes of the preferential attachment mechanism in general growing networks.

Indicators of Suicide Found on Social Networks: Phase 1

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-07

E. Ellis (Ed.), Cognition and Suicide: Theory, Research, and Therapy (pp. 355-368). American Psychological Association. Washington, DC: U.S...individual images, video and website links. • MySpace: A social networking website with an emphasis on music . • Post: Content published on a social

The journal of undergraduate neuroscience education: history, challenges, and future developments.

PubMed

Dunbar, Gary L; Lom, Barbara; Grisham, William; Ramirez, Julio J

2009-01-01

The 'JUNE and You' sessions presented at the July 2008 Undergraduate Neuroscience Education workshop, sponsored jointly by Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (FUN) and Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL), featured background information about the history and mission of the Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education (JUNE), followed by an informative discussion about the challenges facing JUNE, including new ideas for future developments. This article will highlight some of the information and ideas generated and shared at this conference. Critical discussion points included the need to keep members of FUN actively engaged in submitting and reviewing articles for JUNE. Ways in which authors, reviewers, and interested faculty members could best help in promoting the mission and vision of JUNE were discussed. Concerns about recent hackings into the JUNE website were also raised, and possible solutions and measures that can be taken to minimize this in the future were discussed. In addition, ideas for expanding the role of JUNE to provide a forum to evaluate new and emerging website information that is pertinent to undergraduate neuroscience education was discussed. Ideas for future developments of JUNE included revolving postings of articles as they are accepted, providing links to several related websites, and allowing updates for articles that have been previously published in JUNE. Finally, ideas for maintaining and expanding JUNE's stature as the resource for undergraduate neuroscience education included ensuring that JUNE is listed on important search vehicles, such as PubMed.

A cross-sectional study of the presence of United Kingdom (UK) plastic surgeons on social media.

PubMed

Mabvuure, Nigel Tapiwa; Rodrigues, Jeremy; Klimach, Stefan; Nduka, Charles

2014-03-01

To determine the uptake and usage of websites and social media (SM) by UK consultant (attending) plastic surgeons. Professional profiles of full BAPRAS members were searched on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, RealSelf, YouTube, ResearchGate in May 2013. Additional surgeons were identified from the follower lists of @BAPRASvoice and @BAAPSMedia. Website ownership was determined on Google. Searches were repeated three times. Dual BAAPS-BAPRAS members were identified from www.baaps.org.uk. There were 156 (48.3%) dual BAAPS-BAPRAS members and 36 BAPRAS-only members. Fifty seven (18%) surgeons had no account on any platform whereas 266 (82%) were on at least one platform. One hundred and sixty four (51%) had personal websites whilst 37 (11%) had profiles on partnership websites. One hundred and sixteen (36%) had no website presence whilst 2% had websites under construction. The platform most surgeons use is LinkedIn (52%) whilst smaller proportions used Facebook (4%) and Twitter (22%). Surgeons had a mean of 126 (range: 0-3270) Twitter followers and 368 (range: 7-3786) fans/'likes' of their Facebook profiles. Time spent in postgraduate practice was not predictive of website ownership or SM use. However, dual BAAPS-BAPRAS members were significantly more likely to own a personal website, Twitter, RealSelf and YouTube accounts. There has been an increase in the uptake of social media by UK plastic surgeons, especially in those with aesthetic surgery interests. However, very few surgeons have optimised their web presence. Continued education and appropriate usage guidance may promote uptake, particularly by reconstructive surgeons. Copyright © 2013 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Smart Grid Information Clearinghouse (SGIC)

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

Rahman, Saifur

Since the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 was enacted, there has been a large number of websites that discusses smart grid and relevant information, including those from government, academia, industry, private sector and regulatory. These websites collect information independently. Therefore, smart grid information was quite scattered and dispersed. The objective of this work was to develop, populate, manage and maintain the public Smart Grid Information Clearinghouse (SGIC) web portal. The information in the SGIC website is comprehensive that includes smart grid information, research & development, demonstration projects, technical standards, costs & benefit analyses, business cases, legislation, policy &more » regulation, and other information on lesson learned and best practices. The content in the SGIC website is logically grouped to allow easily browse, search and sort. In addition to providing the browse and search feature, the SGIC web portal also allow users to share their smart grid information with others though our online content submission platform. The Clearinghouse web portal, therefore, serves as the first stop shop for smart grid information that collects smart grid information in a non-bias, non-promotional manner and can provide a missing link from information sources to end users and better serve users’ needs. The web portal is available at www.sgiclearinghouse.org. This report summarizes the work performed during the course of the project (September 2009 – August 2014). Section 2.0 lists SGIC Advisory Committee and User Group members. Section 3.0 discusses SGIC information architecture and web-based database application functionalities. Section 4.0 summarizes SGIC features and functionalities, including its search, browse and sort capabilities, web portal social networking, online content submission platform and security measures implemented. Section 5.0 discusses SGIC web portal contents, including smart grid 101, smart grid projects, deployment experience (i.e., use cases, lessons learned, cost-benefit analyses and business cases), in-depth information (i.e., standards, technology, cyber security, legislation, education and training and demand response), as well as international information. Section 6.0 summarizes SGIC statistics from the launch of the portal on July 07, 2010 to August 31, 2014. Section 7.0 summarizes publicly available information as a result of this work.« less

Efficient RNA structure comparison algorithms.

PubMed

Arslan, Abdullah N; Anandan, Jithendar; Fry, Eric; Monschke, Keith; Ganneboina, Nitin; Bowerman, Jason

2017-12-01

Recently proposed relative addressing-based ([Formula: see text]) RNA secondary structure representation has important features by which an RNA structure database can be stored into a suffix array. A fast substructure search algorithm has been proposed based on binary search on this suffix array. Using this substructure search algorithm, we present a fast algorithm that finds the largest common substructure of given multiple RNA structures in [Formula: see text] format. The multiple RNA structure comparison problem is NP-hard in its general formulation. We introduced a new problem for comparing multiple RNA structures. This problem has more strict similarity definition and objective, and we propose an algorithm that solves this problem efficiently. We also develop another comparison algorithm that iteratively calls this algorithm to locate nonoverlapping large common substructures in compared RNAs. With the new resulting tools, we improved the RNASSAC website (linked from http://faculty.tamuc.edu/aarslan ). This website now also includes two drawing tools: one specialized for preparing RNA substructures that can be used as input by the search tool, and another one for automatically drawing the entire RNA structure from a given structure sequence.

ILRS Website Update

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2013-01-01

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

`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.

Effects of Website Interactivity on Online Retail Shopping Behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Islam, Hafizul

Motivations to engage in retail online shopping can include both utilitarian and hedonic shopping dimensions. To cater to these consumers, online retailers can create a cognitively and esthetically rich shopping environment, through sophisticated levels of interactive web utilities and features, offering not only utilitarian benefits and attributes but also providing hedonic benefits of enjoyment. Since the effect of interactive websites has proven to stimulate online consumer’s perceptions, this study presumes that websites with multimedia rich interactive utilities and features can influence online consumers’ shopping motivations and entice them to modify or even transform their original shopping predispositions by providing them with attractive and enhanced interactive features and controls, thus generating a positive attitude towards products and services offered by the retailer. This study seeks to explore the effects of Web interactivity on online consumer behavior through an attitudinal model of technology acceptance.

Computer Cache. Celebrating Women: History, Biographies, and Museums

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byerly, Greg; Brodie, Carolyn S.

2005-01-01

This column shares a host of websites that feature resources about women in history, famous women, and women's contributions. These websites can be used all year long, as well as in conjunction with Women's History Month in March,

Assessment of the quality of patient-orientated internet information on surgery for ulcerative colitis.

PubMed

Sacchi, M; Yeung, T M; Spinelli, A; Mortensen, N J

2015-06-01

This study examines the quality of websites providing information on ulcerative colitis, including treatment options and surgery. Two search engines (Google and Yahoo) and the search term 'surgery for ulcerative colitis' were used. The first 50 sites obtained with each search engine were assessed. Sites were evaluated for content and scored using the DISCERN instrument, which evaluates the quality of health information on treatment choices. One hundred sites were examined, of which 14 were duplicates. Of the remainder, 58 provided patient-orientated information for adults and one site provided information for surgery in children. The other 27 sites included six scientific articles, three blogs, three links, six resources for clinicians, five fora, two video links and two dead links. Of the 58 websites that provided patient information for adults, only 26 (44.8%) had been updated within the last 2 years. Only 13/58 (22.4%) were affiliated to hospitals and clinics. Most sites (38/58, 65.5%) were associated with private companies with commercial interests. Although most websites contained information on symptoms and treatment options for ulcerative colitis, 37 (63.8%) did not describe any of the risks of surgery. Overall, only seven (12.1%) websites were identified as being 'good' or 'excellent' using the DISCERN criteria. The quality of patient information on surgery for ulcerative colitis is highly variable. There is potential for internet provision of valuable information and clinicians should guide patients with to access high-quality websites. Colorectal Disease © 2014 The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland.

A unified framework of image latent feature learning on Sina microblog

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Jinjin; Jin, Zhigang; Zhou, Yuan; Zhang, Rui

2015-10-01

Large-scale user-contributed images with texts are rapidly increasing on the social media websites, such as Sina microblog. However, the noise and incomplete correspondence between the images and the texts give rise to the difficulty in precise image retrieval and ranking. In this paper, a hypergraph-based learning framework is proposed for image ranking, which simultaneously utilizes visual feature, textual content and social link information to estimate the relevance between images. Representing each image as a vertex in the hypergraph, complex relationship between images can be reflected exactly. Then updating the weight of hyperedges throughout the hypergraph learning process, the effect of different edges can be adaptively modulated in the constructed hypergraph. Furthermore, the popularity degree of the image is employed to re-rank the retrieval results. Comparative experiments on a large-scale Sina microblog data-set demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Got a Minute? Tune Your iPad to NASA's Best

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leon, N.; Fitzpatrick, A. J.; Fisher, D. K.; Netting, R. A.

2012-12-01

Space Place Prime is a content presentation app for the iPad. It gathers some of the best and most recent web offerings from NASA. A spinoff of NASA's popular kids' website The Space Place (spaceplace.nasa.gov or science.nasa.gov/kids), Space Place Prime taps timely educational and easy-to-read articles from the website, as well as daily updates of NASA space and Earth images and the latest informative videos, including Science Casts and the monthly "What's up in the Sky." Space Place Prime targets a multigenerational audience, including anyone with an interest in NASA and science in general. Features are offered for kids, teachers, parents, space enthusiasts, and everyone in between. The app can be the user's own NASA news source. Like a newspaper or magazine app, Space Place Prime downloads new content daily via wireless connection. In addition to the Space Place website, several NASA RSS feeds are tapped to provide new content. Content is retained for the previous several days or some number of editions of each feed. All content is controlled on the server side, so we can push features about the latest news or change any content without updating the app in the Apple Store. The Space Place Prime interface is a virtual endless grid of small images with short titles, each image a link to an image, video, article, or hands-on activity for kids. The grid can be dragged in any direction with no boundaries. (Image links repeat to fill in the grid "infinitely.") For a more focused search, a list mode presents menus of images, videos, and articles (including activity articles) separately. If the user tags a page (image, video, or article) as a Favorite, the content is downloaded and maintained on the device, and remains permanently available regardless of connectivity. (Very large video files are permanently retained on the server side, however, rather than taking up the limited storage on the iPad.) Facebook, twitter, and e-mail connections make any feature easy to share. The format for each type of feature is designed to fit the genre. Image pages show the full-screen image with the complete caption from the feed in a scrollable panel on the right side of the image (which can be dragged to the left, if desired). Tap on the image and the caption goes away. Tap and it returns, along with a close "X" in the upper right. The user can just enjoy the image, or dig into all its significance by reading the entire caption. Videos use the familiar YouTube video player, with a title and scrollable caption field underneath. Article pages from The Space Place website look similar to the web pages. They are often published to correspond to current events or important science or NASA-related anniversaries. Space Place Prime can be a valuable tool for teachers. Curriculum enriching images or short videos can be projected from the iPad to a classroom screen. Busy educators will be able to find appropriate and fresh material from NASA in one place every day. Space Place Prime fills a unique niche for NASA space and Earth science fans, providing a channel for some of its most recent, most compelling material. It's an app that aims to meet the needs of both the casual user who is short on time, as well as young students, their teachers, and their parents.

Effective US health system websites: establishing benchmarks and standards for effective consumer engagement.

PubMed

Ford, Eric W; Huerta, Timothy R; Schilhavy, Richard A M; Menachemi, Nir

2012-01-01

Hospitals and health systems are playing increasingly important roles as care coordination hubs and consumer information sources. In particular, the accountable care organization (ACO) and medical home models promoted in the Affordable Care Act place hospitals at the center of many activities related to health information exchange. Therefore, it is important for these organizations to have effective websites, and the need for a social media presence to connect with consumers is growing quickly. The purpose of this study is to assess the websites of hospitals and health systems on four dimensions: accessibility, content, marketing, and technology. In addition, an overall score is calculated to identify the top 25 hospital and health system websites. Specific website elements that healthcare managers can inspect visually are described for each dimension in the discussion section. Generally, hospital and health system websites can be more effective from an end user's perspective. In particular, hospitals and health systems lagged on the accessibility scale that measures the education level required to understand the language used on a site. The scale also assesses the extent to which web pages are designed for ease of movement from page to page using embedded links. Given that healthcare consumers come from every demographic and stratum of society, it is important that user-friendliness be optimized for a broadly defined audience. Hospital and health system websites can also be improved on the technology scale, as many sites do not return clear descriptions of links to search engines such as Google and Bing that use webcrawlers to collect information.

Websites of Note

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parslow, Graham R.

2011-01-01

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

Learning a Language with Web 2.0: Exploring the Use of Social Networking Features of Foreign Language Learning Websites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stevenson, Megan P.; Liu, Min

2010-01-01

This paper presents the results of an online survey and a usability test performed on three foreign language learning websites that use Web 2.0 technology. The online survey was conducted to gain an understanding of how current users of language learning websites use them for learning and social purposes. The usability test was conducted to gain…

Evaluation of the content and accessibility of microsurgery fellowship program websites.

PubMed

Silvestre, Jason; Vargas, Christina R; Ho, Olivia; Lee, Bernard T

2015-10-01

Microsurgery fellowship applicants utilize Internet-based resources such as the San Francisco Match (SF Match) to manage their applications. In deciding where to apply, applicants rely on advice from mentors and online resources including microsurgery fellowship websites (MFWs). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the content and accessibility of MFWs. While microsurgery is practiced by many surgical specialties, this study focused on MFWs for programs available in the 2014 Microsurgery Fellowship Match. Program lists from the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery (ASRM) and the San Francisco Match (SF Match) were analyzed for the accessibility of MFW links. MFWs were evaluated for education and recruitment content, and MFW comprehensiveness was compared on the basis of program characteristics using chi square tests. Of the 25 fellowships available, only 18 had websites (72%). SF Match and ASRM listed similar programs (96% overlap) and provided website links (89%, 76%), but only a minority connected directly to the MFW (38%, 23%). A minority of programs were responsive via email inquiry (36%). MFWs maintained minimal education and recruitment content. MFW comprehensiveness was not associated with program characteristics. MFWs are often not readily accessible and contain limited information for fellowship applicants. Given the relative low-cost of website development, MFWs may be improved to facilitate fellow recruitment. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

--No Title--

Science.gov Websites

Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce Website Search Box Search Field: SMS Website Search Search Submit: Submit Advanced Search IRLSI Home Search the Inventory The IRL Stewardship IRL Photo Gallery Links and Events About Us SMS Home Roseate Spoonbill Search by Word or Phrase Go to Species

State Comments on Frozen Data - 2008 | ECHO | US EPA

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

website. Several states indicated that errors existed at the time the data were frozen. States that identified problems with the data were asked to send either a data file with corrected information, or a link to a state website that explained data errors or corrections. This page provides comments on 2008 frozen data.

Dialogistic Presence on Community College Websites in Nine Megastates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shadinger, David

2013-01-01

Use of Internet websites as a communication tool by community college is nearly universal. Exactly what information, functions, and links are offered varies widely among institutions. Research has reported that high school juniors and seniors, prefer to find information on the Internet during their college search process, and Noel Levitz (2006,…

Communicating LightSail: Embedded Reporting and Web Strategies for Citizen-Funded Space Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hilverda, M.; Davis, J.

2015-12-01

The Planetary Society (TPS) is a non-profit space advocacy group with a stated mission to "empower the world's citizens to advance space science and exploration." In 2009, TPS began work on LightSail, a small, citizen-funded spacecraft to demonstrate solar sailing propulsion technology. The program included a test flight, completed in June 2015, with a primary mission slated for late 2016. TPS initiated a LightSail public engagement campaign to provide the public with transparent mission updates, and foster educational outreach. A credentialed science journalist was given unrestricted access to the team and data, and provided regular reports without editorial oversight. An accompanying website, sail.planetary.org, provided project updates, multimedia, and real-time spacecraft data during the mission. Design approaches included a clean layout with text optimized for easy reading, balanced by strong visual elements to enhance reader comprehension and interest. A dedicated "Mission Control" page featured social media feeds, links to most recent articles, and a ground track showing the spacecraft's position, including overflight predictions based on user location. A responsive, cross-platform design allowed easy access across a broad range of devices. Efficient web server performance was prioritized by implementing a static content management system (CMS). Despite two spacecraft contingencies, the test mission successfully completed its primary objective of solar sail deployment. Qualitative feedback on the transparent, embedded reporting style was positive, and website metrics showed high user retention times. The website also grew awareness and support for the primary 2016 mission, driving traffic to a Kickstarter campaign that raised $1.24 million. Websites constantly evolve, and changes for the primary mission will include a new CMS to better support multiple authors and a custom dashboard to display real-time spacecraft sensor data.

Indoor airPLUS Web Linking Guidelines

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

As an Indoor airPLUS partner, your organization is listed on the EPA Indoor airPLUS Partner List. Your listing can also include a link to your organization's website when you meet the following requirements.

Qualitative website analysis of information on birth after caesarean section.

PubMed

Peddie, Valerie L; Whitelaw, Natalie; Cumming, Grant P; Bhattacharya, Siladitya; Black, Mairead

2015-08-19

The United Kingdom (UK) caesarean section (CS) rate is largely determined by reluctance to augment trial of labour and vaginal birth. Choice between repeat CS and attempting vaginal birth after CS (VBAC) in the next pregnancy is challenging, with neither offering clear safety advantages. Women may access online information during the decision-making process. Such information is known to vary in its support for either mode of birth when assessed quantitatively. Therefore, we sought to explore qualitatively, the content and presentation of web-based health care information on birth after caesarean section (CS) in order to identify the dominant messages being conveyed. The search engine Google™ was used to conduct an internet search using terms relating to birth after CS. The ten most frequently returned websites meeting relevant purposive sampling criteria were analysed. Sampling criteria were based upon funding source, authorship and intended audience. Images and written textual content together with presence of links to additional media or external web content were analysed using descriptive and thematic analyses respectively. Ten websites were analysed: five funded by Government bodies or professional membership; one via charitable donations, and four funded commercially. All sites compared the advantages and disadvantages of both repeat CS and VBAC. Commercially funded websites favoured a question and answer format alongside images, 'pop-ups', social media forum links and hyperlinks to third-party sites. The relationship between the parent sites and those being linked to may not be readily apparent to users, risking perception of endorsement of either VBAC or repeat CS whether intended or otherwise. Websites affiliated with Government or health services presented referenced clinical information in a factual manner with podcasts of real life experiences. Many imply greater support for VBAC than repeat CS although this was predominantly conveyed through subtle use of words rather than overt messages, with the exception of the latter being apparent in one site. Websites providing information on birth after CS appear to vary in nature of content according to their funding source. The most user-friendly, balanced and informative websites appear to be those funded by government agencies.

The website-based eaTracker® 'My Goals' feature: a qualitative evaluation.

PubMed

Lieffers, Jessica Rl; Haresign, Helen; Mehling, Christine; Arocha, Jose F; Hanning, Rhona M

2017-04-01

In 2011, Dietitians of Canada added 'My Goals' to its website-based nutrition/activity tracking program (eaTracker®, http://www.eaTracker.ca/); this feature allows users to choose 'ready-made' or 'write-your-own' goals and to self-report progress. The purpose of the present study was to document experiences and perceptions of goal setting and My Goals, and report users' feedback on what is needed in future website-based goal setting/tracking tools. One-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with (i) My Goals users and (ii) dietitians providing a public information support service, EatRight Ontario (ERO). My Goals users from Ontario and Alberta, Canada were recruited via an eaTracker website pop-up box; ERO dietitians working in Ontario, Canada were recruited via ERO. My Goals users (n 23; age 19-70 years; 91 % female; n 5 from Alberta/n 18 from Ontario) and ERO dietitians (n 5). Dietitians and users felt goal setting for nutrition (and activity) behaviour change was both a beneficial and a challenging process. Dietitians were concerned about users setting poor-quality goals and users felt it was difficult to stick to their goals. Both users and dietitians were enthusiastic about the My Goals concept, but felt the current feature had limitations that affected use. Dietitians and users provided suggestions to improve My Goals (e.g. more prominent presence of My Goals in eaTracker; assistance with goal setting; automated personalized feedback). Dietitians and users shared similar perspectives on the My Goals feature and both felt goal use was challenging. Several suggestions were provided to enhance My Goals that are relevant to website-based goal setting/tracking tool design in general.

The International Year of Astronomy 2009 Websites _ Connecting IYA2009 with its Community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russo, Pedro; Lindberg Christensen, L.; Shida, R.

2008-05-01

The International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) project looks like it will be the most "wired” astronomy project in history. IYA2009 already now has more individual web sites associated with it than any other astronomy project in the past. More than 60 Cornerstone websites, national websites etc. exist at the time of submission of this abstract. The main IYA2009 website (www.astronomy2009.org) is an important channel linking the different IYA2009 organisational levels. The first incarnation of this site was released in December 2006 and has served as the main information repository and as the basic communication tool between all the nodes that take part of IYA2009. Recently the website has changed from supporting the internal organisational needs for communication to a more appealing and content-rich website to meet the needs of the wider "external” world, including media, enthusiasts, laypeople, etc. This talk we will give an overview of the many websites and plans for the future of the IYA2009 websites will be put forward for discussion.

Radiation therapy and internet - what can patients expect? homepage analysis of german radiotherapy institutions.

PubMed

Janssen, Stefan; Meyer, Andreas; Vordermark, Dirk; Steinmann, Diana

2010-12-01

the internet as a source of medical information has emerged during the last years. There is a confusing amount of medical websites with a great diversity of quality. Websites of radiotherapy institutions could offer a safe and an easy-to-control way to assist patients' requests. 205 internet appearances of German radiotherapy institutions were analyzed in June 2009 (nonuniversity hospitals n = 108, medical practices n = 62, university hospitals n = 35). For the evaluation of each homepage verifiable criteria concerning basic information, service and medical issues were used. the quality of information published via internet by different radiotherapy institutions showed a large variety. Basic information like telephone numbers, operating hours, and direction guidance were provided in 96.7%, 40%, and 50.7%, respectively. 85% of the websites introduced the staff, 50.2% supplied photos and 14% further information on the attending physicians. The mean amount of continuative links to other websites was 5.4, the mean amount of articles supplying medical information for patients summed up to 4.6. Medical practices and university hospitals had statistically significant more informative articles and links to other websites than nonuniversity hospitals. No statistically significant differences could be found in most other categories like service issues and basic information. internet presences of radiotherapy institutions hold the chance to supply patients with professional and individualized medical information. While some websites are already using this opportunity, others show a lack of basic information or of user-friendliness.

Linking the content to demographic reach of online advertising of electronic nicotine delivery systems.

PubMed

Timberlake, David S; Nikitin, Dmitriy; Garcia-Cano, Jennifer; Cino, Samantha; Savkina, Margarita; Pechmann, Cornelia

2017-06-20

Recent studies have separately examined the content and demographic reach of the advertising of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). No study to our knowledge has linked the two in investigating whether racial/ethnic groups are differentially exposed to the comparative messages conveyed in online ENDS advertisements. 932 unique ENDS advertisements (6311 total), which were posted on 3435 websites between December, 2009 and October, 2015, were categorized as either comparative or non-comparative with respect to the traditional cigarette. The race/ethnicity of website visitors was obtained from a proprietary source and used in constructing variables for racial/ethnic viewership. The variables for advertising content and website racial/ethnic viewership were then linked yielding a final sample of 551 unique ENDS advertisements (2498 total) on 1206 websites. A two-level hierarchical generalized linear model, used in estimating website racial/ethnic viewership as a predictor of comparative advertising, accounted for the nesting of advertisements (level 1) within 152 ENDS brands (level 2). In contrast to racial/ethnic minorities, a greater proportion of non-Hispanic whites visited websites with ENDS advertisements than the overall proportion of nonHispanic white U.S. Internet users. Yet, it was the advertisements on websites that appealed to Hispanics that had greater odds of comparing ENDS to traditional cigarettes. The lower exposure to ENDS advertising among racial/ethnic minorities versus non-Hispanic whites is consistent with survey data. Yet, the greater odds of comparative advertising of ENDS on websites that appeal to racial/ethnic minorities (ie, Hispanics) could impact the longterm health of minority smokers. This study's findings have important implications for the uptake of ENDS among minority smokers. If the comparative advertising yields greater interest and eventual use of ENDS, then minority smokers could either benefit from smoking cessation because they switch to ENDS, or adopt dual tobacco use. The fate of comparative advertising of ENDS versus the traditional cigarette will depend on the Food and Drug Administration enforcement of its deeming rules and the ensuing changes in the ENDS marketplace. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Online Resources to Support Professional Development for Managing and Preserving Geospatial Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Downs, R. R.; Chen, R. S.

2013-12-01

Improved capabilities of information and communication technologies (ICT) enable the development of new systems and applications for collecting, managing, disseminating, and using scientific data. New knowledge, skills, and techniques are also being developed to leverage these new ICT capabilities and improve scientific data management practices throughout the entire data lifecycle. In light of these developments and in response to increasing recognition of the wider value of scientific data for society, government agencies are requiring plans for the management, stewardship, and public dissemination of data and research products that are created by government-funded studies. Recognizing that data management and dissemination have not been part of traditional science education programs, new educational programs and learning resources are being developed to prepare new and practicing scientists, data scientists, data managers, and other data professionals with skills in data science and data management. Professional development and training programs also are being developed to address the need for scientists and professionals to improve their expertise in using the tools and techniques for managing and preserving scientific data. The Geospatial Data Preservation Resource Center offers an online catalog of various open access publications, open source tools, and freely available information for the management and stewardship of geospatial data and related resources, such as maps, GIS, and remote sensing data. Containing over 500 resources that can be found by type, topic, or search query, the geopreservation.org website enables discovery of various types of resources to improve capabilities for managing and preserving geospatial data. Applications and software tools can be found for use online or for download. Online journal articles, presentations, reports, blogs, and forums are also available through the website. Available education and training materials include tutorials, primers, guides, and online learning modules. The site enables users to find and access standards, real-world examples, and websites of other resources about geospatial data management. Quick links to lists of resources are available for data managers, system developers, and researchers. New resources are featured regularly to highlight current developments in practice and research. A user-centered approach was taken to design and develop the site iteratively, based on a survey of the expectations and needs of community members who have an interest in the management and preservation of geospatial data. Formative and summative evaluation activities have informed design, content, and feature enhancements to enable users to use the website efficiently and effectively. Continuing management and evaluation of the website keeps the content and the infrastructure current with evolving research, practices, and technology. The design, development, evaluation, and use of the website are described along with selected resources and activities that support education and professional development for the management, preservation, and stewardship of geospatial data.

DefenseLink Special: Military Working Dogs

Science.gov Websites

DefenseLink.mil Aug. 04, 2015 War on Terror Transformation News Products Press Resources Images Websites Contact Terror War * Military Working Dogs, Handlers Train for Mission Success Working Roles * 'Dog Teams' Take

Personal Preparedness in America: The Needle is Broken

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-01

website and vote for the featured ingredients. The 2014 ingredients included: chickpeas (protein), canned pump- kin (fruit or vegetable), instant ...Ramen noodles (starch, grain or nut), almond milk (bever- age), and dark chocolate (comfort food). The winning recipes are posted on the website 34

New Website Helps You Find What You Need | Poster

Cancer.gov

By Karen Surabian, Contributing Writer The National Cancer Institute’s Technology Transfer Center (NCI’s TTC) recently launched a redesign of its website. New graphics, color scheme, and updated features provide a user-friendly environment for finding information related to technology transfer at NCI.

GeneEd—A Genetics Educational Resource | NIH MedlinePlus the Magazine

MedlinePlus

... of this page please turn Javascript on. Feature: Genetics 101 GeneEd — A Genetics Educational Resource Past Issues / Summer 2013 Table of ... GeneEd website as part of her lessons on genetics. A recently developed educational website about genetics— GeneEd. ...

Developing a useful, user-friendly website for cancer patient follow-up: users' perspectives on ease of access and usefulness.

PubMed

Bartlett, Y K; Selby, D L; Newsham, A; Keding, A; Forman, D; Brown, J; Velikova, G; Wright, P

2012-11-01

UK cancer survival has improved, leading to an increase in review patients and pressure on clinics. Use of the Internet for information exchange between patients and healthcare staff may provide a useful adjunct or alternative to traditional follow-up. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a website for use in follow-up cancer care in terms of usability, feasibility and acceptability. A website was developed and underwent iterative amendment following patient usability testing in focus groups. Patients on follow-up completed a Computer and Internet Usage Questionnaire. Internet users consented to a randomised crossover study to complete paper and online questionnaires, browse the website and participate in a website evaluation interview. Patient website use was tracked. Usability: Website changes were made following patient testing (n= 21). Patients would have liked a 'personalized' website with links to their clinical team, out with the scope of this study. Feasibility: The majority of participants (65%) had Internet access. Age remained a differentiating factor. Acceptability: Final evaluation (n= 103) was positive although many would like to maintain face-to-face hospital contact. User involvement in website design can ensure patient needs are met. A website model for follow-up will suit some patients but others will prefer clinical contact. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

The ART of Social Networking: How SART member clinics are connecting with patients online

PubMed Central

OMURTAG, Kenan; JIMENEZ, Patricia T.; RATTS, Valerie; ODEM, Randall; COOPER, Amber R.

2013-01-01

Objective To study and describe the use of social networking websites among SART member clinics Design Cross-sectional study Setting University Based Practice Patients Not Applicable Interventions Not Applicable Main Outcome Measure Prevalence of social networking websites among SART member clinics and evaluation of content, volume and location (i.e mandated state, region) using multivariate regression analysis Results 384 SART registered clinics and 1,382 social networking posts were evaluated. Of the clinics, 96% have a website and 30% link to a social networking website. The majority of clinics (89%) with social networking websites were affiliated with non-academic centers. Social networking posts mostly provide information (31%) and/or advertise (28%), while the remaining offer support (19%) or are irrelevant (17%) to the target audience. Only 5% of posts involved patients requesting information. Clinic volume correlates with the presence of a clinic website and a social networking website (p<0.001). Conclusion Almost all SART member clinics have a website. Nearly one-third of these clinics host a social networking website like Facebook, Twitter and/or a Web-log (“blog”). Larger volume clinics commonly host social networking websites. These sites provide new ways to communicate with patients, but clinics should maintain policies on the incorporation of social networks into practice. PMID:22088209

U.S. Department of Defense Official Website

Science.gov Websites

DefenseLink.mil Aug. 04, 2015 War on Terror Transformation News Products Press Resources Images Websites Contact . "With you on the front lines in this global struggle against extremists, this global war on terror Remembers Victims, Vows to Continue Fight . No Retreat, No Return to Past in War on Terror, Rumsfeld Says

Quality and Readability of English-Language Internet Information for Voice Disorders.

PubMed

Dueppen, Abigail J; Bellon-Harn, Monica L; Radhakrishnan, Nandhakumar; Manchaiah, Vinaya

2017-12-15

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the readability and quality of English-language Internet information related to vocal hygiene, vocal health, and prevention of voice disorders. This study extends recent work because it evaluates readability, content quality, and website origin across broader search criteria than previous studies evaluating online voice material. Eighty-five websites were aggregated using five different country-specific search engines. Websites were then analyzed using quality and readability assessments. The entire web page was evaluated; however, no information or links beyond the first page was reviewed. Statistical calculations were employed to examine website ratings, differences between website origin and quality and readability scores, and correlations between readability instruments. Websites exhibited acceptable quality as measured by the DISCERN. However, only one website obtained the Health On the Net certification. Significant differences in quality were found among website origin, with government websites receiving higher quality ratings. Approximate educational levels required to comprehend information on the websites ranged from 8 to 9 years of education. Significant differences were found between website origin and readability measures with higher levels of education required to understand information on websites of nonprofit organizations. Current vocal hygiene, vocal health, and prevention of voice disorders websites were found to exhibit acceptable levels of quality and readability. However, highly rated Internet information related to voice care should be made more accessible to voice clients through Health On the Net certification. Published by Elsevier Inc.

DefenseLink Special: 2005 Year in Review

Science.gov Websites

DefenseLink.mil Aug. 04, 2015 War on Terror Transformation News Products Press Resources Images Websites Contact knew only the terror of the Taliban is now seeing a rebirth of freedom," President Bush said

An assessment of the usability of undergraduate healthcare management program websites.

PubMed

Roggenkamp, Susan D

2005-01-01

Prospective students in higher education programs increasingly use the Internet as a source of information to assist in the selection of both university and major programs of study. Therefore, having an informative and well designed website is now an integral component of a higher education program's marketing mix. This article attempts to inform undergraduate health administration programs about the elements of good website design, namely content that is important and relevant to users, site layout appeal, and ease of navigation. Content analyses of undergraduate health administration program websites in 2002 and 2005 assessed both the extent of content from a standard list of twenty-five information elements and usability features of the sites. Implications for improvements to program websites are discussed.

Risk markers for disappearance of pediatric Web resources

PubMed Central

Hernández-Borges, Angel A.; Jiménez-Sosa, Alejandro; Torres-Álvarez de Arcaya, Maria L.; Macías-Cervi, Pablo; Gaspar-Guardado, Maria A.; Ruíz-Rabaza, Ana

2005-01-01

Objectives: The authors sought to find out whether certain Webometric indexes of a sample of pediatric Web resources, and some tests based on them, could be helpful predictors of their disappearance. Methods: The authors performed a retrospective study of a sample of 363 pediatric Websites and pages they had followed for 4 years. Main measurements included: number of resources that disappeared, number of inbound links and their annual increment, average daily visits to the resources in the sample, sample compliance with the quality criteria of 3 international organizations, and online time of the Web resources. Results: On average, 11% of the sample disappeared annually. However, 13% of these were available again at the end of follow up. Disappearing and surviving Websites did not show differences in the variables studied. However, surviving Web pages had a higher number of inbound links and higher annual increment in inbound links. Similarly, Web pages that survived showed higher compliance with recognized sets of quality criteria than those that disappeared. A subset of 14 quality criteria whose compliance accounted for 90% of the probability of online permanence was identified. Finally, a progressive increment of inbound links was found to be a marker of good prognosis, showing high specificity and positive predictive value (88% and 94%, respectively). Conclusions: The number of inbound links and annual increment of inbound links could be useful markers of the permanence probability for pediatric Web pages. Strategies that assure the Web editors' awareness of their Web resources' popularity could stimulate them to improve the quality of their Websites. PMID:16059427

Back to basics: informing the public of co-morbid physical health problems in those with mental illness.

PubMed

Ahire, Mrinalini; Sheridan, Judith; Regbetz, Shane; Stacey, Phillip; Scott, James G

2013-02-01

Those with mental illness are at increased risk of physical health problems. The current study aimed to examine the information available online to the Australian public about the increased risk and consequences of physical illness in those with mental health problems and the services available to address these co-morbidities. A structured online search was conducted with the search engine Google Australia (www.google.com.au) using generic search terms 'mental health information Australia', 'mental illness information Australia', 'depression', 'anxiety', and 'psychosis'. The direct content of websites was examined for information on the physical co-morbidities of mental illness. All external links on high-profile websites [the first five websites retrieved under each search term (n = 25)] were examined for information pertaining to physical health. Only 4.2% of websites informing the public about mental health contained direct content information about the increased risk of physical co-morbidities. The Australian Government's Department of Health and Ageing site did not contain any information. Of the high-profile websites, 62% had external links to resources about physical health and 55% had recommendations or resources for physical health. Most recommendations were generic. Relative to the seriousness of this problem, there is a paucity of information available to the public about the increased physical health risks associated with mental illness. Improved public awareness is the starting point of addressing this health inequity.

Neurosurgery Residency Websites: A Critical Evaluation.

PubMed

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

2015-09-01

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

Frequencies of Private Mentions and Sharing of Mammography and Breast Cancer Terms on Facebook: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Huesch, Marco; Chetlen, Alison; Segel, Joel; Schetter, Susann

2017-06-09

The most popular social networking site in the United States is Facebook, an online forum where circles of friends create, share, and interact with each other's content in a nonpublic way. Our objectives were to understand (1) the most commonly used terms and phrases relating to breast cancer screening, (2) the most commonly shared website links that other women interacted with, and (3) the most commonly shared website links, by age groups. We used a novel proprietary tool from Facebook to analyze all of the more than 1.7 million unique interactions (comments on stories, reshares, and emoji reactions) and stories associated with breast cancer screening keywords that were generated by more than 1.1 million unique female Facebook users over the 1 month between November 15 and December 15, 2016. We report frequency distributions of the most popular shared Web content by age group and keywords. On average, each of 59,000 unique stories during the month was reshared 1.5 times, commented on nearly 8 times, and reacted to more than 20 times by other users. Posted stories were most often authored by women aged 45-54 years. Users shared, reshared, commented on, and reacted to website links predominantly to e-commerce sites (12,200/1.7 million, 36% of all the most popular links), celebrity news (n=8800, 26%), and major advocacy organizations (n=4900, 15%; almost all accounted for by the American Cancer Society breast cancer site). On Facebook, women shared and reacted to links to commercial and informative websites regarding breast cancer and screening. This information could inform patient outreach regarding breast cancer screening, indirectly through better understanding of key issues, and directly through understanding avenues for paid messaging to women authoring and reacting to content in this space. ©Marco Huesch, Alison Chetlen, Joel Segel, Susann Schetter. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 09.06.2017.

Frequencies of Private Mentions and Sharing of Mammography and Breast Cancer Terms on Facebook: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Chetlen, Alison; Segel, Joel; Schetter, Susann

2017-01-01

Background The most popular social networking site in the United States is Facebook, an online forum where circles of friends create, share, and interact with each other’s content in a nonpublic way. Objective Our objectives were to understand (1) the most commonly used terms and phrases relating to breast cancer screening, (2) the most commonly shared website links that other women interacted with, and (3) the most commonly shared website links, by age groups. Methods We used a novel proprietary tool from Facebook to analyze all of the more than 1.7 million unique interactions (comments on stories, reshares, and emoji reactions) and stories associated with breast cancer screening keywords that were generated by more than 1.1 million unique female Facebook users over the 1 month between November 15 and December 15, 2016. We report frequency distributions of the most popular shared Web content by age group and keywords. Results On average, each of 59,000 unique stories during the month was reshared 1.5 times, commented on nearly 8 times, and reacted to more than 20 times by other users. Posted stories were most often authored by women aged 45-54 years. Users shared, reshared, commented on, and reacted to website links predominantly to e-commerce sites (12,200/1.7 million, 36% of all the most popular links), celebrity news (n=8800, 26%), and major advocacy organizations (n=4900, 15%; almost all accounted for by the American Cancer Society breast cancer site). Conclusions On Facebook, women shared and reacted to links to commercial and informative websites regarding breast cancer and screening. This information could inform patient outreach regarding breast cancer screening, indirectly through better understanding of key issues, and directly through understanding avenues for paid messaging to women authoring and reacting to content in this space. PMID:28600279

Examining the use of evidence-based and social media supported tools in freely accessible physical activity intervention websites.

PubMed

Vandelanotte, Corneel; Kirwan, Morwenna; Rebar, Amanda; Alley, Stephanie; Short, Camille; Fallon, Luke; Buzza, Gavin; Schoeppe, Stephanie; Maher, Carol; Duncan, Mitch J

2014-08-17

It has been shown that physical activity is more likely to increase if web-based interventions apply evidence-based components (e.g. self-monitoring) and incorporate interactive social media applications (e.g. social networking), but it is unclear to what extent these are being utilized in the publicly available web-based physical activity interventions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether freely accessible websites delivering physical activity interventions use evidence-based behavior change techniques and provide social media applications. In 2013, a systematic search strategy examined 750 websites. Data was extracted on a wide range of variables (e.g. self-monitoring, goal setting, and social media applications). To evaluate website quality a new tool, comprising three sub-scores (Behavioral Components, Interactivity and User Generated Content), was developed to assess implementation of behavior change techniques and social media applications. An overall website quality scored was obtained by summing the three sub-scores. Forty-six publicly available websites were included in the study. The use of self-monitoring (54.3%), goal setting (41.3%) and provision of feedback (46%) was relatively low given the amount of evidence supporting these features. Whereas the presence of features allowing users to generate content (73.9%), and social media components (Facebook (65.2%), Twitter (47.8%), YouTube (48.7%), smartphone applications (34.8%)) was relatively high considering their innovative and untested nature. Nearly all websites applied some behavioral and social media applications. The average Behavioral Components score was 3.45 (±2.53) out of 10. The average Interactivity score was 3.57 (±2.16) out of 10. The average User Generated Content Score was 4.02 (±2.77) out of 10. The average overall website quality score was 11.04 (±6.92) out of 30. Four websites (8.7%) were classified as high quality, 12 websites (26.1%) were classified as moderate quality, and 30 websites (65.2%) were classified as low quality. Despite large developments in Internet technology and growth in the knowledge of how to develop more effective web-based interventions, overall website quality was low and the majority of freely available physical activity websites lack the components associated with behavior change. However, the results show that website quality can be improved by taking a number of simple steps, and the presence of social media applications in most websites is encouraging.

Smithsonian Folkways: Resources for World and Folk Music Multimedia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beegle, Amy Christine

2012-01-01

This column describes multimedia resources available to teachers on the Smithsonian Folkways website. In addition to massive collections of audio and video recordings and advanced search tools already available through this website, the Smithsonian Global Sound educational initiative brought detailed lesson plans and interactive features to the…

Web-Based, Active Learning Experiences for Biology Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skinner, Kerri M.; Hoback, W. Wyatt

2003-01-01

Presents a website that addresses concepts that form a foundation for understanding ecology, pest management, and environmental ethics. Key features of the website include its self-contained, non-linear design; a learning environment that allows students to test ideas without penalty; real-world examples; and built-in assessment tools that…

Internet poker websites and pathological gambling prevention policy.

PubMed

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

2013-03-01

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

DefenseLink Special: Travels with Rumsfeld, October 2005

Science.gov Websites

DefenseLink.mil Aug. 04, 2015 War on Terror Transformation News Products Press Resources Images Websites Contact Lithuania, praised Mongolia for its support in the war on terror. Story Photo: See caption below. A 'PROUD

Developing a bilingual "persian cued speech" website for parents and professionals of children with hearing impairment.

PubMed

Movallali, Guita; Sajedi, Firoozeh

2014-03-01

The use of the internet as a source of information gathering, self-help and support is becoming increasingly recognized. Parents and professionals of children with hearing impairment have been shown to seek information about different communication approaches online. Cued Speech is a very new approach to Persian speaking pupils. Our aim was to develop a useful website to give related information about Persian Cued Speech to parents and professionals of children with hearing impairment. All Cued Speech websites from different countries that fell within the first ten pages of Google and Yahoo search-engines were assessed. Main subjects and links were studied. All related information was gathered from the websites, textbooks, articles etc. Using a framework that combined several criteria for health-information websites, we developed the Persian Cued Speech website for three distinct audiences (parents, professionals and children). An accurate, complete, accessible and readable resource about Persian Cued Speech for parents and professionals is available now.

ILRS Website Redesign

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2011-01-01

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

Exploring internet needs and use among adolescents with haemophilia: a website development project.

PubMed

Sterling, L; Nyhof-Young, J; Blanchette, V S; Breakey, V R

2012-03-01

Youth frequently access health information online, yet little is known about internet use among adolescents with haemophilia (AWH). A youth-centred, age-appropriate online programme is being developed to address the heightened educational needs of AWH as they transit from paediatric to adult care. To describe internet needs and use among AWH treated at the Hospital for Sick Children and determine the features that would make the website useable and desirable for this population. Semi-structured interviews addressed participants' internet use and thoughts about a website for AWH. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Three independent reviewers coded the data to determine descriptive categories and grouped them into themes. Eleven of 12 subjects approached consented to interviews. Data saturation was achieved. Most participants had used the internet to find haemophilia information, although none could recall specific websites they had visited for information. Some felt more comfortable using the internet than asking health care providers. Others liked the 24/7 availability of the internet if questions arose. Overall, they felt a website for AWH would help them to learn about haemophilia and explain it to others. Online social networking with an older peer mentor with haemophilia, as well as with others of their age was cited as a potentially valuable source of support. AWH are interested in a haemophilia website and have identified a variety of features which they believe may help to support them during transition to adult care and beyond. Website development is ongoing. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Use for Teachers and Students | Galaxy of Images

Science.gov Websites

the website. Some Frequently Asked Questions by Students and Teachers May I put unaltered images, text Libraries (http://www.sil.si.edu). May I put unaltered images, text or content from this website on my should include a link back to Smithsonian Libraries (http://www.sil.si.edu). May I put images, text or

The benefits of the Atlas of Human Cardiac Anatomy website for the design of cardiac devices.

PubMed

Spencer, Julianne H; Quill, Jason L; Bateman, Michael G; Eggen, Michael D; Howard, Stephen A; Goff, Ryan P; Howard, Brian T; Quallich, Stephen G; Iaizzo, Paul A

2013-11-01

This paper describes how the Atlas of Human Cardiac Anatomy website can be used to improve cardiac device design throughout the process of development. The Atlas is a free-access website featuring novel images of both functional and fixed human cardiac anatomy from over 250 human heart specimens. This website provides numerous educational tutorials on anatomy, physiology and various imaging modalities. For instance, the 'device tutorial' provides examples of devices that were either present at the time of in vitro reanimation or were subsequently delivered, including leads, catheters, valves, annuloplasty rings and stents. Another section of the website displays 3D models of the vasculature, blood volumes and/or tissue volumes reconstructed from computed tomography and magnetic resonance images of various heart specimens. The website shares library images, video clips and computed tomography and MRI DICOM files in honor of the generous gifts received from donors and their families.

The ART of social networking: how SART member clinics are connecting with patients online.

PubMed

Omurtag, Kenan; Jimenez, Patricia T; Ratts, Valerie; Odem, Randall; Cooper, Amber R

2012-01-01

To study and describe the use of social networking websites among Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) member clinics. Cross-sectional study. University-based practice. Not applicable. Not applicable. Prevalence of social networking websites among SART member clinics and evaluation of content, volume, and location (i.e., mandated state, region) using multivariate regression analysis. A total of 384 SART-registered clinics and 1,382 social networking posts were evaluated. Of the clinics, 96% had a website and 30% linked to a social networking website. The majority of clinics (89%) with social networking websites were affiliated with nonacademic centers. Social networking posts mostly provided information (31%) and/or advertising (28%), and the remaining offered support (19%) or were irrelevant (17%) to the target audience. Only 5% of posts involved patients requesting information. Clinic volume correlated with the presence of a clinic website and a social networking website. Almost all SART member clinics have a website. Nearly one-third of these clinics host a social networking website such as Facebook, Twitter, and/or a blog. Large-volume clinics commonly host social networking websites. These sites provide new ways to communicate with patients, but clinics should maintain policies on the incorporation of social networks into practice. Copyright © 2012 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Use of Web-based library resources by medical students in community and ambulatory settings.

PubMed

Tannery, Nancy Hrinya; Foust, Jill E; Gregg, Amy L; Hartman, Linda M; Kuller, Alice B; Worona, Paul; Tulsky, Asher A

2002-07-01

The purpose was to evaluate the use of Web-based library resources by third-year medical students. Third-year medical students (147) in a twelve-week multidisciplinary primary care rotation in community and ambulatory settings. Individual user surveys and log file analysis of Website were used. Twenty resource topics were compiled into a Website to provide students with access to electronic library resources from any community-based clerkship location. These resource topics, covering subjects such as hypertension and back pain, linked to curriculum training problems, full-text journal articles, MEDLINE searches, electronic book chapters, and relevant Websites. More than half of the students (69%) accessed the Website on a daily or weekly basis. Over 80% thought the Website was a valuable addition to their clerkship. Web-based information resources can provide curriculum support to students for whom access to the library is difficult and time consuming.

EPA Facility Registry System (FRS): NCES

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This web feature service contains location and facility identification information from EPA's Facility Registry System (FRS) for the subset of facilities that link to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The primary federal database for collecting and analyzing data related to education in the United States and other Nations, NCES is located in the U.S. Department of Education, within the Institute of Education Sciences. FRS identifies and geospatially locates facilities, sites or places subject to environmental regulations or of environmental interest. Using vigorous verification and data management procedures, FRS integrates facility data from EPA00e2??s national program systems, other federal agencies, and State and tribal master facility records and provides EPA with a centrally managed, single source of comprehensive and authoritative information on facilities. This data set contains the subset of FRS integrated facilities that link to NCES school facilities once the NCES data has been integrated into the FRS database. Additional information on FRS is available at the EPA website http://www.epa.gov/enviro/html/fii/index.html.

EPA Facility Registry Service (FRS): CAMDBS

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This web feature service contains location and facility identification information from EPA's Facility Registry Service (FRS) for the subset of facilities that link to the Clean Air Markets Division Business System (CAMDBS). Administered by the EPA Clean Air Markets Division, within the Office of Air and Radiation, CAMDBS supports the implementation of market-based air pollution control programs, including the Acid Rain Program and regional programs designed to reduce the transport of ozone. FRS identifies and geospatially locates facilities, sites or places subject to environmental regulations or of environmental interest. Using vigorous verification and data management procedures, FRS integrates facility data from EPA's national program systems, other federal agencies, and State and tribal master facility records and provides EPA with a centrally managed, single source of comprehensive and authoritative information on facilities. This data set contains the subset of FRS integrated facilities that link to CAMDBS facilities once the CAMDBS data has been integrated into the FRS database. Additional information on FRS is available at the EPA website https://www.epa.gov/enviro/facility-registry-service-frs.

DefenseLink Special: Operation Iraqi Freedom Marks Three Years

Science.gov Websites

DefenseLink.mil Aug. 04, 2015 War on Terror Transformation News Products Press Resources Images Websites Contact assessing the situation there, to keep perspective of its impact on the global war on terror. Story Rumsfeld

DefenseLink Special: 4th OF July 2005

Science.gov Websites

DefenseLink.mil Aug. 04, 2015 War on Terror Transformation News Products Press Resources Images Websites Contact of Staff President George W. Bush delivers remarks on the war on terror at Fort Bragg, N.C., June 28

BRAD BRDY and BRD1 GPS Station RINEX Files 09-17-2015

DOE Data Explorer

Corne Kreemer

2015-09-17

CSV files with links to RINEX data for stations BRAD and BRDY for all days after those reported previous (i.e., since 21-JAN-2015) Links to websites that show the position time-series of both stations.

Measuring reproductive tourism through an analysis of Indian ART clinic Websites.

PubMed

Deonandan, Raywat; Loncar, Mirhad; Rahman, Prinon; Omar, Sabrina

2012-01-01

India is fast becoming the most prominent player in the global industry of reproductive tourism, in which infertile people cross international borders to seek assisted reproduction technologies. This study was conducted to better understand the extent and manner in which Indian clinics seek foreign clients. A systematic search of official Indian assisted reproduction technologies clinic Websites was undertaken, and instances noted where foreign clients were overtly targeted, and where maternal surrogacy was overtly offered. A total of 159 clinics with Web addresses were identified, though only 78 had functioning Websites. All were published in English, with the majority clustered in the states of Maharashtra (14) and Gujarat (9). Of the 78 functioning Websites, 53 (68%) featured some mention of maternal surrogacy services, and 42 (54%) made overt overtures to foreign clients. Qualitative appeals to foreigners included instructions for international adoption, visa application, and the legal parental disposition of the surrogate. All Maharashtran clinic Websites that mentioned surrogacy also overtly featured reproductive tourism. Preimplantation diagnosis services were not offered disproportionately by clinics mentioning reproductive tourism. Based upon clinic online profiles, reproductive tourism comprises a substantial fraction of India's assisted reproduction technologies clinics' business focus, clustering around its most tourist-friendly locales, and surrogacy may be a strong motivator for international clientele.

Patients' perspectives of accessibility and digital delivery of factual content provided by official medical and surgical specialty society websites: a qualitative assessment.

PubMed

Ow, Darren; Wetherell, David; Papa, Nathan; Bolton, Damien; Lawrentschuk, Nathan

2015-03-27

Health care websites provide a valuable resource of health information to online consumers, especially patients. Official surgical and medical society websites should be a reliable first point of contact. The primary aim of this study was to quantitatively assess medical and surgical society websites for content and highlight the essential features required for a high-quality, user-friendly society website. Twenty specialty association websites from each of the regions, Australia, UK, Canada, Europe, and the USA were selected for a total of 100 websites. Medical and surgical specialities were consistent across each region. Each website was systematically and critically analysed for content and usability. The average points scored per website was 3.2 out of 10. Of the total (N=100) websites, 12 scored at least 7 out of 10 points and 2 scored 9 out of 10. As well, 35% (35.0/100) of the websites had an information tab for patients on their respective homepages while 38% (38.0/100) had download access to patient information. A minority of the websites included different forms of multimedia such as pictures and diagrams (24.0/100, 24%) and videos (18.0/100, 18%). We found that most society websites did not meet an adequate standard for delivery of information. Half of the websites were not patient accessible, with the primary focus being for health professionals. As well, most required logins for information access. Specialty health care societies should create patient-friendly websites that would be beneficial to all online consumers.

Websites for Primary Sources and Civics Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rulli, Daniel

2005-01-01

This article features a list of websites for primary sources and civics education. The World Wide Web has become an excellent source for facsimiles, images, and transcriptions of primary sources. As it would be impossible to provide a comprehensive list of all the sites, this annotated list highlights selective sites that provide access to…

Analysis of AntarcticGlaciers.org: a website used to communicate glaciology by an academic (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, B. J.

2013-12-01

Research into polar science is driven by humanity's pressing concerns about environmental issues and climate change. The effective communication of this science is vital for it to realise its societal and political relevance. However, effective science communication has proved challenging for many reasons, including biased media presentation, lack of time and funds, lack of training, fear of attack by denialists, and poor career credit given for outreach and education work. A key question is how time-poor researchers, whilst working in full-time academic positions, can implement effective outreach strategies with little budget and few resources, that satisfies not only their personal desire to publicise and communicate their work, but also the demands of their research funder. Science websites and blogs offer one possibility, but there is little critical evaluation as to their effectiveness. The aim of this work is to evaluate a website and social medial tools written by an academic that was established to communicate peer-reviewed science. The goal of www.AntarcticGlaciers.org is to communicate key scientific concepts and to deliver new research findings via a professional, attractive, website and blog, supported by a strong social media presence. The objectives were to 1) to clearly explain and illustrate key concepts in glaciology as well as the latest developments in Antarctic research; 2) to be well aligned with national school curriculums, and to support school and university learning; 3) to include interactive features and social networking tools to encourage engagement and discourse; 4) to be aware of and well aligned with the website's intended audience. One year after website launch, the website was evaluated using a combination of an online feedback form, Google Analytics and analysis of Twitter followers. Our analysis shows that just one year after launch the website is a useful information resource, with some aspects that do challenge the knowledge deficit model, such as the interactive features allowing engagement, conversations and discourse, and assessment of the target audience. It is a good supplementary tool to any outreach endeavour that seeks active dialogue with an audience. However, direct public dialogue is limited in depth and detail. Many of the website's visitors and Twitter followers have a professional interest in the website's content, and cannot be described as the target audience, but analysis of visitors suggests that a growing proportion come from non-academic backgrounds. This work shows that blogs alone may not be sufficient to effectively communicate science, and that websites, with topically organised webpages, a simple navigation structure, integrated social media, search engine optimisation and utilising science communication best practise, can successfully support more direct outreach efforts. Website authors must carefully identify and target their audience, and evaluate their success. Using narrative, photographs, interactive features and ';human interest' increases the value and success of online science communication. For optimum success, they should be viewed as long-term, on-going endeavours that will outlast specific research projects. A successful outreach strategy should incorporate multiple outlets, including press releases, social media, participation in science community events, websites and blogs.

Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport

Science.gov Websites

than 50 years, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport has played an integral role in the growth of System Forecasts Robust Tourism Growth for the Summer Season Press Release 4-24-18 offside link Sun Cargo Growth 2017 Press Release 2-12-18 offsite link ANC 15-33 Project Website offsite link May 2018

Caribbean (English-Speaking) Women in the United States: Cooking for Diabetes Prevention and Management.

PubMed

Thomas, Nigel Mark

2018-01-22

This study surveyed 152 Caribbean-American women about their acculturation levels; their health behaviors; and their perceptions about a website portal for diabetes prevention and management. Participants followed a study link to documents created via SurveyMonkey. The study link included seven edited videos each fewer than 2 min; the videos included ingredients; preparation/cooking instructions; and plating tips for modifying traditional Caribbean meals for diabetes management and prevention. Overall engagement in six healthy living behaviors was moderate Mean = 2.07; Minimum = 1 (Never); Maximum = 3.0 (Always). Self-efficacy for cooking 'healthy' before exploring the website was a mean 3.52 between 40 and 60% confident (SD = 1.509) versus the after Mean of 4.59 closest to 80% confident (SD = 1.154); t = - 10.353, df = 147 (P < 0.001). The results suggest the website did serve as a brief intervention for increasing self-efficacy in cooking meals more consistent with diabetes prevention and management.

The availability and depiction of synthetic cathinones (bath salts) on the Internet: Do online suppliers employ features to maximize purchases?

PubMed

Meyers, Kathleen; Kaynak, Övgü; Bresani, Elena; Curtis, Brenda; McNamara, Ashley; Brownfield, Kristine; Kirby, Kimberly C

2015-07-01

"Bath salts", a derivative of cathinone, a naturally occurring beta-ketone amphetamine analogue found in the leaves of the khat (Catha edulis) plant, is a potent class of designer drugs associated with significant medical and psychiatric consequences. They are commonly used among 20-29 year olds, a group with easy access to the Internet and an inclination to purchase online. Therefore, the Internet has the potential to play a significant role in the distribution and associated consequences of these "legal highs". Google searches were used to determine bath salts availability on retail websites and how different search terms affected the proportion of retail websites obtained. Retail websites were reviewed by two independent raters who examined content with a focus on characteristics that increase the likelihood of online sales. Of the 250 websites found, 31 were unique retail websites. Most retail website hits resulted when a product name was used as the search term. The top three countries hosting retail websites were registered in the United States (n=14; 45%), Germany (n=7; 23%), and the United Kingdom (n=3; 10%). These online drug suppliers provided considerable information and purchasing choice about a variety of synthetic cathinones, legitimized their sites by using recognizable images, online chat features, and mainstream payment and shipping methods, and employed characteristics that promote online purchases. Online designer drug suppliers use sophisticated methods to market unregulated products to consumers. The international community has taken diverse approaches to address designer drugs: legislative bans, harm reduction approaches, an interim regulated legal market. Multifaceted efforts that target bath salt users, suppliers, and emergency/poison control entities are critical to comprehensively address bath salt ingestion and its consequences. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The quality of information about sickle cell disease on the Internet for youth.

PubMed

Breakey, Vicky R; Harris, Lauren; Davis, Omar; Agarwal, Arnav; Ouellette, Carley; Akinnawo, Elizabeth; Stinson, Jennifer

2017-04-01

Adolescence is a vulnerable time for teens with sickle cell disease (SCD). Although there is evidence to support the use of web-based education to promote self-management skills in patients with chronic illnesses, the quality of SCD-related information on the Internet has not been assessed. A website review was conducted to appraise the quality, content, accuracy, readability, and desirability of online information for the adolescents with SCD. Relevant keywords were searched on the most popular search engines. Websites meeting predetermined criteria were reviewed. The quality of information was appraised using the validated DISCERN tool. Two physicians independently rated website completeness and accuracy. Readability of the sites was documented using the simple measure of gobbledygook (SMOG) scores and the Flesch Reading Ease (FRE). The website features considered desirable by youth were tracked. Search results yielded >600 websites with 25 unique hits meeting criteria. The overall quality of the information was "fair" and the average DISCERN rating score was 50.1 (±9.3, range 31.0-67.5). Only 12 of 25 (48%) websites had scores >50. The average completeness score was 20 of 29 (±5, range 12-27). No errors were identified. The mean SMOG score was 13.04 (±2.80, range 10.21-22.85) and the mean FRE score was 46.05 (±11.47; range 17.50-66.10), suggesting that the material was written well beyond the acceptable reading level for patient education. The websites were text-heavy and lacked the features that appeal to youth (chat, games, videos, etc.). Given the paucity of high-quality health information available for the teens with SCD, it is essential that additional online resources be developed. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The availability and depiction of synthetic cathinones (i.e., bath salts) on the internet: Do online suppliers employ features to maximize purchases?

PubMed Central

Meyers, Kathleen; Kaynak, Övgü; Bresani, Elena; Curtis, Brenda; McNamara, Ashley; Brownfield, Kristine; Kirby, Kimberly C.

2015-01-01

Background “Bath salts”, a derivative of cathinone, a naturally occurring beta-ketone amphetamine analogue found in the leaves of the khat (Catha edulis) plant, is a potent class of designer drugs associated with significant medical and psychiatric consequences. They are commonly used among 20 to 29 year olds, a group with easy access to the internet and an inclination to purchase online. Therefore, the internet has the potential to play a significant role in the distribution and associated consequences of these “legal highs”. Methods Google searches were used to determine bath salts availability on retail websites and how different search terms affected the proportion of retail websites obtained. Retail websites were reviewed by two independent raters who examined content with a focus on characteristics that increase the likelihood of online sales. Results Of the 250 websites found, 31 were unique retail websites. Most retail website hits resulted when a product name was used as the search term. The top three countries hosting retail websites were registered in the United States (n=14; 45%), Germany (n=7; 23%), and the United Kingdom (n=3; 10%). These online drug suppliers provided considerable information and purchasing choice about a variety of synthetic cathinones, legitimized their sites by using recognizable images, online chat features, and mainstream payment and shipping methods, and employed characteristics that promote online purchases. Conclusion Online designer drug suppliers use sophisticated methods to market unregulated products to consumers. The international community has taken diverse approaches to address designer drugs: legislative bans, harm reduction approaches, an interim regulated legal market. Multifaceted efforts that target bath salt users, suppliers, and emergency/poison control entities are critical to comprehensively address bath salt ingestion and its consequences. PMID:25641258

The relationship between different information sources and disease-related patient knowledge and anxiety in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

PubMed

Selinger, C P; Carbery, I; Warren, V; Rehman, A F; Williams, C J; Mumtaz, S; Bholah, H; Sood, R; Gracie, D J; Hamlin, P J; Ford, A C

2017-01-01

Patient education forms a cornerstone of management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The Internet has opened new avenues for information gathering. To determine the relationship between different information sources and patient knowledge and anxiety in patients with IBD. The use of information sources in patients with IBD was examined via questionnaire. Anxiety was assessed with the hospital anxiety and depression scale and disease-related patient knowledge with the Crohn's and colitis knowledge score questionnaires. Associations between these outcomes and demographics, disease-related factors, and use of different information sources were analysed using linear regression analysis. Of 307 patients (165 Crohn's disease, 142 ulcerative colitis) 60.6% were female. Participants used the hospital IBD team (82.3%), official leaflets (59.5%), and official websites (53.5%) most frequently in contrast to alternative health websites (9%). University education (P < 0.001), use of immunosuppressants (P = 0.025), Crohn's and Colitis UK membership (P = 0.001), frequent use of the hospital IBD team (P = 0.032), and frequent use of official information websites (P = 0.005) were associated with higher disease-related patient knowledge. Female sex (P = 0.004), clinically active disease (P < 0.001), frequent use of general practitioners (P = 0.014), alternative health websites (homoeopathy, nutritionists, etc.) (P = 0.004) and random links (P = 0.016) were independently associated with higher anxiety. Different patient information sources are associated with better knowledge or worse anxiety levels. Face-to-face education and written information materials remain the first line of patient education. Patients should be guided towards official information websites and warned about the association between the use of alternative health websites or random links and anxiety. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Assessing public health job portals over the internet.

PubMed

Joshi, Ashish; Mirza, Attiqa; McFarlane, Kim; Amadi, Chioma

2016-09-01

The objective of our study was to search existing public health job websites over the internet and describe the challenges related to finding these job websites. An internet search was conducted using different search engines, including Google, Yahoo and Bing, with several keywords including: Public Health Jobs, Epidemiology Jobs, Biostatistics Jobs, Health Policy and Management Jobs, Community Health Jobs, Health Administration Jobs, Nutrition Jobs, Environmental and Occupational Health Science Jobs, GIS Jobs, and Public Health Informatics Jobs. We recorded the first 20 websites that appeared in the results of each keyword search, thus generating 600 URLs. Duplicate sites and non-functional sites were excluded from this search, allowing analysis of unique sites only. The initial search resulted in 600 websites of which there were 470 duplicates. More than half of the website categories were ".com" (54%; n = 323) followed by ".gov" (19%; n = 111) and ".edu" 15% (n = 90). Results of our findings showed 194 unique websites resulting from a search of 600 website links. More than half of them had actual public health or its related jobs (56%; n = 108). There is a need to establish standard occupational classification categories for the public health workforce. © Royal Society for Public Health 2016.

Availability of and Ease of Access to Calorie Information on Restaurant Websites

PubMed Central

Bennett, Gary G.; Steinberg, Dori M.; Lanpher, Michele G.; Askew, Sandy; Lane, Ilana B.; Levine, Erica L.; Goodman, Melody S.; Foley, Perry B.

2013-01-01

Objective Offering calories on restaurant websites might be particularly important for consumer meal planning, but the availability of and ease of accessing this information are unknown. Methods We assessed websites for the top 100 U.S. chain restaurants to determine the availability of and ease of access to calorie information as well as website design characteristics. We also examined potential predictors of calorie availability and ease of access. Results Eighty-two percent of restaurants provided calorie information on their websites; 25% presented calories on a mobile-formatted website. On average, calories could be accessed in 2.35±0.99 clicks. About half of sites (51.2%) linked to calorie information via the homepage. Fewer than half had a separate section identifying healthful options (46.3%), or utilized interactive meal planning tools (35.4%). Quick service/fast casual, larger restaurants, and those with less expensive entrées and lower revenue were more likely to make calorie information available. There were no predictors of ease of access. Conclusion Calorie information is both available and largely accessible on the websites of America’s leading restaurants. It is unclear whether consumer behavior is affected by the variability in the presentation of calorie information. PMID:23977193

From Chaos to Content: An Integrated Approach to Government Web Sites

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

Demuth, Nora H.; Knudson, Christa K.

2005-01-03

The web development team of the Environmental Technology Directorate (ETD) at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) redesigned the ETD website as a database-driven system, powered by the newly designed ETD Common Information System (ETD-CIS). The ETD website was redesigned in response to an analysis that showed the previous ETD websites were inefficient, costly, and lacking in a consistent focus. Redesigned and newly created websites based on a new ETD template provide a consistent image, meet or exceed accessibility standards, and are linked through a common database. The protocols used in developing the ETD website supportmore » integration of further organizational sites and facilitate internal use by staff and training on ETD website development and maintenance. Other PNNL organizations have approached the ETD web development team with an interest in applying the methods established by the ETD system. The ETD system protocol could potentially be used by other DOE laboratories to improve their website efficiency and content focus. “The tools by which we share science information must be as extraordinary as the information itself.[ ]” – DOE Science Director Raymond Orbach« less

Availability of and ease of access to calorie information on restaurant websites.

PubMed

Bennett, Gary G; Steinberg, Dori M; Lanpher, Michele G; Askew, Sandy; Lane, Ilana B; Levine, Erica L; Goodman, Melody S; Foley, Perry B

2013-01-01

Offering calories on restaurant websites might be particularly important for consumer meal planning, but the availability of and ease of accessing this information are unknown. We assessed websites for the top 100 U.S. chain restaurants to determine the availability of and ease of access to calorie information as well as website design characteristics. We also examined potential predictors of calorie availability and ease of access. Eighty-two percent of restaurants provided calorie information on their websites; 25% presented calories on a mobile-formatted website. On average, calories could be accessed in 2.35±0.99 clicks. About half of sites (51.2%) linked to calorie information via the homepage. Fewer than half had a separate section identifying healthful options (46.3%), or utilized interactive meal planning tools (35.4%). Quick service/fast casual, larger restaurants, and those with less expensive entrées and lower revenue were more likely to make calorie information available. There were no predictors of ease of access. Calorie information is both available and largely accessible on the websites of America's leading restaurants. It is unclear whether consumer behavior is affected by the variability in the presentation of calorie information.

DefenseLink Special: Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi Killed in Air Strike

Science.gov Websites

DefenseLink.mil Jun. 11, 2015 War on Terror Transformation News Products Press Resources Images Websites Contact , June 8, 2006 - The death of terrorist leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi is a victory in the war on terror and

Future Challenges and Opportunities in Online Prescription Drug Promotion Research

PubMed Central

Southwell, Brian G.; Rupert, Douglas J.

2016-01-01

Despite increased availability of online promotional tools for prescription drug marketers, evidence on online prescription drug promotion is far from settled or conclusive. We highlight ways in which online prescription drug promotion is similar to conventional broadcast and print advertising and ways in which it differs. We also highlight five key areas for future research: branded drug website influence on consumer knowledge and behavior, interactive features on branded drug websites, mobile viewing of branded websites and mobile advertisements, online promotion and non-US audiences, and social media and medication decisions. PMID:26927597

Supporting Online Faculty Holistically: Developing a Support Website Resource

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nordin, Eric; Anthony, Peter John

2014-01-01

Current trends in post-secondary education enrollment indicate that colleges and universities are likely to experience an increase in the number of online students. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the type of resources and support features online faculty need, desire, and expect in a support website. The method used to collect research…

Text-Based Conferencing: Features vs. Functionality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Lynn; McCarthy, Cathy

2005-01-01

This report examines three text-based conferencing products: "WowBB", "Invision Power Board", and "vBulletin". Their selection was prompted by a feature-by-feature comparison of the same products on the "WowBB" website. The comparison chart painted a misleading impression of "WowBB's" features in relation to the other two products; so the…

Craniofacial Surgery Fellowship Websites.

PubMed

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

2016-06-01

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

Characteristics of Arabic Websites with information on autism

PubMed Central

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

2017-01-01

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

Characteristics of Arabic Websites with information on autism.

PubMed

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

2017-04-01

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

Volcanoes of the World: Reconfiguring a scientific database to meet new goals and expectations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venzke, Edward; Andrews, Ben; Cottrell, Elizabeth

2015-04-01

The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program's (GVP) database of Holocene volcanoes and eruptions, Volcanoes of the World (VOTW), originated in 1971, and was largely populated with content from the IAVCEI Catalog of Volcanoes of Active Volcanoes and some independent datasets. Volcanic activity reported by Smithsonian's Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network and USGS/SI Weekly Activity Reports (and their predecessors), published research, and other varied sources has expanded the database significantly over the years. Three editions of the VOTW were published in book form, creating a catalog with new ways to display data that included regional directories, a gazetteer, and a 10,000-year chronology of eruptions. The widespread dissemination of the data in electronic media since the first GVP website in 1995 has created new challenges and opportunities for this unique collection of information. To better meet current and future goals and expectations, we have recently transitioned VOTW into a SQL Server database. This process included significant schema changes to the previous relational database, data auditing, and content review. We replaced a disparate, confusing, and changeable volcano numbering system with unique and permanent volcano numbers. We reconfigured structures for recording eruption data to allow greater flexibility in describing the complexity of observed activity, adding in the ability to distinguish episodes within eruptions (in time and space) and events (including dates) rather than characteristics that take place during an episode. We have added a reference link field in multiple tables to enable attribution of sources at finer levels of detail. We now store and connect synonyms and feature names in a more consistent manner, which will allow for morphological features to be given unique numbers and linked to specific eruptions or samples; if the designated overall volcano name is also a morphological feature, it is then also listed and described as that feature. One especially significant audit involved re-evaluating the categories of evidence used to include a volcano in the Holocene list, and reviewing in detail the entries in low-certainty categories. Concurrently, we developed a new data entry system that may in the future allow trusted users outside of Smithsonian to input data into VOTW. A redesigned website now provides new search tools and data download options. We are collaborating with organizations that manage volcano and eruption databases, physical sample databases, and geochemical databases to allow real-time connections and complex queries. VOTW serves the volcanological community by providing a clear and consistent core database of distinctly identified volcanoes and eruptions to advance goals in research, civil defense, and public outreach.

Online Education and e-Consent for GeneScreen, a Preventive Genomic Screening Study.

PubMed

Cadigan, R Jean; Butterfield, Rita; Rini, Christine; Waltz, Margaret; Kuczynski, Kristine J; Muessig, Kristin; Goddard, Katrina A B; Henderson, Gail E

2017-01-01

Online study recruitment is increasingly popular, but we know little about the decision making that goes into joining studies in this manner. In GeneScreen, a genomic screening study that utilized online education and consent, we investigated participants' perceived ease when deciding to join and their understanding of key study features. Individuals were recruited via mailings that directed them to a website where they could learn more about GeneScreen, consent to participate, and complete a survey. Participants found it easy to decide to join GeneScreen and had a good understanding of study features. Multiple regression analyses revealed that ease of deciding to join was related to confidence in one's genetic self-efficacy, limited concerns about genetic screening, trust in and lack of frustration using the website, and the ability to spend a limited time on the website. Understanding of study features was related to using the Internet more frequently and attaining more information about GeneScreen conditions. The ease of deciding to join a genomic screening study and comprehension of its key features should be treated as different phenomena in research and practice. There is a need for a more nuanced understanding of how individuals respond to web-based consent information. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Impact of a dermatology wiki website on dermatology education.

PubMed

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

2015-01-15

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

How to Link to Official Documents from the Government Publishing Office (GPO)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The most consistent way to present up-to-date content from the Federal Register, US Code, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), and so on is to link to the official version of the document on the GPO's Federal Digital System (FDSys) website.

Using Google Maps to Access USGS Volcano Hazards Information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venezky, D. Y.; Snedigar, S.; Guffanti, M.; Bailey, J. E.; Wall, B. G.

2006-12-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Volcano Hazard Program (VHP) is revising the information architecture of our website to provide data within a geospatial context for emergency managers, educators, landowners in volcanic areas, researchers, and the general public. Using a map-based interface for displaying hazard information provides a synoptic view of volcanic activity along with the ability to quickly ascertain where hazards are in relation to major population and infrastructure centers. At the same time, the map interface provides a gateway for educators and the public to find information about volcanoes in their geographic context. A plethora of data visualization solutions are available that are flexible, customizable, and can be run on individual websites. We are currently using a Google map interface because it can be accessed immediately from a website (a downloadable viewer is not required), and it provides simple features for moving around and zooming within the large map area that encompasses U.S. volcanism. A text interface will also be available. The new VHP website will serve as a portal to information for each volcano the USGS monitors with icons for alert levels and aviation color codes. When a volcano is clicked, a window will provide additional information including links to maps, images, and real-time data, thereby connecting information from individual observatories, the Smithsonian Institution, and our partner universities. In addition to the VHP home page, many observatories and partners have detailed graphical interfaces to data and images that include the activity pages for the Alaska Volcano Observatory, the Smithsonian Google Earth files, and Yellowstone Volcano Observatory pictures and data. Users with varied requests such as raw data, scientific papers, images, or brief overviews expect to be able to quickly access information for their specialized needs. Over the next few years we will be gathering, cleansing, reorganizing, and posting data in multiple formats to meet these needs.

A Qualitative Evaluation of Contact Centre Dietitian Support and Electronic Motivational Messaging for eaTracker My Goals Users.

PubMed

Lieffers, Jessica R L; Haresign, Helen; Mehling, Christine; Arocha, Jose F; Hanning, Rhona M

2018-06-01

To conduct a qualitative evaluation of adjunct supports (brief motivational messaging regarding goals delivered by email/website, contact centre dietitian assistance) offered by EatRight Ontario (ERO) for users of a website-based nutrition/activity goal setting/tracking feature (eaTracker "My Goals"). One-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with My Goals users in Ontario (n = 18) and Alberta (n = 5) recruited via the eaTracker website and ERO contact centre dietitians (n = 5). Interview transcripts were analyzed using content analysis. Participants had mixed experiences and perspectives with ERO motivational messaging. Messages targeted towards specific goals (e.g., tips, recipes) were generally well-liked, and generic messages (e.g., eaTracker login reminders) were less useful. No interviewed users had contacted ERO dietitians regarding goals, and dietitians reported encountering few callers asking for assistance while using My Goals. Limited user knowledge was one explanation for this finding. Participants provided suggestions to enhance these supports. Electronic motivational messaging and contact centre dietitian assistance have the potential to support achievement of goals set with website-based features. When considering using electronic messaging, researchers and practitioners should consider message content and delivery tailoring. Marketing that focuses on how contact centre dietitians can assist website users with their goals is needed when services are used in naturalistic settings.

The effect of top-level domains and advertisements on health web-site credibility.

PubMed

Walther, Joseph B; Wang, Zuoming; Loh, Tracy

2004-09-03

Concerns over health information on the Internet have generated efforts to enhance credibility markers; yet how users actually assess the credibility of online health information is largely unknown. This study set out to (1) establish a parsimonious and valid questionnaire instrument to measure credibility of Internet health information by drawing on various previous measures of source, news, and other credibility scales; and (2) to identify the effects of Web-site domains and advertising on credibility perceptions. Respondents (N = 156) examined one of 12 Web-site mock-ups and completed credibility scales in a 3 x 2 x 2 between-subjects experimental design. Factor analysis and validity checks were used for item reduction, and analysis of variance was employed for hypothesis testing of Web-site features' effects. In an attempt to construct a credibility instrument, three dimensions of credibility (safety, trustworthiness, and dynamism) were retained, reflecting traditional credibility sub-themes, but composed of items from disparate sources. When testing the effect of the presence or absence of advertising on a Web site on credibility, we found that this depends on the site's domain, with a trend for advertisements having deleterious effects on the credibility of sites with .org domain, but positive effects on sites with .com or .edu domains. Health-information Web-site providers should select domains purposefully when they can, especially if they must accept on-site advertising. Credibility perceptions may not be invariant or stable, but rather are sensitive to topic and context. Future research may employ these findings in order to compare other forms of health-information delivery to optimal Web-site features.

Web-Based, Pictograph-Formatted Discharge Instructions for Low-Literacy Older Adults After Hip Replacement Surgery: Findings of End-User Evaluation of the Website.

PubMed

Choi, Jeungok; Jacelon, Cynthia S; Kalmakis, Karen A

The purpose of this study was to develop web-based, pictograph-formatted discharge instructions and evaluate the website with intended users to maximize the relevance and clarity of the website. A descriptive study. Low-literacy text and 45 sets of pictographs were implemented in web-based instructions. The content, design, function, and navigation of the website were reviewed by 15 low-literate older adults following hip replacement surgery. Participants observed that the simple line drawings with clear background were well suited to web pages and helped to convey the points made. They also suggested changes such as adding an additional alphabetical index menu to enhance easy navigation and removing hypertext links to avoid distraction. Web-based, pictograph-formatted discharge instructions were well received by low-literate older adults, who perceived the website easy to use and understand. A pictograph-formatted approach may provide effective strategies to promote understanding of lengthy, complex action-based discharge instructions in rehabilitation facilities.

Use of Web-based library resources by medical students in community and ambulatory settings*

PubMed Central

Tannery, Nancy Hrinya; Foust, Jill E.; Gregg, Amy L.; Hartman, Linda M.; Kuller, Alice B.; Worona, Paul; Tulsky, Asher A.

2002-01-01

Purpose: The purpose was to evaluate the use of Web-based library resources by third-year medical students. Setting/Participants/Resources: Third-year medical students (147) in a twelve-week multidisciplinary primary care rotation in community and ambulatory settings. Methodology: Individual user surveys and log file analysis of Website were used. Results/Outcomes: Twenty resource topics were compiled into a Website to provide students with access to electronic library resources from any community-based clerkship location. These resource topics, covering subjects such as hypertension and back pain, linked to curriculum training problems, full-text journal articles, MEDLINE searches, electronic book chapters, and relevant Websites. More than half of the students (69%) accessed the Website on a daily or weekly basis. Over 80% thought the Website was a valuable addition to their clerkship. Discussion/Conclusion: Web-based information resources can provide curriculum support to students for whom access to the library is difficult and time consuming. PMID:12113515

Strong is the new skinny: A content analysis of fitspiration websites.

PubMed

Boepple, Leah; Ata, Rheanna N; Rum, Ruba; Thompson, J Kevin

2016-06-01

"Fitspiration" websites are media that aim to inspire people to live healthy and fit lifestyles through motivating images and text related to exercise and diet. Given the link between similar Internet content (i.e., healthy living blogs) and problematic messages, we hypothesized that content on these sites would over-emphasize appearance and promote problematic messages regarding exercise and diet. Keywords "fitspo" and "fitspiration" were entered into search engines. The first 10 images and text from 51 individual websites were rated on a variety of characteristics. Results indicated that a majority of messages found on fitspiration websites focused on appearance. Other common themes included content promoting exercise for appearance-motivated reasons and content promoting dietary restraint. "Fitspiration" websites are a source of messages that reinforce over-valuation of physical appearance, eating concerns, and excessive exercise. Further research is needed to examine the impact viewing such content has on participants' psychological health. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Semanticscience Integrated Ontology (SIO) for biomedical research and knowledge discovery

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

The Semanticscience Integrated Ontology (SIO) is an ontology to facilitate biomedical knowledge discovery. SIO features a simple upper level comprised of essential types and relations for the rich description of arbitrary (real, hypothesized, virtual, fictional) objects, processes and their attributes. SIO specifies simple design patterns to describe and associate qualities, capabilities, functions, quantities, and informational entities including textual, geometrical, and mathematical entities, and provides specific extensions in the domains of chemistry, biology, biochemistry, and bioinformatics. SIO provides an ontological foundation for the Bio2RDF linked data for the life sciences project and is used for semantic integration and discovery for SADI-based semantic web services. SIO is freely available to all users under a creative commons by attribution license. See website for further information: http://sio.semanticscience.org. PMID:24602174

An 8-week web-based weight loss challenge with celebrity endorsement and enhanced social support: observational study.

PubMed

Hutchesson, Melinda J; Collins, Clare E; Morgan, Philip J; Callister, Robin

2013-07-04

Initial engagement and weight loss within Web-based weight loss programs may predict long-term success. The integration of persuasive Web-based features may boost engagement and therefore weight loss. To determine whether an 8-week challenge within a commercial Web-based weight loss program influenced weight loss, website use, and attrition in the short term, when compared to the standard program. De-identified data for participants (mean age 36.7±10.3 years; 86% female) who enrolled in the Biggest Loser Club (BLC) (n=952) and the BLC's Shannan Ponton Fast Track Challenge (SC) for 8 weeks (n=381) were compared. The BLC program used standard evidence-based website features, with individualized calorie and exercise targets to facilitate a weight loss of 0.5-1 kg per week (-500kcal/day less than estimated energy expenditure). SC used the same website features but in addition promoted greater initial weight loss using a 1200 kcal/day energy intake target and physical activity energy expenditure of 600 kcal/day. SC used persuasive features to facilitate greater user engagement, including offering additional opportunities for social support (eg, webinar meetings with a celebrity personal trainer and social networking) endorsed by a celebrity personal trainer. Self-reported weekly weight records were used to determine weight change after 8 weeks. A primary analysis was undertaken using a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) with all available weight records for all participants included. Dropout (participants who cancelled their subscription) and nonusage (participants who stopped using the Web-based features) attrition rates at 8 weeks were calculated. The number of participants who accessed each website feature and the total number of days each feature was used were calculated. The difference between attrition rates and website use for the two programs were tested using chi-square and Wilcoxon Rank Sum tests, respectively. Using GLMM, including weight data for all participants, there was significantly greater (P=.03) 8-week weight loss in SC (-5.1 kg [-5.5 to -4.6 kg] or -6.0%) compared to BLC participants (-4.5 kg [-4.8, -4.2] or -5.0%). Dropout rates were low and consistent across groups (BLC: 17 (1.8%) vs SC: 2 (0.5%), P=.08) and 48.7% (456/936) of BLC and 51.2% (184/379) of SC participants accessed the website at 8 weeks, with no difference between programs (P=.48). SC participants accessed the discussion forums, menu plans, exercise plans, and educational materials significantly more than BLC participants (P<.05). Using a short-term challenge with persuasive features, including online social support with endorsement by a celebrity personal trainer, as well as a greater energy balance deficit, within a commercial Web-based weight loss program may facilitate greater initial weight loss and engagement with some program components. The results support the need for a more rigorous and prospective evaluation of Web-based weight loss programs that incorporate additional strategies to enhance initial weight loss and engagement, such as a short-term challenge.

An 8-Week Web-Based Weight Loss Challenge With Celebrity Endorsement and Enhanced Social Support: Observational Study

PubMed Central

Collins, Clare E; Morgan, Philip J; Callister, Robin

2013-01-01

Background Initial engagement and weight loss within Web-based weight loss programs may predict long-term success. The integration of persuasive Web-based features may boost engagement and therefore weight loss. Objective To determine whether an 8-week challenge within a commercial Web-based weight loss program influenced weight loss, website use, and attrition in the short term, when compared to the standard program. Methods De-identified data for participants (mean age 36.7±10.3 years; 86% female) who enrolled in the Biggest Loser Club (BLC) (n=952) and the BLC’s Shannan Ponton Fast Track Challenge (SC) for 8 weeks (n=381) were compared. The BLC program used standard evidence-based website features, with individualized calorie and exercise targets to facilitate a weight loss of 0.5-1 kg per week (–500kcal/day less than estimated energy expenditure). SC used the same website features but in addition promoted greater initial weight loss using a 1200 kcal/day energy intake target and physical activity energy expenditure of 600 kcal/day. SC used persuasive features to facilitate greater user engagement, including offering additional opportunities for social support (eg, webinar meetings with a celebrity personal trainer and social networking) endorsed by a celebrity personal trainer. Self-reported weekly weight records were used to determine weight change after 8 weeks. A primary analysis was undertaken using a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) with all available weight records for all participants included. Dropout (participants who cancelled their subscription) and nonusage (participants who stopped using the Web-based features) attrition rates at 8 weeks were calculated. The number of participants who accessed each website feature and the total number of days each feature was used were calculated. The difference between attrition rates and website use for the two programs were tested using chi-square and Wilcoxon Rank Sum tests, respectively. Results Using GLMM, including weight data for all participants, there was significantly greater (P=.03) 8-week weight loss in SC (–5.1 kg [–5.5 to –4.6 kg] or –6.0%) compared to BLC participants (–4.5 kg [–4.8, –4.2] or –5.0%). Dropout rates were low and consistent across groups (BLC: 17 (1.8%) vs SC: 2 (0.5%), P=.08) and 48.7% (456/936) of BLC and 51.2% (184/379) of SC participants accessed the website at 8 weeks, with no difference between programs (P=.48). SC participants accessed the discussion forums, menu plans, exercise plans, and educational materials significantly more than BLC participants (P<.05). Conclusions Using a short-term challenge with persuasive features, including online social support with endorsement by a celebrity personal trainer, as well as a greater energy balance deficit, within a commercial Web-based weight loss program may facilitate greater initial weight loss and engagement with some program components. The results support the need for a more rigorous and prospective evaluation of Web-based weight loss programs that incorporate additional strategies to enhance initial weight loss and engagement, such as a short-term challenge. PMID:23827796

The Effect of Brand on the Evaluation of Websites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Angeli, Antonella; Hartmann, Jan; Sutcliffe, Alistair

The effect of brand on consumer attitudes towards real and virtual goods is largely documented in consumer psychology and marketing. There is an obvious link between the design of a website and its brand. Yet, this effect has attracted little attention from the HCI community. This paper presents empirical evidence showing that brand attitude influences the evaluation of websites. The effect was reliable across different measures: people holding better attitudes were more positive in the evaluation of aesthetics, pleasure and usability. A sample of students (N=145) with a background in HCI was tested, suggesting that brand may influence the output of expert evaluators. The study provides support to the proposition of UX as a contextual-dependent response to the interaction with computing systems and has important implications for the design and evaluation of websites which are discussed in the conclusion.

Shuttle Case Study Collection Website Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ransom, Khadijah S.; Johnson, Grace K.

2012-01-01

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

Concerthalls.org: A webpage for architectural acoustics education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lily M.; Hall, Jessica M.

2002-11-01

A website focusing on concert hall acoustics (www.concerthalls.org) has been developed under the Schultz Grant from the Newman Student Award Fund. The website includes historical information, discussions on a variety of architectural acoustical measures, links to other websites of interest including a collection of concert hall webpages, and a comprehensive reference list. Of particular interest are the many listening examples provided on the website, which help students and other visitors to understand each subjective quality audibly and give insight on how to measure and control the associated objective measure. Examples are provided for reverberation, clarity, intimacy, warmth, loudness, and spaciousness. Various samples will be played during this presentation. Instructors of architectural acoustics are encouraged to introduce the site to their students and incorporate it into their instructional materials. [Work supported by Schultz Grant from the Newman Student Award Fund.

Evaluation of the content quality of websites for recurrent aphthous ulcers and oral lichen planus.

PubMed

Hu, Xiaosheng; Pan, Hui; He, Wenxiu; Hua, Hong; Yan, Zhimin

2017-12-29

The Internet is one of the most popular resources for people to obtain medical information; however, only a limited number of studies have reported the quality of the available health information related to oral mucosal diseases. The present study aimed to evaluate the quality of information on websites for recurrent aphthous ulcers (RAU) and oral lichen planus (OLP), in both Chinese and English. Common search engines, BaiDu, Google, and Yahoo in Chinese; and Bing, Google, and Yahoo in English were used to identify websites providing content related to the oral mucosal diseases. The first 100 links for keywords "recurrent aphthous ulcers" and "oral lichen planus" were visited and content was downloaded within 24 h. Two separate trained researchers use the validated DISCERN rating instrument and JAMA benchmarks to evaluate the content. The rating scores were analyzed and the quality was assessed according to the scores and content of websites. A total of 145 websites for RAU and 128 of OLP were analyzed. Based on the DISCERN instrument, the quality of the content in websites for both diseases, whether in English or Chinese, was not high, generally scoring 2 to 3 (max. 5). Only 13 of the RAU websites and 21 of the OLP websites fulfilled the four criteria of the JAMA benchmarks. Generally, the scores of the English websites were higher than those of the Chinese websites. During the twelve searches, only four (Yahoo of RAU in Chinese, Bing and Yahoo of RAU in English, and Google of OLP in Chinese) showed moderate correlation between the website's ranking and their rating scores. People cannot obtain high quality medical information if they only look at the top ranked sites on the viewing lists. Websites belonging to universities or medical centers had relatively higher scores compared with the others. The quality of the content on websites relating to RAU and OLP in Chinese and English was moderate. More good quality websites and information are needed in the future.

Tools for Teaming: Resources for Linking Vocational Programs with Special Populations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tavares, Barbara, Ed.

This publication provides resources for linking vocational programs with five special populations. Sections 1-5 each focus on one special population and contain some or all of these resources: activities; recruitment; teacher tips; laws; staff development; funding streams; parent advice; instructional modifications; websites; community resources;…

East Bay Consortium of Educational Institutions Visits Berkeley Lab

Science.gov Websites

) Website Submit Comment Connect twitter instagram LinkedIn facebook youtube Calendar Instructions »  facebook youtube A U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratory Managed by the University of California Questions & Comments Privacy & Security Notice twitter instagram LinkedIn facebook youtube

The Paleontology Portal: An online resource meeting the needs a spectrum of learners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindberg, D.; Scotchmoor, J. G.

2005-12-01

The Paleontology Portal website provides a central, interactive entry point to high-quality North American paleontology resources on the Internet for multiple audiences: the research community, government and industry, K-16 students, and the general public. The Portal successfully blends research and education, pulling together information with reviewed and annotated website links for a wide variety of informal learners. Using web-based technology and relational databases, users can explore an interactive map and associated stratigraphic column to access information about particular geographic regions, geologic time periods, depositional environments, and representative taxa. Users are also able to search multiple museum collection databases using a single query form of their own design. Other features include highlights of famous fossil sites and assemblages and a fossil image gallery. Throughout the site, users find images and links to information specific to each time period or geographic region, including current research projects and publications, websites, on-line exhibits and educational materials, and information on collecting fossils. The next phase of development will target the development of resource modules on topics such as collection management and fossil preparation, appropriate for users ranging from the general public to professional paleontologists. Another initiative includes developing methods of personalizing the Portal to support exhibits at museums and other venues on geological history and paleontology. The Paleontology Portal, built by the UC Museum of Paleontology, is a joint project of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, the Paleontological Society, and the US Geological Survey, in collaboration with the Paleontological Research Institution, the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, which serve as hubs for the project. Paleoportal serves as an effective model in two aspects: (1) providing access to a spectrum of reviewed resources from a single starting interface that enables users from novice to professional to access background-appropriate information, and (2) involvement of a wide range of stakeholders (professional societies, universities and museums, and individuals) in both concept development and management. The project is funded by the National Science Foundation under award no. 0234594

An Analysis of Personal Financial Management Training Within the Department of the Navy

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-01

statement MFI Military Family Institute MWR Morale, welfare and recreation NKO Navy Knowledge Online NMCRS Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society...provides certain GMT topics for both officer and enlisted personnel via the Navy Knowledge Online (NKO) website, which contains information and links...As mentioned earlier, one of the most commonly used mediums for PFM training is a website called Navy Knowledge Online . The NKO site has an entire

An Assessment of Radiology Residency Program Websites.

PubMed

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

2018-04-01

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

An evaluation of accessibility and content of microsurgery fellowship websites.

PubMed

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

2016-01-01

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

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

PubMed

Nugier, A; Limousi, F; Lydié, N

2018-02-01

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

Evaluation of Health on the Net seal label and DISCERN as content quality indicators for patients seeking information about thumb sucking habit.

PubMed

Shital Kiran, D P; Bargale, Seema; Pandya, Parth; Bhatt, Kuntal; Barad, Nirav; Shah, Nilay; Venkataraghavan, Karthik; Ramesh, K

2015-08-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability of websites on the thumb sucking habit using DISCERN instrument and Health on the Net (HON) seal code at a single moment in time. An Internet search engine (www.google.com) was used to identify websites comprising information on "thumb sucking habit." Of over 204,000 links for thumb sucking habit, the first 100 were analyzed in detail. After excluding discussion groups, news and video feeds, and removing carbon copy sites, only 36 relevant websites remained, which were then assessed using the DISCERN instrument and HON seal code. Using the 16 questions of DISCERN for assessing the reliability and quality of the consumer information which were scored from 1 to 5, an appropriate index of the quality of the information was generated. All the assessed websites were also checked for presence or absence of HON seal code. The maximum score attainable for an outstanding website is 80. Of the 36 websites that were scored the highest score obtained by one of the websites according to the DISCERN tool was 55 of 80, and the lowest score achieved was 16 of 80. The websites achieving the maximum and minimum score were children.webmd.com and thebehaviorsolution.com, respectively. The HON seal was displayed only in three websites, which were medicinenet.com, righthealth.com, and children.webmd.com. By directing patients to validated websites on the thumb sucking habit, clinicians can ensure patients find appropriate information.

Website Sharing in Online Health Communities: A Descriptive Analysis.

PubMed

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

2016-01-13

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

Website Sharing in Online Health Communities: A Descriptive Analysis

PubMed Central

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

2016-01-01

Background An increasing number of people visit online health communities to seek health information. In these communities, people share experiences and information with others, often complemented with links to different websites. Understanding how people share websites can help us understand patients’ needs in online health communities and improve how peer patients share health information online. Objective Our goal was to understand (1) what kinds of websites are shared, (2) information quality of the shared websites, (3) who shares websites, (4) community differences in website-sharing behavior, and (5) the contexts in which patients share websites. We aimed to find practical applications and implications of website-sharing practices in online health communities. Methods We used regular expressions to extract URLs from 10 WebMD online health communities. We then categorized the URLs based on their top-level domains. We counted the number of trust codes (eg, accredited agencies’ formal evaluation and PubMed authors’ institutions) for each website to assess information quality. We used descriptive statistics to determine website-sharing activities. To understand the context of the URL being discussed, we conducted a simple random selection of 5 threads that contained at least one post with URLs from each community. Gathering all other posts in these threads resulted in 387 posts for open coding analysis with the goal of understanding motivations and situations in which website sharing occurred. Results We extracted a total of 25,448 websites. The majority of the shared websites were .com (59.16%, 15,056/25,448) and WebMD internal (23.2%, 5905/25,448) websites; the least shared websites were social media websites (0.15%, 39/25,448). High-posting community members and moderators posted more websites with trust codes than low-posting community members did. The heart disease community had the highest percentage of websites containing trust codes compared to other communities. Members used websites to disseminate information, supportive evidence, resources for social support, and other ways to communicate. Conclusions Online health communities can be used as important health care information resources for patients and caregivers. Our findings inform patients’ health information–sharing activities. This information assists health care providers, informaticians, and online health information entrepreneurs and developers in helping patients and caregivers make informed choices. PMID:26764193

Folic Acid Quiz

MedlinePlus

... Surveillance References Birth Defects COUNT Data & Statistics Research Articles & Key Findings About Us Partners Links to Other Websites Information For… Media Policy Makers Folic Acid Quiz Language: English (US) ...

The Accessibility, Usability, and Reliability of Chinese Web-Based Information on HIV/AIDS.

PubMed

Niu, Lu; Luo, Dan; Liu, Ying; Xiao, Shuiyuan

2016-08-20

The present study was designed to assess the quality of Chinese-language Internet-based information on HIV/AIDS. We entered the following search terms, in Chinese, into Baidu and Sogou: "HIV/AIDS", "symptoms", and "treatment", and evaluated the first 50 hits of each query using the Minervation validation instrument (LIDA tool) and DISCERN instrument. Of the 900 hits identified, 85 websites were included in this study. The overall score of the LIDA tool was 63.7%; the mean score of accessibility, usability, and reliability was 82.2%, 71.5%, and 27.3%, respectively. Of the top 15 sites according to the LIDA score, the mean DISCERN score was calculated at 43.1 (95% confidence intervals (CI) = 37.7-49.5). Noncommercial websites showed higher DISCERN scores than commercial websites; whereas commercial websites were more likely to be found in the first 20 links obtained from each search engine than the noncommercial websites. In general, the HIV/AIDS related Chinese-language websites have poor reliability, although their accessibility and usability are fair. In addition, the treatment information presented on Chinese-language websites is far from sufficient. There is an imperative need for professionals and specialized institutes to improve the comprehensiveness of web-based information related to HIV/AIDS.

Placement and Format of Risk Information on Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Websites.

PubMed

Sullivan, Helen W; O'Donoghue, Amie C; Rupert, Douglas J; Willoughby, Jessica Fitts; Aikin, Kathryn J

2017-02-01

We investigated whether the location and format of risk information on branded prescription drug websites influence consumers' knowledge and perceptions of the drug's risks. Participants (Internet panelists with high cholesterol [n = 2,609] or seasonal allergies [n = 2,637]) were randomly assigned to view a website promoting a fictitious prescription drug for their condition. The website presented risk information at the bottom of the homepage, or at the bottom of the homepage with a signal above indicating that the risk information was located below, or on a linked secondary page. We also varied the format of risk information (paragraph, checklist, bulleted list, highlighted box). Participants then answered questions on risk recall and perceptions. Participants recalled fewer drug risks when the risks were placed on a secondary page. The signal had little effect, and risk information format did not affect outcomes. The location of risk information on prescription drug websites can affect consumer knowledge of drug risks; however, signals and special formatting may not be necessary for websites to adequately inform consumers about drug risks. We recommend that prescription drug websites maintain risk information on their homepages to achieve "fair balance" as required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The Accessibility, Usability, and Reliability of Chinese Web-Based Information on HIV/AIDS

PubMed Central

Niu, Lu; Luo, Dan; Liu, Ying; Xiao, Shuiyuan

2016-01-01

Objective: The present study was designed to assess the quality of Chinese-language Internet-based information on HIV/AIDS. Methods: We entered the following search terms, in Chinese, into Baidu and Sogou: “HIV/AIDS”, “symptoms”, and “treatment”, and evaluated the first 50 hits of each query using the Minervation validation instrument (LIDA tool) and DISCERN instrument. Results: Of the 900 hits identified, 85 websites were included in this study. The overall score of the LIDA tool was 63.7%; the mean score of accessibility, usability, and reliability was 82.2%, 71.5%, and 27.3%, respectively. Of the top 15 sites according to the LIDA score, the mean DISCERN score was calculated at 43.1 (95% confidence intervals (CI) = 37.7–49.5). Noncommercial websites showed higher DISCERN scores than commercial websites; whereas commercial websites were more likely to be found in the first 20 links obtained from each search engine than the noncommercial websites. Conclusions: In general, the HIV/AIDS related Chinese-language websites have poor reliability, although their accessibility and usability are fair. In addition, the treatment information presented on Chinese-language websites is far from sufficient. There is an imperative need for professionals and specialized institutes to improve the comprehensiveness of web-based information related to HIV/AIDS. PMID:27556475

Forensic analysis of online marketing for electronic nicotine delivery systems.

PubMed

Cobb, Nathan K; Brookover, Jody; Cobb, Caroline O

2015-03-01

Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) are growing in awareness and use in the USA. They are currently unregulated as the Food and Drug Administration has yet to assert jurisdiction under its tobacco authority over these products, and a US Court of Appeals held they cannot be regulated as drugs/delivery devices if they are not marketed for a therapeutic purpose. Observation of the current online marketplace suggests ENDS, like some nutraceutical products, are being promoted using affiliate marketing techniques using claims concerning purported health benefits. This study performed a forensic analysis to characterise the relationships between online ENDS affiliate advertisements and ENDS sellers, and evaluated descriptive content on advertisements and websites to inform future policy and regulatory efforts. A purposive sampling strategy was used to identify three forms of ENDS advertising. Web proxy software recorded identifiable objects and their ties to each other. Network analysis of these ties followed, as well as analysis of descriptive content on advertisements and websites identified. The forensic analysis included four ENDS advertisements, two linked affiliate websites, and two linked seller websites, and demonstrated a multilevel relationship between advertisements and sellers with multiple layers of redirection. Descriptive analysis indicated that advertisements and affiliates, but not linked sellers, included smoking cessation claims. Results suggest that ENDS sellers may be trying to distance marketing efforts containing unsubstantiated claims from sales. A separate descriptive analysis of 20 ENDS seller web pages indicated that the use of affiliate marketing by sellers may be widespread. These findings support increased monitoring and regulation of ENDS marketing to prevent deceptive marketing tactics and ensure consumer safety. 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.

The impact of virtual reality functions of a hotel website on travel anxiety.

PubMed

Lee, Ook; Oh, Ji-Eun

2007-08-01

This study deals with the impact of virtual reality (VR) features that are embedded in a hotel website on travelers' anxiety. Having more information is thought to be a factor in relieving anxiety in travel. A hotel website can be a good place for gathering information about the accommodation. In this study, we posit that a hotel website with VR functions should lead to a reduction in travelers' anxiety about travel. We built a website of a hotel and used VR functions to show the exterior, the lobby, a guest room, and a restaurant through an interactive and spatial shot of the hotel images. The experiment was conducted with a premise that the subjects were about to embark on a journey to an unknown place and to stay at an unknown hotel whose website contained VR functions. The subjects were asked to play with VR functions of the hotel website and then to complete a survey with questions regarding the degree of anxiety on the travel and psychological relief that might have been perceived by the subjects. The result confirms our hypothesis that there is a statistically significant relationship between the degree of travel anxiety and psychological relief caused by the use of VR functions of a hotel website.

Solidarity.com: is there a link between offline behavior and online donations?

PubMed

Eller, Anja

2008-10-01

Solidarity websites, such as The Hunger Site, where people can donate food at no financial cost and minimal effort, have become immensely popular and effective since 1999. These new forms of philanthropy are characterized by wide participation and direct assistance and feedback. The present longitudinal, quasi-experimental study aimed to examine whether online solidarity can be predicted by offline contact with, attitudes about, and altruistic behavior tendencies towards a population in need, asylum seekers. Fifty-seven university students completed two surveys, separated by 1 year. Prior to T1, only 9% of respondents had visited solidarity websites, while at T2 47% reported clicking. Multiple regression analysis showed that T2 visits to solidarity websites were (negatively) predicted by T1 quantity of contact, and marginally, by T1 general evaluation of asylum seekers. These long-term, offline-to-online effects are intriguing, although there were no effects of offline contact quality and altruistic behavior tendencies. Future research should further investigate the causal direction between offline and online behavior and the factors that might influence the link between offline and online attitudes and behavior.

Access State Websites | ECHO | US EPA

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

State environmental agencies often maintain additional information about compliance and enforcement (beyond what is reported to EPA systems). Access direct links to state enforcement and compliance data.

Facts about Folic Acid

MedlinePlus

... Surveillance References Birth Defects COUNT Data & Statistics Research Articles & Key Findings About Us Partners Links to Other Websites Information For… Media Policy Makers Folic Acid Basics Language: English (US) ...

CADDIS Related Links

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Causal Analysis/Diagnosis Decision Information System, or CADDIS, is a website developed to help scientists and engineers in the Regions, States, and Tribes conduct causal assessments in aquatic systems.

An Online Evaluation of a Website Featuring a Brief Electronic Media E-Health Educational Intervention to Increase Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Physical Activity among African American Mothers and Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chung, Alicia

2013-01-01

African-American youth experience disproportionate rates of childhood obesity compared to their White counterparts. Culturally tailored electronic media solutions hold the potential to overcome health literacy and health communication barriers. This study aimed to identify the impact of exposure to a new website portal…

Quality assurance for the query and distribution systems of the RCSB Protein Data Bank

PubMed Central

Bluhm, Wolfgang F.; Beran, Bojan; Bi, Chunxiao; Dimitropoulos, Dimitris; Prlić, Andreas; Quinn, Gregory B.; Rose, Peter W.; Shah, Chaitali; Young, Jasmine; Yukich, Benjamin; Berman, Helen M.; Bourne, Philip E.

2011-01-01

The RCSB Protein Data Bank (RCSB PDB, www.pdb.org) is a key online resource for structural biology and related scientific disciplines. The website is used on average by 165 000 unique visitors per month, and more than 2000 other websites link to it. The amount and complexity of PDB data as well as the expectations on its usage are growing rapidly. Therefore, ensuring the reliability and robustness of the RCSB PDB query and distribution systems are crucially important and increasingly challenging. This article describes quality assurance for the RCSB PDB website at several distinct levels, including: (i) hardware redundancy and failover, (ii) testing protocols for weekly database updates, (iii) testing and release procedures for major software updates and (iv) miscellaneous monitoring and troubleshooting tools and practices. As such it provides suggestions for how other websites might be operated. Database URL: www.pdb.org PMID:21382834

From Evidence-Based Research to Practice-Based Evidence: Disseminating a Web-Based Computer-Tailored Workplace Sitting Intervention through a Health Promotion Organisation

PubMed Central

Bennie, Jason A.; Kolbe-Alexander, Tracy; Meester, Femke De

2018-01-01

Prolonged sitting has been linked to adverse health outcomes; therefore, we developed and examined a web-based, computer-tailored workplace sitting intervention. As we had previously shown good effectiveness, the next stage was to conduct a dissemination study. This study reports on the dissemination efforts of a health promotion organisation, associated costs, reach achieved, and attributes of the website users. The organisation systematically registered all the time and resources invested to promote the intervention. Website usage statistics (reach) and descriptive statistics (website users’ attributes) were also assessed. Online strategies (promotion on their homepage; sending e-mails, newsletters, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn posts to professional partners) were the main dissemination methods. The total time investment was 25.6 h, which cost approximately 845 EUR in salaries. After sixteen months, 1599 adults had visited the website and 1500 (93.8%) completed the survey to receive personalized sitting advice. This sample was 38.3 ± 11.0 years, mainly female (76.9%), college/university educated (89.0%), highly sedentary (88.5% sat >8 h/day) and intending to change (93.0%) their sitting. Given the small time and money investment, these outcomes are positive and indicate the potential for wide-scale dissemination. However, more efforts are needed to reach men, non-college/university educated employees, and those not intending behavioural change. PMID:29789491

From Evidence-Based Research to Practice-Based Evidence: Disseminating a Web-Based Computer-Tailored Workplace Sitting Intervention through a Health Promotion Organisation.

PubMed

Cocker, Katrien De; Cardon, Greet; Bennie, Jason A; Kolbe-Alexander, Tracy; Meester, Femke De; Vandelanotte, Corneel

2018-05-22

Prolonged sitting has been linked to adverse health outcomes; therefore, we developed and examined a web-based, computer-tailored workplace sitting intervention. As we had previously shown good effectiveness, the next stage was to conduct a dissemination study. This study reports on the dissemination efforts of a health promotion organisation, associated costs, reach achieved, and attributes of the website users. The organisation systematically registered all the time and resources invested to promote the intervention. Website usage statistics (reach) and descriptive statistics (website users' attributes) were also assessed. Online strategies (promotion on their homepage; sending e-mails, newsletters, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn posts to professional partners) were the main dissemination methods. The total time investment was 25.6 h, which cost approximately 845 EUR in salaries. After sixteen months, 1599 adults had visited the website and 1500 (93.8%) completed the survey to receive personalized sitting advice. This sample was 38.3 ± 11.0 years, mainly female (76.9%), college/university educated (89.0%), highly sedentary (88.5% sat >8 h/day) and intending to change (93.0%) their sitting. Given the small time and money investment, these outcomes are positive and indicate the potential for wide-scale dissemination. However, more efforts are needed to reach men, non-college/university educated employees, and those not intending behavioural change.

The McMaster Optimal Aging Portal: Usability Evaluation of a Unique Evidence-Based Health Information Website.

PubMed

Barbara, Angela M; Dobbins, Maureen; Haynes, R Brian; Iorio, Alfonso; Lavis, John N; Raina, Parminder; Levinson, Anthony J

2016-05-11

Increasingly, older adults and their informal caregivers are using the Internet to search for health-related information. There is a proliferation of health information online, but the quality of this information varies, often based on exaggerated or dramatic findings, and not easily comprehended by consumers. The McMaster Optimal Aging Portal (Portal) was developed to provide Internet users with high-quality evidence about aging and address some of these current limitations of health information posted online. The Portal includes content for health professionals coming from three best-in-class resources (MacPLUS, Health Evidence, and Health Systems Evidence) and four types of content specifically prepared for the general public (Evidence Summaries, Web Resource Ratings, Blog Posts, and Twitter messages). Our objectives were to share the findings of the usability evaluation of the Portal with particular focus on the content features for the general public and to inform designers of health information websites and online resources for older adults about key usability themes. Data analysis included task performance during usability testing and qualitative content analyses of both the usability sessions and interviews to identify core themes. A total of 37 participants took part in 33 usability testing sessions and 21 focused interviews. Qualitative analysis revealed common themes regarding the Portal's strengths and challenges to usability. The strengths of the website were related to credibility, applicability, browsing function, design, and accessibility. The usability challenges included reluctance to register, process of registering, searching, terminology, and technical features. The study reinforced the importance of including end users during the development of this unique, dynamic, evidence-based health information website. The feedback was applied to iteratively improve website usability. Our findings can be applied by designers of health-related websites.

The McMaster Optimal Aging Portal: Usability Evaluation of a Unique Evidence-Based Health Information Website

PubMed Central

Dobbins, Maureen; Haynes, R. Brian; Iorio, Alfonso; Lavis, John N; Raina, Parminder

2016-01-01

Background Increasingly, older adults and their informal caregivers are using the Internet to search for health-related information. There is a proliferation of health information online, but the quality of this information varies, often based on exaggerated or dramatic findings, and not easily comprehended by consumers. The McMaster Optimal Aging Portal (Portal) was developed to provide Internet users with high-quality evidence about aging and address some of these current limitations of health information posted online. The Portal includes content for health professionals coming from three best-in-class resources (MacPLUS, Health Evidence, and Health Systems Evidence) and four types of content specifically prepared for the general public (Evidence Summaries, Web Resource Ratings, Blog Posts, and Twitter messages). Objective Our objectives were to share the findings of the usability evaluation of the Portal with particular focus on the content features for the general public and to inform designers of health information websites and online resources for older adults about key usability themes. Methods Data analysis included task performance during usability testing and qualitative content analyses of both the usability sessions and interviews to identify core themes. Results A total of 37 participants took part in 33 usability testing sessions and 21 focused interviews. Qualitative analysis revealed common themes regarding the Portal’s strengths and challenges to usability. The strengths of the website were related to credibility, applicability, browsing function, design, and accessibility. The usability challenges included reluctance to register, process of registering, searching, terminology, and technical features. Conclusions The study reinforced the importance of including end users during the development of this unique, dynamic, evidence-based health information website. The feedback was applied to iteratively improve website usability. Our findings can be applied by designers of health-related websites. PMID:27170443

48 CFR 3.1004 - Contract clauses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... of Hotline Poster(s), if— (i) The contract exceeds $5,000,000 or a lesser amount established by the agency; and (ii)(A) The agency has a fraud hotline poster; or (B) The contract is funded with disaster... applicable posters; and (ii) Insert the website link(s) or other contact information for obtaining the agency...

48 CFR 3.1004 - Contract clauses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... of Hotline Poster(s), if— (i) The contract exceeds $5,000,000 or a lesser amount established by the agency; and (ii)(A) The agency has a fraud hotline poster; or (B) The contract is funded with disaster... applicable posters; and (ii) Insert the website link(s) or other contact information for obtaining the agency...

48 CFR 3.1004 - Contract clauses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... of Hotline Poster(s), if— (i) The contract exceeds $5,000,000 or a lesser amount established by the agency; and (ii)(A) The agency has a fraud hotline poster; or (B) The contract is funded with disaster... applicable posters; and (ii) Insert the website link(s) or other contact information for obtaining the agency...

48 CFR 3.1004 - Contract clauses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... of Hotline Poster(s), if— (i) The contract exceeds $5,000,000 or a lesser amount established by the agency; and (ii)(A) The agency has a fraud hotline poster; or (B) The contract is funded with disaster... applicable posters; and (ii) Insert the website link(s) or other contact information for obtaining the agency...

48 CFR 3.1004 - Contract clauses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... of Hotline Poster(s), if— (i) The contract exceeds $5,000,000 or a lesser amount established by the agency; and (ii)(A) The agency has a fraud hotline poster; or (B) The contract is funded with disaster... applicable posters; and (ii) Insert the website link(s) or other contact information for obtaining the agency...

Helping Farmers Access Farmland: New Jersey's New Land Link Website

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schilling, Brian J.; Marxen, Lucas J.; Everett, Jeffrey C.; Miller, Camille L.; Kimmel, David A.; Cook, Justine C.

2015-01-01

Access to land is a common obstacle for beginning farmers and established farmers seeking to expand their operations. Particularly in urban-influenced areas, leasing farmland is often more financially feasible than fee ownership. Locating available land or the right leasing situation, however, can be difficult. NJ Land Link (http://njlandlink.org)…

76 FR 46793 - Jordan Hydroelectric Limited Partnership; Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-03

...'s Web site at http://www.ferc.gov using the ``eLibrary'' link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the docket number field to access the document. For assistance, contact FERC... Commission's website under the ``eFiling'' link. For further information contact Gaylord Hoisington by...

Assessing the Reliability and Quality of Online Uterine Fibroid Embolization Resources

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

Kaicker, Jatin; Wu Ke; Athreya, Sriharsha, E-mail: sathreya@stjoes.ca

This study was designed to examine the best internet resources about uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) pertinent to medical trainees, radiologists, gynecologists, family physicians, and patients. The terms 'uterine fibroid embolization,' 'uterine fibroid embolization,' and 'uterine artery embolization' were entered into Google, Yahoo, and Bing search engines; the top 20 hits were assessed. The hits were categorized as organizational or nonorganizational. Additionally, 23 radiological and obstetrical organizations were assessed. The DISCERN instrument and Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmarks (authorship, attribution, currency, disclosure) were used to assess the information critically. The scope, strength, weaknesses, and unique features were highlightedmore » for the top five organizational and nonorganizational websites. A total of 203 websites were reviewed; 23 were removed in accordance with the exclusion criteria and 146 were duplicate websites, for a total of 34 unique sites. It was found that 35 % (12/34 websites) were organizational (family medicine, radiology, obstetrics/gynecology) and 65 % (22/34 websites) were nonorganizational (teaching or patient resources). The overall mean DISCERN score was 49.6 (10.7). Two-tailed, unpaired t test demonstrated no statistically significant difference between organizational and nonorganizational websites (p = 0.101). JAMA benchmarks revealed 44 % (15/34 websites) with authorship, 71 % (24/34 websites) with attribution, 68 % (23/34 websites) with disclosure, and 47 % (16/34 websites) with currency. The overall quality of websites for UFE is moderate, with important but not serious shortcomings. The best websites provided relevant information about the procedure, benefits/risks, and were interactive. DISCERN scores were compromised by sites failing to provide resources for shared decision-making, additional support, and discussing consequence of no treatment. JAMA benchmarks revealed lack of authorship and currency.« less

EPA Facility Registry Service (FRS): TRI

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This web feature service contains location and facility identification information from EPA's Facility Registry Service (FRS) for the subset of facilities that link to the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) System. TRI is a publicly available EPA database reported annually by certain covered industry groups, as well as federal facilities. It contains information about more than 650 toxic chemicals that are being used, manufactured, treated, transported, or released into the environment, and includes information about waste management and pollution prevention activities. FRS identifies and geospatially locates facilities, sites or places subject to environmental regulations or of environmental interest. Using vigorous verification and data management procedures, FRS integrates facility data from EPA's national program systems, other federal agencies, and State and tribal master facility records and provides EPA with a centrally managed, single source of comprehensive and authoritative information on facilities. This data set contains the subset of FRS integrated facilities that link to TRI facilities once the TRI data has been integrated into the FRS database. Additional information on FRS is available at the EPA website https://www.epa.gov/enviro/facility-registry-service-frs.

EPA Facility Registry Service (FRS): RCRA

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This web feature service contains location and facility identification information from EPA's Facility Registry Service (FRS) for the subset of hazardous waste facilities that link to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Information System (RCRAInfo). EPA's comprehensive information system in support of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of 1976 and the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (HSWA) of 1984, RCRAInfo tracks many types of information about generators, transporters, treaters, storers, and disposers of hazardous waste. FRS identifies and geospatially locates facilities, sites or places subject to environmental regulations or of environmental interest. Using vigorous verification and data management procedures, FRS integrates facility data from EPA's national program systems, other federal agencies, and State and tribal master facility records and provides EPA with a centrally managed, single source of comprehensive and authoritative information on facilities. This data set contains the subset of FRS integrated facilities that link to RCRAInfo hazardous waste facilities once the RCRAInfo data has been integrated into the FRS database. Additional information on FRS is available at the EPA website https://www.epa.gov/enviro/facility-registry-service-frs

What words and where? Applying usability testing techniques to name a new live reference service.

PubMed

Duncan, Vicky; Fichter, Darlene M

2004-04-01

A user-focused design approach was taken to develop a new "live reference" service at the Health Sciences Library, University of Saskatchewan. The name of the service, the placement of the links, and the design of a graphical button were seen as key elements in creating service awareness and its subsequent use. To ensure library users recognized and understood the label for the new service, selected library users were given an opportunity to choose a phrase that would best describe the service. The top two preferred phrases were then placed on the library Web pages as text and graphic images for further testing. Some pages had links in multiple locations to determine which placement worked best. Task-based usability testing was carried out with participants who were unaware of the new service. Participants were observed as they completed seven Website tasks arranged in increasing levels of difficulty to see whether they would notice the live reference service and seek assistance. The high level of recognition and use of the service indicate that the label name and link placement were effective with library Website users. Using user-centered design methodology helped ensure that the new live reference service was visible and used and demonstrated the effectiveness of the user-centered design approach for adding new services to an existing Website.

Healthcare

MedlinePlus

... Website You are exiting the Department of Labor's Web server. The Department of Labor does not endorse, ... the use of copyrighted materials contained in linked Web sites. Users must request such authorization from the ...

Facts about Pulmonary Atresia

MedlinePlus

... Living With Heart Defects Data & Statistics Tracking & Research Articles & Key Findings Free Materials Multimedia and Tools Links to Other Websites Information For… Media Policy Makers Facts about Pulmonary Atresia Recommend on ...

Earthdata 3.0: A Unified Experience and Platform for Earth Science Discovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plofchan, P.; McLaughlin, B. D.

2015-12-01

NASA's EOSDIS (Earth Observing System Data and Information System) as a multitude of websites and applications focused on serving the Earth Science community's extensive data needs. With no central user interface, theme, or mechanism for accessing that data, interrelated systems are confusing and potentially disruptive in users' searches for EOSDIS data holdings. In an effort to bring consistency across these systems, an effort was undertaken to develop Earthdata 3.0: a complete information architecture overhaul of the Earthdata website, a significant update to the Earthdata user experience and user interface, and an increased focus on searching across EOSDIS data holdings, including those housed and made available through DAAC websites. As part of this effort, and in a desire to unify the user experience across related websites, the Earthdata User Interface (EUI) was developed. The EUI is a collection of responsive design components and layouts geared toward creating websites and applications within the Earthdata ecosystem. Each component and layout has been designed specifically for Earth science-related projects which eliminates some of the complexities of building a website or application from the ground up. Its adoption will ensure both consistent markup and a unified look and feel for end users, thereby increasing usability and accessibility. Additionally, through the user of a Google Search Appliance, custom Clojure code, and in cooperation with DAACs, Earthdata 3.0 presents a variety of search results upon a user's keyword(s) entry. These results are not just textual links, but also direct links to downloadable datasets, visualizations of datasets and collections of data, and related articles and videos for further research. The end result of the development of the EUI and the enhanced multi-response type search is a consistent and usable platform for Earth scientists and users to navigate and locate data to further their research.

An evaluation of accessibility and content of microsurgery fellowship websites

PubMed Central

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

2016-01-01

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

Evaluating Dermatology Residency Program Websites.

PubMed

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

2016-03-16

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

What young people want from a sexual health website: design and development of Sexunzipped.

PubMed

McCarthy, Ona; Carswell, Kenneth; Murray, Elizabeth; Free, Caroline; Stevenson, Fiona; Bailey, Julia V

2012-10-12

Sexual health education in the United Kingdom is of variable quality, typically focusing on the biological aspects of sex rather than on communication, relationships, and sexual pleasure. The Internet offers a unique opportunity to provide sexual health education to young people, since they can be difficult to engage but frequently use the Internet as a health information resource. To explore through qualitative research young people's views on what elements of a sexual health website would be appealing and engaging, and their views on the content, design, and interactive features of the Sexunzipped intervention website. We recruited 67 young people aged 16-22 years in London, UK. We held 21 focus groups and 6 one-to-one interviews to establish sexual health priorities, views on website look and feel, and what features of a sexual heath website would attract and engage them. Two researchers facilitated the focus groups, using a semistructured topic guide to lead the discussions and asking open questions to elicit a range of views. The discussions and interviews were audio recorded and detailed notes were made on key topics from the audio recording. Young people's views influenced design templates for the content and interactive features of Sexunzipped. Young people particularly wanted straightforward information on sexual pleasure, sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy, how to communicate with partners, how to develop skills in giving pleasure, and emotions involved in sex and relationships. Focus group participants wanted social interaction with other young people online and wanted to see themselves reflected in some way such as through images or videos. While it is challenging to meet all of young people's technological and design requirements, consultation with the target audience is valuable and necessary in developing an online sexual health intervention. Young people are willing to talk about sensitive issues, enjoy the discussions, and can offer key insights that influence intervention development.

What Young People Want From a Sexual Health Website: Design and Development of Sexunzipped

PubMed Central

Carswell, Kenneth; Murray, Elizabeth; Free, Caroline; Stevenson, Fiona; Bailey, Julia V

2012-01-01

Background Sexual health education in the United Kingdom is of variable quality, typically focusing on the biological aspects of sex rather than on communication, relationships, and sexual pleasure. The Internet offers a unique opportunity to provide sexual health education to young people, since they can be difficult to engage but frequently use the Internet as a health information resource. Objectives To explore through qualitative research young people’s views on what elements of a sexual health website would be appealing and engaging, and their views on the content, design, and interactive features of the Sexunzipped intervention website. Methods We recruited 67 young people aged 16–22 years in London, UK. We held 21 focus groups and 6 one-to-one interviews to establish sexual health priorities, views on website look and feel, and what features of a sexual heath website would attract and engage them. Two researchers facilitated the focus groups, using a semistructured topic guide to lead the discussions and asking open questions to elicit a range of views. The discussions and interviews were audio recorded and detailed notes were made on key topics from the audio recording. Young people’s views influenced design templates for the content and interactive features of Sexunzipped. Results Young people particularly wanted straightforward information on sexual pleasure, sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy, how to communicate with partners, how to develop skills in giving pleasure, and emotions involved in sex and relationships. Focus group participants wanted social interaction with other young people online and wanted to see themselves reflected in some way such as through images or videos. Conclusions While it is challenging to meet all of young people’s technological and design requirements, consultation with the target audience is valuable and necessary in developing an online sexual health intervention. Young people are willing to talk about sensitive issues, enjoy the discussions, and can offer key insights that influence intervention development. PMID:23060424

Hazardous Drugs

MedlinePlus

... Website You are exiting the Department of Labor's Web server. The Department of Labor does not endorse, ... the use of copyrighted materials contained in linked Web sites. Users must request such authorization from the ...

Winter Weather

MedlinePlus

... Website You are exiting the Department of Labor's Web server. The Department of Labor does not endorse, ... the use of copyrighted materials contained in linked Web sites. Users must request such authorization from the ...

Facts about Ventricular Septal Defect

MedlinePlus

... Living With Heart Defects Data & Statistics Tracking & Research Articles & Key Findings Free Materials Multimedia and Tools Links to Other Websites Information For… Media Policy Makers Facts about Ventricular Septal Defect Language: ...

Facts about Atrial Septal Defect

MedlinePlus

... Living With Heart Defects Data & Statistics Tracking & Research Articles & Key Findings Free Materials Multimedia and Tools Links to Other Websites Information For… Media Policy Makers Facts about Atrial Septal Defect Language: ...

Facts about Tetralogy of Fallot

MedlinePlus

... Living With Heart Defects Data & Statistics Tracking & Research Articles & Key Findings Free Materials Multimedia and Tools Links to Other Websites Information For… Media Policy Makers Facts about Tetralogy of Fallot Language: ...

Facts about Congenital Heart Defects

MedlinePlus

... Living With Heart Defects Data & Statistics Tracking & Research Articles & Key Findings Free Materials Multimedia and Tools Links to Other Websites Information For… Media Policy Makers Basics about Congenital Heart Defects Language: ...

News and Views: LSST mirror blank; More and better maths; Free telescopes; The hurricane season is starting again Get ready: IYA2009 UK website up and running

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2008-10-01

As floods and hurricanes disrupt the lives of people round the world, a new generation of scientific tools are supporting both storm preparedness and recovery. As International Year of Astronomy 2009 approaches, the UK website is developing more features that make it easier to see what's planned for this science extravaganza.

The Advanced Labs Website: resources for upper-level laboratories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torres-Isea, Ramon

2012-03-01

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

Combining Internet monitoring processes, packaging and isotopic analyses to determine the market structure: example of Gamma Butyrolactone.

PubMed

Pazos, Diego; Giannasi, Pauline; Rossy, Quentin; Esseiva, Pierre

2013-07-10

The Internet is becoming more and more popular among drug users. The use of websites and forums to obtain illicit drugs and relevant information about the means of consumption is a growing phenomenon mainly for new synthetic drugs. Gamma Butyrolactone (GBL), a chemical precursor of Gamma Hydroxy Butyric acid (GHB), is used as a "club drug" and also in drug facilitated sexual assaults. Its market takes place mainly on the Internet through online websites but the structure of the market remains unknown. This research aims to combine digital, physical and chemical information to help understand the distribution routes and the structure of the GBL market. Based on an Internet monitoring process, thirty-nine websites selling GBL, mainly in the Netherlands, were detected between January 2010 and December 2011. Seventeen websites were categorized into six groups based on digital traces (e.g. IP addresses and contact information). In parallel, twenty-five bulk GBL specimens were purchased from sixteen websites for packaging comparisons and carbon isotopic measurements. Packaging information showed a high correlation with digital data confirming the links previously established whereas chemical information revealed undetected links and provided complementary information. Indeed, while digital and packaging data give relevant information about the retailers, the supply routes and the distribution close to the consumer, the carbon isotopic data provides upstream information about the production level and in particular the synthesis pathways and the chemical precursors. A three-level structured market has been thereby identified with a production level mainly located in China and in Germany, an online distribution level mainly hosted in the Netherlands and the customers who order on the Internet. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

HealthRecSys: A semantic content-based recommender system to complement health videos.

PubMed

Sanchez Bocanegra, Carlos Luis; Sevillano Ramos, Jose Luis; Rizo, Carlos; Civit, Anton; Fernandez-Luque, Luis

2017-05-15

The Internet, and its popularity, continues to grow at an unprecedented pace. Watching videos online is very popular; it is estimated that 500 h of video are uploaded onto YouTube, a video-sharing service, every minute and that, by 2019, video formats will comprise more than 80% of Internet traffic. Health-related videos are very popular on YouTube, but their quality is always a matter of concern. One approach to enhancing the quality of online videos is to provide additional educational health content, such as websites, to support health consumers. This study investigates the feasibility of building a content-based recommender system that links health consumers to reputable health educational websites from MedlinePlus for a given health video from YouTube. The dataset for this study includes a collection of health-related videos and their available metadata. Semantic technologies (such as SNOMED-CT and Bio-ontology) were used to recommend health websites from MedlinePlus. A total of 26 healths professionals participated in evaluating 253 recommended links for a total of 53 videos about general health, hypertension, or diabetes. The relevance of the recommended health websites from MedlinePlus to the videos was measured using information retrieval metrics such as the normalized discounted cumulative gain and precision at K. The majority of websites recommended by our system for health videos were relevant, based on ratings by health professionals. The normalized discounted cumulative gain was between 46% and 90% for the different topics. Our study demonstrates the feasibility of using a semantic content-based recommender system to enrich YouTube health videos. Evaluation with end-users, in addition to healthcare professionals, will be required to identify the acceptance of these recommendations in a nonsimulated information-seeking context.

Library links on medical school home pages.

PubMed

Thomas, Sheila L

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the websites of American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC)-member medical schools for the presence of library links. Sixty-one percent (n = 92) of home pages of the 150 member schools of the AAMC contain library links. For the 58 home pages not offering such links, 50 provided a pathway of two or three clicks to a library link. The absence of library links on 39% of AAMC medical school home pages indicates that the designers of those pages did not consider the library to be a primary destination for their visitors.

The model of microblog message diffusion based on complex social network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Wei; Bai, Shu-Ying; Jin, Rui

2014-05-01

Microblog is a micromessage communication network in which users are the nodes and the followship between users are the edges. Sina Weibo is a typical case of these microblog service websites. As the enormous scale of nodes and complex links in the network, we choose a sample network crawled in Sina Weibo as the base of empirical analysis. The study starts with the analysis of its topological features, and brings in epidemiological SEIR model to explore the mode of message spreading throughout the microblog network. It is found that the network is obvious small-world and scale-free, which made it succeed in transferring messages and failed in resisting negative influence. In addition, the paper focuses on the rich nodes as they constitute a typical feature of Sina Weibo. It is also found that whether the message starts with a rich node will not account for its final coverage. Actually, the rich nodes always play the role of pivotal intermediaries who speed up the spreading and make the message known by much more people.

A profile of the online dissemination of national influenza surveillance data

PubMed Central

Cheng, Calvin KY; Lau, Eric HY; Ip, Dennis KM; Yeung, Alfred SY; Ho, Lai Ming; Cowling, Benjamin J

2009-01-01

Background Influenza surveillance systems provide important and timely information to health service providers on trends in the circulation of influenza virus and other upper respiratory tract infections. Online dissemination of surveillance data is useful for risk communication to health care professionals, the media and the general public. We reviewed national influenza surveillance websites from around the world to describe the main features of surveillance data dissemination. Methods We searched for national influenza surveillance websites for every country and reviewed the resulting sites where available during the period from November 2008 through February 2009. Literature about influenza surveillance was searched at MEDLINE for relevant hyperlinks to related websites. Non-English websites were translated into English using human translators or Google language tools. Results A total of 70 national influenza surveillance websites were identified. The percentage of developing countries with surveillance websites was lower than that of developed countries (22% versus 57% respectively). Most of the websites (74%) were in English or provided an English version. The most common surveillance methods included influenza-like illness consultation rates in primary care settings (89%) and laboratory surveillance (44%). Most websites (70%) provided data within a static report format and 66% of the websites provided data with at least weekly resolution. Conclusion Appropriate dissemination of surveillance data is important to maximize the utility of collected data. There may be room for improvement in the style and content of the dissemination of influenza data to health care professionals and the general public. PMID:19754978

A profile of the online dissemination of national influenza surveillance data.

PubMed

Cheng, Calvin Ky; Lau, Eric Hy; Ip, Dennis Km; Yeung, Alfred Sy; Ho, Lai Ming; Cowling, Benjamin J

2009-09-16

Influenza surveillance systems provide important and timely information to health service providers on trends in the circulation of influenza virus and other upper respiratory tract infections. Online dissemination of surveillance data is useful for risk communication to health care professionals, the media and the general public. We reviewed national influenza surveillance websites from around the world to describe the main features of surveillance data dissemination. We searched for national influenza surveillance websites for every country and reviewed the resulting sites where available during the period from November 2008 through February 2009. Literature about influenza surveillance was searched at MEDLINE for relevant hyperlinks to related websites. Non-English websites were translated into English using human translators or Google language tools. A total of 70 national influenza surveillance websites were identified. The percentage of developing countries with surveillance websites was lower than that of developed countries (22% versus 57% respectively). Most of the websites (74%) were in English or provided an English version. The most common surveillance methods included influenza-like illness consultation rates in primary care settings (89%) and laboratory surveillance (44%). Most websites (70%) provided data within a static report format and 66% of the websites provided data with at least weekly resolution. Appropriate dissemination of surveillance data is important to maximize the utility of collected data. There may be room for improvement in the style and content of the dissemination of influenza data to health care professionals and the general public.

"Report a Landslide” A website to engage the public in Iientifying geologic hazards

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baum, Rex L.; Highland, Lynn M.; Lyttle, Peter T.; Fee, Jeremy; Martinez, Eric; Wald, Lisa A.

2014-01-01

Direct observation by people is the most practical way of identifying, locating, and describing most damaging landslides. In an effort to increase public awareness of landslide hazards and encourage public participation in collecting basic data about landslides, the USGS recently launched a website called “Report a landslide.” The website is modeled in part after the highly successful USGS website “Did you feel it?” which has been used for several years to gather data from the public about intensity of felt earthquakes. The new “Report a landslide” website encourages visitors to report where and when they observed a landslide and to classify the landslide by movement type. Interested users also can report information about damage and casualties, dimensions, and simple geological observations, and can submit photographs of the landslide. Once a user submits a report, the location of the reported landslide appears on a map, and the location is linked to a summary of submitted data. Photos are reviewed prior to posting on the event page. By adding existing USGS data from historical landslides and promoting the website in the wake of large, regional landslide events, we hope to generate widespread awareness and interest in the website. The “Report a landslide” site has great potential for eventually creating a nationwide source of basic landslide data.

Quality of Web-based information on obsessive compulsive disorder.

PubMed

Klila, Hedi; Chatton, Anne; Zermatten, Ariane; Khan, Riaz; Preisig, Martin; Khazaal, Yasser

2013-01-01

The Internet is increasingly used as a source of information for mental health issues. The burden of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) may lead persons with diagnosed or undiagnosed OCD, and their relatives, to search for good quality information on the Web. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of Web-based information on English-language sites dealing with OCD and to compare the quality of websites found through a general and a medically specialized search engine. Keywords related to OCD were entered into Google and OmniMedicalSearch. Websites were assessed on the basis of accountability, interactivity, readability, and content quality. The "Health on the Net" (HON) quality label and the Brief DISCERN scale score were used as possible content quality indicators. Of the 235 links identified, 53 websites were analyzed. The content quality of the OCD websites examined was relatively good. The use of a specialized search engine did not offer an advantage in finding websites with better content quality. A score ≥16 on the Brief DISCERN scale is associated with better content quality. This study shows the acceptability of the content quality of OCD websites. There is no advantage in searching for information with a specialized search engine rather than a general one. The Internet offers a number of high quality OCD websites. It remains critical, however, to have a provider-patient talk about the information found on the Web.

The tmRNA website

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

Hudson, Corey M.; Williams, Kelly P.

We report that the transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA) and its partner protein SmpB act together in resolving problems arising when translating bacterial ribosomes reach the end of mRNA with no stop codon. Their genes have been found in nearly all bacterial genomes and in some organelles. The tmRNA Website serves tmRNA sequences, alignments and feature annotations, and has recently moved to http: //bioinformatics.sandia.gov/tmrna/. New features include software used to find the sequences, an update raising the number of unique tmRNA sequences from 492 to 1716, and a database of SmpB sequences which are served along with the tmRNA sequence from themore » same organism.« less

The tmRNA website

DOE PAGES

Hudson, Corey M.; Williams, Kelly P.

2014-11-05

We report that the transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA) and its partner protein SmpB act together in resolving problems arising when translating bacterial ribosomes reach the end of mRNA with no stop codon. Their genes have been found in nearly all bacterial genomes and in some organelles. The tmRNA Website serves tmRNA sequences, alignments and feature annotations, and has recently moved to http: //bioinformatics.sandia.gov/tmrna/. New features include software used to find the sequences, an update raising the number of unique tmRNA sequences from 492 to 1716, and a database of SmpB sequences which are served along with the tmRNA sequence from themore » same organism.« less

Exploration of optical classroom teaching by network platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiao, Zheng; Ma, Kun

2017-08-01

The investigation shows that the difficulties students encounter in the course of optics are mainly due to the abstraction of the content of the optical course, and the problem that the description of the physical phenomenon and process is difficult to show in the classroom teaching. We consider to integrate information technology with classroom teaching. Teachers can set up course websites and create more teaching resources, such as videos of experimental processes, design of simulated optical paths, mock demonstration of optical phenomena, and so on. Teachers can use the courseware to link the resources of the website platform, and display the related resources to the students. After class, students are also able to learn through the website, which is helpful to their study.

Identifying state resources and support programs on e-government websites for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

PubMed

Fisher, Kathleen M; Peterson, Justin D; Albert, Jon D

2015-01-01

This descriptive cross-sectional study identified resources and programs that are available nationwide on the Internet to support individuals and families with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), with a focus on intellectual disability. This evaluation included easily identifiable information on specific resources and highlighted unique programs found in individual states that were linked from e-government websites. Researchers documented the ease of access and available information for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. A number of disparities and areas for improvement were recorded for states and I/DD websites. The researchers conclude that a number of additional health and support services will be needed to address the growing needs of this vulnerable population.

Computer Workstations: Desks

MedlinePlus

... Website You are exiting the Department of Labor's Web server. The Department of Labor does not endorse, ... the use of copyrighted materials contained in linked Web sites. Users must request such authorization from the ...

Kids' Quest: ADHD

MedlinePlus

... turns interrupt others Return to Steps World-Wide Web Search Fin, Fur and Feather Bureau of Investigation ... outside this website We provide links to other web pages if you want to learn more about ...

Burns Fact Sheet

MedlinePlus

... Over Navigation Links National Institute of General Medical Sciences Site Map Staff Search My Order Search the ... NIGMS Website Research Funding Research Training News & Meetings Science Education About NIGMS NIGMS Home > Science Education > Burns ...

Facts about Atrioventricular Septal Defect (AVSD)

MedlinePlus

... Living With Heart Defects Data & Statistics Tracking & Research Articles & Key Findings Free Materials Multimedia and Tools Links to Other Websites Information For… Media Policy Makers Facts about Atrioventricular Septal Defect (AVSD) ...

Injury Statistics

MedlinePlus

... mail Inside CPSC Accessibility Privacy Policy Budget, Performances & Finance Open Government Freedom of Information (FOIA) Inspector General ... leave the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) public website. The link you selected is for a ...

DefenseLink Special: September 11, 2005

Science.gov Websites

DefenseLink.mil Jun. 29, 2015 War on Terror Transformation News Products Press Resources Images Websites Contact " motorcycle ride visited families of fallen troops in the terror war to personally thank them for anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, Kelly Freudenberg has no doubt that her son gave his life

DefenseLink Special: Operation Enduring Freedom Marks 4 Years

Science.gov Websites

DefenseLink.mil Aug. 04, 2015 War on Terror Transformation News Products Press Resources Images Websites Contact Afghanistan and ushering in Operation Enduring Freedom and the global war on terror. That volley, launched Oct action represented just one front in an ongoing U.S. effort against terror networks. "Today, we

Stay connected | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Science.gov Websites

areas and people. Please note: Some links below will lead to non-governmental websites visit the site disclaimer to see how these links are handled. Facebook icon. Facebook Facebook lets users follow people and ;a visual discovery tool that you can use to find ideas for all your projects and interests."

Civilian Human Resources

Science.gov Websites

open the menu (new window). Open Menu Navigate Up This page location is: Civilian Human Resources Pages Default BrowseTab 1 of 2. PageTab 2 of 2. Sign In You are leaving the Civilian Human Resources Website LinkedIn Search this site... Search Civilian Human Resources Top Link Bar Civilian Human Resources Home

75 FR 17404 - Twin Valleys Public Power District; Notice of Preliminary Permit Application Accepted for Filing...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-06

...; (2) a powerhouse containing one Kaplan generating unit having an installed capacity of 800 kilowatts... Commission's website ( http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ferconline.asp ) under the ``eFiling'' link. For a... this project, including a copy of the application, can be viewed or printed on the ``eLibrary'' link of...

Community of Communities: An Electronic Link to Integrating Cultural Diversity in Nursing Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ryan, Marilyn; Ali, Nagia; Carlton, Kay Hodson

2002-01-01

The Community of Communities (COC) website contains information and case studies based on cultural assessment. Online nursing courses are linked to a cultural module in the COC. Evaluation results from 63 students showed that the COC increased awareness of the role of culture in health care and knowledge of international health practices.…

Pressure Safety: Advanced Self-Study 30120

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

Glass, George

2016-02-29

Pressure Safety Advance Self-Study (Course 30120) consists of an introduction, five modules, and a quiz. To receive credit in UTrain for completing this course, you must score 80% or better on the 15-question quiz (check UTrain). Directions for initiating the quiz are appended to the end of this training manual. This course contains several links to LANL websites. UTrain might not support active links, so please copy links into the address line in your browser.

The PhEDEx next-gen website

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Egeland, R.; Huang, C.-H.; Rossman, P.; Sundarrajan, P.; Wildish, T.

2012-12-01

PhEDEx is the data-transfer management solution written by CMS. It consists of agents running at each site, a website for presentation of information, and a web-based data-service for scripted access to information. The website allows users to monitor the progress of data-transfers, the status of site agents and links between sites, and the overall status and behaviour of everything about PhEDEx. It also allows users to make and approve requests for data-transfers and for deletion of data. It is the main point-of-entry for all users wishing to interact with PhEDEx. For several years, the website has consisted of a single perl program with about 10K SLOC. This program has limited capabilities for exploring the data, with only coarse filtering capabilities and no context-sensitive awareness. Graphical information is presented as static images, generated on the server, with no interactivity. It is also not well connected to the rest of the PhEDEx codebase, since much of it was written before the data-service was developed. All this makes it hard to maintain and extend. We are re-implementing the website to address these issues. The UI is being rewritten in Javascript, replacing most of the server-side code. We are using the YUI toolkit to provide advanced features and context-sensitive interaction, and will adopt a Javascript charting library for generating graphical representations client-side. This relieves the server of much of its load, and automatically improves server-side security. The Javascript components can be re-used in many ways, allowing custom pages to be developed for specific uses. In particular, standalone test-cases using small numbers of components make it easier to debug the Javascript than it is to debug a large server program. Information about PhEDEx is accessed through the PhEDEx data-service, since direct SQL is not available from the clients’ browser. This provides consistent semantics with other, externally written monitoring tools, which already use the data-service. It also reduces redundancy in the code, yielding a simpler, consolidated codebase. In this talk we describe our experience of re-factoring this monolithic server-side program into a lighter client-side framework. We describe some of the techniques that worked well for us, and some of the mistakes we made along the way. We present the current state of the project, and its future direction.

Suspension Trauma / Orthostatic Intolerance

MedlinePlus

... Website You are exiting the Department of Labor's Web server. The Department of Labor does not endorse, ... the use of copyrighted materials contained in linked Web sites. Users must request such authorization from the ...

Computer Workstation: Pointer/Mouse

MedlinePlus

... Website You are exiting the Department of Labor's Web server. The Department of Labor does not endorse, ... the use of copyrighted materials contained in linked Web sites. Users must request such authorization from the ...

Communicating with Professionals

MedlinePlus Videos and Cool Tools

... Rate 10 Angina (Chest Pain) *All health/medical information on this website has been reviewed and approved ... Heart Association guidelines. Use this link for more information on our content editorial process. *Red Dress ™ DHHS, ...

Home sweet homepage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2010-09-01

The importance of an up to date and easy to find website should not be underestimated by scientists looking to establish links to others in their community - and represents good value for relatively little effort.

Home sweet homepage.

PubMed

2010-09-01

The importance of an up to date and easy to find website should not be underestimated by scientists looking to establish links to others in their community--and represents good value for relatively little effort.

Epidemic Kaposi Sarcoma

MedlinePlus

... to boost, direct, or restore the body's natural defenses against cancer. This type of cancer treatment is ... Security Reuse & Copyright Syndication Services Website Linking U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of ...

Classic Kaposi Sarcoma

MedlinePlus

... to boost, direct, or restore the body's natural defenses against cancer. This type of cancer treatment is ... Security Reuse & Copyright Syndication Services Website Linking U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of ...

The silence of Good Samaritan kidney donation in Australia: a survey of hospital websites.

PubMed

Bramstedt, Katrina A; Dave, Sameer

2013-01-01

It is common for living donor candidates to use the Internet as a tool to enhance their decision-making process. Specifically, the websites of transplant hospitals can potentially be a vital source of information for those contemplating living donation. In an effort to explore the low incidence of Good Samaritan kidney donation (donations to strangers) in Australia, two raters conducted a nine-attribute website content analysis for all hospitals which participate in these transplants (n = 15). Overall, the concept of living donation is relatively silent on Australian hospital websites. Only four hospitals mention their living donor program, and only one mentions their Good Samaritan program. No site linked directly to Australia's AKX Paired Kidney Exchange Program - the only program which facilitates pair and chain transplants in Australia. Further, information about deceased donation is nearly absent as well. An individual with the altruistic desire to donate will generally find scant or absent information about donation at the website of their local transplant hospital, although this information could easily be present as an educational tool which supports the consent process. Using a hospital website to educate the public about a clinical service should not be viewed as ethically problematic (solicitation), but rather an ethical essential. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Complementary and alternative medicine and supportive care at leading cancer centers: a systematic analysis of websites.

PubMed

Brauer, Jeremy A; El Sehamy, Adam; Metz, James M; Mao, Jun J

2010-02-01

With increasing frequency, patients with cancer and their family members are turning to the Internet to educate themselves about their disease and treatment options, including complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and supportive care. However, very little is known about how national leading cancer centers represent these therapies via their websites. Simulating the perspective of an information-seeking patient or family member, we performed a systematic analysis of the websites of 41 National Cancer Institute designated comprehensive cancer centers. Two researchers independently evaluated websites, recorded CAM information, and rated quality of the websites using a 4-item Likert scale (overall, information, presentation, and navigation) with Cronbach's alpha = 0.97. Rating was adequately correlated between the two raters (correlation coefficient 0.8). Of 41 centers, 12 (29%) did not have functional websites with regard to information related to CAM. The most common CAM approaches mentioned were: acupuncture (59%), meditation/nutrition/spiritual support/yoga (56% for each), massage therapy (54%), and music therapy (51%). Twenty-three (23; 56%) presented information on support groups, 19 (46%) on patient seminars, 18 (44%) on survivorship effort, and 17 (41%) on symptom management clinics. Twenty-nine (29) (71%) of these websites had a telephone number available, 22 (54%) mentioned at least one ongoing research opportunity, and 19 (46%) provided links to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine website. Median rating of the quality of websites was 50 of 100, with only 7 (17%) of centers receiving a composite score 80 (excellent) or better. While a growing number of leading cancer centers provide information about CAM and supportive oncology information for patients via their websites, the quality and ease of navigation of these sites remain highly variable. Effective development and redesign of many of the websites is needed to better inform and empower patients and families seeking CAM and supportive care information.

An analysis of sexual health information on radical prostatectomy websites.

PubMed

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

2010-01-01

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

Compliance of NHS dental practice websites in Wales before and after the introduction of the GDC document 'Principles of ethical advertising'.

PubMed

Budd, M L; Davies, M; Dewhurst, R; Atkin, P A

2016-06-10

Objectives To evaluate the compliance of NHS dental practice websites in Wales, UK, with the 2012 GDC document Principles of ethical advertising, before its introduction (2011) and again after its introduction (2014).Methods All practices in Wales with an NHS contract and dental practice website were identified. The content of the website was evaluated to determine if it complied with the principles outlined in the 2012 GDC document Principles of Ethical Advertising.Results Twenty-five percent of the 446 practices sampled in 2011 had a website, compared to 44% of the 436 practices sampled in 2014. The principles best complied with were; displaying the name, geographic address, and telephone number of the practice (100% for both years). None of the websites compared the qualifications or skills of its practitioners to others, therefore 100% complied with this principle. Displaying team members' professional qualification and the country from which this is obtained was fairly well represented; 92% and 61% respectively in 2014; an improvement from only 50% and 49% respectively in 2011. Principles worst complied with were displaying the GDC's address (3% 2011; 9% 2014) or link to the GDC website (11% 2011; 7% 2014) and details of the practice complaints procedure (1% 2011; 5% 2014). Overall, no practice complied with all of the compulsory principles.Conclusion In both 2011 and 2014 no practice website was compliant with all the principles outlined in the 2012 GDC document Principles of ethical advertising. Reflecting results from previous studies, this study showed that compliance is slowly improving, yet over 4 years after the introduction of the mandatory principles, it remains that no practice website is 100% compliant.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

MedlinePlus

... Website You are exiting the Department of Labor's Web server. The Department of Labor does not endorse, ... the use of copyrighted materials contained in linked Web sites. Users must request such authorization from the ...

Computer Workstations: Good Working Positions

MedlinePlus

... Website You are exiting the Department of Labor's Web server. The Department of Labor does not endorse, ... the use of copyrighted materials contained in linked Web sites. Users must request such authorization from the ...

Computer Workstations: Wrist/Palm Supports

MedlinePlus

... Website You are exiting the Department of Labor's Web server. The Department of Labor does not endorse, ... the use of copyrighted materials contained in linked Web sites. Users must request such authorization from the ...

Safety and Health Topics: Asbestos

MedlinePlus

... Website You are exiting the Department of Labor's Web server. The Department of Labor does not endorse, ... the use of copyrighted materials contained in linked Web sites. Users must request such authorization from the ...

Stages of Melanoma

MedlinePlus

... to boost, direct, or restore the body’s natural defenses against cancer. This type of cancer treatment is ... Security Reuse & Copyright Syndication Services Website Linking U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of ...

Childhood Craniopharyngioma Treatment

MedlinePlus

... to boost, direct, or restore the body’s natural defenses against cancer. This type of cancer treatment is ... Security Reuse & Copyright Syndication Services Website Linking U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of ...

Stages of Wilms Tumor

MedlinePlus

... to boost, direct, or restore the body's natural defenses against cancer. This type of cancer treatment is ... Security Reuse & Copyright Syndication Services Website Linking U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of ...

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Related Links

Science.gov Websites

advanced vehicles, select one or more categories below. All organizations are provided as suggested listed on their websites (see disclaimer). Select One or More Categories All Categories Airport All

Consumer Product Safety Commission

MedlinePlus

... mail Inside CPSC Accessibility Privacy Policy Budget, Performances & Finance Open Government Freedom of Information (FOIA) Inspector General ... leave the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) public website. The link you selected is for a ...

Online Information on the Treatment of Burning Mouth Syndrome: Quality and Readability.

PubMed

Alnafea, Shatha; Fedele, Stefano; Porter, Stephen; Ni Riordain, Richeal

2017-01-01

To evaluate the quality and readability of online information about the treatment of burning mouth syndrome (BMS). An internet search using the phrase "burning mouth syndrome treatment" was carried out on the Google search engine (www.google.co.uk) on 8 June 2015, and the first 100 websites listed were examined. Data collection included DISCERN score, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmarks for website analysis score, the presence of the Health on the Net (HON) Foundation seal, and the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES). Descriptive statistics were performed using Microsoft Office Excel. The search strategy initially yielded 635,000 links; following the application of the exclusion criteria, 53 sites remained for analysis. The overall DISCERN score varied between websites, with half of all websites achieving an overall score of 2 and none of these websites achieving the maximum score of 5. The mean score ± standard deviation (SD) was 2.4 ± 0.7. Only 10 (18.9%) of the websites achieved the four JAMA benchmarks while 3 (5.7%) of the websites did not achieve any of them. Only 9 (17%) displayed the HON seal. The FRES of the websites ranged from 32.4 to 82.2; the mean ± SD rating was 55.4 ± 10.7, which is considered to reflect fairly difficult reading. The information available online about BMS is of questionable quality and content. Perhaps engaging patients in determining what type and format of information they desire when searching online for health information could guide clinicians and researchers alike in providing reliable and readable information sources.

Future Challenges and Opportunities in Online Prescription Drug Promotion Research Comment on "Trouble Spots in Online Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Promotion: A Content Analysis of FDA Warning Letters".

PubMed

Southwell, Brian G; Rupert, Douglas J

2016-01-16

Despite increased availability of online promotional tools for prescription drug marketers, evidence on online prescription drug promotion is far from settled or conclusive. We highlight ways in which online prescription drug promotion is similar to conventional broadcast and print advertising and ways in which it differs. We also highlight five key areas for future research: branded drug website influence on consumer knowledge and behavior, interactive features on branded drug websites, mobile viewing of branded websites and mobile advertisements, online promotion and non-US audiences, and social media and medication decisions. © 2016 by Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

Enhancement of the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Group's Website and Related Projects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coffin, Ashley; Vanderbloemen, Lisa

2014-01-01

The major problem addressed throughout the term was the need to update the group's current website, as it was outdated and required streamlining and modernization. The old Gateway to Astronaut Photography of the Earth website had multiple components, many of which involved searches through expansive databases. The amount of work required to update the website was large and due to a desired release date, assistance was needed to help build new pages and to transfer old information. Additionally, one of the tools listed on the website called Image Detective had been underutilized in the past. It was important to address why the public was not using the tool and how it could potentially become more of a resource for the team. In order to help with updating the website, it was necessary to first learn HTML. After assisting with small edits, I began creating new pages. I utilized the "view page source" and "developer" tools in the internet browser to observe how other websites created their features and to test changes without editing the code. I then edited the code to create an interactive feature on the new page. For the Image Detective Page I began an evaluation of the current page. I also asked my fellow interns and friends at my University to offer their input. I took all of the opinions into account and wrote up a document regarding my recommendations. The recommendations will be considered as I help to improve the Image Detective page for the updated website. In addition to the website, other projects included the need for additional, and updated image collections, along with various project requests. The image collections have been used by educators in the classroom and the impact crater collection was highly requested. The glaciers collection focused mostly on South American glaciers and needed to include more of the earth's many glaciers. The collections had not been updated or created due to the fact that related imagery had not been catalogued. The process of cataloging involves identifying the center point location of the image and feature identification. Other project needs included collecting night images of India in for publishing. Again, many of the images were not catalogued and the database was lacking in night time imagery for that region. The last project was to calculate the size of mega fans in South Africa. Calculating the fan sizes involved several steps. To expedite the study, calculations needed to be made after the base maps had been created. Using data files that included an outline of the mega fans on a topographic map, I opened the file in Photoshop, determined the number of pixels within the outlined area, created a one degree squared box, determined the pixels within the box, converted the pixels within the box to kilometers, and then calculated the fan size using this information. Overall, the internship has been a learning experience for me. I have learned how to use new programs and I developed new skills. These These skills can help me as I enter into the next phase of my career. Learning Photoshop and HTML in addition to coding in Dreamweaver are highly sought after skills that are used in a variety of fields. Additionally, the exposure to different aspects of the team and working with different people helped me to gain a broader set of skills and allowed me to work with people with different experiences. The various projects I have worked on this summer have directly benefitted the team whether it was completing projects they did not have the time to do, or by helping the team reach deadlines sooner. The new website will be the best place to see all of my work as it will include the newly designed pages and will feature my updates to collections.

Science Inventory | US EPA

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Science Inventory is a searchable database of research products primarily from EPA's Office of Research and Development. Science Inventory records provide descriptions of the product, contact information, and links to available printed material or websites.

Alexei Abrikosov and Superconductivity

Science.gov Websites

Superconducting Cuprates Based on Experimental Evidence, , DOE Technical Report Download Adobe PDF Reader Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from this site

Michael Levitt and Computational Biology

Science.gov Websites

molecular structures, compute structural changes, refine experimental structure, model enzyme catalysis and (May 2004) Top Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ

Treatment Option Overview (Childhood Rhabdomyosarcoma)

MedlinePlus

... to boost, direct, or restore the body’s natural defenses against cancer. This type of cancer treatment is ... Security Reuse & Copyright Syndication Services Website Linking U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of ...

Treatment Options for Childhood Craniopharyngioma

MedlinePlus

... to boost, direct, or restore the body’s natural defenses against cancer. This type of cancer treatment is ... Security Reuse & Copyright Syndication Services Website Linking U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of ...

Immunosuppressive Therapy-Related Kaposi Sarcoma

MedlinePlus

... to boost, direct, or restore the body's natural defenses against cancer. This type of cancer treatment is ... Security Reuse & Copyright Syndication Services Website Linking U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of ...

Treatment Options for Wilms Tumor

MedlinePlus

... to boost, direct, or restore the body's natural defenses against cancer. This type of cancer treatment is ... Security Reuse & Copyright Syndication Services Website Linking U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of ...

Stages of Childhood Rhabdomyosarcoma

MedlinePlus

... to boost, direct, or restore the body’s natural defenses against cancer. This type of cancer treatment is ... Security Reuse & Copyright Syndication Services Website Linking U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of ...

Treatment Option Overview (Kaposi Sarcoma)

MedlinePlus

... to boost, direct, or restore the body's natural defenses against cancer. This type of cancer treatment is ... Security Reuse & Copyright Syndication Services Website Linking U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of ...

Treatment Option Overview (Vulvar Cancer)

MedlinePlus

... to boost, direct, or restore the body’s natural defenses against cancer. This type of cancer treatment is ... Security Reuse & Copyright Syndication Services Website Linking U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of ...

Treatment Option Overview (Bladder Cancer)

MedlinePlus

... to boost, direct, or restore the body’s natural defenses against cancer. This type of cancer treatment is ... Security Reuse & Copyright Syndication Services Website Linking U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of ...

Treatment Options for Childhood Rhabdomyosarcoma

MedlinePlus

... to boost, direct, or restore the body’s natural defenses against cancer. This type of cancer treatment is ... Security Reuse & Copyright Syndication Services Website Linking U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of ...

Stages of Vulvar Cancer

MedlinePlus

... to boost, direct, or restore the body’s natural defenses against cancer. This type of cancer treatment is ... Security Reuse & Copyright Syndication Services Website Linking U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of ...

Treatment Options by Stage (Melanoma)

MedlinePlus

... to boost, direct, or restore the body’s natural defenses against cancer. This type of cancer treatment is ... Security Reuse & Copyright Syndication Services Website Linking U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of ...

Treatment Options for Kaposi Sarcoma

MedlinePlus

... to boost, direct, or restore the body's natural defenses against cancer. This type of cancer treatment is ... Security Reuse & Copyright Syndication Services Website Linking U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of ...

Safety Education Resources: Childproofing Your Home

MedlinePlus

... mail Inside CPSC Accessibility Privacy Policy Budget, Performances & Finance Open Government Freedom of Information (FOIA) Inspector General ... leave the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) public website. The link you selected is for a ...

DefenseLink Special: On Assignment with Jim Garamone

Science.gov Websites

DefenseLink.mil Aug. 04, 2015 War on Terror Transformation News Products Press Resources Images Websites Contact LOYALTY, Iraq, June 26, 2006 - As the nature of the war on terror in Iraq has changed, so have the targets of Africa Using New Weapon in Terror War * Progress Being Made Throughout U.S. Central Command Region

Pages - U.S. Fleet Cyber Command

Science.gov Websites

Links Expand Links : U.S. Fleet Cyber Command Help (new window) Site Help Page Content Website 2nd Banner.jpg Since its establishment on Jan. 29, 2010, U.S. Fleet Cyber Command (FCC)/U.S. TENTH Fleet (C10F civilians organized into 26 active commands, 40 Cyber Mission Force units, and 27 reserve commands around

The LinkedIn Endorsement Game: Why and How Professionals Attribute Skills to Others

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rapanta, Chrysi; Cantoni, Lorenzo

2017-01-01

The phenomenon of endorsing people for their professional skills on LinkedIn is more and more evident, and it grows along with the expansion of this broadly used professional networking website. This article focuses on the ease with which people endorse others and also accept endorsements and the potential impact of this action on people's…

Consumer input into research: the Australian Cancer Trials website

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

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

Consumer input into research: the Australian Cancer Trials website.

PubMed

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

2011-06-26

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

Internet-Based Approaches to Building Stakeholder Networks for Conservation and Natural Resource Management.

PubMed

Kreakie, B J; Hychka, K C; Belaire, J A; Minor, E; Walker, H A

2016-02-01

Social network analysis (SNA) is based on a conceptual network representation of social interactions and is an invaluable tool for conservation professionals to increase collaboration, improve information flow, and increase efficiency. We present two approaches to constructing internet-based social networks, and use an existing traditional (survey-based) case study to illustrate in a familiar context the deviations in methods and results. Internet-based approaches to SNA offer a means to overcome institutional hurdles to conducting survey-based SNA, provide unique insight into an institution's web presences, allow for easy snowballing (iterative process that incorporates new nodes in the network), and afford monitoring of social networks through time. The internet-based approaches differ in link definition: hyperlink is based on links on a website that redirect to a different website and relatedness links are based on a Google's "relatedness" operator that identifies pages "similar" to a URL. All networks were initiated with the same start nodes [members of a conservation alliance for the Calumet region around Chicago (n = 130)], but the resulting networks vary drastically from one another. Interpretation of the resulting networks is highly contingent upon how the links were defined.

Internet-Based Approaches to Building Stakeholder Networks for Conservation and Natural Resource Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kreakie, B. J.; Hychka, K. C.; Belaire, J. A.; Minor, E.; Walker, H. A.

2016-02-01

Social network analysis (SNA) is based on a conceptual network representation of social interactions and is an invaluable tool for conservation professionals to increase collaboration, improve information flow, and increase efficiency. We present two approaches to constructing internet-based social networks, and use an existing traditional (survey-based) case study to illustrate in a familiar context the deviations in methods and results. Internet-based approaches to SNA offer a means to overcome institutional hurdles to conducting survey-based SNA, provide unique insight into an institution's web presences, allow for easy snowballing (iterative process that incorporates new nodes in the network), and afford monitoring of social networks through time. The internet-based approaches differ in link definition: hyperlink is based on links on a website that redirect to a different website and relatedness links are based on a Google's "relatedness" operator that identifies pages "similar" to a URL. All networks were initiated with the same start nodes [members of a conservation alliance for the Calumet region around Chicago ( n = 130)], but the resulting networks vary drastically from one another. Interpretation of the resulting networks is highly contingent upon how the links were defined.

Quality of information available on the World Wide Web for patients undergoing thyroidectomy: review.

PubMed

Muthukumarasamy, S; Osmani, Z; Sharpe, A; England, R J A

2012-02-01

This study aimed to assess the quality of information available on the World Wide Web for patients undergoing thyroidectomy. The first 50 web-links generated by internet searches using the five most popular search engines and the key word 'thyroidectomy' were evaluated using the Lida website validation instrument (assessing accessibility, usability and reliability) and the Flesch Reading Ease Score. We evaluated 103 of a possible 250 websites. Mean scores (ranges) were: Lida accessibility, 48/63 (27-59); Lida usability, 36/54 (21-50); Lida reliability, 21/51 (4-38); and Flesch Reading Ease, 43.9 (2.6-77.6). The quality of internet health information regarding thyroidectomy is variable. High ranking and popularity are not good indicators of website quality. Overall, none of the websites assessed achieved high Lida scores. In order to prevent the dissemination of inaccurate or commercially motivated information, we recommend independent labelling of medical information available on the World Wide Web.

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

PubMed Central

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

2012-01-01

Background Effectiveness of and engagement with website-delivered physical activity interventions is moderate at best. Increased exposure to Internet interventions is reported to increase their effectiveness; however, there is a lack of knowledge about which specific intervention elements are able to maintain website engagement. Objective To prospectively study the associations of website engagement and exposure to intervention components for a publicly available physical activity website (10,000 Steps Australia). Methods Between June and July 2006 a total of 348 members of 10,000 Steps completed a Web-based survey to collect demographic characteristics. Website engagement was subsequently assessed over a 2-year period and included engagement data on website components; individual challenges, team challenges, and virtual walking buddies; and indicators of website engagement (average steps logged, days logging steps, and active users). Results On average participants logged steps on 169 (SD 228.25) days. Over a 2-year period this equated to an average of 1.6 logons per week. Binary logistic regression showed that individuals who participated in individual challenges were more likely to achieve an average of 10,000 steps per day (odds ratio [OR] = 2.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.45–5.40), log steps on a higher than average number of days (OR = 6.81, 95% CI 2.87–13.31), and remain an active user (OR = 4.36, 95% CI 2.17–8.71). Additionally, those using virtual walking buddies (OR = 5.83, 95% CI 1.27–26.80) and of older age logged steps on a higher than average number of days. No significant associations were found for team challenges. Conclusions Overall engagement with the 10,000 Steps website was high, and the results demonstrate the relative effectiveness of interactive components to enhance website engagement. However, only exposure to the interactive individual challenge feature was positively associated with all website engagement indicators. More research is needed to examine the influence of intervention components on website engagement, as well as the relationship between website engagement and physical activity change. PMID:22260810

What Are Women Being Exposed to? A Review of the Quality, Content and Ownership of Websites on Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder.

PubMed

Hardy, Claire; Sillence, Elizabeth

2016-01-01

An increasing number of people are now turning to the Internet for health information. Internet use is especially likely in women with the clinical condition premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), which affects approximately 8% of premenopausal women. However, to date, there has not been a review of the quality of these online resources on PMDD. The aim of the present study was to address this gap by reviewing websites containing PMDD information. A search was conducted on three commonly used search engines (Google, Yahoo, and Bing). The first 50 results were extracted and compared across each search engine results to determine unique resources. After removing inaccessible links, a total of 69 unique websites were reviewed to evaluate their general quality, condition-specific content quality, and ownership. The websites varied widely in terms of their quality and ownership. Most returned websites were from web providers, U.S. health care providers, and media companies. General quality (e.g., design) was modest; yet, condition-specific content quality was far poorer. Women are being exposed to a varying degree of quality information about PMDD. Health professionals and website owners of this information should consider this and encourage better online resources to help this patient group. The paper presents the five highest scoring websites that may be used by those with a vested interest in PMDD, such as health professionals or women with PMDD. Copyright © 2016 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genetic Simulation Resources: a website for the registration and discovery of genetic data simulators

PubMed Central

Peng, Bo; Chen, Huann-Sheng; Mechanic, Leah E.; Racine, Ben; Clarke, John; Clarke, Lauren; Gillanders, Elizabeth; Feuer, Eric J.

2013-01-01

Summary: Many simulation methods and programs have been developed to simulate genetic data of the human genome. These data have been widely used, for example, to predict properties of populations retrospectively or prospectively according to mathematically intractable genetic models, and to assist the validation, statistical inference and power analysis of a variety of statistical models. However, owing to the differences in type of genetic data of interest, simulation methods, evolutionary features, input and output formats, terminologies and assumptions for different applications, choosing the right tool for a particular study can be a resource-intensive process that usually involves searching, downloading and testing many different simulation programs. Genetic Simulation Resources (GSR) is a website provided by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) that aims to help researchers compare and choose the appropriate simulation tools for their studies. This website allows authors of simulation software to register their applications and describe them with well-defined attributes, thus allowing site users to search and compare simulators according to specified features. Availability: http://popmodels.cancercontrol.cancer.gov/gsr. Contact: gsr@mail.nih.gov PMID:23435068

AstroGen: A Progress Report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tenn, Joseph S.; AstroGen Team

2018-01-01

Since early 2014 a small group of volunteers has been compiling the world's astronomy-related doctoral dissertations. Working almost entirely with data available online, we have now listed more than 24,000 such theses, including nearly complete coverage of 21 countries: the United States (14,183), United Kingdom (3699), Spain (1091), Netherlands (982), Canada (872), Australia (738), Sweden (375), Greece (239), Argentina (182), Finland (165), Denmark (110), Ireland (103), South Africa (97), New Zealand (87), Norway (79), Chile (42), Iran (25), Mauritius (5), Iceland (3), Pakistan (2), and Ethiopia (1). These numbers are as of mid-September 2017 and subject to revision. For each country we go back to the beginning of the modern Ph.D. or equivalent. Fully half of the doctorates have been earned since 1999. For each thesis we try to include the author (with links to a website or obituary), awarding institution, year of degree, thesis title, link to the thesis if online (about 64% are), translation of title if necessary, advisor(s), and other mentors.Our goal is to emulate the Mathematics Genealogy Project (MGP: http://www.genealogy.ams.org/) with a website having a page for each person with links to that person's advisor(s) and students, if any. We will also have a page for each university. We have posted some introductory material on the website (https://astrogen.aas.org/), and are waiting for help from the AAS IT department to convert our data, currently in spreadsheets, to a database and then a website. We expect this to occur in early 2018.I will present some summaries of our results to date and conduct a discussion of how we can expand our database. We have people currently working on France, Russia, and India, but we need volunteers with linguistic ability and, preferably, familiarity with the academic cultures, to take on Germany, Italy, and nearly all the countries of Asia.

How can we improve online HIV and STD prevention for men who have sex with men? Perspectives of hook-up website owners, website users, and HIV/STD directors.

PubMed

Wohlfeiler, Dan; Hecht, Jennifer; Volk, Jonathan; Fisher Raymond, H; Kennedy, Tom; McFarland, Willi

2013-11-01

Internet-based interventions have potential to reduce HIV and STD transmission among men who meet male sexual partners online. From November 2009 to May 2010 we surveyed dating and hook-up website users (n = 3,050), website owners (n = 18), and health department HIV/STD directors (n = 81) to identify structural and behavioral prevention interventions that could be implemented online and which a majority of website users were willing to use, owners were willing to implement, and HIV/STD directors perceived to be effective. A majority of each of the three stakeholder groups agreed on the following: (1) automated HIV/STD testing reminders, (2) local STD test site directories, (3) links to sex-positive safe sex videos, (4) access to sexual health experts, (5) profile options to include safer sex preference, (6) chat rooms for specific sexual interests, (7) filtering partners by their profile information, and (8) anonymous e-card partner notification for STD exposure. Findings help build consensus about how to prioritize resources for implementing online HIV and STD prevention interventions and highlight differences between stakeholders to guide future discussion about how to advance prevention efforts.

Use of streamed internet video for cytology training and education: www.PathLab.org.

PubMed

Poller, David; Ljung, Britt-Marie; Gonda, Peter

2009-05-01

An Internet-based method is described for submission of video clips to a website editor to be reviewed, edited, and then uploaded onto a video server, with a hypertext link to a website. The information on the webpages is searchable via the website sitemap on Internet search engines. A survey of video users who accessed a single 59-minute FNA cytology training cytology video via the website showed a mean score for usefulness for specialists/consultants of 3.75, range 1-5, n = 16, usefulness for trainees mean score was 4.4, range 3-5, n = 12, with a mean score for visual and sound quality of 3.9, range 2-5, n = 16. Fifteen out of 17 respondents thought that posting video training material on the Internet was a good idea, and 9 of 17 respondents would also consider submitting training videos to a similar website. This brief exercise has shown that there is value in posting educational or training video content on the Internet and that the use of streamed video accessed via the Internet will be of increasing importance. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Data standards, sense and stability: Scratchpads, the ICZN and ZooBank

PubMed Central

Baker, Edward; Michel, Ellinor

2011-01-01

Abstract The International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature has used the Scratchpads platform (currently being developed and maintained by ViBRANT) as the foundation for its redesigned website and as a platform for engaging with its users. The existing Scratchpad tools, with extensions to provide additional functions, have allowed for a major transformation in presentation of linked nomenclatural tools. Continued development of the new website will act as a springboard for the ICZN to participate more fully in the wider community of biodiversity informatics. PMID:22207812

Using digital media to promote kidney disease education.

PubMed

Goldstein, Karen; Briggs, Michael; Oleynik, Veronica; Cullen, Mac; Jones, Jewel; Newman, Eileen; Narva, Andrew

2013-07-01

Health-care providers and patients increasingly turn to the Internet-websites as well as social media platforms-for health-related information and support. Informed by research on audience behaviors and preferences related to digital health information, the National Kidney Disease Education Program (NKDEP) developed a comprehensive and user-friendly digital ecosystem featuring content and platforms relevant for each audience. NKDEP's analysis of website metrics and social media conversation mapping related to CKD revealed gaps and opportunities, informing the development of a digital strategy to position NKDEP as a trustworthy digital source for evidence-based kidney disease information. NKDEP launched a redesigned website (www.nkdep.nih.gov) with enhanced content for multiple audiences as well as a complementary social media presence on Twitter and Facebook serving to drive traffic to the website as well as actively engage target audiences in conversations about kidney disease. The results included improved website metrics and increasing social media engagement among consumers and health-care providers. NKDEP will continue to monitor trends, explore new directions, and work to improve communication across digital platforms. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Using Digital Media to Promote Kidney Disease Education

PubMed Central

Goldstein, Karen; Briggs, Michael; Oleynik, Veronica; Cullen, Mac; Jones, Jewel; Newman, Eileen

2013-01-01

Healthcare providers and patients increasingly turn to the Internet—websites as well as social media platforms—for health-related information and support. Informed by research on audience behaviors and preferences related to digital health information, the National Kidney Disease Education Program (NKDEP) developed a comprehensive and user-friendly digital ecosystem featuring content and platforms relevant for each audience. NKDEP's analysis of website metrics and social media conversation mapping related to chronic kidney disease revealed gaps and opportunities, informing the development of a digital strategy to position NKDEP as a trustworthy digital source for evidence-based kidney disease information. NKDEP launched a redesigned website (www.nkdep.nih.gov) with enhanced content for multiple audiences as well as a complementary social media presence on Twitter and Facebook, serving to drive traffic to the website as well as actively engage target audiences in conversations about kidney disease. The results included improved website metrics and increasing social media engagement among consumers and healthcare providers. NKDEP will continue to monitor trends, explore new directions, and work to improve communication across digital platforms. PMID:23809289

Exploring Patients' Views of a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Based Website for the Self-Management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms

PubMed Central

Bishop, Felicity L; Ellis, Matthew; Moss-Morris, Rona; Everitt, Hazel

2013-01-01

Background Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to have positive effects on the management of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms. A factorial pilot randomized placebo-controlled trial (called MIBS) tested the potential effectiveness of a self-management CBT-based website alongside two medications: methylcellulose and mebeverine, and a placebo. The results showed no significant differences in quality of life or symptom severity measures, but enablement and participant’s global assessment of relief was higher in the website groups. Objective To conduct a qualitative study nested within this trial, in order to explore patients’ views and experiences of using the CBT-based website to facilitate self-management of IBS. Methods Semistructured interviews were carried out with patients who had used the website with one session of nurse support (n=16) or the website alone (n=15) while participating in the MIBS trial. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted. Results We identified three types of engagement with the CBT-based website. One group of participants, mostly in the website-only condition, had limited or no engagement with the website. One group engaged with the content and advice on practical lifestyle changes. The final group of participants engaged with the content and advice on psychological aspects related to IBS. Similarities and differences between these three groups are explored. Conclusions Teaching self-management techniques through a Web intervention was received positively by most of the participants. Concepts linked to cognitive aspects of CBT appeared to be harder for participants to engage with. Participants who received nurse support rated the cognitive aspects more positively, suggesting that some therapy support alongside the website should be considered. However, the Web format was preferred by some who favored anonymity as well as those who appreciated the accessibility and ease of use of this type of management. Suggestions on how to encourage engagement with Web interventions are discussed. PMID:24001787

Essential Tremor (ET): Coping Tips for Everyday Living

MedlinePlus

... the condition. The link provides more information about case studies on the therapeutic impact of massage therapy on ... websites. Dental visits Ask for adrenaline-free anethesia shots. Notify your dentist of all the medications you ...

Treatment Options by Stage (Bladder Cancer)

MedlinePlus

... to boost, direct, or restore the body’s natural defenses against cancer. This type of cancer treatment is ... Security Reuse & Copyright Syndication Services Website Linking U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of ...

Treatment Options by Stage (Vulvar Cancer)

MedlinePlus

... to boost, direct, or restore the body’s natural defenses against cancer. This type of cancer treatment is ... Security Reuse & Copyright Syndication Services Website Linking U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of ...

Is there a link between the crafting of tools and the evolution of cognition?

PubMed

Taylor, Alex H; Gray, Russell D

2014-11-01

The ability to craft tools is one of the defining features of our species. The technical intelligence hypothesis predicts that tool-making species should have enhanced physical cognition. Here we review how the physical problem-solving performance of tool-making apes and corvids compares to closely related species. We conclude that, while some performance differences have been found, overall the evidence is at best equivocal. We argue that increased sample sizes, novel experimental designs, and a signature-testing approach are required to determine the effect tool crafting has on the evolution of intelligence. WIREs Cogn Sci 2014, 5:693-703. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1322 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. The authors have declared no conflicts of interest for this article. © 2014 The Authors. WIREs Cognitive Science published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

DefenseLink Special: Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith, Medal of Honor Recipient

Science.gov Websites

DefenseLink.mil Aug. 04, 2015 War on Terror Transformation News Products Press Resources Images Websites Contact awarded for service in Operation Iraqi Freedom and the global war on terror. Story | Photos See caption Against Terror WASHINGTON, April 4, 2005 - Two years to the day after his father died saving more than 100

The Effect of Top-Level Domains and Advertisements on Health Web Site Credibility

PubMed Central

Wang, Zuoming; Loh, Tracy

2004-01-01

Background Concerns over health information on the Internet have generated efforts to enhance credibility markers; yet how users actually assess the credibility of online health information is largely unknown. Objective This study set out to (1) establish a parsimonious and valid questionnaire instrument to measure credibility of Internet health information by drawing on various previous measures of source, news, and other credibility scales; and (2) to identify the effects of Web-site domains and advertising on credibility perceptions. Methods Respondents (N = 156) examined one of 12 Web-site mock-ups and completed credibility scales in a 3 x 2 x 2 between-subjects experimental design. Factor analysis and validity checks were used for item reduction, and analysis of variance was employed for hypothesis testing of Web-site features' effects. Results In an attempt to construct a credibility instrument, three dimensions of credibility (safety, trustworthiness, and dynamism) were retained, reflecting traditional credibility sub-themes, but composed of items from disparate sources. When testing the effect of the presence or absence of advertising on a Web site on credibility, we found that this depends on the site's domain, with a trend for advertisements having deleterious effects on the credibility of sites with .org domain, but positive effects on sites with .com or .edu domains. Conclusions Health-information Web-site providers should select domains purposefully when they can, especially if they must accept on-site advertising. Credibility perceptions may not be invariant or stable, but rather are sensitive to topic and context. Future research may employ these findings in order to compare other forms of health-information delivery to optimal Web-site features. PMID:15471750

Environmental Geophysics

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Environmental Geophysics website features geophysical methods, terms and references; forward and inverse geophysical models for download; and a decision support tool to guide geophysical method selection for a variety of environmental applications.

Storytellers as partners in developing a genetics education resource for health professionals

PubMed Central

Kirk, Maggie; Tonkin, Emma; Skirton, Heather; McDonald, Kevin; Cope, Buddug; Morgan, Rhian

2013-01-01

Summary Advances in genetics are bringing unprecedented opportunities for understanding health and disease, developing new therapies and changes in healthcare practice. Many nurses and midwives lack competence and confidence in integrating genetics into professional practice. One approach to enhance understanding of genetics is to simulate clinical exposure through storytelling. Stories are acknowledged as a powerful learning tool, being understandable and memorable, stimulating critical thinking, and linking theory to practice. Telling Stories, Understanding Real Life Genetics is a freely accessible website that sets people's stories within an education framework. The links between the stories and professional practice are made explicit and additional features support learning and teaching. Care of the storytellers within an ethical framework is of paramount importance. Storytellers are viewed as partners in the project. The challenges encountered include preserving the authentic voice and dignity of the storyteller. Project team members have also experienced ‘professional shame’ when negative experiences have been recounted, and the stories have had an impact on the team. The experience of working with storytellers has been positive. The storytellers want to be heard so that others will benefit from their stories. They serve as a reminder of why this work is important. PMID:22197414

A Practical Guide To Developing Effective Web-based Learning

PubMed Central

Cook, David A; Dupras, Denise M

2004-01-01

OBJECTIVE Online learning has changed medical education, but many “educational” websites do not employ principles of effective learning. This article will assist readers in developing effective educational websites by integrating principles of active learning with the unique features of the Web. DESIGN Narrative review. RESULTS The key steps in developing an effective educational website are: Perform a needs analysis and specify goals and objectives; determine technical resources and needs; evaluate preexisting software and use it if it fully meets your needs; secure commitment from all participants and identify and address potential barriers to implementation; develop content in close coordination with website design (appropriately use multimedia, hyperlinks, and online communication) and follow a timeline; encourage active learning (self-assessment, reflection, self-directed learning, problem-based learning, learner interaction, and feedback); facilitate and plan to encourage use by the learner (make website accessible and user-friendly, provide time for learning, and motivate learners); evaluate learners and course; pilot the website before full implementation; and plan to monitor online communication and maintain the site by resolving technical problems, periodically verifying hyperlinks, and regularly updating content. CONCLUSION Teaching on the Web involves more than putting together a colorful webpage. By consistently employing principles of effective learning, educators will unlock the full potential of Web-based medical education. PMID:15209610

Ultra Violet Waterworks (UVW)

Science.gov Websites

cheaply disinfect water. It is a uniquely effective device that operates using the equivalent of a 60-Watt - Curriculum Vita Top Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ

Masatoshi Koshiba and Cosmic Neutrinos

Science.gov Websites

Koshiba, American Institute of Physics (AIP) 2002 W.K.H. Panofsky Prize in Experimental Particle Physics Institute Top Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from

Barbara McClintock, Jumping Genes, and Transposition

Science.gov Websites

genetics, to which McClintock made seminal contributions both experimental and conceptual, has come to (CSHL) Top Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from

James Cronin, CP Violation, and the Pierre Auger Observatory

Science.gov Websites

Lawrence Award in 1976 for major experimental contributions to particle physics including fundamental work Galactic Powerhouses Top Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may

Where You Live: Risk Assessment

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Where you live page shows visitors to the risk assessment website how to contact their local regional office by state. Since these link to pages maintained by the local offices they will have the most up-to-date contact information.

Deepwater Horizon – BP Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This webpage provides information and materials on EPA’s enforcement response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, including settlements with some of the defendants, as well as links to other related websites for additional information.

Towards Linking Anonymous Authorship in Casual Sexual Encounter Ads

PubMed Central

Fries, Jason A.; Segre, Alberto M.; Polgreen, Philip M.

2013-01-01

Objective This paper constructs an authorship-linked collection or corpus of anonymous, sex-seeking ads found on the classifieds website Craigslist. This corpus is then used to validate an authorship attribution approach based on identifying near duplicate text in ad clusters, providing insight into how often anonymous individuals post sex-seeking ads and where they meet for encounters. Introduction The increasing use of the Internet to arrange sexual encounters presents challenges to public health agencies formulating STD interventions, particularly in the context of anonymous encounters. These encounters complicate or break traditional interventions. In previous work [1], we examined a corpus of anonymous personal ads seeking sexual encounters from the classifieds website Craigslist and presented a way of linking multiple ads posted across time to a single author. The key observation of our approach is that some ads are simply reposts of older ads, often updated with only minor textual changes. Under the presumption that these ads, when not spam, originate from the same author, we can use efficient near-duplicate detection techniques to cluster ads within some threshold similarity. Linking ads in this way allows us to preserve the anonymity of authors while still extracting useful information on the frequency with which authors post ads, as well as the geographic regions in which they seek encounters. While this process detects many clusters, the lack of a true corpus of authorship-linked ads makes it difficult to validate and tune the parameters of our system. Fortunately, many ad authors provide an obfuscated telephone number in ad text (e.g., 867–5309 becomes 8sixseven5three oh nine) to bypass Craigslist filters, which prohibit including phone numbers in personal ads. By matching phone numbers of this type across all ads, we can create a corpus of ad clusters known to be written by a single author. This authorship corpus can then be used to evaluate and tune our existing near-duplicate detection system, and in the future identify features for more robust authorship attribution techniques. Methods From 7-1-2009 until 7-1-2011, RSS feeds were collected daily for 8 personal ad categories from 414 sites across the United States, for a total of 67 million ads. To create an anonymous, author-linked corpus, we used a regular expression to identify obfuscated phone numbers in ad text. We measure the ability of near-duplicate detection to link clusters in two ways: 1) detecting all ads in a cluster; and 2) correctly detecting a subset of ads within a single cluster. Ads incorrectly assigned to more than 1 cluster are considered false positives. All results are reported in terms of precision, recall, and F-scores (common information retrieval metrics) across cluster size, expressed as number of ads. Results 652,014 ads contained phone numbers, producing a total of 46,079 authorship-linked ad clusters. For detecting all ads within a cluster, precision ranged from 0.05 to 0.0 and recall from 0.02 to 0.0 for all cluster sizes. For detecting partial clusters, see Figure 1. Conclusions We find that near-duplicate detection alone is insufficient to detect all ads within a cluster. However, we do find that the process can, with high precision and low recall, detect a subset of ads associated with a single author. This follows the intuition that an author’s total set of ads is itself comprised of multiple self-similar subsets. While a near-duplicate detection approach can correctly identify subsets of ads linked to a single author, this process alone cannot attribute multiple clusters to a single author. Future work will explore leveraging additional linguistic features to improve author attribution. (Top) Evaluations for partial cluster detection using the near-duplicate identification approach to linking anonymous authorship in Craigslist ads and (bottom) the distribution of ad cluster sizes.

Advertising and disclosure of funding on patient organisation websites: a cross-sectional survey

PubMed Central

Ball, Douglas E; Tisocki, Klara; Herxheimer, Andrew

2006-01-01

Background Patient organisations may be exposed to conflicts of interest and undue influence through pharmaceutical industry (Pharma) donations. We examined advertising and disclosure of financial support by pharmaceutical companies on the websites of major patient organisations. Method Sixty-nine national and international patient organisations covering 10 disease states were identified using a defined Google search strategy. These were assessed for indicators of transparency, advertising, and disclosure of Pharma funding using an abstraction tool and inspection of annual reports. Data were analysed by simple tally, with medians calculated for financial data. Results Patient organisations websites were clear about their identity, target audience and intention but only a third were clear on how they derived their funds. Only 4/69 websites stated advertising and conflict of interest policies. Advertising was generally absent. 54% of sites included an annual report, but financial reporting and disclosure of donors varied substantially. Corporate donations were itemised in only 7/37 reports and none gave enough information to show the proportion of funding from Pharma. 45% of organisations declared Pharma funding on their website but the annual reports named more Pharma donors than did the websites (median 6 vs. 1). One third of websites showed one or more company logos and/or had links to Pharma websites. Pharma companies' introductions were present on 10% of websites, some of them mentioning specific products. Two patient organisations had obvious close ties to Pharma. Conclusion Patient organisation websites do not provide enough information for visitors to assess whether a conflict of interest with Pharma exists. While advertising of products is generally absent, display of logos and corporate advertisements is relatively common. Display of clear editorial and advertising policies and disclosure of the nature and degree of corporate donations is needed on patient organisations' websites. An ethical code to guide patient organisations and their staff members on how to collaborate with Pharma is also necessary, if patient organisations are to remain independent and truly represent the interests and views of patients. As many organizations rely on Pharma donations, self-regulation may not suffice and independent oversight bodies should take the lead in requiring this. PMID:16887025

Quality Assessment of Persian Mental Disorders Websites Using the Webmedqual Scale

PubMed Central

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

2014-01-01

Introduction: Nowadays, anyone with any level of Internet knowledge can act as producer and distributor of information. It differs from most traditional media of information transmission, lack of information control and lack of quality management to contents. This leads to quality of health information on the internet is doubtful. The object of this study is guidance patients to select valid mental disorders and determine the quality of Persian mental disorders websites. Methods: The sample of this study comprised 29 Persian mental disorders websites that were chosen by searching the Google, Yahoo and AltaVista search engines for the Persian equivalents of the three concepts “depression,” “anxiety,” and “obsession”. website was created by individuals or organizations. Data collection was performed with the WebMedQual checklist. Websites was assessed based on indicators as content, authority of source, design, accessibility and availability, links, user support, and confidentiality and privacy (Maximum score for any website was 83, mean score 41.5 and minimum score was 0). Collected data analyzed by one sample T- test in SPSS 20. Findings presented by Mean score and optimal score. Results: Based on the WebMedQual scale the mean score of Persian mental disorders websites in sex constructs including “content” (7.02±2.10), “authority of source” (4.71±1.96),”accessibility and availability” (2.19±0.47), “links” (1.45±0.97), “user support” (4.28±1.33), and”confidentiality and privacy” (2.81±2.81) are poor and below average, but the score for the “design” (9.17± 1.59) is above average. The best website of mental disorders was that of the “IranianPsychological Association”. Conclusions: According to the results, only one website obtained the average score, so the quality of Persian mental disorders websites is low. Therefore, it is essential for users to criticize websites’ content and not trust them before evaluating them. It is better to use the ranked list websites or search on the internet by help information experts. PMID:25132712

Advertising and disclosure of funding on patient organisation websites: a cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Ball, Douglas E; Tisocki, Klara; Herxheimer, Andrew

2006-08-03

Patient organisations may be exposed to conflicts of interest and undue influence through pharmaceutical industry (Pharma) donations. We examined advertising and disclosure of financial support by pharmaceutical companies on the websites of major patient organisations. Sixty-nine national and international patient organisations covering 10 disease states were identified using a defined Google search strategy. These were assessed for indicators of transparency, advertising, and disclosure of Pharma funding using an abstraction tool and inspection of annual reports. Data were analysed by simple tally, with medians calculated for financial data. Patient organisations websites were clear about their identity, target audience and intention but only a third were clear on how they derived their funds. Only 4/69 websites stated advertising and conflict of interest policies. Advertising was generally absent. 54% of sites included an annual report, but financial reporting and disclosure of donors varied substantially. Corporate donations were itemised in only 7/37 reports and none gave enough information to show the proportion of funding from Pharma. 45% of organisations declared Pharma funding on their website but the annual reports named more Pharma donors than did the websites (median 6 vs. 1). One third of websites showed one or more company logos and/or had links to Pharma websites. Pharma companies' introductions were present on 10% of websites, some of them mentioning specific products. Two patient organisations had obvious close ties to Pharma. Patient organisation websites do not provide enough information for visitors to assess whether a conflict of interest with Pharma exists. While advertising of products is generally absent, display of logos and corporate advertisements is relatively common. Display of clear editorial and advertising policies and disclosure of the nature and degree of corporate donations is needed on patient organisations' websites. An ethical code to guide patient organisations and their staff members on how to collaborate with Pharma is also necessary, if patient organisations are to remain independent and truly represent the interests and views of patients. As many organizations rely on Pharma donations, self-regulation may not suffice and independent oversight bodies should take the lead in requiring this.

How to evaluate the quality of health related websites.

PubMed

Gattoni, Filippo; Sicola, Chiara

2005-03-01

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

Urinary Tract Health

MedlinePlus

... News and Features Podcast: NICHD supports research on pelvic floor disorders Focus on Women’s Health ... Safe to Sleep® National Child & Maternal Health Education Program RELATED WEBSITES NIH.gov HHS.gov USA. ...

A survey of Lab Tests Online-UK users: a key resource for patients to empower and help them understand their laboratory test results.

PubMed

Leyland, Rebecca; Freedman, Danielle B

2016-11-01

Background Lab Tests Online-UK celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2014 and to mark the occasion the first comprehensive survey of website users was undertaken. Methods A pop-up box with a link to Survey Monkey was used to offer website users the chance to participate in the survey, which was live from 4 March 2014 to 11 April 2014. Results Six hundred and sixty-one participants started the questionnaire and 338 completed all of the demographic questions. Although the website is designed and aimed at patients and the public, a significant number of respondents were health-care professionals (47%). The majority of survey participants found the Lab Tests Online-UK website via a search engine and were visiting the site for themselves. The majority of participants found what they were looking for on the website and found the information very easy or fairly easy to understand. The patient respondents were keen to see their laboratory test results (87%), but the majority did not have access (60%) at the time of the survey. Conclusions This survey provides good evidence that the Lab Tests Online-UK website is a useful resource for patients and health-care professionals alike. It comes at a poignant time as the release of results direct to patients starts with access to their medical records. The Lab Tests Online-UK website has a key role in enabling patients to understand their lab test results, and therefore empowering them to take an interest and engage in their own healthcare.

Crisis pregnancy center websites: Information, misinformation and disinformation.

PubMed

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

2014-12-01

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

Associations Between Internet-Based Professional Social Networking and Emotional Distress.

PubMed

Jones, Jacquelynn R; Colditz, Jason B; Shensa, Ariel; Sidani, Jaime E; Lin, Liu Yi; Terry, Martha Ann; Primack, Brian A

2016-10-01

Professional social networking websites are commonly used among young professionals. In light of emerging concerns regarding social networking use and emotional distress, the purpose of this study was to investigate the association between frequency of use of LinkedIn, the most commonly used professional social networking website, and depression and anxiety among young adults. In October 2014, we assessed a nationally representative sample of 1,780 U.S. young adults between the ages of 19-32 regarding frequency of LinkedIn use, depression and anxiety, and sociodemographic covariates. We measured depression and anxiety using validated Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System measures. We used bivariable and multivariable logistic regression to assess the association between LinkedIn use and depression and anxiety, while controlling for age, sex, race, relationship status, living situation, household income, education level, and overall social media use. In weighted analyses, 72% of participants did not report use of LinkedIn, 16% reported at least some use, but less than once each week, and 12% reported use at least once per week. In multivariable analyses controlling for all covariates, compared with those who did not use LinkedIn, participants using LinkedIn at least once per week had significantly greater odds of increased depression (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.31-3.38) and increased anxiety (AOR = 2.79, 95% CI = 1.72-4.53). LinkedIn use was significantly related to both outcomes in a dose-response manner. Future research should investigate directionality of this association and possible reasons for it.

How has the flu virus infected the Web? 2010 influenza and vaccine information available on the Internet

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The 2009–10 influenza pandemic was a major public health concern. Vaccination was recommended by the health authorities, but compliance was not optimal and perception of the presumed associated risks was high among the public. The Internet is increasingly being used as a source of health information and advice. The aim of the study was to investigate the characteristics of websites providing information about flu vaccine and the quality of the information provided. Methods Website selection was performed in autumn 2010 by entering eight keywords in two of the most commonly used search engines (Google.com and Yahoo.com). The first three result pages were analysed for each search, giving a total of 480 occurrences. Page rank was evaluated to assess visibility. Websites based on Web 2.0 philosophy, websites merely displaying popular news/articles and single files were excluded from the subsequent analysis. We analysed the selected websites (using WHO criteria) as well as the information provided, using a codebook for pro/neutral websites and a qualitative approach for the adverse ones. Results Of the 89 websites selected, 54 dealt with seasonal vaccination, three with anti-H1N1 vaccination and 32 with both. Rank analysis showed that only classic websites (ones not falling in any other category) and one social network were provided on the first pages by Yahoo; 21 classic websites, six displaying popular news/articles and one blog by Google. Analysis of the selected websites revealed that the majority of them (88.8%) had a positive/neutral attitude to flu vaccination. Pro/neutral websites distinguished themselves from the adverse ones by some revealing features like greater transparency, credibility and privacy protection. Conclusions We found that the majority of the websites providing information on flu vaccination were pro/neutral and gave sufficient information. We suggest that antivaccinationist information may have been spread by a different route, such as via Web 2.0 tools, which may be more prone to the dissemination of “viral” information. The page ranking analysis revealed the crucial role of search engines regarding access to information on the Internet. PMID:23360311

How has the flu virus infected the Web? 2010 influenza and vaccine information available on the Internet.

PubMed

Covolo, Loredana; Mascaretti, Silvia; Caruana, Anna; Orizio, Grazia; Caimi, Luigi; Gelatti, Umberto

2013-01-29

The 2009-10 influenza pandemic was a major public health concern. Vaccination was recommended by the health authorities, but compliance was not optimal and perception of the presumed associated risks was high among the public. The Internet is increasingly being used as a source of health information and advice. The aim of the study was to investigate the characteristics of websites providing information about flu vaccine and the quality of the information provided. Website selection was performed in autumn 2010 by entering eight keywords in two of the most commonly used search engines (Google.com and Yahoo.com). The first three result pages were analysed for each search, giving a total of 480 occurrences. Page rank was evaluated to assess visibility. Websites based on Web 2.0 philosophy, websites merely displaying popular news/articles and single files were excluded from the subsequent analysis. We analysed the selected websites (using WHO criteria) as well as the information provided, using a codebook for pro/neutral websites and a qualitative approach for the adverse ones. Of the 89 websites selected, 54 dealt with seasonal vaccination, three with anti-H1N1 vaccination and 32 with both. Rank analysis showed that only classic websites (ones not falling in any other category) and one social network were provided on the first pages by Yahoo; 21 classic websites, six displaying popular news/articles and one blog by Google. Analysis of the selected websites revealed that the majority of them (88.8%) had a positive/neutral attitude to flu vaccination. Pro/neutral websites distinguished themselves from the adverse ones by some revealing features like greater transparency, credibility and privacy protection. We found that the majority of the websites providing information on flu vaccination were pro/neutral and gave sufficient information. We suggest that antivaccinationist information may have been spread by a different route, such as via Web 2.0 tools, which may be more prone to the dissemination of "viral" information. The page ranking analysis revealed the crucial role of search engines regarding access to information on the Internet.

Website Policies / Important Links | DOepatents

Science.gov Websites

Global to push GA events into Global to push GA events into skip to main content PATENTS Toggle Science Resources: SciTech Connect DOE PAGES More DOE Collections » U.S. / Global Science Resources

James Franck and the “Franck Report”

Science.gov Websites

, The University of Chicago "James Franck was one of Germany's leading experimental physicists in Spectroscopy and Franck Condon Factors (video) Top Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites

L. James Rainwater and the Atomic Nuclei

Science.gov Websites

described the experimental situation for nuclear quadrupole moments. It was a fortuitous situation made even given value after a lapse of time. Top Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites

NREL: Renewable Resource Data Center - Wind Resource Related Links

Science.gov Websites

websites. Data can be purchased from companies such as AWS TruePower and 3Tier. Note: Listing other commercial companies does not imply endorsement by NREL. . Printable Version RReDC Home Biomass Resource

Publications - SR 31 | Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys

Science.gov Websites

Geologist Links AKGeology.info Helpful Tools Related Websites Follow us on Twitter Join our fan page on is out of print. Reproductions may be available. Download below or please see our publication sales

Treatment Option Overview (Childhood Acute Myeloid Leukemia/Other Myeloid Malignancies)

MedlinePlus

... to boost, direct, or restore the body’s natural defenses against cancer. This type of cancer treatment is ... Security Reuse & Copyright Syndication Services Website Linking U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of ...

Semantic Features for Classifying Referring Search Terms

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

May, Chandler J.; Henry, Michael J.; McGrath, Liam R.

2012-05-11

When an internet user clicks on a result in a search engine, a request is submitted to the destination web server that includes a referrer field containing the search terms given by the user. Using this information, website owners can analyze the search terms leading to their websites to better understand their visitors needs. This work explores some of the features that can be used for classification-based analysis of such referring search terms. We present initial results for the example task of classifying HTTP requests countries of origin. A system that can accurately predict the country of origin from querymore » text may be a valuable complement to IP lookup methods which are susceptible to the obfuscation of dereferrers or proxies. We suggest that the addition of semantic features improves classifier performance in this example application. We begin by looking at related work and presenting our approach. After describing initial experiments and results, we discuss paths forward for this work.« less

Tobacco Industry Lifestyle Magazines Targeted to Young Adults

PubMed Central

Cortese, Daniel K.; Lewis, M. Jane; Ling, Pamela M.

2010-01-01

Purpose This is the first study describing the tobacco industry’s objectives developing and publishing lifestyle magazines, linking them to tobacco marketing strategies, and how these magazines may encourage smoking. Methods Analysis of previously secret tobacco industry documents and content analysis of 31 lifestyle magazines to understand the motives behind producing these magazines and the role they played in tobacco marketing strategies. Results Philip Morris (PM) debuted Unlimited in 1996 to nearly 2 million readers and RJ Reynolds (RJR) debuted CML in 1999 targeting young adults with their interests. Both magazines were developed as the tobacco companies faced increased advertising restrictions Unlimited contained few images of smoking, but frequently featured elements of the Marlboro brand identity in both advertising and article content. CML featured more smoking imagery and fewer Camel brand identity elements. Conclusions Lifestyle promotions that lack images of smoking may still promote tobacco use through brand imagery. The tobacco industry still uses the “under the radar” strategies used in development of lifestyle magazines in branded websites. Prohibiting lifestyle advertising including print and electronic media that associate tobacco with recreation, action, pleasures, and risky behaviors or that reinforces tobacco brand identity may be an effective strategy to curb young adult smoking. PMID:19699423

Tobacco industry lifestyle magazines targeted to young adults.

PubMed

Cortese, Daniel K; Lewis, M Jane; Ling, Pamela M

2009-09-01

This is the first study describing the tobacco industry's objectives developing and publishing lifestyle magazines, linking them to tobacco marketing strategies, and how these magazines may encourage smoking. Analysis of previously secret tobacco industry documents and content analysis of 31 lifestyle magazines to understand the motives behind producing these magazines and the role they played in tobacco marketing strategies. Philip Morris (PM) debuted Unlimited in 1996 to nearly 2 million readers and RJ Reynolds (RJR) debuted CML in 1999, targeting young adults with their interests. Both magazines were developed as the tobacco companies faced increased advertising restrictions. Unlimited contained few images of smoking, but frequently featured elements of the Marlboro brand identity in both advertising and article content. CML featured more smoking imagery and fewer Camel brand identity elements. Lifestyle promotions that lack images of smoking may still promote tobacco use through brand imagery. The tobacco industry still uses the "under-the-radar" strategies used in development of lifestyle magazines in branded Websites. Prohibiting lifestyle advertising including print and electronic media that associate tobacco with recreation, action, pleasures, and risky behaviors or that reinforces tobacco brand identity may be an effective strategy to curb young adult smoking.

Measuring the Perpetrators and Funders of Typosquatting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, Tyler; Edelman, Benjamin

We describe a method for identifying "typosquatting", the intentional registration of misspellings of popular website addresses. We estimate that at least 938 000 typosquatting domains target the top 3 264 .com sites, and we crawl more than 285 000 of these domains to analyze their revenue sources. We find that 80% are supported by pay-per-click ads, often advertising the correctly spelled domain and its competitors. Another 20% include static redirection to other sites. We present an automated technique that uncovered 75 otherwise legitimate websites which benefited from direct links from thousands of misspellings of competing websites. Using regression analysis, we find that websites in categories with higher pay-per-click ad prices face more typosquatting registrations, indicating that ad platforms such as Google AdWords exacerbate typosquatting. However, our investigations also confirm the feasibility of significantly reducing typosquatting. We find that typosquatting is highly concentrated: Of typo domains showing Google ads, 63% use one of five advertising IDs, and some large name servers host typosquatting domains as much as four times as often as the web as a whole.

The PhEDEx next-gen website

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

Egeland, R.; Huang, C. H.; Rossman, P.

PhEDEx is the data-transfer management solution written by CMS. It consists of agents running at each site, a website for presentation of information, and a web-based data-service for scripted access to information. The website allows users to monitor the progress of data-transfers, the status of site agents and links between sites, and the overall status and behaviour of everything about PhEDEx. It also allows users to make and approve requests for data-transfers and for deletion of data. It is the main point-of-entry for all users wishing to interact with PhEDEx. For several years, the website has consisted of a singlemore » perl program with about 10K SLOC. This program has limited capabilities for exploring the data, with only coarse filtering capabilities and no context-sensitive awareness. Graphical information is presented as static images, generated on the server, with no interactivity. It is also not well connected to the rest of the PhEDEx codebase, since much of it was written before the data-service was developed. All this makes it hard to maintain and extend. We are re-implementing the website to address these issues. The UI is being rewritten in Javascript, replacing most of the server-side code. We are using the YUI toolkit to provide advanced features and context-sensitive interaction, and will adopt a Javascript charting library for generating graphical representations client-side. This relieves the server of much of its load, and automatically improves server-side security. The Javascript components can be re-used in many ways, allowing custom pages to be developed for specific uses. In particular, standalone test-cases using small numbers of components make it easier to debug the Javascript than it is to debug a large server program. Information about PhEDEx is accessed through the PhEDEx data-service, since direct SQL is not available from the clients browser. This provides consistent semantics with other, externally written monitoring tools, which already use the data-service. It also reduces redundancy in the code, yielding a simpler, consolidated codebase. In this talk we describe our experience of re-factoring this monolithic server-side program into a lighter client-side framework. We describe some of the techniques that worked well for us, and some of the mistakes we made along the way. We present the current state of the project, and its future direction.« less

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

PubMed Central

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

2017-01-01

Background Today’s health care environment encourages health care consumers to take an active role in managing their health. As digital natives, young educated adults do much of their health information management through the Internet and consider it a valid source of health advice. However, the quality of information on health websites is highly variable and dynamic. Little is known about the understandings and perceptions that young educated adults have garnered on the quality of information on health websites used for health care–related purposes. Objective To fill this gap, the aim of this study was to develop a conceptual framework of health website information quality with quality dimensions (ie, criteria) and associated quality drivers (ie, attributes) specified in the context of young educated adults’ use of health websites for health care–related purposes. This aim was achieved by (1) identifying information quality dimensions of health websites from the perspective of young educated adults; (2) identifying the importance ratings of these quality dimensions; and (3) constructing a framework of health website information quality with quality dimensions and associated drivers specified in the context of young educated adults’ use of health websites for health care–related purposes. Methods The study employed both qualitative and quantitative methods. Methods included semistructured group interviews and an individual quality assessment exercise grounded in visiting various websites and responding to Likert scale questions regarding the importance ratings of information quality dimensions and open-ended questions with specifying website quality drivers. Study participants included junior and senior undergraduate and graduate students in business, allied health, and public health majors. Qualitative, open-coding procedures were used to develop the conceptual framework reflecting the participants’ means of assessing information quality on health websites. Results Five dimensions of information quality for health websites were identified: Completeness of information, Understandability of information, Relevance of information, Depth of information, and Accuracy of information. Completeness of information and Understandability of information were rated as the two most important quality dimensions by the study participants. Results indicated that these five information quality dimensions for health websites were supported by the following main driver themes: Content, Design, Links, Consumer resources, Search functionality, Supporting references, User focus, Content FAQ, Open access, Policy statements, and Site performance. Conclusions This study contributes to the literature by developing a health website information quality conceptual framework with quality dimensions and associated drivers specified for a young educated adult population. The detailed quality drivers supporting the corresponding quality dimensions provide a rich picture of young educated adults’ perceptions on health website information quality. This framework can be used to guide the development of health websites, as well as the foundation for a means to evaluate health information from existing health websites with young educated adults as the target audience. PMID:28986336

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

PubMed

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

2017-10-06

Today's health care environment encourages health care consumers to take an active role in managing their health. As digital natives, young educated adults do much of their health information management through the Internet and consider it a valid source of health advice. However, the quality of information on health websites is highly variable and dynamic. Little is known about the understandings and perceptions that young educated adults have garnered on the quality of information on health websites used for health care-related purposes. To fill this gap, the aim of this study was to develop a conceptual framework of health website information quality with quality dimensions (ie, criteria) and associated quality drivers (ie, attributes) specified in the context of young educated adults' use of health websites for health care-related purposes. This aim was achieved by (1) identifying information quality dimensions of health websites from the perspective of young educated adults; (2) identifying the importance ratings of these quality dimensions; and (3) constructing a framework of health website information quality with quality dimensions and associated drivers specified in the context of young educated adults' use of health websites for health care-related purposes. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative methods. Methods included semistructured group interviews and an individual quality assessment exercise grounded in visiting various websites and responding to Likert scale questions regarding the importance ratings of information quality dimensions and open-ended questions with specifying website quality drivers. Study participants included junior and senior undergraduate and graduate students in business, allied health, and public health majors. Qualitative, open-coding procedures were used to develop the conceptual framework reflecting the participants' means of assessing information quality on health websites. Five dimensions of information quality for health websites were identified: Completeness of information, Understandability of information, Relevance of information, Depth of information, and Accuracy of information. Completeness of information and Understandability of information were rated as the two most important quality dimensions by the study participants. Results indicated that these five information quality dimensions for health websites were supported by the following main driver themes: Content, Design, Links, Consumer resources, Search functionality, Supporting references, User focus, Content FAQ, Open access, Policy statements, and Site performance. This study contributes to the literature by developing a health website information quality conceptual framework with quality dimensions and associated drivers specified for a young educated adult population. The detailed quality drivers supporting the corresponding quality dimensions provide a rich picture of young educated adults' perceptions on health website information quality. This framework can be used to guide the development of health websites, as well as the foundation for a means to evaluate health information from existing health websites with young educated adults as the target audience. ©Donghua Tao, Cynthia LeRouge, K Jody Smith, Gianluca De Leo. Originally published in JMIR Human Factors (http://humanfactors.jmir.org), 06.10.2017.

Using the Teach Astronomy Website to Enrich Introductory Astronomy Classes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hardegree-Ullman, K. K.; Impey, C. D.; Patikkal, A.; Austin, C. L.

2013-04-01

This year we implemented Teach Astronomy as a free online resource to be used as a teaching tool for non-science major astronomy courses and for a general audience interested in the subject. The comprehensive astronomy content of the website includes: an introductory text book, encyclopedia articles, images, two to three minute topical video clips, podcasts, and news articles. Teach Astronomy utilizes a novel technology to cluster, display, and navigate search results, called a Wikimap. We will present an overview of how Teach Astronomy works and how instructors can use it as an effective teaching tool in the classroom. Additionally, we will gather feedback from science instructors on how to improve the features and functionality of the website, as well as develop new assignment ideas using Teach Astronomy.

Large-scale data integration framework provides a comprehensive view on glioblastoma multiforme.

PubMed

Ovaska, Kristian; Laakso, Marko; Haapa-Paananen, Saija; Louhimo, Riku; Chen, Ping; Aittomäki, Viljami; Valo, Erkka; Núñez-Fontarnau, Javier; Rantanen, Ville; Karinen, Sirkku; Nousiainen, Kari; Lahesmaa-Korpinen, Anna-Maria; Miettinen, Minna; Saarinen, Lilli; Kohonen, Pekka; Wu, Jianmin; Westermarck, Jukka; Hautaniemi, Sampsa

2010-09-07

Coordinated efforts to collect large-scale data sets provide a basis for systems level understanding of complex diseases. In order to translate these fragmented and heterogeneous data sets into knowledge and medical benefits, advanced computational methods for data analysis, integration and visualization are needed. We introduce a novel data integration framework, Anduril, for translating fragmented large-scale data into testable predictions. The Anduril framework allows rapid integration of heterogeneous data with state-of-the-art computational methods and existing knowledge in bio-databases. Anduril automatically generates thorough summary reports and a website that shows the most relevant features of each gene at a glance, allows sorting of data based on different parameters, and provides direct links to more detailed data on genes, transcripts or genomic regions. Anduril is open-source; all methods and documentation are freely available. We have integrated multidimensional molecular and clinical data from 338 subjects having glioblastoma multiforme, one of the deadliest and most poorly understood cancers, using Anduril. The central objective of our approach is to identify genetic loci and genes that have significant survival effect. Our results suggest several novel genetic alterations linked to glioblastoma multiforme progression and, more specifically, reveal Moesin as a novel glioblastoma multiforme-associated gene that has a strong survival effect and whose depletion in vitro significantly inhibited cell proliferation. All analysis results are available as a comprehensive website. Our results demonstrate that integrated analysis and visualization of multidimensional and heterogeneous data by Anduril enables drawing conclusions on functional consequences of large-scale molecular data. Many of the identified genetic loci and genes having significant survival effect have not been reported earlier in the context of glioblastoma multiforme. Thus, in addition to generally applicable novel methodology, our results provide several glioblastoma multiforme candidate genes for further studies.Anduril is available at http://csbi.ltdk.helsinki.fi/anduril/The glioblastoma multiforme analysis results are available at http://csbi.ltdk.helsinki.fi/anduril/tcga-gbm/

Proton therapy for prostate cancer online: patient education or marketing?

PubMed

Sadowski, Daniel J; Ellimoottil, Chandy S; Tejwani, Ajay; Gorbonos, Alex

2013-12-01

Proton therapy (PT) for prostate cancer is an expensive treatment with limited evidence of benefit over conventional radiotherapy. We sought to study whether online information on PT for prostate cancer was balanced and whether the website source influenced the content presented. We applied a systematic search process to identify 270 weblinks associated with PT for prostate cancer, categorized the websites by source, and filtered the results to 50 websites using predetermined criteria. We then used a customized version of the DISCERN instrument, a validated tool for assessing the quality of consumer health information, to evaluate the remaining websites for balance of content and description of risks, benefits and uncertainty. Depending on the search engine and key word used, proton center websites (PCWs) made up 10%-47% of the first 30 encountered links. In comparison, websites from academic and nonacademic medical centers without ownership stake in proton centers appeared much less frequently as a search result (0%-3%). PCWs scored lower on DISCERN questions compared to other sources for being balanced/unbiased (p < 0.001), mentioning areas of uncertainty (p < 0.001), and describing risks of PT (p < 0.001). PCWs scored higher for describing the benefits of treatment (p = 0.003). Patients should be aware that online information regarding PT for prostate cancer may represent marketing by proton centers rather than comprehensive and unbiased patient education. An awareness of these results will also better prepare clinicians to address the potential biases of patients with prostate cancer who search the Internet for health information.

The quality of information on the internet relating to top-selling dietary supplements in the Czech Republic.

PubMed

Baudischova, L; Straznicka, J; Pokladnikova, J; Jahodar, L

2018-02-01

Background The purchase of dietary supplements (DS) via the Internet is increasing worldwide as well as in the Czech Republic. Objective The aim of the study is to evaluate the quality of information on DS available on the Internet. Setting Czech websites related to dietary supplements. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out involving the analysis of information placed on the websites related to the 100 top-selling DS in the Czech Republic in 2014, according to IMS Health data. Main outcome measure The following criteria were evaluated: contact for the manufacturer, recommended dosage, information on active substances as well as overall composition, permitted health claims, % of the daily reference intake value (DRIV) for vitamins and minerals, link for online counseling, pregnancy/breastfeeding, allergy information, contraindications, adverse reactions, and supplement-drug interactions (some criteria were evaluated from both points of view). Results A total of 199 web domains and 850 websites were evaluated. From the regulatory point of view, all the criteria were fulfilled by 11.3% of websites. Almost 9% of the websites reported information referring to the treatment, cure, or prevention of a disease. From the clinical point of view, all the criteria were only met by one website. Conclusions The quality of information related to DS available on the Internet in the Czech Republic is quite low. The consumers should consult a specialist when using DS purchased online.

Searching the Internet for information on prostate cancer screening: an assessment of quality.

PubMed

Ilic, Dragan; Risbridger, Gail; Green, Sally

2004-07-01

To identify how on-line information relating to prostate cancer screening (PCS) is best sourced, whether through general, medical, or meta-search engines, and to assess the quality of that information. Websites providing information about PCS were searched across 15 search engines representing three distinct types: general, medical, and meta-search engines. The quality of on-line information was assessed using the DISCERN quality assessment tool. Quality performance characteristics were analyzed by performing Mann-Whitney U tests. Search engine efficiency was measured by each search query as a percentage of the relevant websites included for analysis from the total returned and analyzed by performing Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance. Of 6690 websites reviewed, 84 unique websites were identified as providing information relevant to PCS. General and meta-search engines were significantly more efficient at retrieving relevant information on PCS compared with medical search engines. The quality of information was variable, with most of a poor standard. Websites that provided referral links to other resources and a citation of evidence provided a significantly better quality of information. In contrast, websites offering a direct service were more likely to provide a significantly poorer quality of information. The current lack of a clear consensus on guidelines and recommendation in published data is also reflected by the variable quality of information found on-line. Specialized medical search engines were no more likely to retrieve relevant, high-quality information than general or meta-search engines.

Tampa Bay Ecosystem Services Demonstration Project Website: Phase II

EPA Science Inventory

The Tampa Bay Ecosystem Services Demonstration Project models the impact of human development and natural stressors on the economic, aesthetic and cultural value of local ecosystems. By linking ecological structures, functions, and condition to the ecosystem services valued by h...

Integrative, Alternative, and Complementary Therapies (PDQ®)—Health Professional Version

Cancer.gov

Topics in Integrative, Alternative, and Complementary Therapies gives a brief description of some of these therapies used by people with cancer. Links to additional information, references, and resources on the NCI website are provided in this summary for clinicians.

Carl Anderson and the Discovery of the Positron

Science.gov Websites

experimental piece of equipment of choice to study cosmic rays. ... Anderson designed and built his own cloud ? Top Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from this

'Blogging' nurses.

PubMed

2004-12-01

'Blogging' is too new a term to be included in the latest Oxford English Dictionary but it is rapidly becoming an influential way of having your say. Blogs are weblogs, or regularly updated webpages in diary form, often with commentaries on, and links to, other websites.

Research Finds Link Between Statin Use and Progressive Muscle Disease

MedlinePlus

... Syndrome Press Release | October 29, 2015 NIAMS launches new Spanish-language website Press Release | September 10, 2015 In uveitis, bacteria in gut may instruct immune cells to attack the eye Press Release | August 18, 2015 High-resolution 3D ...

Treatment Options for Childhood Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Childhood Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia, Juvenile Myelomonocytic ...

MedlinePlus

... to boost, direct, or restore the body’s natural defenses against cancer. This type of cancer treatment is ... Security Reuse & Copyright Syndication Services Website Linking U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of ...

Evaluation of otolaryngology residency program websites.

PubMed

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

2014-10-01

Prior to applying or interviewing, most prospective applicants turn to the Internet when evaluating residency programs, making maintenance of a comprehensive website critical. While certain "intangibles" such as reputation may not be communicated effectively online, residency websites are invaluable for conveying other aspects of a program. Prior analyses have reported that certain criteria such as research experience and didactics are important considerations for applicants. To evaluate the comprehensiveness of otolaryngology residency websites. Review of otolaryngology residency program websites. Websites of 99 civilian residency programs were searched for the presence of 23 criteria. Presence of 23 criteria for application process, incentives, instruction, research, clinical training, and other. Only 5 programs contained at least three-quarters of the criteria analyzed; on average programs reported less than 50% of information sought. Among the 99 residency program websites, a description of the following criteria was noted: comprehensive faculty listing (88%), didactics (80%), contact e-mail (77%), current residents (74%), description of facilities (70%), intern schedule (70%), research requirements (69%), otolaryngology rotation schedule (64%), other courses (61%), ERAS (Electronic Residency Application Service) link (55%), year-to-year responsibility progression (47%), call schedule (40%), active/past research projects (37%), area information (34%), message from the program director (33%) or chair (23%), selection criteria (30%), salary (directly on site) (23%), surgical statistics (18%), parking (9%), and meal allowance (7%). The mean (SD) percentage present of factors encompassing "clinical training" was 55% (23%), significantly higher than the mean (SD) percentage of factors covered under the "incentives" category (19% [11%]; P = .01). The proportion of overall criteria present on websites did not differ on organizing programs by region (range, 42%-49%). Sites for "large" programs (≥3 residents per year) were more comprehensive (49% vs 42%; P = .04). While further survey of prospective applicants would be invaluable in determining which factors are of greatest interest, many residency websites appear to be inadequately comprehensive. Despite the relative comprehensiveness of criteria relevant to clinical training when compared with other aspects of websites such as incentives, several crucial aspects of training are still not addressed in many sites.

Feasibility of a Website and a Hospital-Based Online Portal for Young Adults With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Views and Experiences of Patients.

PubMed

Ammerlaan, Judy Jw; Scholtus, Lieske W; Drossaert, Constance Hc; van Os-Medendorp, Harmieke; Prakken, Berent; Kruize, Aike A; Bijlsma, Johannes Jw

2015-08-14

To improve knowledge and to encourage active involvement of young adults with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), an informative website with written and video information and an online portal with access to the personal medical record, self-monitoring, and e-consult functionalities were developed. Before implementing these applications in daily practice, it is important to gain insight into their feasibility in terms of ease of use, perceived usefulness and intention to use. The aim of this study was to evaluate and to examine the feasibility of the website and the online portal for young adults with JIA. A qualitative, feasibility study was conducted among the first users: 13 young adults with JIA. After provided access to the website and online portal, patients were interviewed on perceived usefulness, ease of use, and intention to (re)use the applications. Participants in the study considered the website and online portal as useful and easy-to-use. New medical information and feedback would motivate them to revisit the applications again. On the website, videos showing other young adults, telling how they handle their condition, were found as the most useful. On the portal, access to their medical records was most appreciated: it made the young JIA patients feel in control and it helped them monitor symptoms and disease activity. e-consults were thought to facilitate communication with physicians. The young adults considered both the website and the online portal as feasible, but they also had valuable suggestions to improve accessibility and use. Based on these findings, a news and event section was added on the website and a direct link was made to a discussion board and social media. To provide and support health information, the website is actively used in daily care. Considering the online portal, the use of self-monitoring tools and e-consult can be stimulated if there is direct linkage to treatment and feedback from the multidisciplinary team. Feasibility testing, before implementing the website and online portal in daily practice, has proven to be a valuable step. Results led to improvements in terms of integration into standard care and topics for further research.

The quality of information about kidney transplantation on the World Wide Web.

PubMed

Hanif, Faisal; Abayasekara, Kumar; Willcocks, Lisa; Jolly, Elaine C; Jamieson, Neville V; Praseedom, Raaj K; Goodacre, John A; Read, Janet C; Chaudhry, Afzal; Gibbs, Paul

2007-01-01

Websites on the Internet are used increasingly by patients and those caring for them as a source of medical information. This study investigated the nature and quality of the kidney transplant-related information currently available on the World Wide Web (WWW). Four common search engines were used to explore the Internet using the keywords "kidney transplantation." Each website was assessed on the following categories: source, language, accessibility, presence of kitemarks, and quality/depth of information. Websites were scored independently by four transplant clinicians (two surgeons and two physicians), and a weighted Information Score (IS) was created to assess the overall clinical and educational value of the site. A total of 200 potential websites were identified of which 94 websites were suitable for scoring. The remaining 106 were repetitions or non-accessible links. The overall median weighted IS for the sites assessed was 21 (IQR 0-61). Median weighted IS of sites originating from Europe and USA were 47 (IQR = 21-61) and 45 (IQR = 15-61) respectively (p = 0.27). Websites belonging to academic institutions scored higher with a median weighted IS of 49 (IQR = 20-61) when compared with kitemarked websites (median 21, IQR = 5-45, p = 0.01). However, there was no statistically significant difference in weighted IS of kitemarked, professional (median 22, IQR = 2-53), commercial (median 20, IQR = 0-45), and individual websites (median 9, IQR 3-12). There was a good agreement between the observers who scored the websites with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.79 and an associated 95% CI (0.73-0.90) for the four observers on the 94 websites. The educational material currently available on the WWW about kidney transplantation is often of poor quality and more input is required from transplant clinicians. Quality seals in the form of kitemarks may give a false sense of security. The gaps in validity and accuracy of the information available on complex topics such as kidney transplantation should be filled; otherwise poor quality information will continue to be the norm rather than the exception.

Using Video to Communicate Scientific Findings -- Habitat Connections in Urban Streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harned, D. A.; Moorman, M.; Fitzpatrick, F. A.; McMahon, G.

2011-12-01

The U.S Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) provides information about (1) water-quality conditions and how those conditions vary locally, regionally, and nationally, (2) water-quality trends, and (3) factors that affect those conditions. As part of the NAWQA Program, the Effects of Urbanization on Stream Ecosystems (EUSE) study examined the vulnerability and resilience of streams to urbanization. Completion of the EUSE study has resulted in over 20 scientific publications. Video podcasts are being used in addition to these publications to communicate the relevance of these scientific findings to more general audiences such as resource managers, educational groups, public officials, and the general public. An example of one of the podcasts is a film examining effects of urbanization on stream habitat. "Habitat Connections in Urban Streams" explores how urbanization changes some of the physical features that provide in-stream habitat and examines examples of stream restoration projects designed to improve stream form and function. The "connections" theme is emphasized, including the connection of in-stream habitats from the headwaters to the stream mouth; connections between stream habitat and the surrounding floodplains, wetlands and basin; and connections between streams and people-- resource managers, public officials, scientists, and the general public. Examples of innovative stream restoration projects in Baltimore Maryland; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Portland Oregon are shown with interviews of managers, engineers, scientists, and others describing the projects. The film is combined with a website with links to extended film versions of the stream-restoration project interviews. The website and films are an example of USGS efforts aimed at improving science communication to a general audience. The film is available for access from the EUSE website: http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/urban/html/podcasts.html. Additional films are planned to be released in 2012 on other USGS project results and programs.

Effectiveness of a Web 2.0 Intervention to Increase Physical Activity in Real-World Settings: Randomized Ecological Trial

PubMed Central

Kolt, Gregory S; Caperchione, Cristina M; Savage, Trevor N; Rosenkranz, Richard R; Maeder, Anthony J; Van Itallie, Anetta; Tague, Rhys; Oldmeadow, Christopher; Mummery, W Kerry; Duncan, Mitch J

2017-01-01

Background The translation of Web-based physical activity intervention research into the real world is lacking and becoming increasingly important. Objective To compare usage and effectiveness, in real-world settings, of a traditional Web 1.0 Web-based physical activity intervention, providing limited interactivity, to a Web 2.0 Web-based physical activity intervention that includes interactive features, such as social networking (ie, status updates, online “friends,” and personalized profile pages), blogs, and Google Maps mash-ups. Methods Adults spontaneously signing up for the freely available 10,000 Steps website were randomized to the 10,000 Steps website (Web 1.0) or the newly developed WALK 2.0 website (Web 2.0). Physical activity (Active Australia Survey), quality of life (RAND 36), and body mass index (BMI) were assessed at baseline, 3 months, and 12 months. Website usage was measured continuously. Analyses of covariance were used to assess change over time in continuous outcome measures. Multiple imputation was used to deal with missing data. Results A total of 1328 participants completed baseline assessments. Only 3-month outcomes (224 completers) were analyzed due to high attrition at 12 months (77 completers). Web 2.0 group participants increased physical activity by 92.8 minutes per week more than those in the Web 1.0 group (95% CI 28.8-156.8; P=.005); their BMI values also decreased more (–1.03 kg/m2, 95% CI –1.65 to -0.41; P=.001). For quality of life, only the physical functioning domain score significantly improved more in the Web 2.0 group (3.6, 95% CI 1.7-5.5; P<.001). The time between the first and last visit to the website (3.57 vs 2.22 weeks; P<.001) and the mean number of days the website was visited (9.02 vs 5.71 days; P=.002) were significantly greater in the Web 2.0 group compared to the Web 1.0 group. The difference in time-to-nonusage attrition was not statistically significant between groups (Hazard Ratio=0.97, 95% CI 0.86-1.09; P=.59). Only 21.99% (292/1328) of participants (n=292 summed for both groups) were still using either website after 2 weeks and 6.55% (87/1328) were using either website after 10 weeks. Conclusions The website that provided more interactive and social features was more effective in improving physical activity in real-world conditions. While the Web 2.0 website was visited significantly more, both groups nevertheless displayed high nonusage attrition and low intervention engagement. More research is needed to examine the external validity and generalizability of Web-based physical activity interventions. Trial Registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12611000253909; https://anzctr.org.au /Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=336588&isReview=true (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6ufzw 2HxD) PMID:29133282

Real-time Science and Educational Collaboration Online from the Indian Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, R. H.; Sager, W. W.

2007-12-01

During Summer of 2007, scientists and students (via the web) jointly participated in research during the Ninety East Ridge Expedition (cruise KNOX06RR) . Staff organizers from Joint Oceanographic Institutions" JOI Learning and the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program planned and implemented an interactive website to allow students to directly participate with scientists during the site survey aboard the R/V Roger Revelle. Dr. Will Sager and middle school teacher Rory Wilson collaborated daily during the scientific expedition with science team, ship crew and students. From the outset, students were involved and helped to guide the program; this included coming up with the website name and initial design work. Communication with students included the website, individual and group emails and video conferences with student groups. Seven secondary schools from the USA, Europe, India and Thailand participated actively in the project from June to August. Students viewed daily updates on the website, sent in answers for weekly science challenge questions, and interacted with scientists and crew. Student participants learned about navigation, geophysics and petrology, as well as ship operations and technology. Students and educators tracked the expedition's progress in a multi-media environment. Website statistics were recorded; participation began well and increased during the expedition as more people became engaged with the website. All of the crew and scientists wrote self-profiles to help students learn about the range of ocean careers; several of the scientists and graduate students on board wrote or co- authored website articles for students. During this presentation, we will explore and review the major features of the outreach program using the Sea90e website to demonstrate how this real-time interaction engages students in science learning. We will discuss the benefits of collaboration for science and education in our "classroom at sea."

Web-Based Media Contents Editor for UCC Websites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Seoksoo

The purpose of this research is to "design web-based media contents editor for establishing UCC(User Created Contents)-based websites." The web-based editor features user-oriented interfaces and increased convenience, significantly different from previous off-line editors. It allows users to edit media contents online and can be effectively used for online promotion activities of enterprises and organizations. In addition to development of the editor, the research aims to support the entry of enterprises and public agencies to the online market by combining the technology with various UCC items.

The impact of social media on readership of a peer-reviewed medical journal.

PubMed

Hawkins, C Matthew; Hillman, Bruce J; Carlos, Ruth C; Rawson, James V; Haines, Rebecca; Duszak, Richard

2014-11-01

Social media microblogging has made major inroads in physician education and information exchange. The authors evaluated their early experience with Twitter "tweet chat" sessions as a medium to expand the reach and audience of a peer-reviewed radiology journal. The authors analyzed Twitter activity metadata tagged with the #JACR hashtag from the first 6 tweet chat sessions sponsored and promoted by JACR. The assessment included multiple metrics: radiologist versus nonradiologist session participants, individual tweets, tweets with embedded web links, common words, retweets, and impressions. We correlated Twitter metrics with temporally related journal website activity. Each session generated a mean of 444 ± 172 tweets contributed by a mean of 33 ± 14 participants (45.4% nonradiologists) and resulted in a mean of 1,163,712 ± 441,971 impressions. Per session, a mean of 19 ± 7.6 tweets contained web links, and 138 ± 35.6 tweets were retweets. Monthly journal website article views increased from 31,220 to 41,017 (+31.4%), journal website visits increased from 9,192 to 11,539 (+25.5%), and unique visitors increased from 7,368 to 8,841 (+20%). Since JACR tweet chats were initiated, mean monthly journal website visits and page views per month directly from twitter.com increased from 24 to 101 (+321%) and from 38 to 159 (+318%), respectively. Early experience with JACR tweet chats demonstrates that organizing Twitter microblogging activities around topics of general interest to their target readership bears the potential for medical journals to increase their audiences and reach. Copyright © 2014 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evolution of Electronic Cigarette Brands From 2013-2014 to 2016-2017: Analysis of Brand Websites

PubMed Central

Hsu, Greta; Sun, Jessica Y

2018-01-01

Background The electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) industry has grown in size and organizational complexity in recent years, most notably with the entry of major tobacco companies in 2012 and the proliferation of vape shops. Many brands maintain retail websites that present e-cigarette marketing claims and sell directly to consumers. Understanding of the evolving composition of different types of e-cigarette brand websites is currently underdeveloped. Objective This paper presents how e-cigarette brand websites surveyed in 2013-2014 evolved by 2016-2017, and how the websites run by different types of e-cigarette producers currently differ. Methods In 2016-2017, we revisited 466 e-cigarette brand websites surveyed in 2013-2014, 288 of which were extant, and identified 145 new English-language websites. We compared product designs, marketing claims, and age-based warnings presented by types of e-cigarette producers: major tobacco companies, independent vape shops, and independent internet-only companies. Results Among the 433 websites examined in 2016-2017, 12 were owned by major tobacco companies, 162 operated a physical vape shop, and 259 were internet-only operations. Closed-system product designs were sold by 83% (10/12) of tobacco-owned brands. In comparison, 29.0% (47/162, P<.001) of vape shop and 55.2% (143/259, P=.06) of internet-only brands sold closed-system designs. Compared with vape shop and internet-only brands, tobacco-owned brands offered a smaller set of product models (P values <.001) and a narrower range of flavors (P values <.01), with greater emphasis on the traditional combustible cigarette flavors of tobacco and menthol (P values <.001). Tobacco-owned brands also offered a narrower range of nicotine options than the vape shops (P=.002) and were less likely to offer nicotine-free e-liquid compared with internet-only and vape shop brands (P values <.001). Finally, 83% (10/12) of tobacco-owned brand websites featured age verification pop-up windows. In comparison, only 50.2% (130/259) of internet-only brands (P=.01) and 60.5% (98/162) of vape shop brands (P=.06) featured age verification windows. Websites surveyed in both 2013-2014 and 2016-2017 became more likely to sell open-system mods (P<.001) and sold an increased number of product models (P<.001), flavors (P<.001), and nicotine options (P<.001). Prevalence of several types of claims decreased significantly, including indirect claims regarding smoking cessation (P<.001), claims regarding e-cigarettes as healthier (P<.001), less expensive (P<.001), and usable in more places (P<.001) compared with combustible cigarettes. Conclusions The number of e-cigarette brands has not appeared to increase since 2014, even as website messaging evolved, with brands owned by tobacco companies and vape shops pulling in opposite directions. Brands owned by tobacco companies offered a limited range of e-cigarette products, whereas brands owned by vape shops emphasized a panoply of flavor and nicotine options. Furthermore, the Food and Drug Administration’s regulatory action may influence the types of e-cigarette products offered and the market shares of various companies. PMID:29530840

WPBMB Entrez: An interface to NCBI Entrez for Wordpress.

PubMed

Gohara, David W

2018-03-01

Research-oriented websites are an important means for the timely communication of information. These websites fall under a number of categories including: research laboratories, training grant and program projects, and online service portals. Invariably there is content on a site, such as publication listings, that require frequent updating. A number of content management systems exist to aid in the task of developing and managing a website, each with their strengths and weaknesses. One popular choice is Wordpress, a free, open source and actively developed application for the creation of web content. During a recent site redesign for our department, the need arose to ensure publications were up to date for each of the research labs and department as a whole. Several plugins for Wordpress offer this type of functionality, but in many cases the plugins are either no longer maintained, are missing features that would require the use of several, possibly incompatible, plugins or lack features for layout on a webpage. WPBMB Entrez was developed to address these needs. WPBMB Entrez utilizes a subset of NCBI Entrez and RCSB databases to maintain up to date records of publications, and publication related information on Wordpress-based websites. The core functionality uses the same search query syntax as on the NCBI Entrez site, including advanced query syntaxes. The plugin is extensible allowing for rapid development and addition of new data sources as the need arises. WPBMB Entrez was designed to be easy to use, yet flexible enough to address more complex usage scenarios. Features of the plugin include: an easy to use interface, design customization, multiple templates for displaying publication results, a caching mechanism to reduce page load times, supports multiple distinct queries and retrieval modes, and the ability to aggregate multiple queries into unified lists. Additionally, developer documentation is provided to aid in customization of the plugin. WPBMB Entrez is available at no cost, is open source and works with all recent versions of Wordpress. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of an interactive platform, and the ESC/HFA heartfailurematters.org website in patients with heart failure: design of the multicentre randomized e-Vita heart failure trial.

PubMed

Wagenaar, Kim P; Broekhuizen, Berna D L; Dickstein, Kenneth; Jaarsma, Tiny; Hoes, Arno W; Rutten, Frans H

2015-12-01

Electronic health support (e-health) may improve self-care of patients with heart failure (HF). We aim to assess whether an adjusted care pathway with replacement of routine consultations by e-health improves self-care as compared with usual care. In addition, we will determine whether the ESC/HFA (European Society of Cardiology/Heart Failure Association) website heartfailurematters.org (HFM website) improves self-care when added to usual care. Finally, we aim to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of these interventions. A three-arm parallel randomized trial will be conducted. Arm 1 consists of usual care; arm 2 consists of usual care plus the HFM website; and arm 3 is the adjusted care pathway with an interactive platform for disease management (e-Vita platform), with a link to the HFM website, which replaces routine consultations with HF nurses at the outpatient clinic. In total, 414 patients managed in 10 Dutch HF outpatient clinics or in general practice will be included and followed for 12 months. Participants are included if they have had an established diagnosis of HF for at least 3 months. The primary outcome is self-care as measured by the European Heart Failure Self-care Behaviour scale (EHFScB scale). Secondary outcomes are quality of life, cardiovascular- and HF-related mortality, hospitalization, and its duration as captured by hospital and general practitioner registries, use of and user satisfaction with the HFM website, and cost-effectiveness. This study will provide important prospective data on the impact and cost-effectiveness of an interactive platform for disease management and the HFM website. unique identifier: NCT01755988. © 2015 The Authors European Journal of Heart Failure © 2015 European Society of Cardiology.

Medical information on the internet: a tool for measuring consumer perception of quality aspects.

PubMed

Dubowicz, Arthur; Schulz, Peter J

2015-03-30

Most of adult Internet users have searched for health information on the Internet. The Internet has become one of the most important sources for health information and treatment advice. In most cases, the information found is not verified with a medical doctor, but judged by the "online-diagnosers" independently. Facing this situation, public health authorities raise concern over the quality of medical information laypersons can find on the Internet. The objective of the study was aimed at developing a measure to evaluate the credibility of websites that offer medical advice and information. The measure was tested in a quasi-experimental study on two sleeping-disorder websites of different quality. There were 45 survey items for rating the credibility of websites that were tested in a quasi-experimental study with a random assignment of 454 participants to either a high- or a low-quality website exposure. Using principal component analysis, the original items were reduced to 13 and sorted into the factors: trustworthiness, textual deficits of the content, interferences (external links on the Web site), and advertisements. The first two factors focus more on the provided content itself, while the other two describe the embedding of the content into the website. The 45 survey items had been designed previously using exploratory observations and literature research. The final scale showed adequate power and reliability for all factors. The loadings of the principal component analysis ranged satisfactorily (.644 to .854). Significant differences at P<.001 were found between the low- and high-quality groups. Advertisements on the website were rated as disturbing in both experimental conditions, meaning that they do not differentiate between good and bad information. The scale reliably distinguished high- and low-quality of medical advice given on websites.

How Social Are We? A Cross-Sectional Study of the Website Presence and Social Media Activity of Canadian Plastic Surgeons.

PubMed

McEvenue, Giancarlo; Copeland, Andrea; Devon, Karen M; Semple, John L

2016-10-01

The internet and social media are increasingly being used by patients not only for health-related research, but also for obtaining information on their surgeon. Having an online presence via a website and social media profile is one-way plastic surgeons can meet this patient driven demand. The authors sought to document current website and social media usage of Canadian plastic surgeons and to determine if this usage correlated with years in practice. A Google search was performed using publicly available lists of all plastic surgeons registered with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) and the Canadian Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (CSAPS). This search found 42% (268/631) of RCPSC plastic surgeons had a website and 85% (536/631) had a profile on social media. Younger RCPSC surgeons (registered for less years) were significantly more likely to have a website (12.8 vs. 21.9 years, P < 0.0001) and an active social media profile (16.2 vs. 23.9 years, P < 0.002). The social media platform most used was RateMDs (81%) followed in decreasing order by: LinkedIn (28%), RealSelf (22%), Facebook (20%), Google+ (17%) and Twitter (16%). Dual RCPSC-CSAPS members were more likely than RCPSC-only members to have a website (56 vs. 36%, P < 0.0001) and an active social media profile (P < 0.05). Overall, current website usage and social media presence by Canadian plastic surgeons is comparable to counterparts in the US and UK. It may be possible to better optimize online presence through education of current search engine technology and becoming active on multiple social media platforms. © 2016 The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Inc. Reprints and permission: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Modernization of the International Volcanic Ash Website - a global resource for ashfall preparedness and impact guidance.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wallace, K.; Leonard, G.; Stewart, C.; Wilson, T. M.; Randall, M.; Stovall, W. K.

2015-12-01

The internationally collaborative volcanic ash website (http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/ash/) has been an important global information resource for ashfall preparedness and impact guidance since 2004. Recent volcanic ashfalls with significant local, regional, and global impacts highlighted the need to improve the website to make it more accessible and pertinent to users worldwide. Recently, the Volcanic Ash Impacts Working Group (Cities and Volcanoes Commission of IAVCEI) redesigned and modernized the website. Improvements include 1) a database-driven back end, 2) reorganized menu navigation, 3) language translation, 4) increased downloadable content, 5) addition of ash-impact case studies, 7) expanded and updated references , 8) an image database, and 9) inclusion of cooperating organization's logos. The database-driven platform makes the website more dynamic and efficient to operate and update. New menus provide information about specific impact topics (buildings, transportation, power, health, agriculture, water and waste water, equipment and communications, clean up) and updated content has been added throughout all topics. A new "for scientists" menu includes information on ash collection and analysis. Website translation using Google translate will significantly increase user base. Printable resources (e.g. checklists, pamphlets, posters) provide information to people without Internet access. Ash impact studies are used to improve mitigation measures during future eruptions, and links to case studies will assist communities' preparation and response plans. The Case Studies menu is intended to be a living topic area, growing as new case studies are published. A database of all images from the website allows users to access larger resolution images and additional descriptive details. Logos clarify linkages among key contributors and assure users that the site is authoritative and science-based.

The Landsat Image Mosaic of Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bindschadler, R.; Vornberger, P.; Fleming, A.; Fox, A.; Morin, P.

2008-12-01

The first-ever true-color, high-resolution digital mosaic of Antarctica has been produced from nearly 1100 Landsat-7 ETM+ images collected between 1999 and 2003. The Landsat Image Mosaic of Antarctica (LIMA) project was an early benchmark data set of the International Polar Year and represents a close and successful collaboration between NASA, USGS, the British Antarctic Survey and the National Science Foundation. The mosaic was successfully merged with lower resolution MODIS data south of Landsat coverage to produce a complete true-color data set of the entire continent. LIMA is being used as a platform for a variety of education and outreach activities. Central to this effort is the NASA website 'Faces of Antarctica' that offers the web visitor the opportunity to explore the data set and to learn how these data are used to support scientific research. Content is delivered through a set of mysteries designed to pique the user's interest and to motivate them to delve deeper into the website where there are various videos and scientific articles for downloading. Detailed lesson plans written by teachers are provided for classroom use and Java applets let the user track the motion of ice in sequential Landsat images. Web links take the user to other sites where they can roam over the imagery using standard pan and zoom functions, or search for any named feature in the Antarctic Geographic Names data base that returns to the user a centered true-color view of any named feature. LIMA also has appeared is a host of external presentations from museum exhibits, to postcards and large posters. It has attracted various value-added providers that increase LIMA's accessibility by allowing users to specify subsets of the very large data set for individual downloads. The ultimate goal of LIMA in the public and educational sector is to enable everyone to become more familiar with Antarctica.

Dashboard Videos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gleue, Alan D.; Depcik, Chris; Peltier, Ted

2012-11-01

Last school year, I had a web link emailed to me entitled "A Dashboard Physics Lesson." The link, created and posted by Dale Basier on his Lab Out Loud blog, illustrates video of a car's speedometer synchronized with video of the road. These two separate video streams are compiled into one video that students can watch and analyze. After seeing this website and video, I decided to create my own dashboard videos to show to my high school physics students. I have produced and synchronized 12 separate dashboard videos, each about 10 minutes in length, driving around the city of Lawrence, KS, and Douglas County, and posted them to a website.2 Each video reflects different types of driving: both positive and negative accelerations and constant speeds. As shown in Fig. 1, I was able to capture speed, distance, and miles per gallon from my dashboard instrumentation. By linking this with a stopwatch, each of these quantities can be graphed with respect to time. I anticipate and hope that teachers will find these useful in their own classrooms, i.e., having physics students watch the videos and create their own motion maps (distance-time, speed-time) for study.

Sun-Earth Days- "Have a Solar Blast"- Educational Outreach on a National Scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mortfield, P.; Lewis, E. M.; Cline, T.; Thieman, J. R.

2001-05-01

Sun-Earth Days was an Educational Outreach on a Massive Scale. This was NASA's first-ever "Sun-Earth Days," April 27-28, 2001, developed to share information and excitement about our star and its electric connection to Earth. For the year 2001, NASA's Sun-Earth Connection missions and The Astronomical League partnered to sponsor this educational and entertaining event in the context of National Astronomy Day and Week. As part of NASA's Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum's Sun-Earth Day events, a webcast was hosted by EPO team at Stanford SOLAR Center in collaboration with Astronomy Day and Project Astro. Prior to the webcast NASA Centers and the Educator Resource Centers conducted training workshops to aid 4000 teachers in their participation in the interactive webcast. The webcast involved 35,000 students from across the country and allowed students an opportunity to present results from a variety of solar activities and interact with fellow students. NASA Scientists were on hand to field questions, and had the opportunity to tell viewers why they chose their exciting careers. Webcasts are a great way to reach and interact with a large audience of educators and students who wish to incorporate the science of the Sun into their curriculum. Sun-Earth Days was on the Web, with a single website of information, featuring excellent classroom activities and ideas, selections of the best background reading on the science, links to our many spacecraft and science missions, and some pointers to raw science data and imagery on the web. Sun-Earth Days kits were assembled and packaged through NASA's CORE, a distribution facility in Ohio and mailed to each of the NASA Centers and 25 Educator Resource Centers who participated in a training workshop for educators. Over 4000 educators attended workshops through the NASA network to learn about the Sun. " An Event Near You", portion of the website, listed the events within the USA that linked scientists with educators and created a wide network for learning about the Sun across the USA. Numerous publications announced the event and Discovery Science Channel supported NASA's Sun-Earth Days with two special programs, SAVAGE SUN and THE SUN. There have been many lessons learned during the development and initiation of Sun-Earth Days, as a national event. The most rewarding and exciting outcome was the demand for materials and the positive response for the event, leading to the determination to continue as an annual event. The results will be featured and plans announced for the second annual event, which features the Sun and the science from Sun-Earth Connection missions, in anticipation of others joining us for 2002 to make use of this medium for their education and outreach efforts

An Interactive Website to Reduce Sexual Risk Behavior: Process Evaluation of TeensTalkHealth

PubMed Central

Sieving, Renee E; Terveen, Loren G; Rosser, BR Simon; Kodet, Amy J; Rothberg, Vienna D

2015-01-01

Background Different theoretical frameworks support the use of interactive websites to promote sexual health. Although several Web-based interventions have been developed to address sexual risk taking among young people, no evaluated interventions have attempted to foster behavior change through moderated interaction among a virtual network of adolescents (who remain anonymous to one another) and health professionals. Objective The objective was to conduct a summative process evaluation of TeensTalkHealth, an interactive sexual health website designed to promote condom use and other healthy decision making in the context of romantic and sexual relationships. Methods Evaluation data were obtained from 147 adolescents who participated in a feasibility and acceptability study. Video vignettes, teen-friendly articles, and other content served as conversation catalysts between adolescents and health educators on message boards. Results Adolescents’ perceptions that the website encouraged condom use across a variety of relationship situations were very high. Almost 60% (54/92, 59%) of intervention participants completed two-thirds or more of requested tasks across the 4-month intervention. Adolescents reported high levels of comfort, perceived privacy, ease of website access and use, and perceived credibility of health educators. Potential strategies to enhance engagement and completion of intervention tasks during future implementations of TeensTalkHealth are discussed, including tailoring of content, periodic website chats with health educators and anonymous peers, and greater incorporation of features from popular social networking websites. Conclusions TeensTalkHealth is a feasible, acceptable, and promising approach to complement and enhance existing services for youth. PMID:26336157

Enriched Audience Engagement Through Twitter: Should More Academic Radiology Departments Seize the Opportunity?

PubMed

Prabhu, Vinay; Rosenkrantz, Andrew B

2015-07-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate use of the microblogging social network Twitter by academic radiology departments (ARDs) in the United States. Twitter was searched to identify all accounts corresponding with United States ARDs. All original tweets from identified accounts over a recent 3-month period (August to October 2014) were archived. Measures of account activity, as well as tweet and link content, were summarized. Fifteen ARDs (8.2%) had Twitter accounts. Ten (5.5%) had "active" accounts, with ≥1 tweet over the 3-month period. Active accounts averaged 711 ± 925 followers (maximum, 2,885) and 61 ± 93 tweets (maximum, 260) during the period. Among 612 tweets from active accounts, content most commonly related to radiology-related education (138), dissemination of departmental research (102), general departmental or hospital promotional material (62), departmental awards or accomplishments (60), upcoming departmental lectures (59), other hospital-related news (55), medical advice or information for patients (38), local community events or news (29), social media and medicine (27), and new departmental or hospital hires or expansion (19). Eighty percent of tweets (490 of 612) included 315 unique external links. Most frequent categories of link sources were picture-, video-, and music-sharing websites (89); the ARD's website or blog (83); peer-reviewed journal articles (40); the hospital's or university's website (34), the lay press (28), and Facebook (14). Twitter provides ARDs the opportunity to engage their own staff members, the radiology community, the department's hospital, and patients, through a broad array of content. ARDs frequently used Twitter for promotional and educational purposes. Because only a small fraction of ARDs actively use Twitter, more departments are encouraged to take advantage of this emerging communication tool. Copyright © 2015 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The impact of residency match information disseminated by a third-party website.

PubMed

Kutikov, Alexander; Morgan, Todd M; Resnick, Matthew J

2009-01-01

Over the past 10 years, a dramatic shift has occurred toward web-based applications and information dissemination both for medical students applying to residency programs and for current housestaff seeking specialty-specific information. This shift has been witnessed in urology with adoption of the Internet-based Electronic Residency Application Service for residency application submission. Currently, most residency programs devote significant attention to developing and maintaining an attractive web page, as studies have suggested departmental websites may impact applicants' decisions regarding residency preference lists.(1,2) Recently, some third-party websites have been established to provide information to medical students and residents in a variety of specialties. No studies are available that evaluate the impact of these external websites on residency decision making. In 2003, a website under the domain name www.UrologyMatch.com was created by 2 coauthors (A.K. and T.M.M.) with the purpose of assisting medical students through the American Urological Association (AUA) match process. Additionally, by providing a discussion forum for students, residents, and faculty, it sought to aid with the dissemination of information between urology programs and applicants. The website has been gradually expanded to provide educational content for urology trainees at a wide range of levels. Components of the website include an introduction to the field of urology, a detailed description of the match process, an "expert advice" section from urologic leaders, a library of relevant Internet links, a digital surgical atlas, and program-specific questionnaire responses provided by residency directors and department chairs. A discussion board providing an uncensored forum for visitors is integrated into the website to aid with the dissemination of information between and among urology programs, residents, and applicants. The high usage of this site has suggested that external websites may have a marked impact on the residency application process. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the role of www.UrologyMatch.com in the AUA match process. During the 2007-2008 urology residency match, we evaluated whether information disseminated through the website influenced medical students' decisions to enter the field of urology and whether this information factored into the generation of residency preference lists. We hypothesized that information on this website played a significant role in decision making throughout the urology residency match experience.

Associations Between Internet-Based Professional Social Networking and Emotional Distress

PubMed Central

Jones, Jacquelynn R.; Colditz, Jason B.; Shensa, Ariel; Sidani, Jaime E.; Lin, Liu Yi; Terry, Martha Ann

2016-01-01

Abstract Professional social networking websites are commonly used among young professionals. In light of emerging concerns regarding social networking use and emotional distress, the purpose of this study was to investigate the association between frequency of use of LinkedIn, the most commonly used professional social networking website, and depression and anxiety among young adults. In October 2014, we assessed a nationally representative sample of 1,780 U.S. young adults between the ages of 19–32 regarding frequency of LinkedIn use, depression and anxiety, and sociodemographic covariates. We measured depression and anxiety using validated Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System measures. We used bivariable and multivariable logistic regression to assess the association between LinkedIn use and depression and anxiety, while controlling for age, sex, race, relationship status, living situation, household income, education level, and overall social media use. In weighted analyses, 72% of participants did not report use of LinkedIn, 16% reported at least some use, but less than once each week, and 12% reported use at least once per week. In multivariable analyses controlling for all covariates, compared with those who did not use LinkedIn, participants using LinkedIn at least once per week had significantly greater odds of increased depression (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.31–3.38) and increased anxiety (AOR = 2.79, 95% CI = 1.72–4.53). LinkedIn use was significantly related to both outcomes in a dose–response manner. Future research should investigate directionality of this association and possible reasons for it. PMID:27732077

What do evaluation instruments tell us about the quality of complementary medicine information on the internet?

PubMed

Breckons, Matthew; Jones, Ray; Morris, Jenny; Richardson, Janet

2008-01-22

Developers of health information websites aimed at consumers need methods to assess whether their website is of "high quality." Due to the nature of complementary medicine, website information is diverse and may be of poor quality. Various methods have been used to assess the quality of websites, the two main approaches being (1) to compare the content against some gold standard, and (2) to rate various aspects of the site using an assessment tool. We aimed to review available evaluation instruments to assess their performance when used by a researcher to evaluate websites containing information on complementary medicine and breast cancer. In particular, we wanted to see if instruments used the same criteria, agreed on the ranking of websites, were easy to use by a researcher, and if use of a single tool was sufficient to assess website quality. Bibliographic databases, search engines, and citation searches were used to identify evaluation instruments. Instruments were included that enabled users with no subject knowledge to make an objective assessment of a website containing health information. The elements of each instrument were compared to nine main criteria defined by a previous study. Google was used to search for complementary medicine and breast cancer sites. The first six results and a purposive six from different origins (charities, sponsored, commercial) were chosen. Each website was assessed using each tool, and the percentage of criteria successfully met was recorded. The ranking of the websites by each tool was compared. The use of the instruments by others was estimated by citation analysis and Google searching. A total of 39 instruments were identified, 12 of which met the inclusion criteria; the instruments contained between 4 and 43 questions. When applied to 12 websites, there was agreement of the rank order of the sites with 10 of the instruments. Instruments varied in the range of criteria they assessed and in their ease of use. Comparing the content of websites against a gold standard is time consuming and only feasible for very specific advice. Evaluation instruments offer gateway providers a method to assess websites. The checklist approach has face validity when results are compared to the actual content of "good" and "bad" websites. Although instruments differed in the range of items assessed, there was fair agreement between most available instruments. Some were easier to use than others, but these were not necessarily the instruments most widely used to date. Combining some of the better features of instruments to provide fewer, easy-to-use methods would be beneficial to gateway providers.

Directed use of the internet for health information by patients with chronic kidney disease: prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Diamantidis, Clarissa Jonas; Fink, Wanda; Yang, Shiming; Zuckerman, Marni R; Ginsberg, Jennifer; Hu, Peter; Xiao, Yan; Fink, Jeffrey C

2013-11-15

Health information technology has become common in the care of patients with chronic diseases; however, there are few such applications employed in kidney disease. The aim of the study was to evaluate the use of a website providing disease-specific safety information by patients with predialysis chronic kidney disease. As part of the Safe Kidney Care (SKC) study, an educational website was designed to provide information on safety concerns in chronic kidney disease. Phase I study participants were provided a medical alert accessory with a unique ID number, the Safe Kidney Care website, and an in-person tutorial on the use of the Internet and accessing the SKC website at baseline. Participants were asked to visit the website and enter their unique ID as frequently as they desired over the next 365 days or until their annual follow-up visit, whichever occurred first. Participants' visits and dwell times on specific safety modules were tracked using embedded webpage PHP scripts linked to a MySQL database, enabling the collection of website usage statistics. Of 108 Phase I participants, 28.7% (31/108) visited the website from 1-6 times during the observation period (median follow-up 365 days). Median access time was 7 minutes per visit (range <1-46) and 13 minutes per person (range <1-123). The three most frequently visited pages were "Renal function calculator", "Pills to avoid", and "Foods to avoid". High school education and frequent Internet use were significantly associated with website entry (P=.02 and P=.03, respectively). Preliminary results show general interest in a Web-based platform designed to improve patient safety in chronic kidney disease. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01407367; http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT01407367 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6KvxFKA6M).

General surgery residency program websites: usefulness and usability for resident applicants.

PubMed

Reilly, Eugene F; Leibrandt, Thomas J; Zonno, Alan J; Simpson, Mary Christina; Morris, Jon B

2004-01-01

To assess the content of general surgery residency program websites, the websites' potential as tools in resident recruitment, and their "usability." The homepages of general surgery residency programs were evaluated for accessibility, ease-of-use, adherence to established principles of website design, and content. Investigators completed a questionnaire on aspects of their online search, including number of mouse-clicks used, number of errors encountered, and number of returns to the residency homepage. The World Wide Web listings on the Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FREIDA) of the American Medical Association (AMA). A total of 251 ACGME-accredited general surgery residency programs. One hundred sixty-seven programs (67%) provided a viable link to the program's website. Evaluators found an average of 5.9 of 16 content items; 2 (1.2%) websites provided as many as 12 content items. Five of the 16 content items (program description, conference schedules, listing of faculty, caseload, and salary) were found on more than half of the sites. An average of 24 mouse-clicks was required to complete the questionnaire for each site. Forty-six sites (28%) generated at least 1 error during our search. The residency homepage was revisited an average of 5 times during each search. On average, programs adhered to 6 of the 10 design principles; only 6 (3.6%) sites adhered to all 10 design principles. Two of the 10 design principles (use of familiar fonts, absence of frames) were adhered to in more than half of the sites. Our overall success rate when searching residency websites was 38%. General surgery residency programs do not use the World Wide Web optimally, particularly for users who are potential residency candidates. The usability of these websites could be increased by providing relevant content, making that content easier to find, and adhering to established web design principles.

Building a SuAVE browse interface to R2R's Linked Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, D.; Stocks, K. I.; Arko, R. A.; Zaslavsky, I.; Whitenack, T.

2017-12-01

The Rolling Deck to Repository program (R2R) is creating and evaluating a new browse portal based on the SuAVE platform and the R2R linked data graph. R2R manages the underway sensor data collected by the fleet of US academic research vessels, and provides a discovery and access point to those data at its website, www.rvdata.us. R2R has a database-driven search interface, but seeks a more capable and extensible browse interface that could be built off of the substantial R2R linked data resources. R2R's Linked Data graph organizes its data holdings around key concepts (e.g. cruise, vessel, device type, operator, award, organization, publication), anchored by persistent identifiers where feasible. The "Survey Analysis via Visual Exploration" or SuAVE platform (suave.sdsc.edu) is a system for online publication, sharing, and analysis of images and metadata. It has been implemented as an interface to diverse data collections, but has not been driven off of linked data in the past. SuAVE supports several features of interest to R2R, including faceted searching, collaborative annotations, efficient subsetting, Google maps-like navigation over an image gallery, and several types of data analysis. Our initial SuAVE-based implementation was through a CSV export from the R2R PostGIS-enabled PostgreSQL database. This served to demonstrate the utility of SuAVE but was static and required reloading as R2R data holdings grew. We are now working to implement a SPARQL-based ("RDF Query Language") service that directly leverages the R2R Linked Data graph and offers the ability to subset and/or customize output.We will show examples of SuAVE faceted searches on R2R linked data concepts, and discuss our experience to date with this work in progress.

Findability of Federal Research Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hourcle, J. A.

2013-12-01

Findability of Federal Research Data Although many of the federal agencies have been providing access to scientific research data for years if not decades, the findability of the data has been quite lacking. Many discipline-wide efforts have been made in the big science communities, such as PDS for planetary science and the VOs in night time astronomy and heliophysics, but there is a lack of single entry point for someone looking for data. The science.gov website contains links to many of these big-science search systems, but doesn't differentiate between links to science quality data and websites or browse products, making it more difficult to search specifically for data. The data.gov website is a useful repository for PIs of small science data to stash their data, particularly as it allows for interested parties to interact with tabular data. Unfortunately, as each group thinks of their data differently, much of what's now in the system is a mess; collections of data being tracked as individual records with no relationships between them. Big science projects also get tracked as single records, potentially with only a single record for missions with multiple instruments and significantly different data series. We present recommendations on how to improve the findability of federal research data on data.gov, based on years of working on the Virtual Solar Observatory and withing the science informatics community.

Making Evidence on Health Policy Issues Accessible to the Media

PubMed Central

Roos, Noralou P.; O'Grady, Kathleen; Singer, Sharon Manson; Turczak, Shannon; Tapp, Camilla

2012-01-01

The media shape consumer expectations and interpretations of health interventions, influencing how people think about their need for care and the sustainability of the system. EvidenceNetwork.ca is a non-partisan, web-based project funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Manitoba Health Research Council to make the latest evidence on controversial health policy issues available to the media. This website links journalists with health policy experts. We publish opinion pieces on current health policy issues in both French and English. We track who follows and uses the EvidenceNetwork.ca website and monitor the impact of our efforts. PMID:23968614

Astronomical Network for Teachers in Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kramer Hutawarakorn, Busaba; Soonthornthum, Boonraksar; Poshyachinda, Saran

We report the latest development of a pilot project in establishing the astronomical network for teachers in Thailand. The project has been recently granted by the Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology Thailand and operated by Sirindhorn Observatory Chiangmai University. The objectives of the project are (1) to establish a16-inch semi-robotic telescope which can be accessed from schools nationwide; and (2) to establish an educational website in Thai language which contains electronic textbook of astronomy online encyclopedia of astronomy observing projects astronomical database and links to other educational websites worldwide. The network will play important role in the development of teaching and learning astronomy in Thailand.

Gamification and service marketing.

PubMed

Conaway, Roger; Garay, Mario Cortés

2014-01-01

Our paper addresses the development of the gamification concept with business applications. We report on our survey of customers and managers seeking to participate in gamification on their websites. We examined both customer and manager perspectives and compare survey results in terms of service marketing and characteristics of consumers who engage with gamification platforms. Our data supported a design theory delineating four key characteristics in gamification platforms that attract consumers toward an enterprise's website. Those features attract individuals through (1) Progress Paths, (2) Feedback and Reward, (3) Social Connection, and (4) Attractiveness of the site. Results from the managers' survey reflected key characteristics that must exist for implementation of a gamification platform. The data revealed a particular demographic profile of a gamification individual drawn to a website. These findings may help company managers who wish to adopt a gamification platform in the future.

What Is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) and Why Is It Important That I Know about It?

MedlinePlus

... often get worse. Return to Steps World-Wide Web Search KidsHealth Organization: What Kids say about drinking ... outside this website We provide links to other web pages if you want to learn more about ...

E-tool for business processes to improve travel time reliability.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-01-01

The etool can be found on the TRB website by following this link: http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/170579.aspx The research team developed an e-tool that can be used by practitioners for planning, implementing, integrating, and analyzing business proce...

75 FR 2126 - Clifton Power Corporation; Commissioner of Public Works of the City of Spartanburg, SC; Notice of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-14

... Commission's website under the ``e-Filing'' link. If unable to be filed electronically, documents may be... the docket number (P-4632-032) in the docket number field to access the document. For assistance, call...

Evaluating the Theoretical Content of Online Physical Activity Information for People with Multiple Sclerosis

PubMed Central

Baillie, Colin P.T.; Galaviz, Karla; Jarvis, Jocelyn W.; Latimer-Cheung, Amy E.

2015-01-01

Background: Physical activity can aid people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in managing symptoms and maintaining functional abilities. The Internet is a preferred source of physical activity information for people with MS and, therefore, a method for the dissemination of behavior change techniques. The purpose of this study was to examine the coverage and quality of physical activity behavior change techniques delivered on the Internet for adults with MS using Abraham and Michie's taxonomy of behavior change techniques. Methods: Using the taxonomy, 20 websites were coded for quality (ie, accuracy of information) and coverage (ie, completeness of information) of theoretical behavior change techniques. Results: Results indicated that most websites covered a mean of 8.05 (SD 3.86, range 3–16) techniques out of a possible 20. Only one of the techniques, provide information on behavior–health link and consequences, was delivered on all websites. The websites demonstrated low mean coverage and quality across all behavior change techniques, with means of 0.64 (SD 0.67) and 0.62 (SD 0.37) on a scale of 0 to 2, respectively. However, coverage and quality improved when websites were examined solely for the techniques that they covered, as opposed to all 20 techniques. Conclusions: This study, which examined quality and coverage of physical activity behavior change techniques described online for people with MS, illustrated that the dissemination of these techniques requires improvement. PMID:25892979

General pathologist-helper: The new medical app about general pathology.

PubMed

Fernández-Vega, Iván

2015-01-01

Smartphone applications (apps) have become increasingly prevalent in medicine. Due to most pathologists, pathology trainees, technicians, and medical students use smartphones; apps can be a different way for general pathology education. "General pathologist-helper (GP-HELPER)" is a novel app developed as a reference tool in general pathology and especially for general pathologists, developed for Android and iOS platforms. "GP-HELPER," was created using Mobincube website platform. This tool also integrates "FORUM GP-HELPER," an external website created using Miarroba website (http://forum-gp-helper.mboards.com) and "COMMUNITY GP-HELPER" a multichannel chat created using Chatango website platform. The application was released in July 2015, and it is been periodically updated since then. The app has permanent information (offline data) about different pathology protocols (TNM latest edition, protocols regarding management of tumors of unknown primary origin, and flowcharts for some of the most difficult tumors to diagnose) and a database with more than 5000 immunohistochemistry results from different tumors. Online data have links to more than 1100 reference pathology video lectures, 250 antibodies information, more than 70 pathology association websites, 46 pathology providers, and 78 outstanding pathology journal websites. Besides this information, the app has two interactive places such as "FORUM GP-HELPER" and "COMMUNITY GP-HELPER" that let users to stay in touch everywhere and every time. Expert consult section is also available. "GP-HELPER" pretends to integrate offline and online data about pathology with two interactive external places in order to represent a reference tool for general pathologists and associate members.

Hospital website rankings in the United States: expanding benchmarks and standards for effective consumer engagement.

PubMed

Huerta, Timothy R; Hefner, Jennifer L; Ford, Eric W; McAlearney, Ann Scheck; Menachemi, Nir

2014-02-25

Passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) increased the roles hospitals and health systems play in care delivery and led to a wave of consolidation of medical groups and hospitals. As such, the traditional patient interaction with an independent medical provider is becoming far less common, replaced by frequent interactions with integrated medical groups and health systems. It is thus increasingly important for these organizations to have an effective social media presence. Moreover, in the age of the informed consumer, patients desire a readily accessible, electronic interface to initiate contact, making a well-designed website and social media strategy critical features of the modern health care organization. The purpose of this study was to assess the Web presence of hospitals and their health systems on five dimensions: accessibility, content, marketing, technology, and usability. In addition, an overall ranking was calculated to identify the top 100 hospital and health system websites. A total of 2407 unique Web domains covering 2785 hospital facilities or their parent organizations were identified and matched against the 2009 American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Survey. This is a four-fold improvement in prior research and represents what the authors believe to be a census assessment of the online presence of US hospitals and their health systems. Each of the five dimensions was investigated with an automated content analysis using a suite of tools. Scores on the dimensions are reported on a range from 0 to 10, with a higher score on any given dimension representing better comparative performance. Rankings on each dimension and an average ranking are provided for the top 100 hospitals. The mean score on the usability dimension, meant to rate overall website quality, was 5.16 (SD 1.43), with the highest score of 8 shared by only 5 hospitals. Mean scores on other dimensions were between 4.43 (SD 2.19) and 6.49 (SD 0.96). Based on these scores, rank order calculations for the top 100 websites are presented. Additionally, a link to raw data, including AHA ID, is provided to enable researchers and practitioners the ability to further explore relationships to other dynamics in health care. This census assessment of US hospitals and their health systems provides a clear indication of the state of the sector. While stakeholder engagement is core to most discussions of the role that hospitals must play in relation to communities, management of an online presence has not been recognized as a core competency fundamental to care delivery. Yet, social media management and network engagement are skills that exist at the confluence of marketing and technical prowess. This paper presents performance guidelines evaluated against best-demonstrated practice or independent standards to facilitate improvement of the sector's use of websites and social media.

Usability study of youtube websites for Malaysian teenagers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2017-10-01

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

Glue ear: how good is the information on the World Wide Web?

PubMed

Ritchie, L; Tornari, C; Patel, P M; Lakhani, R

2016-02-01

This paper objectively evaluates current information available to the general public related to glue ear on the World Wide Web. The term 'glue ear' was typed into the 3 most frequently used internet search engines - Google, Bing and Yahoo - and the first 20 links were analysed. The first 400 words of each page were used to calculate the Flesch-Kincaid readability score. Each website was subsequently graded using the Discern instrument, which gauges quality and content of literature. The websites Webmd.boots.com, Bupa.co.uk and Patient.co.uk received the highest overall scores. These reflected top scores in either readability or Discern instrument assessment, but not both. Readability and Discern scores increased with the presence of a marketing or advertising incentive. The Patient.co.uk website had the highest Discern score and third highest readability score. There is huge variation in the quality of information available to patients on the internet. Some websites may be accessible to a wide range of reading ages but have poor quality content, and vice versa. Clinicians should be aware of indicators of quality, and use validated instruments to assess and recommend literature.

Effectiveness of a Web-Supplemented Astronomy Survey Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hufnagel, B.

1997-12-01

An astronomy survey course for \\ 200 non-science majors, offered in spring 1997 at Michigan State University, was supplemented with an internet site. Web access was voluntary, with the exception of about 10% of the homework problems. In addition, all of the answers to homeworks, in-class activities, and tests were available only on the website. The website included web versions of all the usual hard-copy handouts, as well as lecture notes, links to other astronomy URLs, and a frequently-asked question (FAQ) site taken from student email to the professors. MSU students can access the Web through \\ 30 PC labs on and off campus, and through private PCs in the dorms where most of the MSU students live. A mid-semester open-ended feedback form (for class credit) was administered in-class to the students, with 151 respondents. Their responses to the question ``About how frequently do you access the course website?'' will be correlated to their grade at that point in the course, their gender, and their purpose for accessing the website. These results will be interesting to astronomy teachers who would like to offer additional resources and more lines of communication to their students at low cost and without abandoning traditional methods.

Internet embeddedness: links with online health information seeking, expectancy value/quality of health information websites, and Internet usage patterns.

PubMed

Leung, Louis

2008-10-01

To see how the Internet is actually embedded in our lives, this exploratory study examines how Internet users search the Web for important information, especially health or medical information, to make critical decisions, and the perception of how intimately our lives are embedded in the Internet intersects with patterns of health information seeking online and the expected quality of health information websites. Data from a probability sample of 569 Internet users found four types of commonly sought health information clusters online which included information on (a) health improvement, (b) medical treatment, (c) family health, and (d) health issues that are difficult to talk about. Results also show that behavior or behavioral intentions in health information seeking are in fact either a function of value expectancy or the evaluation of health information websites. More importantly, people who often go to the Internet for health information and have high expectations of the value and quality of health information websites (especially in terms of reliability, relevance/context, and interaction) tend to be those who are more likely to perceive the Internet as playing an important role in life decisions or rate the Internet as more embedded in their lives.

Searching for suicide-related information on Chinese websites.

PubMed

Chen, Ying-Yeh; Hung, Galen Chin-Lun; Cheng, Qijin; Tsai, Chi-Wei; Wu, Kevin Chien-Chang

2017-12-01

Growing concerns about cyber-suicide have prompted many studies on suicide information available on the web. However, very few studies have considered non-English websites. We aimed to analyze online suicide-related information accessed through Chinese-language websites. We used Taiwan's two most popular search engines (Google and Yahoo) to explore the results returned from six suicide-related search terms in March 2016. The first three pages listing the results from each search were analyzed and rated based on the attitude towards suicide (pro-suicide, anti-suicide, neutral/mixed, not a suicide site, or error). Comparisons across different search terms were also performed. In all, 375 linked webpages were included; 16.3% of the webpages were pro-suicide and 41.3% were anti-suicide. The majority of the pro-suicide sites were user-generated webpages (96.7%). Searches using the keywords 'ways to kill yourself' (31.7%) and 'painless suicide' (28.3%) generated much larger numbers of harmful webpages than the term 'suicide' (4.3%). We conclude that collaborative efforts with internet service providers and search engines to improve the ranking of anti-suicide webpages and websites and implement online suicide reporting guidelines are highly encouraged. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of Perceived Values on Continuance Usage of Facebook

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Heng-Li; Lai, Cheng-Yu

Facebook is one of the renowned social networking sites (SNS) on the Internet. As compared to the conventional SNS, it not only provides social interaction features, but has more entertainment elements on the website. Many Facebook users use the website for the purpose of playing the embedded games rather than use its original social features, i.e., individual's perceived values about the usage of Facebook may have changed. Consequently, it is an interesting issue to know individual's perceived values and satisfaction toward continuance usage of the new style SNS like Facebook. Based on prior literatures, three different value orientations, including social orientation, entertainment orientation and fashion orientation, were adopted in this study to examine their influence on individual's satisfaction and continuance intention to use Facebook. An empirical survey and partial least squares (PLS) technology was utilized to test the proposed hypotheses. Several empirical results were found. Both academic and practical implications are discussed.

Development of a Smartphone App for a Genetics Website: The Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Online Genetics Database (ALSoD)

PubMed Central

Abel, Olubunmi; Shatunov, Aleksey; Jones, Ashley R; Andersen, Peter M; Powell, John F

2013-01-01

Background The ALS Online Genetics Database (ALSoD) website holds mutation, geographical, and phenotype data on genes implicated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and links to bioinformatics resources, publications, and tools for analysis. On average, there are 300 unique visits per day, suggesting a high demand from the research community. To enable wider access, we developed a mobile-friendly version of the website and a smartphone app. Objective We sought to compare data traffic before and after implementation of a mobile version of the website to assess utility. Methods We identified the most frequently viewed pages using Google Analytics and our in-house analytic monitoring. For these, we optimized the content layout of the screen, reduced image sizes, and summarized available information. We used the Microsoft .NET framework mobile detection property (HttpRequest.IsMobileDevice in the Request.Browser object in conjunction with HttpRequest.UserAgent), which returns a true value if the browser is a recognized mobile device. For app development, we used the Eclipse integrated development environment with Android plug-ins. We wrapped the mobile website version with the WebView object in Android. Simulators were downloaded to test and debug the applications. Results The website automatically detects access from a mobile phone and redirects pages to fit the smaller screen. Because the amount of data stored on ALSoD is very large, the available information for display using smartphone access is deliberately restricted to improve usability. Visits to the website increased from 2231 to 2820, yielding a 26% increase from the pre-mobile to post-mobile period and an increase from 103 to 340 visits (230%) using mobile devices (including tablets). The smartphone app is currently available on BlackBerry and Android devices and will be available shortly on iOS as well. Conclusions Further development of the ALSoD website has allowed access through smartphones and tablets, either through the website or directly through a mobile app, making genetic data stored on the database readily accessible to researchers and patients across multiple devices. PMID:25098641

Development of a Smartphone App for a Genetics Website: The Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Online Genetics Database (ALSoD).

PubMed

Abel, Olubunmi; Shatunov, Aleksey; Jones, Ashley R; Andersen, Peter M; Powell, John F; Al-Chalabi, Ammar

2013-09-04

The ALS Online Genetics Database (ALSoD) website holds mutation, geographical, and phenotype data on genes implicated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and links to bioinformatics resources, publications, and tools for analysis. On average, there are 300 unique visits per day, suggesting a high demand from the research community. To enable wider access, we developed a mobile-friendly version of the website and a smartphone app. We sought to compare data traffic before and after implementation of a mobile version of the website to assess utility. We identified the most frequently viewed pages using Google Analytics and our in-house analytic monitoring. For these, we optimized the content layout of the screen, reduced image sizes, and summarized available information. We used the Microsoft .NET framework mobile detection property (HttpRequest.IsMobileDevice in the Request.Browser object in conjunction with HttpRequest.UserAgent), which returns a true value if the browser is a recognized mobile device. For app development, we used the Eclipse integrated development environment with Android plug-ins. We wrapped the mobile website version with the WebView object in Android. Simulators were downloaded to test and debug the applications. The website automatically detects access from a mobile phone and redirects pages to fit the smaller screen. Because the amount of data stored on ALSoD is very large, the available information for display using smartphone access is deliberately restricted to improve usability. Visits to the website increased from 2231 to 2820, yielding a 26% increase from the pre-mobile to post-mobile period and an increase from 103 to 340 visits (230%) using mobile devices (including tablets). The smartphone app is currently available on BlackBerry and Android devices and will be available shortly on iOS as well. Further development of the ALSoD website has allowed access through smartphones and tablets, either through the website or directly through a mobile app, making genetic data stored on the database readily accessible to researchers and patients across multiple devices.

An online condition monitoring system implemented an internet connectivity and FTP for low speed slew bearing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caesarendra, W.; Kosasih, B.; Tjahjowidodo, T.; Ariyanto, M.; Daryl, LWQ; Pamungkas, D.

2018-04-01

Rapid and reliable information in slew bearing maintenance is not trivial issue. This paper presents the online monitoring system to assist maintenance engineer in order to monitor the bearing condition of low speed slew bearing in sheet metal company. The system is able to pass the vibration information from the place where the bearing and accelerometer sensors are attached to the data center; and from the data center it can be access by opening the online monitoring website from any place and by any person. The online monitoring system is built using some programming languages such as C language, MATLAB, PHP, HTML and CSS. Generally, the flow process is start with the automatic vibration data acquisition; then features are calculated from the acquired vibration data. These features are then sent to the data center; and form the data center, the vibration features can be seen through the online monitoring website. This online monitoring system has been successfully applied in School of Mechanical, Materials and Mechatronic Engineering, University of Wollongong.

EcoGene 3.0

PubMed Central

Zhou, Jindan; Rudd, Kenneth E.

2013-01-01

EcoGene (http://ecogene.org) is a database and website devoted to continuously improving the structural and functional annotation of Escherichia coli K-12, one of the most well understood model organisms, represented by the MG1655(Seq) genome sequence and annotations. Major improvements to EcoGene in the past decade include (i) graphic presentations of genome map features; (ii) ability to design Boolean queries and Venn diagrams from EcoArray, EcoTopics or user-provided GeneSets; (iii) the genome-wide clone and deletion primer design tool, PrimerPairs; (iv) sequence searches using a customized EcoBLAST; (v) a Cross Reference table of synonymous gene and protein identifiers; (vi) proteome-wide indexing with GO terms; (vii) EcoTools access to >2000 complete bacterial genomes in EcoGene-RefSeq; (viii) establishment of a MySql relational database; and (ix) use of web content management systems. The biomedical literature is surveyed daily to provide citation and gene function updates. As of September 2012, the review of 37 397 abstracts and articles led to creation of 98 425 PubMed-Gene links and 5415 PubMed-Topic links. Annotation updates to Genbank U00096 are transmitted from EcoGene to NCBI. Experimental verifications include confirmation of a CTG start codon, pseudogene restoration and quality assurance of the Keio strain collection. PMID:23197660

EcoGene 3.0.

PubMed

Zhou, Jindan; Rudd, Kenneth E

2013-01-01

EcoGene (http://ecogene.org) is a database and website devoted to continuously improving the structural and functional annotation of Escherichia coli K-12, one of the most well understood model organisms, represented by the MG1655(Seq) genome sequence and annotations. Major improvements to EcoGene in the past decade include (i) graphic presentations of genome map features; (ii) ability to design Boolean queries and Venn diagrams from EcoArray, EcoTopics or user-provided GeneSets; (iii) the genome-wide clone and deletion primer design tool, PrimerPairs; (iv) sequence searches using a customized EcoBLAST; (v) a Cross Reference table of synonymous gene and protein identifiers; (vi) proteome-wide indexing with GO terms; (vii) EcoTools access to >2000 complete bacterial genomes in EcoGene-RefSeq; (viii) establishment of a MySql relational database; and (ix) use of web content management systems. The biomedical literature is surveyed daily to provide citation and gene function updates. As of September 2012, the review of 37 397 abstracts and articles led to creation of 98 425 PubMed-Gene links and 5415 PubMed-Topic links. Annotation updates to Genbank U00096 are transmitted from EcoGene to NCBI. Experimental verifications include confirmation of a CTG start codon, pseudogene restoration and quality assurance of the Keio strain collection.

“Smoking Revolution” A Content Analysis of Electronic Cigarette Retail Websites

PubMed Central

Grana, Rachel A.; Ling, Pamela M.

2014-01-01

Background Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have been increasingly available and marketed in the U.S. since 2007. As patterns of product adoption are frequently driven and reinforced by marketing, it is important to understand the marketing claims encountered by consumers. Purpose To describe the main advertising claims made on branded e-cigarette retail websites. Methods Websites were retrieved from two major search engines in 2011 using iterative searches with the following terms: electronic cigarette, e-cigarette, e-cig, and personal vaporizer. Fifty-nine websites met inclusion criteria, and 13 marketing claims were coded for main marketing messages in 2012. Results Ninety-five percent of the websites made explicit or implicit health-related claims, 64% had a smoking cessation-related claim, 22% featured doctors, and 76% claimed that the product does not produce secondhand smoke. Comparisons to cigarettes included claims that e-cigarettes were cleaner (95%) and cheaper (93%). Eighty-eight percent stated that the product could be smoked anywhere and 71% mentioned using the product to circumvent clean air policies. Candy, fruit, and coffee flavors were offered on most sites. Youthful appeals included images or claims of modernity (73%), increased social status (44%), enhanced social activity (32%), romance (31%), and use by celebrities (22%). Conclusions Health claims and smoking cessation messages that are unsupported by current scientific evidence are frequently used to sell e-cigarettes. Implied and overt health claims, the presence of doctors on websites, celebrity endorsements, and the use of characterizing flavors should be prohibited. PMID:24650842

48 CFR 52.222-50 - Combating Trafficking in Persons.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

....222-50 Combating Trafficking in Persons. As prescribed in 22.1705(a), insert the following clause...: ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ [Contracting Officer shall insert title of directive/notice; indicate the document is attached or provide source (such as website link) for obtaining document; and, indicate the contract performance location...

Discovery of Sound in the Sea (DOSITS) Content and Outreach Activities

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-07-30

Report 3 • Reviewed Acoustical Society of America teacher resources for possible links on DOSITS • Reviewed sonoluminescence article by the...response to Michael Stocker and the Ocean Conservancy Research’s website plagiarizing DOSITS • Reviewed and revised draft abstracts for the National

SWMPrats.net: A Web-Based Resource for Exploring SWMP Data

EPA Science Inventory

SWMPrats.net is a web-based resource that provides accessible approaches to using SWMP data. The website includes a user forum with instructional ‘Plots of the Month’; links to workshop content; and a description of the SWMPr data analysis package for R. Interactive...

76 FR 5355 - Notice of Submission for OMB Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-31

... Grants (1894-0001). OMB Control Number: Pending. Agency Form Number(s): 1810-NEW. Frequency of Responses... Educational Agencies or Local Educational Agencies. Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 5. Total... Website at http://edicsweb.ed.gov , by selecting the ``Browse Pending Collections'' link and by clicking...

National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) | Information Center

Science.gov Websites

National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) Contact Information Website: http://www.nbii.gov/ The National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) is a broad, collaborative program to provide increased access to data and information on the nation's biological resources. The NBII links diverse, high

Reviews Equipment: Data logger Book: Imagined Worlds Equipment: Mini data loggers Equipment: PICAXE-18M2 data logger Books: Engineering: A Very Short Introduction and To Engineer Is Human Book: Soap, Science, & Flat-Screen TVs Equipment: uLog and SensorLab Web Watch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2012-07-01

WE RECOMMEND Data logger Fourier NOVA LINK: data logging and analysis To Engineer is Human Engineering: essays and insights Soap, Science, & Flat-Screen TVs People, politics, business and science overlap uLog sensors and sensor adapter A new addition to the LogIT range offers simplicity and ease of use WORTH A LOOK Imagined Worlds Socio-scientific predictions for the future Mini light data logger and mini temperature data logger Small-scale equipment for schools SensorLab Plus LogIT's supporting software, with extra features HANDLE WITH CARE CAXE110P PICAXE-18M2 data logger Data logger 'on view' but disappoints Engineering: A Very Short Introduction A broad-brush treatment fails to satisfy WEB WATCH Two very different websites for students: advanced physics questions answered and a more general BBC science resource

AstroBlend: An astrophysical visualization package for Blender

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naiman, J. P.

2016-04-01

The rapid growth in scale and complexity of both computational and observational astrophysics over the past decade necessitates efficient and intuitive methods for examining and visualizing large datasets. Here, I present AstroBlend, an open-source Python library for use within the three dimensional modeling software, Blender. While Blender has been a popular open-source software among animators and visual effects artists, in recent years it has also become a tool for visualizing astrophysical datasets. AstroBlend combines the three dimensional capabilities of Blender with the analysis tools of the widely used astrophysical toolset, yt, to afford both computational and observational astrophysicists the ability to simultaneously analyze their data and create informative and appealing visualizations. The introduction of this package includes a description of features, work flow, and various example visualizations. A website - www.astroblend.com - has been developed which includes tutorials, and a gallery of example images and movies, along with links to downloadable data, three dimensional artistic models, and various other resources.

Evolution of Electronic Cigarette Brands From 2013-2014 to 2016-2017: Analysis of Brand Websites.

PubMed

Hsu, Greta; Sun, Jessica Y; Zhu, Shu-Hong

2018-03-12

The electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) industry has grown in size and organizational complexity in recent years, most notably with the entry of major tobacco companies in 2012 and the proliferation of vape shops. Many brands maintain retail websites that present e-cigarette marketing claims and sell directly to consumers. Understanding of the evolving composition of different types of e-cigarette brand websites is currently underdeveloped. This paper presents how e-cigarette brand websites surveyed in 2013-2014 evolved by 2016-2017, and how the websites run by different types of e-cigarette producers currently differ. In 2016-2017, we revisited 466 e-cigarette brand websites surveyed in 2013-2014, 288 of which were extant, and identified 145 new English-language websites. We compared product designs, marketing claims, and age-based warnings presented by types of e-cigarette producers: major tobacco companies, independent vape shops, and independent internet-only companies. Among the 433 websites examined in 2016-2017, 12 were owned by major tobacco companies, 162 operated a physical vape shop, and 259 were internet-only operations. Closed-system product designs were sold by 83% (10/12) of tobacco-owned brands. In comparison, 29.0% (47/162, P<.001) of vape shop and 55.2% (143/259, P=.06) of internet-only brands sold closed-system designs. Compared with vape shop and internet-only brands, tobacco-owned brands offered a smaller set of product models (P values <.001) and a narrower range of flavors (P values <.01), with greater emphasis on the traditional combustible cigarette flavors of tobacco and menthol (P values <.001). Tobacco-owned brands also offered a narrower range of nicotine options than the vape shops (P=.002) and were less likely to offer nicotine-free e-liquid compared with internet-only and vape shop brands (P values <.001). Finally, 83% (10/12) of tobacco-owned brand websites featured age verification pop-up windows. In comparison, only 50.2% (130/259) of internet-only brands (P=.01) and 60.5% (98/162) of vape shop brands (P=.06) featured age verification windows. Websites surveyed in both 2013-2014 and 2016-2017 became more likely to sell open-system mods (P<.001) and sold an increased number of product models (P<.001), flavors (P<.001), and nicotine options (P<.001). Prevalence of several types of claims decreased significantly, including indirect claims regarding smoking cessation (P<.001), claims regarding e-cigarettes as healthier (P<.001), less expensive (P<.001), and usable in more places (P<.001) compared with combustible cigarettes. The number of e-cigarette brands has not appeared to increase since 2014, even as website messaging evolved, with brands owned by tobacco companies and vape shops pulling in opposite directions. Brands owned by tobacco companies offered a limited range of e-cigarette products, whereas brands owned by vape shops emphasized a panoply of flavor and nicotine options. Furthermore, the Food and Drug Administration's regulatory action may influence the types of e-cigarette products offered and the market shares of various companies. ©Greta Hsu, Jessica Y Sun, Shu-Hong Zhu. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 12.03.2018.

Removing a barrier to computer-based outbreak and disease surveillance--the RODS Open Source Project.

PubMed

Espino, Jeremy U; Wagner, M; Szczepaniak, C; Tsui, F C; Su, H; Olszewski, R; Liu, Z; Chapman, W; Zeng, X; Ma, L; Lu, Z; Dara, J

2004-09-24

Computer-based outbreak and disease surveillance requires high-quality software that is well-supported and affordable. Developing software in an open-source framework, which entails free distribution and use of software and continuous, community-based software development, can produce software with such characteristics, and can do so rapidly. The objective of the Real-Time Outbreak and Disease Surveillance (RODS) Open Source Project is to accelerate the deployment of computer-based outbreak and disease surveillance systems by writing software and catalyzing the formation of a community of users, developers, consultants, and scientists who support its use. The University of Pittsburgh seeded the Open Source Project by releasing the RODS software under the GNU General Public License. An infrastructure was created, consisting of a website, mailing lists for developers and users, designated software developers, and shared code-development tools. These resources are intended to encourage growth of the Open Source Project community. Progress is measured by assessing website usage, number of software downloads, number of inquiries, number of system deployments, and number of new features or modules added to the code base. During September--November 2003, users generated 5,370 page views of the project website, 59 software downloads, 20 inquiries, one new deployment, and addition of four features. Thus far, health departments and companies have been more interested in using the software as is than in customizing or developing new features. The RODS laboratory anticipates that after initial installation has been completed, health departments and companies will begin to customize the software and contribute their enhancements to the public code base.

The Visible Heart® project and free-access website 'Atlas of Human Cardiac Anatomy'.

PubMed

Iaizzo, Paul A

2016-12-01

Pre- and post-evaluations of implantable cardiac devices require innovative and critical testing in all phases of the design process. The Visible Heart ® Project was successfully launched in 1997 and 3 years later the Atlas of Human Cardiac Anatomy website was online. The Visible Heart ® methodologies and Atlas website can be used to better understand human cardiac anatomy, disease states and/or to improve cardiac device design throughout the development process. To date, Visible ® Heart methodologies have been used to reanimate 75 human hearts, all considered non-viable for transplantation. The Atlas is a unique free-access website featuring novel images of functional and fixed human cardiac anatomies from >400 human heart specimens. Furthermore, this website includes education tutorials on anatomy, physiology, congenital heart disease and various imaging modalities. For instance, the Device Tutorial provides examples of commonly deployed devices that were present at the time of in vitro reanimation or were subsequently delivered, including: leads, catheters, valves, annuloplasty rings, leadless pacemakers and stents. Another section of the website displays 3D models of vasculature, blood volumes, and/or tissue volumes reconstructed from computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance images (MRI) of various heart specimens. A new section allows the user to interact with various heart models. Visible Heart ® methodologies have enabled our laboratory to reanimate 75 human hearts and visualize functional cardiac anatomies and device/tissue interfaces. The website freely shares all images, video clips and CT/MRI DICOM files in honour of the generous gifts received from donors and their families. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2016. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Feasibility of a Website and a Hospital-Based Online Portal for Young Adults With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Views and Experiences of Patients

PubMed Central

Scholtus, Lieske W; Drossaert, Constance HC; van Os-Medendorp, Harmieke; Prakken, Berent; Kruize, Aike A; Bijlsma, Johannes JW

2015-01-01

Background To improve knowledge and to encourage active involvement of young adults with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), an informative website with written and video information and an online portal with access to the personal medical record, self-monitoring, and e-consult functionalities were developed. Before implementing these applications in daily practice, it is important to gain insight into their feasibility in terms of ease of use, perceived usefulness and intention to use. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate and to examine the feasibility of the website and the online portal for young adults with JIA. Methods A qualitative, feasibility study was conducted among the first users: 13 young adults with JIA. After provided access to the website and online portal, patients were interviewed on perceived usefulness, ease of use, and intention to (re)use the applications. Results Participants in the study considered the website and online portal as useful and easy-to-use. New medical information and feedback would motivate them to revisit the applications again. On the website, videos showing other young adults, telling how they handle their condition, were found as the most useful. On the portal, access to their medical records was most appreciated: it made the young JIA patients feel in control and it helped them monitor symptoms and disease activity. e-consults were thought to facilitate communication with physicians. Conclusions The young adults considered both the website and the online portal as feasible, but they also had valuable suggestions to improve accessibility and use. Based on these findings, a news and event section was added on the website and a direct link was made to a discussion board and social media. To provide and support health information, the website is actively used in daily care. Considering the online portal, the use of self-monitoring tools and e-consult can be stimulated if there is direct linkage to treatment and feedback from the multidisciplinary team. Feasibility testing, before implementing the website and online portal in daily practice, has proven to be a valuable step. Results led to improvements in terms of integration into standard care and topics for further research. PMID:26276373

Depressive symptoms and web user experience

PubMed Central

Thielsch, Carolin

2018-01-01

Background Depression, as one of the most prevalent mental disorders, is expected to become a leading cause of disability. While evidence-based treatments are not always easily accessible, Internet-based information and self-help appears as a promising approach to improve the strained supply situation by avoiding barriers of traditional offline treatment. User experience in the domain of mental problems therefore emerges as an important research topic. The aim of our study is to investigate the impact of depressive symptoms on subjective and objective measures of web user experience. Method In this two-part online study (Ntotal = 721) we investigate the relationship between depressive symptoms of web users and basic website characteristics (i.e., content, subjective and objective usability, aesthetics). Participants completed search and memory tasks on different fully-functional websites. In addition, they were asked to evaluate the given websites with standardized measures and were screened for symptoms of depression using the PHQ-9. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to determine whether depression severity affects users’ perception of and performance in using information websites. Results We found significant associations between depressive symptoms and subjective user experience, specifically of website content, usability, and aesthetics, as well as an effect of content perception on the overall appraisal of a website in terms of the intention to visit it again. Small yet significant negative effects of depression severity on all named subjective website evaluations were revealed, leading to an indirect negative effect on the intention to revisit a website via impaired content perceptions. However, objective task performance was not influenced by depressiveness of users. Discussion Depression emerges as capable of altering the subjective perception of a website to some extend with respect to the main features content, usability, and aesthetics. The user experience of a website is crucial, especially as it facilitates revisiting a website and thus might be relevant in avoiding drop-out in online interventions. Thus, the biased impression of persons affected by symptoms of depression and resulting needs of those users should be considered when designing and evaluating E-(Mental)-Health-platforms. The high prevalence of some mental disorders such as depression in the general population stresses the need for further investigations of the found effects. PMID:29507832

Creating comprehensive, youth centered, culturally appropriate sex education: What do young gay, bisexual and questioning men want?

PubMed

Pingel, Emily Sweetnam; Thomas, Laura; Harmell, Chelsea; Bauermeister, José

2013-12-01

We examined young gay, bisexual and questioning men's (YGBQM) experiences with school-based sex education as they sought to learn about sex and sexual health, and their suggestions for improving same-sex education resources. Thematic analysis of 30 in-depth interviews with YGBQM (ages 18-24) underscored the discrepancies between the existing school-based sex education curricula and YGBQM's perceived sex education needs. Our results show that many youths' sexuality and same-sex sexual behaviors are excluded in sex education lessons; however, YGBQM noted that they sought out other resources (e.g., websites) to answer their questions. We discuss YGBQM's ideas for the creation of a sex and sexual health website that would be tailored for youth like themselves, including topics and features that an ideal website would contain. In addition, we present recommended changes to existing school-based sexual education curricula.

Creating comprehensive, youth centered, culturally appropriate sex education: What do young gay, bisexual and questioning men want?

PubMed Central

Pingel, Emily Sweetnam; Thomas, Laura; Harmell, Chelsea; Bauermeister, José

2013-01-01

We examined young gay, bisexual and questioning men's (YGBQM) experiences with school-based sex education as they sought to learn about sex and sexual health, and their suggestions for improving same-sex education resources. Thematic analysis of 30 in-depth interviews with YGBQM (ages 18-24) underscored the discrepancies between the existing school-based sex education curricula and YGBQM's perceived sex education needs. Our results show that many youths' sexuality and same-sex sexual behaviors are excluded in sex education lessons; however, YGBQM noted that they sought out other resources (e.g., websites) to answer their questions. We discuss YGBQM's ideas for the creation of a sex and sexual health website that would be tailored for youth like themselves, including topics and features that an ideal website would contain. In addition, we present recommended changes to existing school-based sexual education curricula. PMID:24348222

OMIM.org: Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM®), an online catalog of human genes and genetic disorders

PubMed Central

Amberger, Joanna S.; Bocchini, Carol A.; Schiettecatte, François; Scott, Alan F.; Hamosh, Ada

2015-01-01

Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man, OMIM®, is a comprehensive, authoritative and timely research resource of curated descriptions of human genes and phenotypes and the relationships between them. The new official website for OMIM, OMIM.org (http://omim.org), was launched in January 2011. OMIM is based on the published peer-reviewed biomedical literature and is used by overlapping and diverse communities of clinicians, molecular biologists and genome scientists, as well as by students and teachers of these disciplines. Genes and phenotypes are described in separate entries and are given unique, stable six-digit identifiers (MIM numbers). OMIM entries have a structured free-text format that provides the flexibility necessary to describe the complex and nuanced relationships between genes and genetic phenotypes in an efficient manner. OMIM also has a derivative table of genes and genetic phenotypes, the Morbid Map. OMIM.org has enhanced search capabilities such as genome coordinate searching and thesaurus-enhanced search term options. Phenotypic series have been created to facilitate viewing genetic heterogeneity of phenotypes. Clinical synopsis features are enhanced with UMLS, Human Phenotype Ontology and Elements of Morphology terms and image links. All OMIM data are available for FTP download and through an API. MIMmatch is a novel outreach feature to disseminate updates and encourage collaboration. PMID:25428349

Photometric Observations of Main-belt Asteroids 1968 Mehltretter 2681 Ostrovskij & 3431 Nakano

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brincat, Stephen M.; Galdies, Charles

2018-07-01

Lightcurves for three mid-belt asteroids were obtained from Flarestar Observatory (MPC171) and Znith Observatory in 2017 and 2018. These asteroids were selected from the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL) website. No reported observations were available to deduce their rotation periods prior to this research.

Deep Water Cooling | Climate Neutral Research Campuses | NREL

Science.gov Websites

the Cornell website. Additional examples of research campus geothermal cooling projects include Deep Water Cooling Deep Water Cooling Research campuses that are located near a deep lake or deep plan for your research campus. Considerations Sample Project Related Links Deep water cooling involves

The New Geography: The Map, The Satellite, and The Computer

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-23

GDP Ratio To Evaluate Country ETFs ,” September 24, 2007, linked from Seeking Alpha Website, http://seekingalpha.com/article/47992-using-trade-to- gdp...ratio-to-evaluate-country- etfs , (accessed February 18, 2011). 51For additional information and charts on oil and energy refer to the U.S. Energy

Viewing Files | Smokefree 60+

Cancer.gov

In addition to standard HTML webpages, our website contains files in other formats. You may need additional software or browser plug-ins to view some of these files. The following list shows each format along with links to the corresponding freely available plug-ins or viewers. Documents  Adobe Acrobat Reader (.pdf)

Energy Research & Development

Science.gov Websites

Skip to Main Content CA.gov California Energy Commission CA.gov | Contact | Newsroom | Quick Links convenience of our website visitors and is for informational purposes only. The California Energy Commission Google Translate™. The California Energy Commission does not endorse the use of Google TranslateÂ

Web Resources for Special Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singh, Delar K.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to provide brief descriptions and links to a number of reputed websites on various topics and issues of special education. The web sites are organized in the following categories: (1) Teaching in Inclusive Classroom, (2) Policies, Procedures, & Process of Special education, (3) Students with High Incidence…

Optimal number of features as a function of sample size for various classification rules.

PubMed

Hua, Jianping; Xiong, Zixiang; Lowey, James; Suh, Edward; Dougherty, Edward R

2005-04-15

Given the joint feature-label distribution, increasing the number of features always results in decreased classification error; however, this is not the case when a classifier is designed via a classification rule from sample data. Typically (but not always), for fixed sample size, the error of a designed classifier decreases and then increases as the number of features grows. The potential downside of using too many features is most critical for small samples, which are commonplace for gene-expression-based classifiers for phenotype discrimination. For fixed sample size and feature-label distribution, the issue is to find an optimal number of features. Since only in rare cases is there a known distribution of the error as a function of the number of features and sample size, this study employs simulation for various feature-label distributions and classification rules, and across a wide range of sample and feature-set sizes. To achieve the desired end, finding the optimal number of features as a function of sample size, it employs massively parallel computation. Seven classifiers are treated: 3-nearest-neighbor, Gaussian kernel, linear support vector machine, polynomial support vector machine, perceptron, regular histogram and linear discriminant analysis. Three Gaussian-based models are considered: linear, nonlinear and bimodal. In addition, real patient data from a large breast-cancer study is considered. To mitigate the combinatorial search for finding optimal feature sets, and to model the situation in which subsets of genes are co-regulated and correlation is internal to these subsets, we assume that the covariance matrix of the features is blocked, with each block corresponding to a group of correlated features. Altogether there are a large number of error surfaces for the many cases. These are provided in full on a companion website, which is meant to serve as resource for those working with small-sample classification. For the companion website, please visit http://public.tgen.org/tamu/ofs/ e-dougherty@ee.tamu.edu.

Informing Patients About Placebo Effects: Using Evidence, Theory, and Qualitative Methods to Develop a New Website.

PubMed

Greville-Harris, Maddy; Bostock, Jennifer; Din, Amy; Graham, Cynthia A; Lewith, George; Liossi, Christina; O'Riordan, Tim; White, Peter; Yardley, Lucy; Bishop, Felicity L

2016-06-10

According to established ethical principles and guidelines, patients in clinical trials should be fully informed about the interventions they might receive. However, information about placebo-controlled clinical trials typically focuses on the new intervention being tested and provides limited and at times misleading information about placebos. We aimed to create an informative, scientifically accurate, and engaging website that could be used to improve understanding of placebo effects among patients who might be considering taking part in a placebo-controlled clinical trial. Our approach drew on evidence-, theory-, and person-based intervention development. We used existing evidence and theory about placebo effects to develop content that was scientifically accurate. We used existing evidence and theory of health behavior to ensure our content would be communicated persuasively, to an audience who might currently be ignorant or misinformed about placebo effects. A qualitative 'think aloud' study was conducted in which 10 participants viewed prototypes of the website and spoke their thoughts out loud in the presence of a researcher. The website provides information about 10 key topics and uses text, evidence summaries, quizzes, audio clips of patients' stories, and a short film to convey key messages. Comments from participants in the think aloud study highlighted occasional misunderstandings and off-putting/confusing features. These were addressed by modifying elements of content, style, and navigation to improve participants' experiences of using the website. We have developed an evidence-based website that incorporates theory-based techniques to inform members of the public about placebos and placebo effects. Qualitative research ensured our website was engaging and convincing for our target audience who might not perceive a need to learn about placebo effects. Before using the website in clinical trials, it is necessary to test its effects on key outcomes including patients' knowledge and capacity for making informed choices about placebos.

Informing Patients About Placebo Effects: Using Evidence, Theory, and Qualitative Methods to Develop a New Website

PubMed Central

Greville-Harris, Maddy; Bostock, Jennifer; Din, Amy; Graham, Cynthia A; Lewith, George; Liossi, Christina; O’Riordan, Tim; White, Peter; Yardley, Lucy

2016-01-01

Background According to established ethical principles and guidelines, patients in clinical trials should be fully informed about the interventions they might receive. However, information about placebo-controlled clinical trials typically focuses on the new intervention being tested and provides limited and at times misleading information about placebos. Objective We aimed to create an informative, scientifically accurate, and engaging website that could be used to improve understanding of placebo effects among patients who might be considering taking part in a placebo-controlled clinical trial. Methods Our approach drew on evidence-, theory-, and person-based intervention development. We used existing evidence and theory about placebo effects to develop content that was scientifically accurate. We used existing evidence and theory of health behavior to ensure our content would be communicated persuasively, to an audience who might currently be ignorant or misinformed about placebo effects. A qualitative ‘think aloud’ study was conducted in which 10 participants viewed prototypes of the website and spoke their thoughts out loud in the presence of a researcher. Results The website provides information about 10 key topics and uses text, evidence summaries, quizzes, audio clips of patients’ stories, and a short film to convey key messages. Comments from participants in the think aloud study highlighted occasional misunderstandings and off-putting/confusing features. These were addressed by modifying elements of content, style, and navigation to improve participants’ experiences of using the website. Conclusions We have developed an evidence-based website that incorporates theory-based techniques to inform members of the public about placebos and placebo effects. Qualitative research ensured our website was engaging and convincing for our target audience who might not perceive a need to learn about placebo effects. Before using the website in clinical trials, it is necessary to test its effects on key outcomes including patients’ knowledge and capacity for making informed choices about placebos. PMID:27288271

Direct-to-consumer communication on prescription only medicines via the internet in the Netherlands, a pilot study. Opinion of the pharmaceutical industry, patient associations and support groups.

PubMed

Fabius, A Mariette; Cheung, Ka-Chun; Rijcken, Cristianne J F; Vinkers, Christiaan H; Talsma, Herre

2004-06-01

Investigation of the current application of direct-to-consumer (DTC) communication on prescription only medicines via the Intemet in the Netherlands. Questionnaires were sent by e-mail to 43 Dutch innovative pharmaceutical industries and 130 Patient Association and Support Groups (PASGs). In this pilot study, the response of the pharmaceutical industry was rather low but the impression is that they were willing to invest in DTC communication. The majority of the websites of PASGs did not link to websites of pharmaceutical companies. The PASGs had no opinion whether patients can make a good distinction between DTC advertising and information on websites of the pharmaceutical industry nor about the quality. PASGs did not think unambiguously about the impact on the patient-doctor relationship. The impact of DTC communication on prescription only medicines via the internet is not yet clear in the Netherlands.

[Pathology websites in the World Wide Web. A guide for a specific research of pathology information on the Internet].

PubMed

Böhm, J

2008-05-01

Being a global information network, the internet has becoming increasingly important for pathologists as a medium for professional communication and information. Although a large number of pathology-specific websites (PSWs) are accessible on the internet, the potentials of PSWs are still barely known. Since there is no global catalog for all the pathology websites, certain PSWs are difficult to find on the internet. PSWs offer lavishly illustrated education material for undergraduates and postgraduates in pathology, but may also be very useful as reference books or as an instrument of continuing medical education (CME) for experienced pathologists. The spectrum of PSW media comprises electronic training manuals, journals, case collections, photo-archives, and even complete section series of virtual microscopy. PSWs are available at any time, can be updated permanently and linked to further online sources of information. We demonstrate how to find PSWs and present an annotated list of some 100 of the best PSWs.

Critical Analysis of the Quality, Readability, and Technical Aspects of Online Information Provided for Neck-Lifts.

PubMed

Rayess, Hani; Zuliani, Giancarlo F; Gupta, Amar; Svider, Peter F; Folbe, Adam J; Eloy, Jean Anderson; Carron, Michael A

2017-03-01

The number of patients using the internet to obtain health information is growing. This material is unregulated and heterogeneous and can influence patient decisions. To compare the quality, readability, and technical aspects of online information about neck-lifts provided by private practice websites vs academic medical centers and reference sources. In this cross-sectional analysis conducted between November 2015 and January 2016, a Google search of the term neck-lift was performed, and the first 45 websites were evaluated. The websites were categorized as private practice vs other. Private websites (PWs) included sites created by private practice physicians. Other websites (OWs) were created by academic medical centers or reference sources. Quality, readability, and technical aspects of online websites related to neck-lifts. Quality was assessed using the DISCERN criteria and the Health on the Net principles (HONcode). Readability was assessed using 7 validated and widely used criteria. Consensus US reading grade level readability was provided by a website (readabilityformulas.com). Twelve technical aspects were evaluated based on criteria specified by medical website creators. Forty-five websites (8 OWs [18%] and 37 PWs [82%]) were analyzed. There was a significant difference in quality between OWs and PWs based on the DISCERN criteria and HONcode principles. The DISCERN overall mean (SD) scores were 2.3 (0.5) for OWs and 1.3 (0.3) for PWs (P < .001). Of a total possible score of 14 using the HONcode analysis, the mean (SD) was 8.6 (1.8) (range, 5-11) for OW, and the mean (SD) was 5.8 (1.7) (range, 2-9) for PW. The mean (SD) readability consensus reading grade level scores were 11.7 (1.9) for OWs and 10.6 (1.9) for PWs. Of a total possible score of 12, the mean (SD) technical scores were 6.3 (1.8) (range, 4-9) for OWs and 6.4 (1.5) (range, 3-9) for PWs. Compared with PWs, OWs had a significantly higher quality score based on both the DISCERN criteria and HONcode principles. The mean readability for OWs and PWs was grade 11 and grade 10, respectively, significantly higher than the grade 7 level recommended by the National Institutes of Health. Assessment of technical criteria demonstrated room for improvement in providing links to social media and blogs and reducing advertisements. Improving the quality and readability of online information may result in increased patient understanding, more active patient involvement, and ultimately better outcomes. Enhancing the technical aspects of websites may increase website traffic and patient volume. NA.

Can a More User-Friendly Medicare Plan Finder Improve Consumers' Selection of Medicare Plans?

PubMed

Martino, Steven C; Kanouse, David E; Miranda, David J; Elliott, Marc N

2017-10-01

To evaluate the efficacy for consumers of two potential enhancements to the Medicare Plan Finder (MPF)-a simplified data display and a "quick links" home page designed to match the specific tasks that users seek to accomplish on the MPF. Participants (N = 641) were seniors and adult caregivers of seniors who were recruited from a national online panel. Participants browsed a simulated version of the MPF, made a hypothetical plan choice, and reported on their experience. Participants were randomly assigned to one of eight conditions in a fully factorial design: 2 home pages (quick links, current MPF home page) × 2 data displays (simplified, current MPF display) × 2 plan types (stand-alone prescription drug plan [PDP], Medicare Advantage plan with prescription drug coverage [MA-PD]). The quick links page resulted in more favorable perceptions of the MPF, improved users' understanding of the information, and increased the probability of choosing the objectively best plan. The simplified data display resulted in a more favorable evaluation of the website, better comprehension of the displayed information, and, among those choosing a PDP only, an increased probability of choosing the best plan. Design enhancements could markedly improve average website users' understanding, ability to use, and experience of using the MPF. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Developing a web-based information resource for palliative care: an action-research inspired approach

PubMed Central

Street, Annette F; Swift, Kathleen; Annells, Merilyn; Woodruff, Roger; Gliddon, Terry; Oakley, Anne; Ottman, Goetz

2007-01-01

Background General Practitioners and community nurses rely on easily accessible, evidence-based online information to guide practice. To date, the methods that underpin the scoping of user-identified online information needs in palliative care have remained under-explored. This paper describes the benefits and challenges of a collaborative approach involving users and experts that informed the first stage of the development of a palliative care website [1]. Method The action research-inspired methodology included a panel assessment of an existing palliative care website based in Victoria, Australia; a pre-development survey (n = 197) scoping potential audiences and palliative care information needs; working parties conducting a needs analysis about necessary information content for a redeveloped website targeting health professionals and caregivers/patients; an iterative evaluation process involving users and experts; as well as a final evaluation survey (n = 166). Results Involving users in the identification of content and links for a palliative care website is time-consuming and requires initial resources, strong networking skills and commitment. However, user participation provided crucial information that led to the widened the scope of the website audience and guided the development and testing of the website. The needs analysis underpinning the project suggests that palliative care peak bodies need to address three distinct audiences (clinicians, allied health professionals as well as patients and their caregivers). Conclusion Web developers should pay close attention to the content, language, and accessibility needs of these groups. Given the substantial cost associated with the maintenance of authoritative health information sites, the paper proposes a more collaborative development in which users can be engaged in the definition of content to ensure relevance and responsiveness, and to eliminate unnecessary detail. Access to volunteer networks forms an integral part of such an approach. PMID:17854509

Sexual and Reproductive Health Services and Related Health Information on Pregnancy Resource Center Websites: A Statewide Content Analysis.

PubMed

Swartzendruber, Andrea; Newton-Levinson, Anna; Feuchs, Ashley E; Phillips, Ashley L; Hickey, Jennifer; Steiner, Riley J

Pregnancy resource centers (PRCs) are nonprofit organizations with a primary mission of promoting childbirth among pregnant women. Given a new state grant program to publicly fund PRCs, we analyzed Georgia PRC websites to describe advertised services and related health information. We systematically identified all accessible Georgia PRC websites available from April to June 2016. Entire websites were obtained and coded using defined protocols. Of 64 reviewed websites, pregnancy tests and testing (98%) and options counseling (84%) were most frequently advertised. However, 58% of sites did not provide notice that PRCs do not provide or refer for abortion, and 53% included false or misleading statements regarding the need to make a decision about abortion or links between abortion and mental health problems or breast cancer. Advertised contraceptive services were limited to counseling about natural family planning (3%) and emergency contraception (14%). Most sites (89%) did not provide notice that PRCs do not provide or refer for contraceptives. Two sites (3%) advertised unproven "abortion reversal" services. Approximately 63% advertised ultrasound examinations, 22% sexually transmitted infection testing, and 5% sexually transmitted infection treatment. None promoted consistent and correct condom use; 78% with content about condoms included statements that seemed to be designed to undermine confidence in condom effectiveness. Approximately 84% advertised educational programs, and 61% material resources. Georgia PRC websites contain high levels of false and misleading health information; the advertised services do not seem to align with prevailing medical guidelines. Public funding for PRCs, an increasing national trend, should be rigorously examined. Increased regulation may be warranted to ensure quality health information and services. Copyright © 2017 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Proliferation of gynaecological scientific societies and their financial transparency: an Italian survey

PubMed Central

Vercellini, Paolo; Viganò, Paola; Frattaruolo, Maria Pina; Somigliana, Edgardo

2016-01-01

Objectives To determine the number of Italian obstetrical and gynaecological societies, and to ascertain their financial transparency. Design Internet-based national survey and website content analysis. Participants Currently active, not privately owned, non-religious, apolitical, obstetrical and gynaecological associations. Methods From October 2014 to June 2015, scientific societies were identified using combinations of search terms, and examining the website of the two main Italian obstetrical and gynaecological organisations. Individual societies’ websites were scrutinised by two independent investigators. Primary and secondary outcome measures Number of Italian obstetrical and gynaecological associations and its variation over time; 12 information categories defining the general characteristics of the societies and their websites, and the financial transparency of the associations. Results The initial web search yielded 56 professional obstetrical and gynaecological associations but nine were excluded for various reasons. Of the remaining 47 professional associations, 17 covered both obstetrics and gynaecology, four were specialised in obstetrics, 26 in gynaecology and 46 provided continuing medical education (CME) activities. The number of societies has quadrupled in the last 35 years, increasing at a mean rate of one additional society per year. The headquarters of the associations were located in the offices of a professional congress organiser in 15 instances, and advertisements or links to industry products were present in 12 societies’ websites. Bylaws were accessible in 32 websites. No information was publicly available regarding competing interests, financial statements and quantitative external funding. Conclusions The number of obstetrical and gynaecological societies is remarkably high in Italy, particularly in the gynaecological area. Despite CME activity provision, transparency of societies regarding financial issues and competing interests was almost non-existent. Policies addressing the interactions between medical associations and industry are available and should be implemented. PMID:26769777

Marketing to America's youth: evidence from corporate documents

PubMed Central

Cummings, K; Morley, C; Horan, J; Steger, C; Leavell, N

2002-01-01

Design: The data for this study come from tobacco industry documents collected from the tobacco industry's document websites, presently linked at http://www.tobaccoarchives.com. The websites were searched using "request for production" (RFP) codes, specified keyword searches, and serendipitous terms identified in document citations found with RFP and keyword searches. Results: Industry documents show that the cigarette manufacturers carefully monitored the smoking habits of teenagers over the past several decades. Candid quotes from industry executives refer to youth as a source of sales and as fundamental to the survival of the tobacco industry. The documents reveal that the features of cigarette brands (that is, use of filters, low tar, bland taste, etc), packaging (that is, size, colour and design), and advertising (that is, media placements and themes and imagery) were developed specifically to appeal to new smokers (that is, teenagers). Evidence also indicates that relevant youth oriented marketing documents may have been destroyed and that the language used in some of the more recent documents may have been sanitised to cover up efforts to market to youth. Conclusions: The tobacco industry's internal documents reveal an undeniable interest in marketing cigarettes to underage smokers. The industry's marketing approaches run counter to and predicate methods for tobacco prevention: (1) keep the price of the product high; (2) keep product placements and advertising away from schools and other areas with a high volume of youth traffic; (3) make cigarette advertising (that is, themes and visual images) unappealing to youth; (4) make product packaging unappealing to youth; and (5) design the product so it is not easy to inhale. PMID:11893810

Vehicle Technologies Fact of the Week 2015

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

Davis, Stacy C.; Diegel, Susan W.; Moore, Sheila A.

Each week the U.S. Department of Energy s Vehicle Technology Office (VTO) posts a Fact of the Week on their website: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/ . These Facts provide statistical information, usually in the form of charts and tables, on vehicle sales, fuel economy, gasoline prices, and other transportation-related trends. Each Fact is a stand-alone page that includes a graph, text explaining the significance of the data, the supporting information on which the graph was based, and the source of the data. A link to the current week s Fact is available on the VTO homepage, but older Facts (back to 2009) aremore » archived and still available at: http://energy.gov/eere/vehicles/current-and-past-years-facts-week. Each Fact of the Week website page includes a link to an Excel file. That file contains the data from the Supporting Information section of the page so that researchers can easily use data from the Fact of the Week in their work. Beginning in August of 2015, a subscription list is available on the DOE website so that those interested can sign up for an email to be sent each Monday which includes the text and graphic from the current week s Fact. This report is a compilation of the Facts that were posted during calendar year 2015. The Facts were created, written and prepared by staff in Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Center for Transportation Analysis.« less

Web-site evaluation tools: a case study in reproductive health information.

PubMed

Aslani, Azam; Pournik, Omid; Abu-Hanna, Ameen; Eslami, Saeid

2014-01-01

Internet forms an opportunity to inform, teach, and connect professionals and patients. However, much information on Internet is incomplete, inaccurate, or misleading, and not only in the medical domain. Because of the potential for damage from misleading and inaccurate health information, many organizations and individuals have published or implemented scoring tools for evaluating the appropriateness or quality of these resources. The objective of this study is to identify and summarize scoring tools that have evaluated web-sites providing reproductive health information in order to compare them and recommend an overarching evaluation tool. We searched Ovid MEDLINE(R) (1946 to July 2013) and OVID Embase (1980 to July 2013); and included English language studies that have evaluated the quality of websites providing reproductive health information. Studies only assessing the content of websites were excluded. We identified 5 scoring tools: 1-The HON (health on the net) Code of Conduct for medical and health Web sites, 2-Silberg scores, 3-Hogne Sandvik scale, 4-Jim Kapoun's Criteria for Evaluating Web Pages, and 5-The Health Information Technology Institute (HITI) criteria. We have compared these scales and identified 14 criteria: authorship, ownership, currency, objectivity/content, transparency/source, interactivity, privacy/ethics, financial disclosure, navigability/links, complementarity, advertising policy, design, quantity, and accessibility. We integrated these criteria and introduced a new tool with 10 criteria. Website evaluation tools differ in their evaluation criteria and there is a lack of consensus about which to use; therefore, an integrated easy to use set of criteria is needed.

What should a website dedicated to the postnatal period contain? A Delphi survey among parents and professionals.

PubMed

Slomian, J; Emonts, P; Erpicum, M; Vigneron, L; Reginster, J Y; Bruyère, O

2017-10-01

Mothers have a great need for information during the postnatal period. Trying to meet this need, mothers are increasingly turning to the Internet. Nevertheless, many women have stated that they often or always found that the information that they found on the Internet was incomplete or wrong. Many women therefore believe that health professionals should suggest reliable Internet websites for new mothers. The aim of this study was therefore to find a consensus on the content of a reliable and centralized website dedicated to mothers from the end of pregnancy to 1 year after childbirth. Two rounds of an online Delphi survey were used in this study. The panel of participants involved in the survey included parents (both mothers and fathers) and professionals (health professionals and professionals of early childhood for mothers of children aged 0 to 2 years). Ninety-six parents and professionals participated in the first round (37.7 ± 9.76 years; 84.4% of women) and 78 in the second round. The majority of participants (94.6%) thought that a centralized website could help mothers from pregnancy to one year after childbirth. The content that the experts would like to find on a website were themed into five categories: "infants' information", "parents' information", "administrative information", "professionals' information" and "type of resources". In each category, experts highlighted the key words that they found important and should be reported on the website. The most important items highlighted by participants were baby's feeding/breastfeeding (92.8%), babies' needs (84.1%), baby blues (77.9%), postpartum depression (72.1%), management of the couple's relationship (72.1%), women's right to postnatal care (83.6%), links to reliable documents (63.9%) and a list of useful contacts (52.5%). This study helped to understand the questions that mothers ask themselves during the postpartum period and provided priorities to respond to their questions in the process of developing a website. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The AVO Website - a Comprehensive Tool for Information Management and Dissemination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snedigar, S.; Cameron, C.; Nye, C. J.

2008-12-01

The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) website serves as a primary information management, browsing, and dissemination tool. It is database-driven, thus easy to maintain and update. There are two different, yet fully integrated parts of the website. An external site (www.avo.alaska.edu) allows the general public to track eruptive activity by viewing the latest photographs, webcam images, seismic data, and official information releases about the volcano, as well as maps, previous eruption information, and bibliographies. This website is also the single most comprehensive source of Alaska volcano information available. The database now contains 14,000 images, 3,300 of which are publicly viewable, and 4,300 bibliographic citations - many linked to full-text downloadable files.. The internal portion of the website is essential to routine observatory operations, and hosts browse images of diverse geophysical and geological data in a format accessible by AVO staff regardless of location. An observation log allows users to enter information about anything from satellite passes to seismic activity to ash fall reports into a searchable database, and has become the permanent record of observatory function. The individual(s) on duty at home, at the watch office, or elsewhere use forms on the internal website to log information about volcano activity. These data are then automatically parsed into a number of primary activity notices which are the formal communication to appropriate agencies and interested individuals. Geochemistry, geochronology, and geospatial data modules are currently being developed. The website receives over 100 million hits, and serves 1,300 GB of data annually. It is dynamically generated from a MySQL database with over 300 tables and several thousand lines of php code which write the actual web display. The primary webserver is housed at (but not owned by) the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and currently holds 200 GB of data. Webcam images, webicorder graphs, earthquake location plots, and spectrograms are pulled and generated by other servers in Fairbanks and Anchorage.

Multi-tool accessibility assessment of government department websites:a case-study with JKGAD.

PubMed

Ismail, Abid; Kuppusamy, K S; Nengroo, Ab Shakoor

2017-08-02

Nature of being accessible to all categories of users is one of the primary factors for enabling the wider reach of the resources published through World Wide Web. The accessibility of websites has been analyzed through W3C guidelines with the help of various tools. This paper presents a multi-tool accessibility assessment of government department websites belonging to the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. A comparative analysis of six accessibility tools is also presented with 14 different parameters. The accessibility analysis tools used in this study for analysis are aChecker, Cynthia Says, Tenon, wave, Mauve, and Hera. These tools provide us the results of selected websites accessibility status on Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 1.0 and 2.0. It was found that there are variations in accessibility analysis results when using different accessibility metrics to measure the accessibility of websites. In addition to this, we have identified the guidelines which have frequently been violated. It was observed that there is a need for incorporating the accessibility component features among the selected websites. This paper presents a set of suggestions to improve the accessibility status of these sites so that the information and services provided by these sites shall reach a wider spectrum of audience without any barrier. Implications for rehabilitation The following points indicates that this case study of JKGAD websites comes under Rehabilitation focused on Visually Impaired users. Due to the universal nature of web, it should be accessible to all according to WCAG guidelines framed by World Wide Web Consortium. In this paper we have identified multiple accessibility barriers for persons with visual impairment while browsing the Jammu and Kashmir Government websites. Multi-tool analysis has been done to pin-point the potential barriers for persons with visually Impaired. Usability analysis has been performed to check whether these websites are suitable for persons with visual impairment. We provide some valuable suggestions which can be followed by developers and designers to minimize these potential accessibility barriers.Based on aforementioned key points, this article helps the persons with disability especially Visually Impaired Users to access the web resources better with the implementation of identified suggestions.

Defining the Content of an Online Sexual Health Intervention: The MenSS Website.

PubMed

Webster, Rosie; Gerressu, Makeda; Michie, Susan; Estcourt, Claudia; Anderson, Jane; Ang, Chee Siang; Murray, Elizabeth; Rait, Greta; Stephenson, Judith; Bailey, Julia V

2015-07-03

Health promotion and risk reduction are essential components of sexual health care. However, it can be difficult to prioritize these within busy clinical services. Digital interventions may provide a new method for supporting these. The MenSS (Men's Safer Sex) website is an interactive digital intervention developed by a multidisciplinary team, which aims to improve condom use in men who have sex with women (MSW). This paper describes the content of this intervention, and the rationale for it. Content was informed by a literature review regarding men's barriers to condom use, workshops with experts in sexual health and technology (N=16) and interviews with men in sexual health clinics (N=20). Data from these sources were analyzed thematically, and synthesized using the Behavior Change Wheel framework. The MenSS intervention is a website optimized for delivery via tablet computer within a clinic waiting room setting. Key targets identified were condom use skills, beliefs about pleasure and knowledge about risk. Content was developed using behavior change techniques, and interactive website features provided feedback tailored for individual users. This paper provides a detailed description of an evidence-based interactive digital intervention for sexual health, including how behavior change techniques were translated into practice within the design of the MenSS website. Triangulation between a targeted literature review, expert workshops, and interviews with men ensured that a range of potential influences on condom use were captured.

The Pathways fertility preservation decision aid website for women with cancer: development and field testing.

PubMed

Woodard, Terri L; Hoffman, Aubri S; Covarrubias, Laura A; Holman, Deborah; Schover, Leslie; Bradford, Andrea; Hoffman, Derek B; Mathur, Aakrati; Thomas, Jerah; Volk, Robert J

2018-02-01

To improve survivors' awareness and knowledge of fertility preservation counseling and treatment options, this study engaged survivors and providers to design, develop, and field-test Pathways: a fertility preservation patient decision aid website for young women with cancer©. Using an adapted user-centered design process, our stakeholder advisory group and research team designed and optimized the Pathways patient decision aid website through four iterative cycles of review and revision with clinicians (n = 21) and survivors (n = 14). Field-testing (n = 20 survivors) assessed post-decision aid scores on the Fertility Preservation Knowledge Scale, feasibility of assessing women's decision-making values while using the website, and website usability/acceptability ratings. Iterative stakeholder engagement optimized the Pathways decision aid website to meet survivors' and providers' needs, including providing patient-friendly information and novel features such as interactive value clarification exercises, testimonials that model shared decision making, financial/referral resources, and a printable personal summary. Survivors scored an average of 8.2 out of 13 (SD 1.6) on the Fertility Preservation Knowledge Scale. They rated genetic screening and having a biological child as strong factors in their decision-making, and 71% indicated a preference for egg freezing. Most women (> 85%) rated Pathways favorably, and all women (100%) said they would recommend it to other women. The Pathways decision aid is a usable and acceptable tool to help women learn about fertility preservation. The Pathways decision aid may help women make well-informed values-based decisions and prevent future infertility-related distress.

"Smoking revolution": a content analysis of electronic cigarette retail websites.

PubMed

Grana, Rachel A; Ling, Pamela M

2014-04-01

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have been increasingly available and marketed in the U.S. since 2007. As patterns of product adoption are frequently driven and reinforced by marketing, it is important to understand the marketing claims encountered by consumers. To describe the main advertising claims made on branded e-cigarette retail websites. Websites were retrieved from two major search engines in 2011 using iterative searches with the following terms: electronic cigarette, e-cigarette, e-cig, and personal vaporizer. Fifty-nine websites met inclusion criteria, and 13 marketing claims were coded for main marketing messages in 2012. Ninety-five percent of the websites made explicit or implicit health-related claims, 64% had a smoking cessation-related claim, 22% featured doctors, and 76% claimed that the product does not produce secondhand smoke. Comparisons to cigarettes included claims that e-cigarettes were cleaner (95%) and cheaper (93%). Eighty-eight percent stated that the product could be smoked anywhere and 71% mentioned using the product to circumvent clean air policies. Candy, fruit, and coffee flavors were offered on most sites. Youthful appeals included images or claims of modernity (73%); increased social status (44%); enhanced social activity (32%); romance (31%); and use by celebrities (22%). Health claims and smoking-cessation messages that are unsupported by current scientific evidence are frequently used to sell e-cigarettes. Implied and overt health claims, the presence of doctors on websites, celebrity endorsements, and the use of characterizing flavors should be prohibited. Copyright © 2014 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessment of medication adherence app features, functionality, and health literacy level and the creation of a searchable Web-based adherence app resource for health care professionals and patients.

PubMed

Heldenbrand, Seth; Martin, Bradley C; Gubbins, Paul O; Hadden, Kristie; Renna, Catherine; Shilling, Rebecca; Dayer, Lindsey

2016-01-01

To assess the features and level of health literacy (HL) of available medication adherence apps and to create a searchable website to assist health care providers (HCP) and patients identify quality adherence apps. Medication nonadherence continues to be a significant problem and leads to poor health outcomes and avoidable health care expense. The average adherence rate for chronic medications, regardless of disease state, is approximately 50% leaving significant room for improvement. Smartphone adherence apps are a novel resource to address medication nonadherence. With widespread smartphone use and the growing number of adherence apps, both HCP and patients should be able to identify quality adherence apps to maximize potential benefits. Assess the features, functionality and level of HL of available adherence apps and create a searchable website to help both HCP and patients identify quality adherence apps. Online marketplaces (iTunes, Google Play, Blackberry) were searched in June of 2014 to identify available adherence apps. Online descriptions were recorded and scored based on 28 author-identified features across 4 domains. The 100 highest-scoring apps were user-tested with a standardized regimen to evaluate their functionality and level of HL. 461 adherence apps were identified. 367 unique apps were evaluated after removing "Lite/Trial" versions. The median initial score based on descriptions was 15 (max of 68; range: 3 to 47). Only 77 apps of the top 100 highest-scoring apps completed user-testing and HL evaluations. The median overall user-testing score was 30 (max of 73; range: 16 to 55). App design, functionality, and level of HL varies widely among adherence apps. While no app is perfect, several apps scored highly across all domains. The website www.medappfinder.com is a searchable tool that helps HCP and patients identify quality apps in a crowded marketplace. Copyright © 2016 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effect of social support features and gamification on a Web-based intervention for rheumatoid arthritis patients: randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Allam, Ahmed; Kostova, Zlatina; Nakamoto, Kent; Schulz, Peter Johannes

2015-01-09

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is chronic systematic disease that affects people during the most productive period of their lives. Web-based health interventions have been effective in many studies; however, there is little evidence and few studies showing the effectiveness of online social support and especially gamification on patients' behavioral and health outcomes. The aim of this study was to look into the effects of a Web-based intervention that included online social support features and gamification on physical activity, health care utilization, medication overuse, empowerment, and RA knowledge of RA patients. The effect of gamification on website use was also investigated. We conducted a 5-arm parallel randomized controlled trial for RA patients in Ticino (Italian-speaking part of Switzerland). A total of 157 patients were recruited through brochures left with physicians and were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 experimental conditions with different types of access to online social support and gamification features and a control group that had no access to the website. Data were collected at 3 time points through questionnaires at baseline, posttest 2 months later, and at follow-up after another 2 months. Primary outcomes were physical activity, health care utilization, and medication overuse; secondary outcomes included empowerment and RA knowledge. All outcomes were self-reported. Intention-to-treat analysis was followed and multilevel linear mixed models were used to study the change of outcomes over time. The best-fit multilevel models (growth curve models) that described the change in the primary outcomes over the course of the intervention included time and empowerment as time-variant predictors. The growth curve analyses of experimental conditions were compared to the control group. Physical activity increased over time for patients having access to social support sections plus gaming (unstandardized beta coefficient [B]=3.39, P=.02). Health care utilization showed a significant decrease for patients accessing social support features (B=-0.41, P=.01) and patients accessing both social support features and gaming (B=-0.33, P=.03). Patients who had access to either social support sections or the gaming experience of the website gained more empowerment (B=2.59, P=.03; B=2.29, P=.05; respectively). Patients who were offered a gamified experience used the website more often than the ones without gaming (t91=-2.41, P=.02; U=812, P=.02). The Web-based intervention had a positive impact (more desirable outcomes) on intervention groups compared to the control group. Social support sections on the website decreased health care utilization and medication overuse and increased empowerment. Gamification alone or with social support increased physical activity and empowerment and decreased health care utilization. This study provides evidence demonstrating the potential positive effect of gamification and online social support on health and behavioral outcomes. International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN): 57366516; http://www.controlled-trials. com/ISRCTN57366516 (Archived by webcite at http://www.webcitation.org/6PBvvAvvV).

The Effect of Social Support Features and Gamification on a Web-Based Intervention for Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients: Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Kostova, Zlatina; Nakamoto, Kent; Schulz, Peter Johannes

2015-01-01

Background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is chronic systematic disease that affects people during the most productive period of their lives. Web-based health interventions have been effective in many studies; however, there is little evidence and few studies showing the effectiveness of online social support and especially gamification on patients’ behavioral and health outcomes. Objective The aim of this study was to look into the effects of a Web-based intervention that included online social support features and gamification on physical activity, health care utilization, medication overuse, empowerment, and RA knowledge of RA patients. The effect of gamification on website use was also investigated. Methods We conducted a 5-arm parallel randomized controlled trial for RA patients in Ticino (Italian-speaking part of Switzerland). A total of 157 patients were recruited through brochures left with physicians and were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 experimental conditions with different types of access to online social support and gamification features and a control group that had no access to the website. Data were collected at 3 time points through questionnaires at baseline, posttest 2 months later, and at follow-up after another 2 months. Primary outcomes were physical activity, health care utilization, and medication overuse; secondary outcomes included empowerment and RA knowledge. All outcomes were self-reported. Intention-to-treat analysis was followed and multilevel linear mixed models were used to study the change of outcomes over time. Results The best-fit multilevel models (growth curve models) that described the change in the primary outcomes over the course of the intervention included time and empowerment as time-variant predictors. The growth curve analyses of experimental conditions were compared to the control group. Physical activity increased over time for patients having access to social support sections plus gaming (unstandardized beta coefficient [B]=3.39, P=.02). Health care utilization showed a significant decrease for patients accessing social support features (B=–0.41, P=.01) and patients accessing both social support features and gaming (B=–0.33, P=.03). Patients who had access to either social support sections or the gaming experience of the website gained more empowerment (B=2.59, P=.03; B=2.29, P=.05; respectively). Patients who were offered a gamified experience used the website more often than the ones without gaming (t 91=–2.41, P=.02; U=812, P=.02). Conclusions The Web-based intervention had a positive impact (more desirable outcomes) on intervention groups compared to the control group. Social support sections on the website decreased health care utilization and medication overuse and increased empowerment. Gamification alone or with social support increased physical activity and empowerment and decreased health care utilization. This study provides evidence demonstrating the potential positive effect of gamification and online social support on health and behavioral outcomes. Trial Registration International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN): 57366516; http://www.controlled-trials. com/ISRCTN57366516 (Archived by webcite at http://www.webcitation.org/6PBvvAvvV). PMID:25574939

Motorcycles on the Move

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McIntosh, Phyllis

2013-01-01

Motorcycles are the subject of this feature article, which explores such topics as the history of motorcycles, types of motorcycles, special interest motorcycle clubs, motorcycle rallies, the Harley-Davidson company, and Rolling Thunder. A list of websites of interest and a glossary of "motorcycle jargon" are included.

TOMS Tropical Tropospheric Ozone Data Sets at the University of Maryland Website

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kochhar, A. K.; Thompson, A. M.; Hudson, R. D.; Frolov, A. D.; Witte, J. C.; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Since 1997, shortly after the launch of the Earth-Probe TOMS (Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer) satellite instrument, we have been processing data in near-real time to post maps of tropical tropospheric ozone at a website: metosrv2.umd.edu/-tropo. Daily, 3-day and 9-day averages of tropical tropospheric ozone column depth (TTO) are viewable from 10N to 10S. Data can be downloaded (running 9-day means) from 20N-30S. Pollution events are trackable along with dynamically-induced variations in tropospheric ozone column. TOMS smoke aerosol (toms.gsfc.nasa.gov) can be used to interpret biomass burning ozone, as for example, during the extreme ozone and smoke pollution period during the ENSO-related fires of August November 1997. During that time plumes of ozone and smoke were frequently decoupled and ozone from Indonesian fires and from Africa merged in one large feature by late October 1997. In addition to the Earth-Probe TOMS record, data as half-month averages and as daily 9-day means from the Nimbus 7 TOMS instrument are at the metosrv2.umd.edu/-tropo website. A guide to the website and examples of ozone time-series and maps will be shown.

A quality function deployment framework for the service quality of health information websites.

PubMed

Chang, Hyejung; Kim, Dohoon

2010-03-01

This research was conducted to identify both the users' service requirements on health information websites (HIWs) and the key functional elements for running HIWs. With the quality function deployment framework, the derived service attributes (SAs) are mapped into the suppliers' functional characteristics (FCs) to derive the most critical FCs for the users' satisfaction. Using the survey data from 228 respondents, the SAs, FCs and their relationships were analyzed using various multivariate statistical methods such as principal component factor analysis, discriminant analysis, correlation analysis, etc. Simple and compound FC priorities were derived by matrix calculation. Nine factors of SAs and five key features of FCs were identified, and these served as the basis for the house of quality model. Based on the compound FC priorities, the functional elements pertaining to security and privacy, and usage support should receive top priority in the course of enhancing HIWs. The quality function deployment framework can improve the FCs of the HIWs in an effective, structured manner, and it can also be utilized for critical success factors together with their strategic implications for enhancing the service quality of HIWs. Therefore, website managers could efficiently improve website operations by considering this study's results.

Marketing sugary cereals to children in the digital age: a content analysis of 17 child-targeted websites.

PubMed

Cheyne, Andrew D; Dorfman, Lori; Bukofzer, Eliana; Harris, Jennifer L

2013-01-01

The Institute of Medicine has warned of the harm of food marketing to children from television to new media channels such as the Internet. The authors identified and analyzed the techniques used to engage children on websites from cereal companies--the third largest food marketer to children. The authors found that top breakfast cereal manufacturers maintain child-oriented websites, using strategies unique to the Internet to capture and maintain children's attention. These include branded engagement techniques such as advergames, videos, site registration, and viral marketing, including inviting friends to join the site. The authors found 3 progressive levels of telepresence on child-targeted cereal websites: sites with more than 1 engaging feature, multiple techniques present on individual pages, and the construction of a virtual world. Using Internet traffic data, the authors confirm that these techniques work: cereal marketers reach children online with lengthier and more sophisticated engagements than are possible with traditional, passive media such as television advertisements or product packaging. Despite the cereal manufacturer's self-regulatory pledge to improve their marketing to children, their marketing practices exploit children's susceptibility to advertising by almost exclusively promoting high-sugar cereals using deeply engaging techniques.

Effectiveness of a Web 2.0 Intervention to Increase Physical Activity in Real-World Settings: Randomized Ecological Trial.

PubMed

Vandelanotte, Corneel; Kolt, Gregory S; Caperchione, Cristina M; Savage, Trevor N; Rosenkranz, Richard R; Maeder, Anthony J; Van Itallie, Anetta; Tague, Rhys; Oldmeadow, Christopher; Mummery, W Kerry; Duncan, Mitch J

2017-11-13

The translation of Web-based physical activity intervention research into the real world is lacking and becoming increasingly important. To compare usage and effectiveness, in real-world settings, of a traditional Web 1.0 Web-based physical activity intervention, providing limited interactivity, to a Web 2.0 Web-based physical activity intervention that includes interactive features, such as social networking (ie, status updates, online "friends," and personalized profile pages), blogs, and Google Maps mash-ups. Adults spontaneously signing up for the freely available 10,000 Steps website were randomized to the 10,000 Steps website (Web 1.0) or the newly developed WALK 2.0 website (Web 2.0). Physical activity (Active Australia Survey), quality of life (RAND 36), and body mass index (BMI) were assessed at baseline, 3 months, and 12 months. Website usage was measured continuously. Analyses of covariance were used to assess change over time in continuous outcome measures. Multiple imputation was used to deal with missing data. A total of 1328 participants completed baseline assessments. Only 3-month outcomes (224 completers) were analyzed due to high attrition at 12 months (77 completers). Web 2.0 group participants increased physical activity by 92.8 minutes per week more than those in the Web 1.0 group (95% CI 28.8-156.8; P=.005); their BMI values also decreased more (-1.03 kg/m2, 95% CI -1.65 to -0.41; P=.001). For quality of life, only the physical functioning domain score significantly improved more in the Web 2.0 group (3.6, 95% CI 1.7-5.5; P<.001). The time between the first and last visit to the website (3.57 vs 2.22 weeks; P<.001) and the mean number of days the website was visited (9.02 vs 5.71 days; P=.002) were significantly greater in the Web 2.0 group compared to the Web 1.0 group. The difference in time-to-nonusage attrition was not statistically significant between groups (Hazard Ratio=0.97, 95% CI 0.86-1.09; P=.59). Only 21.99% (292/1328) of participants (n=292 summed for both groups) were still using either website after 2 weeks and 6.55% (87/1328) were using either website after 10 weeks. The website that provided more interactive and social features was more effective in improving physical activity in real-world conditions. While the Web 2.0 website was visited significantly more, both groups nevertheless displayed high nonusage attrition and low intervention engagement. More research is needed to examine the external validity and generalizability of Web-based physical activity interventions. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12611000253909; https://anzctr.org.au /Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=336588&isReview=true (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6ufzw 2HxD). ©Corneel Vandelanotte, Gregory S Kolt, Cristina M Caperchione, Trevor N Savage, Richard R Rosenkranz, Anthony J Maeder, Anetta Van Itallie, Rhys Tague, Christopher Oldmeadow, W Kerry Mummery, Mitch J Duncan. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 13.11.2017.

Phenology on Drupal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosemartin, A.; Marsh, L.; Lincicome, A.; Denny, E. G.; Wilson, B. E.

2011-12-01

The USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN) serves science and society by promoting a broad understanding of plant and animal phenology and the relationships among phenological patterns and all aspects of environmental change. The Network was founded as an NSF-funded Research Coordination Network, for the purpose of fostering collaboration among scientists, policy-makers and the general public to address the challenges posed by global change and its impact on ecosystems and human health. Drupal is a powerful tool for emerging collaborative efforts in the sciences. The USA-NPN has leveraged Drupal through the course the organization's development. Early on, when the organization had few programing resources, Drupal provided a basic, customizable web presence. Today, the USA-NPN's Drupal website is content and feature-rich. The USA-NPN website features Drupal content types for community contributions of publications, affiliates, legacy data sets and phenology festivals. The legacy data set content type creates a reduced Darwin Core metadata record, and will be made available via an EML compliant feed. Map and grid views allow contributors to explore submitted records visually and through filters. Further extensions through the Services/OAuth modules have allowed the website to share logins (for instance, connecting a prototype Facebook app for data entry with the Drupal authentication mechanism). The USA-NPN has leveraged Drupal in a collaborative effort to collect, store, synthesize and output phenological data and information for plants, animals and the environment.

A Cultural Analysis of e-Learning for China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friesner, Tim; Hart, Mike

2004-01-01

This e-paper discusses e-Learning for China based upon the experiences of a free content website. Chinese culture, The Internet, and education are discussed using a number of deep links into online bibliographies, online journals and other knowledge objects. A cultural analysis is undertaken and conclusions are made. The future of research into…

Australian "Play School": Viewing and Post-Viewing Behaviours in Young Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrison, Cathie Anne; van Vliet, Helen Elizabeth; Anderson, Tracy

2012-01-01

Australian "Play School" is a children's television programme developed in collaboration with early childhood educators. It is screened free to air across Australia. Two hundred and twenty-four adult carers of young children aged 1-8 years completed an online survey via a link on the "Play School" website. The survey addressed…

DOE Research and Development Accomplishments Website Policies/Important

Science.gov Websites

Links RSS Archive Videos XML DOE R&D Accomplishments DOE R&D Accomplishments searchQuery × Find searchQuery x Find DOE R&D Acccomplishments Navigation dropdown arrow The Basics Stories Snapshots R&D Nuggets Database dropdown arrow Search Tag Cloud Browse Reports Database Help

A Decade of MERGA Theses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mousley, Judith A.

2010-01-01

The MERGA website has a list of the titles of the last 10 years of Australasian mathematics education Masters and Doctoral theses, with linked abstracts. After a discussion about the socially-determined nature of document analysis, this paper reports the results of an interpretive document analysis of the web page and the pages of abstracts, with…

David J. Gross and the Strong Force

Science.gov Websites

allows physicist to predict experimental results to within one part in 100 million. ... The new Nobelists available in electronic documents and on the Web. Documents: Ultraviolet Behavior of Non-Abelian Gauge Gross, Interview (video) Top Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their

Felix Bloch, Nuclear Induction, Bloch Equations, Bloch Theorem, Bloch

Science.gov Websites

the homemade Stanford cyclotron for the first experimental determination of the energy distribution of they had been using slightly different techniques to achieve experimental results. So they decided to Sciences; Felix Bloch - pages 34 - 71 Top Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites

DefenseLink Special: U.S. Military Relief Aid After the 2005 Pakistan

Science.gov Websites

Websites Contact Us Banner Art - Military Support of Pakistan Earthquake Special U.S. Donates Mobile Hospital WASHINGTON, Feb. 16, 2006 - The United States today transferred the 212th Mobile Army Surgical * USS Pearl Harbor to Assist Victims * Globemaster Airlifts Mobile Hospital * Hercules Airmen Deliver

DefenseLink.mil - Freedom Walk 2008

Science.gov Websites

disabilities experiencing difficulties accessing content on archive.defense.gov, please use the DoD Section 508 Multimedia / Photos Videos Publications Bloggers DoD Websites People hold a Freedom Walk banner as they , Va., Sept. 7, 2008. Thousands of people turned out for this year's Freedom Walk, which is a national

Data Sources for the Analyses

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Links are provided for the National Wetlands Inventory, National Hydrography Dataset, and the WorldClim-Global Climate Data source data websitesThis dataset is associated with the following publication:Lane , C., and E. D'Amico. Identification of Putative Geographically Isolated Wetlands of the Conterminous United States. JAWRA. American Water Resources Association, Middleburg, VA, USA, online, (2016).

Links to Learning: Recommended Websites for Your World History Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wangerin, Laura

2012-01-01

Technology offers three major benefits to world history teachers: an online supply of supplemental resources; access to creative tools; and the opportunity for students to collaborate. These three positive contributions vary in the degree of involvement they require of students. Supplemental resources offer or display information, but often lack a…

DefenseLink Special: Joint Civilian Orientation Conference, JCOC 71, April

Science.gov Websites

Websites Contact Us Joint Civilian Orientation Conference 71 Multi-Service Orientation Program for Civilian in the Middle East: how the U.S. Coast Guard is helping keep Iraq's offshore oil terminals operating -improvised explosive device training at Forward Operating Base Sword in Kuwait, April 26, 2006. Hendrickson

Illustrated Plant Identification Keys: An Interactive Tool to Learn Botany

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silva, Helena; Pinho, Rosa; Lopes, Lisia; Nogueira, Antonio J. A.; Silveira, Paulo

2011-01-01

An Interactive Dichotomous Key (IDK) for 390 "taxa" of vascular plants from the Ria de Aveiro, available on a website, was developed to help teach botany to school and universitary students. This multimedia tool includes several links to Descriptive and Illustrated Glossaries. Questionnaires answered by high-school and undergraduate students about…

A Neophyte Constructs a Web Site: Lessons Learned.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bent, Devin

1998-01-01

A political science professor at James Madison University (VA) constructed a Web page to support an undergraduate course in government. This article defines Web-site goals and audience, reviews other sites, and discusses organization of Web links and technical choices for HTML editor, page layout and use of image, audio, and video files. Stresses…

Wikipedia and osteosarcoma: a trustworthy patients' information?

PubMed

Leithner, Andreas; Maurer-Ertl, Werner; Glehr, Mathias; Friesenbichler, Joerg; Leithner, Katharina; Windhager, Reinhard

2010-01-01

The English version of the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, has been recently reported to be the prominent source of online health information. However, there is little information concerning the quality of information found in Wikipedia. Therefore, we created a questionnaire asking for scope, completeness, and accuracy of information found on osteosarcoma. Three independent observers tested the English version of Wikipedia, as well as the patient version and the health professional version of the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) website. Answers were verified with authoritative resources and international guidelines. The results of our study demonstrate that the quality of osteosarcoma-related information found in the English Wikipedia is good but inferior to the patient information provided by the NCI. Therefore, non-peer-reviewed commonly used websites offering health information, such as Wikipedia, should include links to more definitive sources, such as those maintained by the NCI and professional international organizations on healthcare treatments. Furthermore, frequent checks should make sure such external links are to the highest quality and to the best-maintained aggregate sites on a given healthcare topic.

AgBase: supporting functional modeling in agricultural organisms

PubMed Central

McCarthy, Fiona M.; Gresham, Cathy R.; Buza, Teresia J.; Chouvarine, Philippe; Pillai, Lakshmi R.; Kumar, Ranjit; Ozkan, Seval; Wang, Hui; Manda, Prashanti; Arick, Tony; Bridges, Susan M.; Burgess, Shane C.

2011-01-01

AgBase (http://www.agbase.msstate.edu/) provides resources to facilitate modeling of functional genomics data and structural and functional annotation of agriculturally important animal, plant, microbe and parasite genomes. The website is redesigned to improve accessibility and ease of use, including improved search capabilities. Expanded capabilities include new dedicated pages for horse, cat, dog, cotton, rice and soybean. We currently provide 590 240 Gene Ontology (GO) annotations to 105 454 gene products in 64 different species, including GO annotations linked to transcripts represented on agricultural microarrays. For many of these arrays, this provides the only functional annotation available. GO annotations are available for download and we provide comprehensive, species-specific GO annotation files for 18 different organisms. The tools available at AgBase have been expanded and several existing tools improved based upon user feedback. One of seven new tools available at AgBase, GOModeler, supports hypothesis testing from functional genomics data. We host several associated databases and provide genome browsers for three agricultural pathogens. Moreover, we provide comprehensive training resources (including worked examples and tutorials) via links to Educational Resources at the AgBase website. PMID:21075795