WorldWideScience

Sample records for internet-based prospective study

  1. Internet Self-Efficacy Preferences of Internet Based Environments and Achievement of Prospective Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozyalcin Oskay, Ozge

    2011-01-01

    The aims of this study are to determine prospective chemistry teachers' internet self-efficacy and preferences of constructivist internet-assisted environments and to examine the relationship between their internet self-efficacy and their preferences for constructivist internet-assisted environments, the relationship between their achievement in…

  2. Essence and prospects of internet banking

    OpenAIRE

    Popova I.; Fesenko Ya.

    2017-01-01

    The paper discussed the current state and prospects of development of internet banking. The aim of the article is to define the “Internet banking” concept of the disclosure of its essence, the study of the current state and prospects of development. The advantages and disadvantages of the system. In the following general research methods were used: analysis, to reveal the concept of “Internet Banking” analyzes the main advantages and disadvantages, comparison, generalization. A number of ...

  3. Trajectories of abstinence-induced Internet gaming withdrawal symptoms: A prospective pilot study

    OpenAIRE

    Dean Kaptsis; Daniel L. King; Paul H. Delfabbro; Michael Gradisar

    2016-01-01

    Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) is positioned in the appendix of the DSM-5 as a condition requiring further study. The IGD criteria refer to withdrawal symptoms, including irritability, anxiety, or sadness, that follow cessation of Internet gaming (APA, 2013). The aim of this study was to prospectively examine the nature of Internet gaming withdrawal symptoms, if they occur, under gaming abstinence conditions. This study employed a repeated-measures protocol to examine the cognitive-affective ...

  4. Factors predictive for incidence and remission of internet addiction in young adolescents: a prospective study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ko, Chih-Hung; Yen, Ju-Yu; Yen, Cheng-Fang; Lin, Huang-Chi; Yang, Ming-Jen

    2007-08-01

    The aim of the study is to determine the incidence and remission rates for Internet addiction and the associated predictive factors in young adolescents over a 1-year follow-up. This was a prospective, population-based investigation. Five hundred seventeen students (267 male and 250 female) were recruited from three junior high schools in southern Taiwan. The factors examined included gender, personality, mental health, self-esteem, family function, life satisfaction, and Internet activities. The result revealed that the 1-year incidence and remission rates for Internet addiction were 7.5% and 49.5% respectively. High exploratory excitability, low reward dependence, low self-esteem, low family function, and online game playing predicted the emergency of the Internet addiction. Further, low hostility and low interpersonal sensitivity predicted remission of Internet addiction. The factors predictive incidence and remission of Internet addiction identified in this study could be provided for prevention and promoting remission of Internet addiction in adolescents.

  5. Trajectories of abstinence-induced Internet gaming withdrawal symptoms: A prospective pilot study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dean Kaptsis

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD is positioned in the appendix of the DSM-5 as a condition requiring further study. The IGD criteria refer to withdrawal symptoms, including irritability, anxiety, or sadness, that follow cessation of Internet gaming (APA, 2013. The aim of this study was to prospectively examine the nature of Internet gaming withdrawal symptoms, if they occur, under gaming abstinence conditions. This study employed a repeated-measures protocol to examine the cognitive-affective reactions of participants undertaking an 84-h Internet gaming abstinence period. The sample included individuals who met the IGD criteria as well as those who regularly played Internet games but did not meet the IGD criteria. Outcome variables included affect (positive and negative, psychological distress (depression, anxiety, stress, and Internet gaming withdrawal symptoms (craving/urge, thoughts about gaming, inability to resist gaming. A total of 24 participants (Mage = 24.6 years, SD = 5.8 were recruited from online gaming communities, and completed a series of online surveys before, during, and after abstaining from Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO games. Both the IGD group and the non-IGD group experienced an abstinence-induced decline in withdrawal symptomatology, negative affect, and psychological distress. The IGD group experienced its largest decline in withdrawal symptomatology within the first 24 h of abstinence. These preliminary data suggest that gaming withdrawal symptoms may follow, at least initially, negative linear and quadratic trends. Further prospective work in larger samples involving longer periods of abstinence is required to verify and expand upon these observations.

  6. Trajectories of abstinence-induced Internet gaming withdrawal symptoms: A prospective pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaptsis, Dean; King, Daniel L; Delfabbro, Paul H; Gradisar, Michael

    2016-12-01

    Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) is positioned in the appendix of the DSM-5 as a condition requiring further study. The IGD criteria refer to withdrawal symptoms, including irritability, anxiety, or sadness, that follow cessation of Internet gaming (APA, 2013). The aim of this study was to prospectively examine the nature of Internet gaming withdrawal symptoms, if they occur, under gaming abstinence conditions. This study employed a repeated-measures protocol to examine the cognitive-affective reactions of participants undertaking an 84-h Internet gaming abstinence period. The sample included individuals who met the IGD criteria as well as those who regularly played Internet games but did not meet the IGD criteria. Outcome variables included affect (positive and negative), psychological distress (depression, anxiety, stress), and Internet gaming withdrawal symptoms (craving/urge, thoughts about gaming, inability to resist gaming). A total of 24 participants ( M age  = 24.6 years, SD  = 5.8) were recruited from online gaming communities, and completed a series of online surveys before, during, and after abstaining from Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) games. Both the IGD group and the non-IGD group experienced an abstinence-induced decline in withdrawal symptomatology, negative affect, and psychological distress. The IGD group experienced its largest decline in withdrawal symptomatology within the first 24 h of abstinence. These preliminary data suggest that gaming withdrawal symptoms may follow, at least initially, negative linear and quadratic trends. Further prospective work in larger samples involving longer periods of abstinence is required to verify and expand upon these observations.

  7. Internet Addiction among Adolescents May Predict Self-Harm/Suicidal Behavior: A Prospective Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, Pei-Yin; Yeh, Chin-Bin

    2018-06-01

    To explore the role of Internet addiction in the development of self-harm/suicidal behavior among adolescents after 1-year of follow-up. We conducted this 1-year, prospective cohort study of 1861 adolescents (mean age 15.93 years) attending a senior high school in Taiwan; 1735 respondents (93.2%) were classified as having no history of self-harm/suicidal attempts in the initial assessment and were referred to as the "noncase" cohort. The Chen Internet Addiction Scale was used to identify individuals with Internet addiction. The participants were evaluated for self-harm/suicidal behavior again 1 year later and the "noncase" cohort was selected for statistical analysis. To examine the relationship between Internet addiction and self-harm/suicidal behavior, multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed using Internet addiction at baseline as the predictor for newly developed self-harm/suicidal behavior in the next year, after adjustment for potential confounding variables. The prevalence rate of Internet addiction at baseline was 23.0%. There were 59 students (3.9%) who were identified as having developed new self-harm/suicidal behaviors on follow-up assessments. After controlling for the effects of potential confounders, the relative risk of newly emerging self-harm/suicidal behavior for participants who were classified as Internet addicted was 2.41 (95% CI 1.16-4.99, P = .018) when compared with those without Internet addiction. Our findings indicate that Internet addiction is prospectively associated with the incidence of self-harm/suicidal behavior in adolescents. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Inside the virtual casino: a prospective longitudinal study of actual Internet casino gambling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Labrie, Richard A; Kaplan, Sara A; Laplante, Debi A; Nelson, Sarah E; Shaffer, Howard J

    2008-08-01

    Participation in Internet gambling is growing rapidly, as is concern about its possible effects on the public's health. This article reports the results of the first prospective longitudinal study of actual Internet casino gambling behaviour. Data include 2 years of recorded Internet betting activity by a cohort of gamblers who subscribed to an Internet gambling service during February 2005. We examined computer records of each transaction and transformed them into measures of gambling involvement. The sample included 4222 gamblers who played casino games. The median betting behaviour was to play casino games once every 2 weeks during a period of 9 months. Subscribers placed a median of 49 bets of euro4 each playing day. Subscribers lost a median of 5.5% of total monies wagered. We determined a group of heavily involved bettors whose activity exceeded that of 95% of the sample; these players bet every fifth day during 17.5 months. On each playing day, these most involved bettors placed a median of 188 bets of euro25. Their median percent of wagers lost, 2.5%, was smaller than that lost by the total sample. Our findings suggest that Internet casino betting behaviour results in modest costs for most players, while some, roughly 5%, have larger losses. The findings also show the need to consider time spent as a marker of disordered gambling. These findings provide the evidence to steer public health debates away from speculation and toward the creation of empirically-based strategies to protect the public health.

  9. [Pilot testing of an internet based pregnancy planning study "Snart-gravid.dk"].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mikkelsen, Ellen M; Maindal, Helle Terkildsen

    2011-01-01

    Before launching a new study pilot testing is often recommended, however, it is seldom described in depth. Here, we report extensively on a pilot study using the internet as a new method for recruitment and data collection in a prospective cohort study of women planning a pregnancy.We aimed to enroll 2500 participants in six months and attained more than 75 % after 12 months follow up. To test data completeness and validity we randomized participants to fill either a long or a short version of the baseline questionnaire and compared self reported data with registry based data.We succeeded in enrolling 2288 participants, and participation rate was 82 % after 12 months. We found high correlations (0.96) for self-reported vs. registry based data and no difference in participation rate or data completeness according to questionnaire length. Overall, the internet based methods seem promising and we plan to launch the full study.

  10. The impact of suicidality-related internet use: a prospective large cohort study with young and middle-aged internet users.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sueki, Hajime; Yonemoto, Naohiro; Takeshima, Tadashi; Inagaki, Masatoshi

    2014-01-01

    There has been no study that has allowed clear conclusions about the impact of suicide-related or mental health consultation-related internet use. To investigate the impacts of suicide-related or mental health consultation-related internet use. We conducted prospective observational longitudinal study with data collection at baseline screening (T0), 1 week after T0 (T1) and 7 weeks after T0 (T2). Participants with a stratified random sampling from 744,806 internet users were 20-49 years of age who employed the internet for suicide-related or mental health consultation-related reasons and internet users who did not. The main outcome was suicidal ideation. Secondary outcome measures comprised hopelessness, depression/anxiety, and loneliness. The internet users who had employed the internet for suicide-related or mental health consultation-related reasons at T0 (n = 2813), compared with those who had not (n = 2682), showed a significant increase in suicidal ideation (β = 0.38, 95%CI: 0.20-0.55) and depression/anxiety (β = 0.37, 95%CI: 0.12-0.61) from T1 to T2. Those who disclosed their own suicidal ideation and browsed for information about suicide methods on the web showed increased suicidal ideation (β = 0.55, 95%CI: 0.23-0.88; β = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.26-0.63, respectively). Although mental health consultation with an anonymous other online did not increase suicidal ideation, increased depression/anxiety was observed (β = 0.34, 95%CI: -0.03-0.71). An increased suicidal ideation was observed in the young and middle-aged who employed the internet for suicide-related or mental health consultation-related reasons. Mental health consultation via the internet was not useful, but those who did so showed worsened depression/anxiety.

  11. Prospective study of clinician-entered research data in the Emergency Department using an Internet-based system after the HIPAA Privacy Rule

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Webb William B

    2004-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Design and test the reliability of a web-based system for multicenter, real-time collection of data in the emergency department (ED, under waiver of authorization, in compliance with HIPAA. Methods This was a phase I, two-hospital study of patients undergoing evaluation for possible pulmonary embolism. Data were collected by on-duty clinicians on an HTML data collection form (prospective e-form, populated using either a personal digital assistant (PDA or personal computer (PC. Data forms were uploaded to a central, offsite server using secure socket protocol transfer. Each form was assigned a unique identifier, and all PHI data were encrypted, but were password-accessible by authorized research personnel to complete a follow-up e-form. Results From April 15, 2003-April 15 2004, 1022 prospective e-forms and 605 follow-up e-forms were uploaded. Complexities of PDA use compelled clinicians to use PCs in the ED for data entry for most forms. No data were lost and server log query revealed no unauthorized entry. Prospectively obtained PHI data, encrypted upon server upload, were successfully decrypted using password-protected access to allow follow-up without difficulty in 605 cases. Non-PHI data from prospective and follow-up forms were available to the study investigators via standard file transfer protocol. Conclusions Data can be accurately collected from on-duty clinicians in the ED using real-time, PC-Internet data entry in compliance with the Privacy Rule. Deidentification-reidentification of PHI was successfully accomplished by a password-protected encryption-deencryption mechanism to permit follow-up by approved research personnel.

  12. Risk factors of Internet addiction and the health effect of internet addiction on adolescents: a systematic review of longitudinal and prospective studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lam, Lawrence T

    2014-11-01

    Internet gaming addiction was included in the latest version of the DSM-V as a possible disorder recently, while debate is still on-going as to whether the condition called "Internet Addiction" (IA) could be fully recognised as an established disorder. The major contention is how well IA could fulfil the validation criteria as a psychiatric disorder as in other well-established behavioural addictions. In addition to various proposed validation criteria, evidence of risk and protective factors as well as development of outcomes from longitudinal and prospective studies are suggested as important. A systematic review of available longitudinal and prospective studies was conducted to gather epidemiological evidence on risk and protective factors of IA and the health effect of IA on adolescents. Nine articles were identified after an extensive search of the literature in accordance to the PRISMA guidelines. Of these, eight provided data on risk or protective factors of IA and one focused solely on the effects of IA on mental health. Information was extracted and analysed systematically from each study and tabulated. Many exposure variables were studied and could be broadly classified into three main categories: psychopathologies of the participants, family and parenting factors, and others such as Internet usage, motivation, and academic performance. Some were found to be potential risk or protective factors of IA. It was also found that exposure to IA had a detrimental effect on the mental health of young people. These results were discussed in light of their implications to the fulfilment of the validation criteria.

  13. Bidirectional associations between family factors and Internet addiction among adolescents in a prospective investigation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ko, Chih-Hung; Wang, Peng-Wei; Liu, Tai-Ling; Yen, Cheng-Fang; Chen, Cheng-Sheng; Yen, Ju-Yu

    2015-04-01

    This study aimed at evaluating the effect of family factors on the occurrence of Internet addiction and determining whether Internet addiction could make any difference in the family function. A total of 2293 adolescents in grade 7 participated in the study. We assessed their Internet addiction, family function, and family factors with a 1-year follow up. In the prospective investigation, inter-parental conflict predicted the incidence of Internet addiction 1 year later in forward regression analysis, followed by not living with mother and allowance to use Internet more than 2 h per day by parents or caregiver. The inter-parental conflict and allowance to use Internet more than 2 h per day also predicted the incidence in girls. Not cared for by parents and family APGAR score predicted the incidence of Internet addiction among boys. The prospective investigation demonstrated that the incidence group had more decreased scores on family APGAR than did the non-addiction group in the 1-year follow-up. This effect was significant only among girls. Inter-parental conflict and inadequate regulation of unessential Internet use predicted risk of Internet addiction, particularly among adolescent girls. Family intervention to prevent inter-parental conflict and promote family function and Internet regulation were necessary to prevent Internet addiction. Among adolescents with Internet addiction, it is necessary to pay attention to deterioration of family function, particularly among girls. © 2014 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2014 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

  14. Assessing the playing field: a prospective longitudinal study of internet sports gambling behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    LaBrie, Richard A; LaPlante, Debi A; Nelson, Sarah E; Schumann, Anja; Shaffer, Howard J

    2007-09-01

    Internet gambling is growing rapidly, as is concern about its possible effect on the public's health. This paper reports the results of the first prospective longitudinal study of actual Internet sports gambling behavior during eight study months. Data include recorded fixed-odds bets on the outcome of sporting contests and live-action bets on the outcome of events within contests for 40,499 Internet sports gambling service subscribers who enrolled during February 2005. We tracked the following primary gambling behaviors: daily totals of the number of bets made, money bet, and money won. We transformed these variables into measures of gambling involvement. We analyzed behavior for both fixed-odds and live-action bets. The median betting behavior of the 39,719 fixed-odds bettors was to place 2.5 bets of 4 euro (approximately $5.3 US) every fourth day during the median 4 months from first to last bet. This typical pattern incurred a loss of 29% of the amount wagered. The median betting behavior of the 24,794 live-action bettors was to place 2.8 wagers of 4 euro every fourth day during the median duration of 6 weeks at a loss of 18% of the amount wagered. We also examined the behavior of empirically determined groups of heavily involved bettors whose activity exceeded that of 99% of the sample.

  15. Association between recruitment methods and attrition in Internet-based studies.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paolo Bajardi

    Full Text Available Internet-based systems for epidemiological studies have advantages over traditional approaches as they can potentially recruit and monitor a wider range of individuals in a relatively inexpensive fashion. We studied the association between communication strategies used for recruitment (offline, online, face-to-face and follow-up participation in nine Internet-based cohorts: the Influenzanet network of platforms for influenza surveillance which includes seven cohorts in seven different European countries, the Italian birth cohort Ninfea and the New Zealand birth cohort ELF. Follow-up participation varied from 43% to 89% depending on the cohort. Although there were heterogeneities among studies, participants who became aware of the study through an online communication campaign compared with those through traditional offline media seemed to have a lower follow-up participation in 8 out of 9 cohorts. There were no clear differences in participation between participants enrolled face-to-face and those enrolled through other offline strategies. An Internet-based campaign for Internet-based epidemiological studies seems to be less effective than an offline one in enrolling volunteers who keep participating in follow-up questionnaires. This suggests that even for Internet-based epidemiological studies an offline enrollment campaign would be helpful in order to achieve a higher participation proportion and limit the cohort attrition.

  16. Weight at birth and subsequent fecundability: a prospective cohort study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Cathrine Wildenschild; Hammerich Riis, Anders; Ehrenstein, Vera

    2014-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between a woman's birth weight and her subsequent fecundability. METHOD: In this prospective cohort study, we included 2,773 Danish pregnancy planners enrolled in the internet-based cohort study "Snart-Gravid", conducted during 2007-2012. Participants were 18...

  17. Study of intelligent building system based on the internet of things

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wan, Liyong; Xu, Renbo

    2017-03-01

    In accordance with the problem such as isolated subsystems, weak system linkage and expansibility of the bus type buildings management system, this paper based on the modern intelligent buildings has studied some related technologies of the intelligent buildings and internet of things, and designed system architecture of the intelligent buildings based on the Internet of Things. Meanwhile, this paper has also analyzed wireless networking modes, wireless communication protocol and wireless routing protocol of the intelligent buildings based on the Internet of Things.

  18. A Relative Investigation on Purposes of Computer and Internet Use of Prospective Geography Teachers in Turkey and China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turan, Ilhan

    2015-01-01

    This study investigated Chinese and Turkish prospective geography teachers' use of computer and internet applications as indispensable instruments in and out of education. 292 prospective geography teachers students from Shanghai, China, and Izmir, Turkey, participated in this study. The aim of this study was to examine the use of computers and…

  19. Relational Consequences of Compulsive Internet Use: A Longitudinal Study among Newlyweds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kerkhof, Peter; Finkenauer, Catrin; Muusses, Linda D.

    2011-01-01

    This article examines how compulsive Internet use and marital well-being are related to each other. We suggest that they are negatively related and explore whether compulsive Internet use predicts marital well-being or vice versa. The relation between compulsive Internet use and marital well-being is tested in a two-wave prospective study among…

  20. Enhancing prospective chemistry teachers cognitive structures in the topics of bonding and hybridization by internet-assisted chemistry applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Özge Özyalçın Oskay, Sinem Dinçol

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of internet-assisted chemistry applications on prospective chemistry teachers’ cognitive structures in the topics of bonding and hybridization. The sample of the study consisted of 36 prospective chemistry teachers attending Hacettepe University, Faculty of Education, the Department of Chemistry Education in 2010-2011 academic year and taking Basic Chemistry I lesson. In the study, students were separated into experimental and control groups according to their pre-cognitive structures. Students were requested to answer two open ended questions. Answers by each student were gathered and evaluated by flow map method. “Bonding and hybridization” topics were taught to control group with traditional teaching method and to experimental group besides traditional method internet-assisted applications were conducted. The same open-ended questions were given to both groups and their cognitive structures were examined once more. The differences between control and experimental groups’ cognitive structures were examined. A significant difference was identified in favour of experimental group (p<0, 05. The mean score of the Experimental group was X=19.94, and the mean score of the Control group was X=13.88. In addition, subsequent to internet assisted chemistry applications differences in terms of concepts and descriptions in prospective chemistry teachers’ in experimental and control group cognitive structure have been determined. When post flow maps of prospective chemistry teachers in experimental group, on whom internet assisted chemistry applications were made, are formed, it has been determined that there are more statements about hybridization, hybridization types, molecule geometry and bond angles compared to control grou

  1. Is the Digital Divide for Orthopaedic Trauma Patients a Myth? Prospective Cohort Study on Use of a Custom Internet Site.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matuszewski, Paul E; Costales, Timothy; Zerhusen, Timothy; Coale, Max; Mehta, Samir; Pollak, Andrew N; OʼToole, Robert V

    2016-07-01

    Some have proposed that a so-called digital divide exists for orthopaedic trauma patients and that the clinical usefulness of the Internet for these patients is limited. No studies to date have confirmed this or whether patients would use a provided web resource. The hypotheses of this study were (1) a larger than expected percentage of trauma patients have access to the Internet and (2) if given access to a custom site, patients will use it. Prospective cohort. Level 1 regional trauma center. Patients who were 18 years or older with acute operative fractures participated in this study. Enrollment was initiated either before discharge or at initial outpatient follow-up. We conducted a survey of demographics, Internet usage, device type, eHealth Literacy, and intent to use the web site. Participants received a keychain containing the web address and a unique access code to our custom orthopaedic trauma web site. Percentage of patients with Internet access and percentage of patients who visited the web site. One hundred twelve patients were enrolled. Ninety-three percent (104/112) reported having Internet access (P digital divide is a myth in orthopaedic trauma. Despite widespread access and enthusiasm for our web site, few patients visited. This cautions against the allocation of resources for patient-specific web sites for orthopaedic trauma until a rationale for use can be better delineated. Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

  2. Internet-based instruction in college teaching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flickinger, Kathleen Anne

    Distance education and Internet instruction are increasingly being used in college science teaching. In an effort to reach more students, Iowa State University's Human Anatomy and Physiology course was offered via Internet as well as via traditional lecture format. To assess the educational ramifications of this offering, three studies were conducted. In the first study, a collective case study approach was utilized to describe the learning environment created by an Internet-based college science course. In this study, three students were followed as they worked their way through the course. Collective case study methodologies were used to provide a rich description of the learning environment experienced by these students. Motivation, computer savvy, and academic and personal self-confidence appeared to impact the satisfaction level of the students enrolled in the class. To evaluate the effectiveness of the learning environment offered through the Internet-based science course, a quantitative comparison study was undertaken. In this study a comparison of achievement scores and study habits between students enrolled in the Internet-based class and those enrolled in the traditional section was made. Results from this study indicated that content understanding and retention did not appear to be effected by the type of instruction. Desirable study habits were reportedly used more frequently in the Internet section of the class than in the traditional class. To complete the description of the Internet course experience, a qualitative examination of Internet instructors' time commitment and level of teaching satisfaction was conducted. Data for this study consisted of interviews and researcher observations. Instructor time-on-task was initially quite high, and remained above the average spent on average face-to-face instruction in subsequent semesters. Additionally the role of the faculty member changed dramatically, causing some lessening of job satisfaction. Taken as

  3. Health literacy: a study of internet-based information on advance directives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stuart, Peter

    2017-11-28

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality and value of web-based information on advance directives. Internet-based information on advance directives was selected because, if it is inaccurate or difficult to understand, patients risk making decisions about their care that may not be followed in practice. Two validated health information evaluation tools, the Suitability Assessment of Materials and DISCERN, and a focus group were used to assess credibility, user orientation and effectiveness. Only one of the 34 internet-based information items on advance directives reviewed fulfilled the study criteria and 30% of the sites were classed as unreadable. In terms of learning and informing, 79% of the sites were considered unsuitable. Using health literacy tools to evaluate internet-based health information highlights that often it is not at a functional literacy level and neither informs nor empowers users to make independent and valid healthcare decisions. ©2017 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.

  4. Conviviality of internet social networks: An exploratory study of internet campaigns in Iran

    OpenAIRE

    Ameripour, Aghil; Nicholson, Brian; Newman, Michael

    2010-01-01

    In this study, we focus on the relationship between Internet social networks and societal change by examining case studies of the impact of Internet-based campaigns in Iran. Ivan Illich's theory of Conviviality of Tools enables an analysis of the conviviality of the Internet. Subsequently, this conceptual lens is used to examine empirical data from two Internet-based campaigns. The paper contributes theoretical and practical implications regarding conviviality of Internet social networks and ...

  5. Understanding Patient Experience Using Internet-based Email Surveys: A Feasibility Study at Mount Sinai Hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morgan, Matthew; Lau, Davina; Jivraj, Tanaz; Principi, Tania; Dietrich, Sandra; Bell, Chaim M

    2015-01-01

    Email is becoming a widely accepted communication tool in healthcare settings. This study sought to test the feasibility of Internet-based email surveys of patient experience in the ambulatory setting. We conducted a study of email Internet-based surveys sent to patients in selected ambulatory clinics at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Canada. Our findings suggest that email links to Internet surveys are a feasible, timely and efficient method to solicit patient feedback about their experience. Further research is required to optimally leverage Internet-based email surveys as a tool to better understand the patient experience.

  6. Enhancing prospective chemistry teachers cognitive structures in the topics of bonding and hybridization by internet-assisted chemistry applications

    OpenAIRE

    Özge Özyalçın Oskay, Sinem Dinçol

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of internet-assisted chemistry applications on prospective chemistry teachers’ cognitive structures in the topics of bonding and hybridization. The sample of the study consisted of 36 prospective chemistry teachers attending Hacettepe University, Faculty of Education, the Department of Chemistry Education in 2010-2011 academic year and taking Basic Chemistry I lesson. In the study, students were separated into experimental and control gr...

  7. Retention of autobiographical memories: an Internet-based diary study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kristo, G.; Janssen, S.M.J.; Murre, J.M.J.

    2009-01-01

    In this online study we examined the retention of recent personal events using an Internet-based diary technique. Each participant (N=878) recorded on a website one recent personal event and was contacted after a retention interval that ranged between 2 and 46 days. We investigated how well the

  8. Study on the contract characteristics of Internet architecture

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2011-11-01

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

  9. Internet and telephonic IVR mixed-mode survey for longitudinal studies: choice, retention, and data equivalency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verma, Santosh K; Courtney, Theodore K; Lombardi, David A; Chang, Wen-Ruey; Huang, Yueng-Hsiang; Brennan, Melanye J; Perry, Melissa J

    2014-01-01

    This study examined data equivalency and loss to follow-up rates from Internet and interactive voice response (IVR) system surveys in a prospective-cohort study. 475 limited-service restaurant workers participating in the 12-week study were given a choice to report their weekly slipping experience by either IVR or Internet. Demographic differences, loss to follow-up, self-reported rates of slipping, and selection of first and last choices were compared. Loss to follow-up rates were slightly higher for those choosing the IVR mode. Rates of slipping and selection of first and last choices were not significantly different between survey modes. Propensity to choose an Internet survey decreased with increasing age, and was the lowest among Spanish speakers (5%) and those with less than a high school education (14%). Studies relying solely on Internet-based data collection may lead to selective exclusion of certain populations. Findings suggest that Internet and IVR may be combined as survey modalities within longitudinal studies. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Assessing internet addiction using the parsimonious internet addiction components model—A preliminary study.

    OpenAIRE

    Kuss, D.J.; Shorter, G.W.; Rooij, A.J. van; Griffiths, M.D.; Schoenmakers, T.M.

    2014-01-01

    Internet usage has grown exponentially over the last decade. Research indicates that excessive Internet use can lead to symptoms associated with addiction. To date, assessment of potential Internet addiction has varied regarding populations studied and instruments used, making reliable prevalence estimations difficult. To overcome the present problems a preliminary study was conducted testing a parsimonious Internet addiction components model based on Griffiths’ addiction components (Journal ...

  11. Internet-based interventions for smoking cessation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Civljak, Marta; Stead, Lindsay F; Hartmann-Boyce, Jamie; Sheikh, Aziz; Car, Josip

    2013-07-10

    The Internet is now an indispensable part of daily life for the majority of people in many parts of the world. It offers an additional means of effecting changes to behaviour such as smoking. To determine the effectiveness of Internet-based interventions for smoking cessation. We searched the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group Specialized Register. There were no restrictions placed on language of publication or publication date. The most recent search was conducted in April 2013. We included randomized and quasi-randomized trials. Participants were people who smoked, with no exclusions based on age, gender, ethnicity, language or health status. Any type of Internet intervention was eligible. The comparison condition could be a no-intervention control, a different Internet intervention, or a non-Internet intervention. Two authors independently assessed and extracted data. Methodological and study quality details were extracted using a standardized form. We extracted smoking cessation outcomes of six months follow-up or more, reporting short-term outcomes where longer-term outcomes were not available. We reported study effects as a risk ratio (RR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Clinical and statistical heterogeneity limited our ability to pool studies. This updated review includes a total of 28 studies with over 45,000 participants. Some Internet programmes were intensive and included multiple outreach contacts with participants, whilst others relied on participants to initiate and maintain use.Fifteen trials compared an Internet intervention to a non-Internet-based smoking cessation intervention or to a no-intervention control. Ten of these recruited adults, one recruited young adult university students and two recruited adolescents. Seven of the trials in adults had follow-up at six months or longer and compared an Internet intervention to usual care or printed self help. In a post hoc subgroup analysis, pooled results from three trials that compared

  12. Internet-based interventions for smoking cessation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Gemma M J; Dalili, Michael N; Semwal, Monika; Civljak, Marta; Sheikh, Aziz; Car, Josip

    2017-09-04

    Tobacco use is estimated to kill 7 million people a year. Nicotine is highly addictive, but surveys indicate that almost 70% of US and UK smokers would like to stop smoking. Although many smokers attempt to give up on their own, advice from a health professional increases the chances of quitting. As of 2016 there were 3.5 billion Internet users worldwide, making the Internet a potential platform to help people quit smoking. To determine the effectiveness of Internet-based interventions for smoking cessation, whether intervention effectiveness is altered by tailoring or interactive features, and if there is a difference in effectiveness between adolescents, young adults, and adults. We searched the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group Specialised Register, which included searches of MEDLINE, Embase and PsycINFO (through OVID). There were no restrictions placed on language, publication status or publication date. The most recent search was conducted in August 2016. We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Participants were people who smoked, with no exclusions based on age, gender, ethnicity, language or health status. Any type of Internet intervention was eligible. The comparison condition could be a no-intervention control, a different Internet intervention, or a non-Internet intervention. To be included, studies must have measured smoking cessation at four weeks or longer. Two review authors independently assessed and extracted data. We extracted and, where appropriate, pooled smoking cessation outcomes of six-month follow-up or more, reporting short-term outcomes narratively where longer-term outcomes were not available. We reported study effects as a risk ratio (RR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI).We grouped studies according to whether they (1) compared an Internet intervention with a non-active control arm (e.g. printed self-help guides), (2) compared an Internet intervention with an active control arm (e.g. face-to-face counselling), (3) evaluated the

  13. Role of the internet as an information resource before anaesthesia consultation: A French prospective multicentre survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nucci, Bastian; Claret, Pierre-Geraud; Leclerc, Gilles; Chaumeron, Arnaud; Grillo, Philippe; Buleon, Clément; Leprince, Vincent; Raux, Mathieu; Minville, Vincent; Futier, Emmanuel; Lefrant, Jean-Yves; Cuvillon, Philippe

    2017-12-01

    Use of the internet as an information search tool has increased dramatically. Our study assessed preoperative use of the internet by patients to search for information regarding anaesthesia, surgery, pain or outcomes. The aim of this study was to test whether patients used the internet prior to surgery and what kinds of information they looked for (anaesthetic technique, pain, adverse events, outcomes and surgery). Correlation between patient age and information sought about surgery from the internet was also explored. A prospective multicentre observational study. In total, 14 French private and public institutions from May 2015 to January 2016. In total, 3161 adult patients scheduled for elective surgery under regional or general anaesthesia. An anonymous questionnaire was presented to adult patients scheduled for elective surgery under regional or general anaesthesia for completion before the first meeting with the anaesthesiologist. The investigator at each centre completed specific items that the patient could not complete. We defined the primary endpoint as the number of patients who searched for information about their anaesthesia or surgery on the internet by the time of the their preanaesthetic consultation. Of the 3234 questionnaires distributed, responses were received from 3161 patients. Within this respondent sample, 1304 (45%) were professionally active and 1664 (59%) used the internet at least once per day. Among 3098 (98%) patients who answered the question concerning the primary endpoint, 1506 (48%) had searched the internet for information about their health. In total, 784 (25%) used the internet to find information about their surgery and 113 (3.5%) looked for specific information about anaesthesia. Of the 3161, 52% reported difficulty searching for appropriate information about anaesthesia on the internet. 'Daily use of the web' [odds ratio (OR) 2.0; (95% CI: 1.65 to 2.55) P internet was not widely used by patients scheduled for elective

  14. Acceptability of internet-based interventions for depression in Indonesia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Arjadi, Retha; Nauta, Maaike H.; Bockting, Claudi L.H.

    2018-01-01

    AbstractBackground In Indonesia, internet-based interventions may represent a promising strategy to reduce the mental health gap given that the level of internet usage in the country continues to increase. To check the acceptability of internet-based interventions, this study investigates factors

  15. Genetic-linked Inattentiveness Protects Individuals from Internet Overuse: A Genetic Study of Internet Overuse Evaluating Hypotheses Based on Addiction, Inattention, Novelty-seeking and Harm-avoidance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cheng Sun

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The all-pervasive Internet has created serious problems, such as Internet overuse, which has triggered considerable debate over its relationship with addiction. To further explore its genetic susceptibilities and alternative explanations for Internet overuse, we proposed and evaluated four hypotheses, each based on existing knowledge of the biological bases of addiction, inattention, novelty-seeking, and harm-avoidance. Four genetic loci including DRD4 VNTR, DRD2 Taq1A, COMT Val158Met and 5-HTTLPR length polymorphisms were screened from seventy-three individuals. Our results showed that the DRD4 4R/4R individuals scored significantly higher than the 2R or 7R carriers in Internet Addiction Test (IAT. The 5-HTTLPR short/short males scored significantly higher in IAT than the long variant carriers. Bayesian analysis showed the most compatible hypothesis with the observed genetic results was based on attention (69.8%, whereas hypotheses based harm-avoidance (21.6%, novelty-seeking (7.8% and addiction (0.9% received little support. Our study suggests that carriers of alleles (DRD4 2R and 7R, 5-HTTLPR long associated with inattentiveness are more likely to experience disrupted patterns and reduced durations of Internet use, protecting them from Internet overuse. Furthermore, our study suggests that Internet overuse should be categorized differently from addiction due to the lack of shared genetic contributions.

  16. Assessing Internet addiction using the parsimonious Internet addiction components model - a preliminary study [forthcoming

    OpenAIRE

    Kuss, DJ; Shorter, GW; Van Rooij, AJ; Griffiths, MD; Schoenmakers, T

    2014-01-01

    Internet usage has grown exponentially over the last decade. Research indicates that excessive Internet use can lead to symptoms associated with addiction. To date, assessment of potential Internet addiction has varied regarding populations studied and instruments used, making reliable prevalence estimations difficult. To overcome the present problems a preliminary study was conducted testing a parsimonious Internet addiction components model based on Griffiths’ addiction components (2005), i...

  17. Successful minority recruitment and adherence in physical activity Internet-based research: the WIN study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frierson, Georita M; Morrow, James R; Vidales, Andrew

    2012-01-01

    Researchers studying physical activity often face challenges dealing with recruitment and resources, particularly when conducting longitudinal Internet-based research. Commonly raised methodological problems such as minority recruitment, participant commitment, and participant-staff involvement are addressed through a theoretically driven recruitment and adherence protocol in The Women's Exercise Injuries: Incidence and Risk Factors (WIN) Internet-based study. The objectives of this paper were to review and suggest solutions to problems of: (1) low recruitment of diverse samples, (2) low adherence, and (3) staffing needs. We recruited 1303 community-dwelling women and followed them through a multiple-phase, longitudinal, Internet-based study. Recruitment and adherence data were analyzed through descriptive methods and logistic regressions to examine participant adherence and sociodemographic factors and predictors of who entered the long-term phase of the study. We successfully retained 71.6% of the sample through 4 recruitment phases. Twenty-seven percent of the initially recruited sample was racial/ethnically diverse, 24% began the long-term phase, and 23% completed. Several strategies to enhance participant commitment were successfully used during the practice phase, providing a successful, low staff to participant ratio. Logistic regression indicated being married, being older, and having greater Internet skills were predictive of successfully entering the long-term phase of the study. Recruitment and compliance protocols were successful in meeting overall and racial/ethnic enrollment and recruitment goals. The theoretically based practice phase techniques were successful in re-engaging noncompliant participants. Strategies for minority enrollment and compliance are evaluated.

  18. Problematic Internet Use among Turkish University Students: A Multidimensional Investigation Based on Demographics and Internet Activities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tekinarslan, Erkan; Gurer, Melih Derya

    2011-01-01

    This study investigated the Turkish undergraduate university students' problematic Internet use (PIU) levels on different dimensions based on demographics (e.g., gender, Internet use by time of day), and Internet activities (e.g., chat, entertainment, social networking, information searching, etc.). Moreover, the study explored some predictors of…

  19. Internet-based data inclusion in a population-based European collaborative follow-up study of inflammatory bowel disease patients: description of methods used and analysis of factors influencing response rates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolters, Frank L; van Zeijl, Gilbert; Sijbrandij, Jildou; Wessels, Frederik; O'Morain, Colm; Limonard, Charles; Russel, Maurice G; Stockbrugger, Reinhold W

    2005-12-07

    To describe an Internet-based data acquisition facility for a European 10-year clinical follow-up study project of a population-based cohort of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients and to investigate the influence of demographic and disease related patient characteristics on response rates. Thirteen years ago, the European Collaborative study group of IBD (EC-IBD) initiated a population-based prospective inception cohort of 2 201 uniformly diagnosed IBD patients within 20 well-described geographical areas in 11 European countries and Israel. For the 10-year follow-up of this cohort, an electronic patient questionnaire (ePQ) and electronic physician per patient follow-up form (ePpPFU) were designed as two separate data collecting instruments and made available through an Internet-based website. Independent demographic and clinical determinants of ePQ participation were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. In 958 (316 CD and 642 UC) out of a total number of 1 505 (64%) available IBD patients, originating from 13 participating centers from nine different countries, both ePQ and ePpPFU were completed. Patients older than 40 years at ePQ completion (OR: 1.53 (95%CI: 1.14-2.05)) and those with active disease during the 3 mo previous to ePQ completion (OR: 3.32 (95%CI: 1.57-7.03)) were significantly more likely to respond. An Internet-based data acquisition tool appeared successful in sustaining a unique Western-European and Israelian multi-center 10-year clinical follow-up study project in patients afflicted with IBD.

  20. [Differences in access to Internet and Internet-based information seeking according to the type of psychiatric disorder].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brunault, P; Bray, A; Rerolle, C; Cognet, S; Gaillard, P; El-Hage, W

    2017-04-01

    Internet has become a major tool for patients to search for health-related information and to communicate on health. We currently lack data on how patients with psychiatric disorders access and use Internet to search for information on their mental health. This study aimed to assess, in patients followed for a psychiatric disorder (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, mood and anxiety disorder, substance-related and addictive disorders and eating disorders), prevalence of Internet access and use, and patient expectations and needs regarding the use of Internet to search for mental-health information depending on the psychiatric disorder. We conducted this cross-sectional study between May 2013 and July 2013 in 648 patients receiving psychiatric care in 8 hospitals from the Region Centre, France. We used multivariate logistic regression adjusted for age, gender, socio-educational level and professional status to compare use, expectations and needs regarding Internet-based information about the patient's psychiatric disorder (65-items self-administered questionnaires) as a function of the psychiatric disorders. We identified patients clusters with multiple correspondence analysis and ascending hierarchical classification. Although 65.6% of our population accessed Internet at home, prevalence for Internet access varied depending on the type of psychiatric disorder and was much more related to limited access to a computer and low income than to a lack of interest in the Internet. Most of the patients who used Internet were interested in having access to reliable Internet-based information on their health (76.8%), and most used Internet to search for Internet based health-information about their psychiatric disorder (58.8%). We found important differences in terms of expectations and needs depending on the patient's psychiatric disorder (e.g., higher interest in Internet-based information among patients with bipolar disorder, substance-related and addictive disorders

  1. The Internet and the Google Age: Prospects and Perils

    Science.gov (United States)

    James, Jonathan D., Ed.

    2014-01-01

    "The Internet and the Google Age" commemorates the 25th Anniversary of the Internet in March 2014 and celebrates the achievements and benefits while also pointing out the limitations and perils of the Internet. It identifies the broad characteristics of the Internet age, and includes several studies that outline the educational benefits…

  2. Internet-based recruitment to a depression prevention intervention: lessons from the Mood Memos study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morgan, Amy Joanna; Jorm, Anthony Francis; Mackinnon, Andrew James

    2013-02-12

    Recruiting participants to randomized controlled trials of health interventions can be very difficult. Internet-based recruitment is becoming an increasingly important mode of recruitment, yet there are few detailed accounts of experiences recruiting participants to mental health interventions. To report on our experience with Internet-based recruitment to an online depression prevention intervention and pass on lessons we learned. Participants were recruited to the Mood Memos study, an online preventive depression intervention, purely through Internet-based sources. The study was targeted to adults with subthreshold depression symptoms from several English-speaking countries. A variety of online recruitment sources were trialed, including search engine advertising (Google, Yahoo!, Bing), Facebook advertising, posts in forums and online noticeboards, and promotion through relevant websites and email newsletters of mental health organizations. The study website received visits from 94,808 individuals over the 14-month recruitment period. The recruitment target was reached with 1699 individuals signing up to the randomized controlled trial and 1326 fully enrolling. Most visitors arrived via Google advertising, which promoted a depression-screening questionnaire. Google advertising accounted for nearly half of the total participants who signed up to the study, at an average cost of AUD $12 per participant. Promoting the study through trustworthy organizations and websites known to participants was also effective. Recruitment techniques that were less effective were contacting forums, email groups, and community noticeboards. Several techniques, including Google advertising, were successful in recruiting participants to a trial evaluating an online depression intervention. Results suggest that Internet-based recruitment to mental health interventions is feasible and can be relatively affordable. ACTRN12609000925246.

  3. Internet-Based Recruitment to a Depression Prevention Intervention: Lessons From the Mood Memos Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jorm, Anthony Francis; Mackinnon, Andrew James

    2013-01-01

    Background Recruiting participants to randomized controlled trials of health interventions can be very difficult. Internet-based recruitment is becoming an increasingly important mode of recruitment, yet there are few detailed accounts of experiences recruiting participants to mental health interventions. Objective To report on our experience with Internet-based recruitment to an online depression prevention intervention and pass on lessons we learned. Methods Participants were recruited to the Mood Memos study, an online preventive depression intervention, purely through Internet-based sources. The study was targeted to adults with subthreshold depression symptoms from several English-speaking countries. A variety of online recruitment sources were trialed, including search engine advertising (Google, Yahoo!, Bing), Facebook advertising, posts in forums and online noticeboards, and promotion through relevant websites and email newsletters of mental health organizations. Results The study website received visits from 94,808 individuals over the 14-month recruitment period. The recruitment target was reached with 1699 individuals signing up to the randomized controlled trial and 1326 fully enrolling. Most visitors arrived via Google advertising, which promoted a depression-screening questionnaire. Google advertising accounted for nearly half of the total participants who signed up to the study, at an average cost of AUD $12 per participant. Promoting the study through trustworthy organizations and websites known to participants was also effective. Recruitment techniques that were less effective were contacting forums, email groups, and community noticeboards. Conclusions Several techniques, including Google advertising, were successful in recruiting participants to a trial evaluating an online depression intervention. Results suggest that Internet-based recruitment to mental health interventions is feasible and can be relatively affordable. Trial Registration ACTRN

  4. Validation of internet-based self-reported anthropometric, demographic data and participant identity in the Food4Me study

    Science.gov (United States)

    BACKGROUND In e-health intervention studies, there are concerns about the reliability of internet-based, self-reported (SR) data and about the potential for identity fraud. This study introduced and tested a novel procedure for assessing the validity of internet-based, SR identity and validated anth...

  5. An Internet-ready database for prospective randomized clinical trials of high-dose-rate brachytherapy for adenocarcinoma of the prostate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Devlin, Phillip M.; Brus, Christina R.; Kazakin, Julia; Mitchell, Ronald B.; Demanes, D. Jeffrey; Edmundson, Gregory; Gribble, Michael; Gustafson, Gary S.; Kelly, Douglas A.; Linares, Luis A.; Martinez, Alvaro A.; Mate, Timothy P.; Nag, Subir; Perez, Carlos A.; Rao, Jaynath G.; Rodriguez, Rodney R.; Shasha, Daniel; Tripuraneni, Prabhakar

    2002-01-01

    Purpose: To demonstrate a new interactive Internet-ready database for prospective clinical trials in high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy for prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: An Internet-ready database was created that allows common data acquisition and statistical analysis. Patient anonymity and confidentiality are preserved. These data forms include all common elements found from a survey of the databases. The forms allow the user to view patient data in a view-only or edit mode. Eight linked forms document patient data before and after receiving HDR therapy. The pretreatment forms are divided into four categories: staging, comorbid diseases, external beam radiotherapy data, and signs and symptoms. The posttreatment forms separate data by HDR implant information, HDR medications, posttreatment signs and symptoms, and follow-up data. The forms were tested for clinical usefulness. Conclusion: This Internet-based database enables the user to record and later analyze all relevant medical data and may become a reliable instrument for the follow-up of patients and evaluation of treatment results

  6. Individually tailored internet-based cognitive behavior therapy for adolescents with anxiety disorders: A pilot effectiveness study

    OpenAIRE

    Kristin Silfvernagel; Malin Gren-Landell; Marie Emanuelsson; Per Carlbring; Gerhard Andersson

    2015-01-01

    This is the first study of adolescents suffering from anxiety disorder in Sweden to receive individually tailored internet-based treatment within a child and adolescent psychiatric clinic. The primary aim of this effectiveness study was to examine the effects of tailored internet-based cognitive behaviour therapy for adolescents. 11 adolescents, aged 15-19 years, were allocated to treatment after assessment. Screening consisted of online questionnaires followed by a diagnostic face-to-face...

  7. Internet-based self-help smoking cessation and alcohol moderation interventions for cancer survivors: a study protocol of two RCTs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mujcic, Ajla; Blankers, Matthijs; Boon, Brigitte; Engels, Rutger; van Laar, Margriet

    2018-04-02

    Brief interventions for smoking cessation and alcohol moderation may contribute considerably to the prevention of cancer among populations at risk, such as cancer survivors, in addition to improving their general wellbeing. There is accumulating evidence for the effectiveness of internet-based brief health behaviour interventions. The objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness, patient-level cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of two new online theory-based self-help interventions among adult cancer survivors in the Netherlands. One of the interventions focuses on alcohol moderation, the other on smoking cessation. Both interventions are tailored to cancer survivors. Effectiveness will be assessed in two separate, nearly identical 2-armed RCTs: alcohol moderation (AM RCT) and smoking cessation (SC RCT). Participants are randomly allocated to either the intervention groups or the control groups. In the intervention groups, participants have access to one of the newly developed interventions. In the control groups, participants receive an online static information brochure on alcohol (AM RCT) or smoking (SC RCT). Main study outcome parameters are the number of drinks post-randomisation (AM RCT) and tobacco abstinence (SC RCT). In addition, cost-data and possible effect moderators and mediators will be assessed. Both treatments are internet-based minimally guided self-help interventions: MyCourse - Moderate Drinking (in Dutch: MijnKoers - Minderen met Drinken) and MyCourse - Quit Smoking (MijnKoers - Stoppen met Roken). They are based on cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing (MI) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Both interventions are optimized in collaboration with the target population of cancer survivors in focus groups and interviews, and in collaboration with several experts on eHealth, smoking cessation, alcohol misuse and cancer survivorship. The present study will add to scientific knowledge on the (cost

  8. Internet Use, Depression, and Anxiety in a Healthy Adolescent Population: Prospective Cohort Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thom, Robyn Pauline; Bickham, David S; Rich, Michael

    2018-05-22

    Psychiatric disorders, including conduct disturbances, substance abuse, and affective disorders, emerge in approximately 20% of adolescents. In parallel with the rise in internet use, the prevalence of depression among adolescents has increased. It remains unclear whether and how internet use impacts mental health in adolescents. We assess the association between patterns of internet use and two mental health outcomes (depression and anxiety) in a healthy adolescent population. A total of 126 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15 years were recruited. Participants reported their typical computer and internet usage patterns. At baseline and one-year follow-up, they completed the Beck Depression Index for primary care (BDI-PC) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory for Primary Care (BAI-PC). Individual linear regressions were completed to determine the association between markers of internet use at baseline and mental health outcomes at one-year follow-up. All models controlled for age, gender, and ethnicity. There was an inverse correlation between minutes spent on a favorite website per visit and BAI-PC score. No association was found between internet use and BDI-PC score. There is no relationship between internet use patterns and depression in adolescents, whereas internet use may mitigate anxiety in adolescents with higher levels of baseline anxiety. ©Robyn Pauline Thom, David S Bickham, Michael Rich. Originally published in JMIR Mental Health (http://mental.jmir.org), 22.05.2018.

  9. Using the Internet for information about breast cancer: a questionnaire-based study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Littlechild, Sophie Anna; Barr, Lester

    2013-09-01

    To identify the proportion of breast cancer patients that used the Internet for breast cancer information; to classify patterns of use based on patient demographics; and to evaluate whether using the Internet for this purpose was beneficial or problematic. Also to recognize whether a specific demographic group was more likely to experience problems when using the Internet for breast cancer information. A 10-item questionnaire was given to patients who attended the breast unit at the University Hospital of South Manchester between May and June 2011 following breast cancer treatment within the last 5 years. 200 questionnaires were completed. 50.5% of patients had used the Internet for breast cancer information, with younger (pincome (pInternet for breast cancer information, particularly those from ethnic minorities. Health professionals need to include a discussion about Internet use in consultations with breast cancer patients. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Increasing utilization of Internet-based resources following efforts to promote evidence-based medicine: a national study in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weng, Yi-Hao; Kuo, Ken N; Yang, Chun-Yuh; Lo, Heng-Lien; Shih, Ya-Hui; Chen, Chiehfeng; Chiu, Ya-Wen

    2013-01-07

    Since the beginning of 2007, the National Health Research Institutes has been promoting the dissemination of evidence-based medicine (EBM). The current study examined longitudinal trends of behaviors in how hospital-based physicians and nurses have searched for medical information during the spread of EBM. Cross-sectional postal questionnaire surveys were conducted in nationally representative regional hospitals of Taiwan thrice in 2007, 2009, and 2011. Demographic data were gathered concerning gender, age, working experience, teaching appointment, academic degree, and administrative position. Linear and logistic regression models were used to examine predictors and changes over time. Data from physicians and nurses were collected in 2007 (n = 1156), 2009 (n = 2975), and 2011 (n = 3999). There were significant increases in the use of four Internet-based resources - Web portals, online databases, electronic journals, and electronic books - across the three survey years among physicians and nurses (p Internet-based resources and users' characteristics. Age and faculty position were important predictors in relation to the usage among physicians and nurses, while academic degree served as a critical factor among nurses only. Physicians and nurses used a variety of sources to look for medical information. There was a steady increase in use of Internet-based resources during the diffusion period of EBM. The findings highlight the importance of the Internet as a prominent source of medical information for main healthcare professionals.

  11. Internet-based interventions for smoking cessation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Civljak, Marta; Sheikh, Aziz; Stead, Lindsay F; Car, Josip

    2010-09-08

    The Internet has become a regular part of daily life for the majority of people in many parts of the world. It now offers an additional means of effecting changes to behaviour such as smoking. To determine the effectiveness of Internet-based interventions for smoking cessation. We searched the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group Specialized Register, with additional searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar. There were no restrictions placed on language of publication or publication date. The most recent search was in June 2010. We included randomized and quasi-randomized trials. Participants were people who smoked, with no exclusions based on age, gender, ethnicity, language or health status. Any type of Internet-based intervention was eligible. The comparison condition could be a no-intervention control or a different Internet site or programme. Methodological and study quality details were extracted using a standardised form. We selected smoking cessation outcomes at short term (one to three months) and long term (6 months or more) follow up, and reported study effects as a risk ratio with 95% confidence intervals. Only limited meta-analysis was performed, as the heterogeneity of the data for populations, interventions and outcomes allowed for very little pooling. Twenty trials met the inclusion criteria. There were more female than male participants. Some Internet programmes were intensive and included multiple outreach contacts with participants, whilst others relied on participants to initiate and maintain use.Ten trials compared an Internet intervention to a non-Internet based smoking cessation intervention or to a no intervention control. Six of these recruited adults, one recruited young adult university students and three recruited adolescents. Two trials of the same intensive automated intervention in populations of adult who smoked showed significantly increased cessation compared to printed self-help materials at 12 months. In one

  12. A study on Turkish adolescent's Internet use: possible predictors of Internet addiction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ak, Serife; Koruklu, Nermin; Yılmaz, Yusuf

    2013-03-01

    The purpose of this study is to investigate the internet use of Turkish adolescents, with a (particular) focus on the risk of Internet addiction. A web-based questionnaire was completed by a total of 4,311 adolescents attending public high schools in grades 9-12, in a small-sized city in western Turkey. Ages ranged from 15 to 19 years, 54 percent were female and 46 percent male. The questionnaire included items on sociodemographic information, Internet usage, and a Turkish version of the Young's Internet Addiction Test. The data were analyzed in SPPS 15.0 program using the t test, the Mann-Whitney U test, correlation and hierarchic regression analysis. The findings show that, regardless of gender, Facebook ranked highest in the classification of students' purpose of Internet use; it was also found that females mainly used the Internet for communication, whereas males were more interested in playing online games and reading newspapers and magazines. The results of hierarchic regression analysis indicated that the significant predictors of the internet addiction were the presence of Internet access at home, gender, and family income levels.

  13. A Study of Faculty Attitudes toward Internet-Based Distance Education: A Survey of Two Jordanian Public Universities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gasaymeh, Al-Mothana M.

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes toward internet-based distance education by the faculty members of two Jordanian public universities, Al-Hussein Bin Talal University and Yarmouk University, as well as to explore the relationship between their attitudes toward internet-based distance education and their perceptions of their…

  14. Internet-Based Interventions for Addictive Behaviours: A Systematic Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chebli, Jaymee-Lee; Blaszczynski, Alexander; Gainsbury, Sally M

    2016-12-01

    Internet-based interventions have emerged as a new treatment and intervention modality for psychological disorders. Given their features of treatment flexibility, anonymity and confidentiality, this modality may be well suited in the management of addictive behaviours. A systematic literature review of the effectiveness and treatment outcomes of Internet-based interventions for smoking cessation, problematic alcohol use, substance abuse and gambling was performed. Studies were included if they met the following criteria: clients received a structured therapeutic Internet-based intervention for a problematic and addictive behaviour; included more than five clients; effectiveness was based on at least one outcome; outcome variables were measured before and immediately following the interventions; had a follow-up period; and involved at least minimal therapist contact over the course of the program. Sixteen relevant studies were found; nine addressed the effects of Internet-based interventions on smoking cessation, four on gambling, two on alcohol and one on opioid dependence. All studies demonstrated positive treatment outcomes for their respective addictive behaviours. The current review concluded that Internet-based interventions are effective in achieving positive behavioural change through reducing problematic behaviours. This mode of therapy has been found to have the capacity to provide effective and practical services for those who might have remained untreated, subsequently reducing the barriers for help-seekers. This in turn provides imperative information to treatment providers, policy makers, and academic researchers.

  15. Pathological Internet use, cyberbullying and mobile phone use in adolescence: a school-based study in Greece.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsimtsiou, Zoi; Haidich, Anna-Bettina; Drontsos, Anastasios; Dantsi, Fotini; Sekeri, Zafiria; Drosos, Evangelos; Trikilis, Nikolaos; Dardavesis, Theodoros; Nanos, Panagiotis; Arvanitidou, Malamatenia

    2017-04-22

    Purpose This study investigated the prevalence of Internet addiction (IA) and cyberbullying and examined profiles of adolescents with increased risk to develop pathological behaviors. Methods In this cross-sectional, school-based study, 8053 students of 30 middle and 21 high schools (12-18 years old) were invited to participate, based on a multistage stratified random sampling technique. The Internet aiddiction test (IAT) was used along with information on socio-demographics, Internet activities and cyberbullying experience. Results Five thousand five hundred and ninety students participated (response rate 69.4%). Pathological Internet use (IAT ≥50) was found in 526 (10.1%), while 403 (7.3%) experienced cyberbullying as victims and 367 (6.6%) as perpetrators during the last year. In multivariable models, the odds of IA increased with online hours on mobile phones and Internet use during weekends, Internet café visits, chatrooms usage and engagement in cyberbullying. Cyberbullying victims were more likely to be older, female, Facebook and chatrooms users, while perpetrators were more likely to be male, older Internet users and fans of pornographic sites. A perpetrator was significantly more likely to have also been a victim [odds ratio (OR) = 5.51, confidence interval (CI): 3.92-7.74]. Hours of daily Internet use on a mobile phone was independently associated with IA and cyberbullying (OR) 1.41, 95% CI 1.30, 1.53 and OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.01, 1.21, respectively. Conclusions Cyberbullying is associated with IA and the hours spent online on a mobile phone affected both conditions. The increasing Internet access through mobile phones or other devices should be accompanied by the appropriate education of both parents and adolescents on safe Internet use.

  16. Towards Marxian Internet Studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christian Fuchs

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available This article gives an overview of example approaches of Critical Internet Studies and points out key concepts of this field. Critical Cyberculture Studies and Critical Political Economy/Critical Theory of the Internet are identified as two approaches in Critical Internet Studies. The paper also discusses the role of 11 Marxian concepts for Critical Internet Studies. Marxian concepts that have been reflected in Critical Internet Studies include: dialectics, capitalism, commodification, surplus value/exploitation/alienation/class, globalization, ideology, class struggle, commons, public sphere, communism, and aesthetics. The paper points out the importance of explicitly acknowledging the importance of Karl Marx’s thinking in Critical Internet Studies. Marx’s concepts are today frequently used implicitly, without acknowledging and engaging with their roots. A critique of the approach of “Critical” Cyberculture Studies is advanced. This approach is compared to the approaches of Critical Theory and Critical Political Economy of the Internet. The difference between these two approaches reflects the debate about class exploitation and non-class domination between Cultural Studies and Critical Political Economy in Media and Communication Studies.

  17. Internet-based surveillance systems for monitoring emerging infectious diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milinovich, Gabriel J; Williams, Gail M; Clements, Archie C A; Hu, Wenbiao

    2014-02-01

    Emerging infectious diseases present a complex challenge to public health officials and governments; these challenges have been compounded by rapidly shifting patterns of human behaviour and globalisation. The increase in emerging infectious diseases has led to calls for new technologies and approaches for detection, tracking, reporting, and response. Internet-based surveillance systems offer a novel and developing means of monitoring conditions of public health concern, including emerging infectious diseases. We review studies that have exploited internet use and search trends to monitor two such diseases: influenza and dengue. Internet-based surveillance systems have good congruence with traditional surveillance approaches. Additionally, internet-based approaches are logistically and economically appealing. However, they do not have the capacity to replace traditional surveillance systems; they should not be viewed as an alternative, but rather an extension. Future research should focus on using data generated through internet-based surveillance and response systems to bolster the capacity of traditional surveillance systems for emerging infectious diseases. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Internet-enabled collaborative agent-based supply chains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Weiming; Kremer, Rob; Norrie, Douglas H.

    2000-12-01

    This paper presents some results of our recent research work related to the development of a new Collaborative Agent System Architecture (CASA) and an Infrastructure for Collaborative Agent Systems (ICAS). Initially being proposed as a general architecture for Internet based collaborative agent systems (particularly complex industrial collaborative agent systems), the proposed architecture is very suitable for managing the Internet enabled complex supply chain for a large manufacturing enterprise. The general collaborative agent system architecture with the basic communication and cooperation services, domain independent components, prototypes and mechanisms are described. Benefits of implementing Internet enabled supply chains with the proposed infrastructure are discussed. A case study on Internet enabled supply chain management is presented.

  19. Why internet-based education?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gernsbacher, Morton Ann

    2014-01-01

    This essay illustrates five ways that Internet-based higher education can capitalize on fundamental principles of learning. Internet-based education can enable better mastery through distributed (shorter, more frequent) practice rather than massed (longer, less frequent) practice; it can optimize performance because it allows students to learn at their peak time of their day; it can deepen memory because it requires cheat-proof assignments and tests; it can promote critical thinking because it necessitates intellectual winnowing and sifting; and it can enhance writing skills by requiring students to write frequently and for a broad audience.

  20. Comparison of consumer information on the internet to the current evidence base for minimally invasive parathyroidectomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLean, Timothy; Delbridge, Leigh

    2010-06-01

    The Internet is increasingly used as a source of health information by patients. Under these circumstances, the opportunity exists for Internet sites ostensibly providing patient information to act to promote surgical referrals based on exaggerated claims. This study aims to assess quantitatively and qualitatively the Internet-based consumer health information for minimally invasive parathyroidectomy (MIP) techniques. This is a prospective analysis of Internet web sites. Descriptive information about specific published claims on each of the web sites was documented and compared to the published evidence base. Web sites were then rated using a validated composite score (CS) tool and an MIP score tool developed specifically for the study. The search yielded 308 web sites, which, after assessment by the inclusion criteria left 44 unique web sites suitable for analysis. "Exaggerated," "misleading," or "false" claims were present in 27.3% of the web sites analyzed. The false claims category had a high negative item-total correlation with the overall score, and accuracy was found to have a statistically significant (p < 0.05) negative correlation with quality. However, analysis performed for country of origin and the organization responsible for the web site found no significant difference. Web sites offering information in relation to MIP have a surprisingly high rate of claims that are not in accord with the evidence. Such claims may be posted to attract surgical referrals. It is difficult for consumers to differentiate quality consumer health web sites from poor ones as there are no hard and fast rules to differentiate them.

  1. PREFERENCES ON INTERNET BASED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS IN STUDENT-CENTERED EDUCATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zuhal CUBUKCU

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Nowadays, educational systems are being questionned to find effective solutions to problems that are being encountered, and discussions are centered around the ways of restructuring systems so as to overcome difficulties. As the consequences of the traditional teaching approach, we can indicate that the taught material is not long-lasting but easily forgotten, that students do not sufficiently acquire the knowledge and skills that are aimed at developing, and that students lack transferring their knowledge to real life. In our current situation, individuals prefer to use educational resources where and when they want, based on their individual skills and abilities. Throughout the world, because the internet infrastructure has developed quite rapidly, it has been offered as an alternative way for a rich learning and teaching environment. This study aims at determining teacher candidates’ preferences regarding internet-based learning environments in student-centered education by involving the teacher candidates enrolled at Osmangazi University, Faculty of Education, Primary School Teaching, Mathematics Teaching and Computer and Educational Technologies Education programmes. This study is a descriptive study. The data collection scale consists of the “Constructivist Internet-based Education of Science Scale (CILES-S”. The sample group of teacher candidates in the study showed differences with respect to their preferences regarding internet-based learning in student-centered education. The candidates scored higher in the internet-based learning environments of Cognitive Development and Critical Judgement. The lowest average scores of the sample group were observed in the internet-based learning environment of Episthemologic awareness.

  2. Older adults' experiences of internet-based vestibular rehabilitation for dizziness: A longitudinal study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Essery, Rosie; Kirby, Sarah; Geraghty, Adam W A; Yardley, Lucy

    2017-11-01

    Factors influencing engagement with self-managed rehabilitation are not well understood, but evidence suggests they may change over time. Despite increasing digitalisation of self-managed interventions, little is known about the role of internet-based interventions in patients' experiences of self-directed rehabilitation. This longitudinal qualitative study investigated individuals' ongoing experiences of internet-guided, self-managed rehabilitation within the context of rehabilitation for dizziness. Eighteen adults aged fifty and over who experienced dizziness used the 'Balance Retraining' internet intervention for six weeks. Participants took part in semi-structured telephone interviews at two-week intervals to explore their experiences. Data were inductively thematically analysed. The internet intervention was reported to facilitate engagement with rehabilitation exercises, providing motivation to continue through symptom reduction and simple but helpful strategies. It was perceived as informative, reassuring, visually pleasing and easy to use. Barriers to engagement included practicalities, symptoms and doubts about exercise efficacy. Participants' perceptions did not always remain consistent over time. The internet intervention may be a feasible method of supporting self-managed vestibular rehabilitation. More generally, longitudinal findings suggest that appearance-related perceptions of online interventions may be especially important for initial engagement. Furthermore, intervention features targeting self-efficacy seem important in overcoming barriers to engagement.

  3. Why Internet-based Education?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Morton Ann Gernsbacher

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This essay illustrates five ways that Internet-based higher education can capitalize on fundamental principles of learning. Internet-based education can enable better mastery through distributed (shorter, more frequent practice rather than massed (longer, less frequent practice; it can optimize performance because it allows students to learn at their peak time of their day; it can deepen memory because it requires cheat-proof assignments and tests; it can promote critical thinking because it necessitates intellectual winnowing and sifting; and it can enhance writing skills by requiring students to write frequently and for a broad audience.

  4. An internet-based teaching file on clinical nuclear medicine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiang Zhong; Wu Jinchang

    2001-01-01

    Objective: The goal of this project was to develop an internet-based interactive digital teaching file on nuclide imaging in clinical nuclear medicine, with the capability of access to internet. Methods: On the basis of academic teaching contents in nuclear medicine textbook for undergraduates who major in nuclear medicine, Frontpage 2000, HTML language, and JavaScript language in some parts of the contents, were utilized in the internet-based teaching file developed in this study. Results: A practical and comprehensive teaching file was accomplished and may get access with acceptable speed to internet. Besides basic teaching contents of nuclide imagings, a large number of typical and rare clinical cases, questionnaire with answers and update data in the field of nuclear medicine were included in the file. Conclusion: This teaching file meets its goal of providing an easy-to-use and internet-based digital teaching file, characteristically with the contents instant and enriched, and with the modes diversified and colorful

  5. Frequency of Internet, Social Network and Mobile Devices use in Prospective Teachers from Faculty of Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Murat Tezer

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The basic aim of this study was to determine the relationship between university students’ frequency of internet use, duration of internet connection, environments that they connect to the internet, duration use of mobile devices, frequency of social networking leisure activities and internet addiction levels. The participants included a total of 363 university students of whom 255 were female and 108 were male. Quantitative research methods were used in this study. A survey was developed by the researchers and administered to the students. Based on statistical analysis; it was revealed that the frequency of internet use was every day throughout the week, students frequently stayed connected to the internet at home with their computers and the frequency of mobile devices and social network use was found as “Always”. In addition, university students stated that they connected to the internet in their leisure time.

  6. Unified Internet Messaging

    OpenAIRE

    Healy, Paul; Barber, Declan

    2015-01-01

    As telephony services, mobile services and internet services continue to converge, the prospect of providing Unified Messaging and even Unified Communications becomes increasingly achievable. This paper discusses the growing importance of IP-based networks to Unified Messaging developments and examines some of the key services and protocols that are likely to make Unified Messaging more widely available. In this initial paper, we limit ourselves initially to the unification of text-based mess...

  7. Dementia caregivers' responses to 2 Internet-based intervention programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marziali, Elsa; Garcia, Linda J

    2011-02-01

    The aim of this study was to examine the impact on dementia caregivers' experienced stress and health status of 2 Internet-based intervention programs. Ninety-one dementia caregivers were given the choice of being involved in either an Internet-based chat support group or an Internet-based video conferencing support group. Pre-post outcome measures focused on distress, health status, social support, and service utilization. In contrast to the Chat Group, the Video Group showed significantly greater improvement in mental health status. Also, for the Video Group, improvements in self-efficacy, neuroticism, and social support were associated with lower stress response to coping with the care recipient's cognitive impairment and decline in function. The results show that, of 2 Internet-based intervention programs for dementia caregivers, the video conferencing intervention program was more effective in improving mental health status and improvement in personal characteristics were associated with lower caregiver stress response.

  8. Internet-Based Communication

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gernsbacher, Morton Ann

    2014-01-01

    Google the question, "How is the Internet changing the way we communicate?," and you will find no shortage of opinions, or fears, about the Internet altering the way we communicate. Although the Internet is not necessarily making communication briefer (neither is the Internet making communication less formal), the Internet is manifesting…

  9. Predictive values of psychiatric symptoms for internet addiction in adolescents: a 2-year prospective study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ko, Chih-Hung; Yen, Ju-Yu; Chen, Cheng-Sheng; Yeh, Yi-Chun; Yen, Cheng-Fang

    2009-10-01

    To evaluate the predictive values of psychiatric symptoms for the occurrence of Internet addiction and to determine the sex differences in the predictive value of psychiatric symptoms for the occurrence of Internet addiction in adolescents. Internet addiction, depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, social phobia, and hostility were assessed by self-reported questionnaires. Participants were then invited to be assessed for Internet addiction 6, 12, and 24 months later (the second, third, and fourth assessments, respectively). Ten junior high schools in southern Taiwan. A total of 2293 (1179 boys and 1114 girls) adolescents participated in the initial investigation. The course of time. Internet addiction as assessed using the Chen Internet Addiction Scale. Depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, social phobia, and hostility were found to predict the occurrence of Internet addiction in the 2-year follow-up, and hostility and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder were the most significant predictors of Internet addiction in male and female adolescents, respectively. These results suggest that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, hostility, depression, and social phobia should be detected early on and intervention carried out to prevent Internet addiction in adolescents. Also, sex differences in psychiatric comorbidity should be taken into consideration when developing prevention and intervention strategies for Internet addiction.

  10. Adherence to internet-based mobile-supported stress management

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zarski, A C; Lehr, D.; Berking, M.

    2016-01-01

    of this study was to investigate the influence of different guidance formats (content-focused guidance, adherence-focused guidance, and administrative guidance) on adherence and to identify predictors of nonadherence in an Internet-based mobile-supported stress management intervention (ie, GET.ON Stress......) for employees. Methods: The data from the groups who received the intervention were pooled from three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the efficacy of the same Internet-based mobile-supported stress management intervention (N=395). The RCTs only differed in terms of the guidance format...... of the predictors significantly predicted nonadherence. Conclusions: Guidance has been shown to be an influential factor in promoting adherence to an Internet-based mobile-supported stress management intervention. Adherence-focused guidance, which included email reminders and feedback on demand, was equivalent...

  11. Utility and potential of rapid epidemic intelligence from internet-based sources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, S J; Chughtai, A A; Macintyre, C R

    2017-10-01

    Rapid epidemic detection is an important objective of surveillance to enable timely intervention, but traditional validated surveillance data may not be available in the required timeframe for acute epidemic control. Increasing volumes of data on the Internet have prompted interest in methods that could use unstructured sources to enhance traditional disease surveillance and gain rapid epidemic intelligence. We aimed to summarise Internet-based methods that use freely-accessible, unstructured data for epidemic surveillance and explore their timeliness and accuracy outcomes. Steps outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist were used to guide a systematic review of research related to the use of informal or unstructured data by Internet-based intelligence methods for surveillance. We identified 84 articles published between 2006-2016 relating to Internet-based public health surveillance methods. Studies used search queries, social media posts and approaches derived from existing Internet-based systems for early epidemic alerts and real-time monitoring. Most studies noted improved timeliness compared to official reporting, such as in the 2014 Ebola epidemic where epidemic alerts were generated first from ProMED-mail. Internet-based methods showed variable correlation strength with official datasets, with some methods showing reasonable accuracy. The proliferation of publicly available information on the Internet provided a new avenue for epidemic intelligence. Methodologies have been developed to collect Internet data and some systems are already used to enhance the timeliness of traditional surveillance systems. To improve the utility of Internet-based systems, the key attributes of timeliness and data accuracy should be included in future evaluations of surveillance systems. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  12. Internet based benchmarking

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bogetoft, Peter; Nielsen, Kurt

    2005-01-01

    We discuss the design of interactive, internet based benchmarking using parametric (statistical) as well as nonparametric (DEA) models. The user receives benchmarks and improvement potentials. The user is also given the possibility to search different efficiency frontiers and hereby to explore...

  13. Patients' experiences in a guided Internet- and App-based stress intervention for college students: A qualitative study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R.J. Fleischmann

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Academic education is often associated with increased stress and adverse effects on mental health. Internet-based interventions have shown to be effective in reducing stress-related symptoms. However, college students as target group so far have not been reached appropriately with psychological interventions and little is known about college students' perception of Internet-based stress management interventions. The objective of this study was to explore the experiences of students participating in an Internet- and App-based stress management intervention originally developed for stressed employees and subsequently adapted and tailored to college students. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten participants selected from a randomized controlled trial that evaluated the effectiveness of an Internet- and App-based stress training. The selection of participants aimed to include students with different levels of treatment success. In order to enable an in-depth examination of intervention elements causing dissatisfaction, the interviews were systematically adapted regarding participants' statements in a precedent questionnaire. The interview material was analyzed based on the grounded theory method and thematic analysis. Results: Results suggest students perceive a necessity to adapt Internet-based interventions to their particular needs. Students' statements indicate that a scientific perspective on the intervention and instable life circumstances could be student-specific factors affecting treatment experience. General themes emerging from the data were attitudes towards individualization and authenticity as well as demands towards different functions of feedback. Discussion: Participants' experiences hint at certain intellectual and lifestyle-related characteristics of this population. Future studies should explore whether adaptions to these characteristics lead to a higher acceptance, adherence and effectiveness

  14. Design and conduct of an internet-based preconception cohort study in North America: Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wise, Lauren A; Rothman, Kenneth J.; Mikkelsen, Ellen M.; Stanford, Joseph B.; Wesselink, Amelia K.; McKinnon, Craig; Gruschow, Siobhan M.; Horgan, Casie E.; Wiley, Aleta S.; Hahn, Kristen A.; Sørensen, Henrik Toft; Hatch, Elizabeth E.

    2015-01-01

    Background We launched the Boston University Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO) to assess the feasibility of carrying out an internet-based preconception cohort study in the U.S. and Canada. Methods We recruited female participants age 21–45 and their male partners through internet advertisements, word of mouth, and flyers. Female participants were randomized with 50% probability to receive a subscription to FertilityFriend.com (FF), a web-based program that collects real-time data on menstrual characteristics. We compared recruitment methods within PRESTO, assessed the cost-efficiency of PRESTO relative to its Danish counterpart (Snart-Gravid), and validated retrospectively-reported date of last menstrual period (LMP) against FF data. Results After 99 weeks of recruitment (2013–2015), 2,421 women enrolled; 1,384 (57%) invited their male partners to participate, of whom 693 (50%) enrolled. Baseline characteristics were balanced across randomization groups. Cohort retention was similar among those randomized vs. not randomized to FF (84% vs. 81%). At study enrollment, 56%, 22%, and 22% couples had been trying to conceive for cost per subject enrolled was $146 (2013 $US), which was similar to our companion Danish study and half that of a traditional cohort study. Among FF users who conceived, >97% reported their LMP on the PRESTO questionnaire within 1 day of the LMP recorded via FF. Conclusions Use of the internet as a method of recruitment and follow-up in a North American preconception cohort study was feasible and cost-effective. PMID:26111445

  15. The Prospect of Internet of Things and Big Data Analytics in Transportation System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noori Hussein, Waleed; Kamarudin, L. M.; Hussain, Haider N.; Zakaria, A.; Badlishah Ahmed, R.; Zahri, N. A. H.

    2018-05-01

    Internet of Things (IoT); the new dawn technology that describes how data, people and interconnected physical objects act based on communicated information, and big data analytics have been adopted by diverse domains for varying purposes. Manufacturing, agriculture, banks, oil and gas, healthcare, retail, hospitality, and food services are few of the sectors that have adopted and massively utilized IoT and big data analytics. The transportation industry is also an early adopter, with significant attendant effects on its processes of tracking shipment, freight monitoring, and transparent warehousing. This is recorded in countries like England, Singapore, Portugal, and Germany, while Malaysia is currently assessing the potentials and researching a purpose-driven adoption and implementation. This paper, based on review of related literature, presents a summary of the inherent prospects in adopting IoT and big data analytics in the Malaysia transportation system. Efficient and safe port environment, predictive maintenance and remote management, boundary-less software platform and connected ecosystem, among others, are the inherent benefits in the IoT and big data analytics for the Malaysia transportation system.

  16. A study of pricing and trading model of Blockchain & Big data-based Energy-Internet electricity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Tao; He, Qingsu; Nie, Erbao; Chen, Shaozhen

    2018-01-01

    The development of Energy-Internet is currently suffering from a series of issues, such as the conflicts among high capital requirement, low-cost, high efficiency, the spreading gap between capital demand and supply, as well as the lagged trading & valuation mechanism, any of which would hinder Energy-Internet's evolution. However, with the development of Blockchain and big-data technology, it is possible to work out solutions for these issues. Based on current situation of Energy-Internet and its requirements for future progress, this paper demonstrates the validity of employing blockchain technology to solve the problems encountered by Energy-Internet during its development. It proposes applying the blockchain and big-data technologies to pricing and trading energy products through Energy-Internet and to accomplish cyber-based energy or power's transformation from physic products to financial assets.

  17. Treatment of nulliparous women with severe fear of childbirth via the Internet: a feasibility study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nieminen, Katri; Andersson, Gerhard; Wijma, Barbro; Ryding, Elsa-Lena; Wijma, Klaas

    2016-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to test the feasibility of Internet interventions among nulliparous women suffering from severe fear of childbirth (FOC) by means of an Internet-delivered therapist-supported self-help program based on cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT). Prospective, longitudinal cohort study. A feasibility study of an ICBT program for the treatment of severe FOC in pregnant women. Twenty-eight Swedish-speaking nulliparous women with severe FOC recruited via a project home page from January 2012 to December 2013. The main components of the ICBT program for the treatment of severe FOC comprised psycho-education, breathing retraining, cognitive restructuring, imaginary exposure, in vivo exposure and relapse prevention. The study participants were anonymously self-recruited over the Internet, interviewed by telephone and then enrolled. All participants were offered 8 weeks of treatment via the Internet. Participants reported their homework weekly, submitted measurements of their fear and received feedback from a therapist via a secure online contact management system. Level of FOC measured with the Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire (W-DEQ A) during screening at enrollment and weekly during the treatment (W-DEQ version A), and after the delivery (W-DEQ version B). A statistically significant (p pre to post-therapy, with a large effect size (Cohen's d = 0.95)]. The results of this feasibility study suggest that ICBT has potential in the treatment of severe FOC during pregnancy in motivated nulliparous women. The results need to be confirmed by randomized controlled studies.

  18. Effectiveness of Internet-Based Interventions on Glycemic Control in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Ying; Wang, Fengbin; Zhang, Xing; Zhu, Xiaorou; Sun, Qiudan; Fisher, Edwin; Sun, Xinying

    2018-05-07

    The popularity of internet as an area of research has grown manifold over the years. Given its rapid development and increasing coverage worldwide, internet-based interventions seem to offer a promising option to ameliorate huge burdens brought by type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, studies conducted by different researchers have provided contradictory results on the effect of internet-based interventions in glycemic control. This meta-analysis aims to summarize currently available evidence and evaluate the overall impact of internet-based interventions on glycemic management of type 2 diabetic patients. A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science. Randomized controlled trials that used glycosylated hemoglobin values as the outcome measure of glycemic control were considered. Risk of bias and publication bias were evaluated. Of the 492 studies, 35 were included in meta-analysis, and results indicated that the weighted mean difference (WMD) between usual care and internet-based interventions at endpoint was -0.426% (95% CI -0.540 to -0.312; P<.001). Subgroup analyses revealed that intervention duration ≤3 months yielded optimal performance (WMD -0.51%; 95% CI -0.71 to -0.31; P<.001). Combined mobile and website interventions were substantially superior to solely Web-based and mobile-based interventions in glycemic control (combined WMD -0.77%, 95% CI -1.07 to -0.47; P<.001; Web only: WMD -0.48%; 95% CI -0.71 to -0.24, P<.001; mobile only WMD -0.31%, 95% CI -0.49 to -0.14; P<.001). Furthermore, the effect of interventions with automated feedbacks was similar to those with manual feedbacks, and studies with internet-based educational contents were more effective in glycemic control. The assessment revealed a low risk of bias. In conclusion, utilization of internet-based intervention is beneficial for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and taking full advantage of this type of intervention may substantially reduce the

  19. [Effectiveness and practicality of an internet-based asthma refresher course for children and adolescents].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmidt, A; Greuter, T; Möller, A; Steiß, J O

    2014-04-01

    The effectiveness and practicality of the "Luftikids" (www.luftikids.de) structured, internet-based asthma refresher course was evaluated in a pilot study with 53 patients (ages 8 - 14 years). All patients had previously participated in either an inpatient or outpatient asthma education program. This prospective study examined the effect of a 4-week refresher course on parameters such as asthma symptoms (coughing, dyspnea), the number of unscheduled doctor's visits, use of on-demand medications, number of days absent from school, and asthma monitoring using the Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ) and lung function tests. The duration of program use and the number of logins was used to investigate acceptance of the game format. Data were collected at the beginning of the study and at 4 - 6 months after the end of the online refresher course. Significant changes were shown with regard to the decrease in intensity of asthma symptoms such as coughing (p = 0.001) and dyspnea (p = 0.007), reduction in the number of unscheduled doctor's visits (p = 0.005), the use of on-demand medications (4.0 ± 6.5 vs. 1.5 ± 4.9, p = children and adolescents derived "much" to "very much" benefit. Only 7.5% reported no effect. Participation in the "Luftikids" internet-based asthma refresher course resulted in fewer asthma symptoms, a decrease in unscheduled doctor's visits, reduction in the use of on-demand medications, decrease in the number of days absent from school, and improved asthma knowledge. No effect in lung function could be demonstrated. The results support the effectiveness and good acceptance of an outpatient, internet-based asthma refresher course. Young asthma patients in particular can succeed with and be motivated by this form of refresher course. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  20. Evaluation of Internet-Based Interventions on Waist Circumference Reduction: A Meta-Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seo, Dong-Chul; Niu, Jingjing

    2015-07-21

    Internet-based interventions are more cost-effective than conventional interventions and can provide immediate, easy-to-access, and individually tailored support for behavior change. Waist circumference is a strong predictor of an increased risk for a host of diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia, independent of body mass index. To date, no study has examined the effect of Internet-based lifestyle interventions on waist circumference change. This study aimed to systematically review the effect of Internet-based interventions on waist circumference change among adults. This meta-analysis reviewed randomized controlled trials (N=31 trials and 8442 participants) that used the Internet as a main intervention approach and reported changes in waist circumference. Internet-based interventions showed a significant reduction in waist circumference (mean change -2.99 cm, 95% CI -3.68 to -2.30, I(2)=93.3%) and significantly better effects on waist circumference loss (mean loss 2.38 cm, 95% CI 1.61-3.25, I(2)=97.2%) than minimal interventions such as information-only groups. Meta-regression results showed that baseline waist circumference, gender, and the presence of social support in the intervention were significantly associated with waist circumference reduction. Internet-based interventions have a significant and promising effect on waist circumference change. Incorporating social support into an Internet-based intervention appears to be useful in reducing waist circumference. Considerable heterogeneity exists among the effects of Internet-based interventions. The design of an intervention may have a significant impact on the effectiveness of the intervention.

  1. Does a Directive to an Internet Site Enhance the Doctor-Patient Interaction? A Prospective Randomized Study for Patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aung, Khin-Kyemon; Wu, Wei Kang; Tokumi, Andrew; Kuo, Phoebe; Day, Charles S

    2015-07-01

    Sixty-two percent of patients would like their doctor to recommend a specific web site to find health information, but only 3% of patients receive such recommendations. We investigated whether providing patients with an Internet web-site link recommended by their physician would improve patient knowledge and satisfaction. Our hypothesis was that directing patients to a reliable web site would improve both. Sixty patients with a new diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome were prospectively randomized into two groups. Twenty-three patients in the control group had a traditional physician office visit and received standard care for carpal tunnel syndrome. Thirty-seven patients in the treatment group received a handout that directed them to the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) web page on carpal tunnel syndrome in addition to the standard care provided in the office visit. Patients later completed a ten-question true-or-false knowledge questionnaire and a six-item satisfaction survey. Differences in scores were analyzed using two-sample t tests. Less than half (48%) of the patients who were given the Internet directive reported that they had visited the recommended web site. The mean scores on the knowledge assessment (6.84 of 10 for the treatment group and 6.96 of 10 for the control group) and the satisfaction survey (4.49 of 5 for the treatment group and 4.43 of 5 for the control group) were similar for both groups. The mean score for knowledge was similar for the patients who had used the ASSH web site and for those who had not (6.89 and 6.97 respectively). Moreover, compared with patients who had not used the Internet at all to learn about carpal tunnel syndrome, patients who used the Internet scored 6.6% better (mean score, 7.14 for those who used the Internet compared with 6.70 for those who had not; p > 0.05). Regardless of Internet usage, most patients scored well on the knowledge assessment and reported a high level of satisfaction. Whether the

  2. Internet-Based Education for Prostate Cancer Screening

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Taylor, Kathryn L

    2008-01-01

    .... Abundant evidence documents the expanding role of the Internet in increasing access to and understanding of health information and the need for systematic evaluations of Internet-based interventions. The print- and web-based interventions have been completed and we have accrued 618 participants to the randomized trial.

  3. Impact of the internet on consumers

    OpenAIRE

    Mihaela BADEA; Bogdan PÎRVULESCU

    2014-01-01

    The main purpose of this study is to show the current opportunities, prospects and the impact of the Internet on the consumer. This will be achieved by comparing the behaviour of the British consumer and the Romanian consumer and the changes that appeared under the influence of the Internet. Among the actions undertaken by the Internet marketing, which deals with the promotion of products at a certain price, a concept that has become significant in recent years, there is the placement of prod...

  4. Cognitive cooperation groups mediated by computers and internet present significant improvement of cognitive status in older adults with memory complaints: a controlled prospective study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rodrigo de Rosso Krug

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective To estimate the effect of participating in cognitive cooperation groups, mediated by computers and the internet, on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE percent variation of outpatients with memory complaints attending two memory clinics. Methods A prospective controlled intervention study carried out from 2006 to 2013 with 293 elders. The intervention group (n = 160 attended a cognitive cooperation group (20 sessions of 1.5 hours each. The control group (n = 133 received routine medical care. Outcome was the percent variation in the MMSE. Control variables included gender, age, marital status, schooling, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidaemia, hypothyroidism, depression, vascular diseases, polymedication, use of benzodiazepines, exposure to tobacco, sedentary lifestyle, obesity and functional capacity. The final model was obtained by multivariate linear regression. Results The intervention group obtained an independent positive variation of 24.39% (CI 95% = 14.86/33.91 in the MMSE compared to the control group. Conclusion The results suggested that cognitive cooperation groups, mediated by computers and the internet, are associated with cognitive status improvement of older adults in memory clinics.

  5. 77 FR 1039 - Internet-Based Telecommunications Relay Service Numbering

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-09

    ... FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 47 CFR Part 64 [WC Docket No. 10-191; Report No. 2939] Internet... toll-free numbers by users of Internet- based Telecommunications Relay Services (iTRS). DATES... any rules of particular applicability. Subject: Internet-Based Telecommunications Relay Service...

  6. Young men's views toward the barriers and facilitators of Internet-based Chlamydia trachomatis screening: qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lorimer, Karen; McDaid, Lisa

    2013-12-03

    There is a growing number of Internet-based approaches that offer young people screening for sexually transmitted infections. This paper explores young men's views towards the barriers and facilitators of implementing an Internet-based screening approach. The study sought to consider ways in which the proposed intervention would reach and engage men across ages and socioeconomic backgrounds. This qualitative study included 15 focus groups with 60 heterosexual young men (aged 16-24 years) across central Scotland, drawn across age and socioeconomic backgrounds. Focus groups began by obtaining postcode data to allocate participants to a high/low deprivation category. Focus group discussions involved exploration of men's knowledge of chlamydia, use of technology, and views toward Internet-based screening. Men were shown sample screening invitation letters, test kits, and existing screening websites to facilitate discussions. Transcripts from audio recordings were analyzed with "Framework Analysis". Men's Internet and technology use was heterogeneous in terms of individual practices, with greater use among older men (aged 20-24 years) than teenagers and some deprivation-related differences in use. We detail three themes related to barriers to successful implementation: acceptability, confidentiality and privacy concerns, and language, style, and content. These themes identify ways Internet-based screening approaches may fail to engage some men, such as by raising anxiety and failing to convey confidentiality. Men wanted screening websites to frame screening as a serious issue, rather than using humorous images and text. Participants were encouraged to reach a consensus within their groups on their broad design and style preferences for a screening website; this led to a set of common preferences that they believed were likely to engage men across age and deprivation groups and lead to greater screening uptake. The Internet provides opportunities for re-evaluating how we

  7. Depression, psychological distress and Internet use among community-based Australian adolescents: a cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoare, Erin; Milton, Karen; Foster, Charlie; Allender, Steven

    2017-04-27

    There has been rapid increase in time spent using Internet as a platform for entertainment, socialising and information sourcing. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between duration of time spent using Internet for leisure, depressive symptoms, and psychological distress among Australian adolescents. Depressive symptoms were indicated by the youth self-report module from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Version IV criteria, and psychological distress was measured by Kessler Psychological Distress scale. Internet use was self-reported based on use on an average weekday, and an average weekend day. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine the relationship between Internet use and mental health outcomes. Models were adjusted for potential confounders: age; relative level of socio-economic disadvantage, and body mass index. Adolescents were aged 11-17 years (M = 14.5 years, SD = 2.04 years). Greatest time spent using internet (≥7 h a day) was significantly associated with experiencing depressive symptoms among females (OR = 2.09, 95% CI = 1.16, 3.76, p Internet use may interact with mental health and therefore could be a modifiable risk factor to reach and improve mental health outcomes for this age group. Caution is advised in interpretation of findings, with some inconsistencies emerging from this evidence.

  8. Effectiveness of Internet-Based Interventions on Glycemic Control in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Ying; Wang, Fengbin; Zhang, Xing; Zhu, Xiaorou; Sun, Qiudan; Fisher, Edwin

    2018-01-01

    Background The popularity of internet as an area of research has grown manifold over the years. Given its rapid development and increasing coverage worldwide, internet-based interventions seem to offer a promising option to ameliorate huge burdens brought by type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, studies conducted by different researchers have provided contradictory results on the effect of internet-based interventions in glycemic control. Objective This meta-analysis aims to summarize currently available evidence and evaluate the overall impact of internet-based interventions on glycemic management of type 2 diabetic patients. Methods A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science. Randomized controlled trials that used glycosylated hemoglobin values as the outcome measure of glycemic control were considered. Risk of bias and publication bias were evaluated. Results Of the 492 studies, 35 were included in meta-analysis, and results indicated that the weighted mean difference (WMD) between usual care and internet-based interventions at endpoint was –0.426% (95% CI –0.540 to –0.312; P<.001). Subgroup analyses revealed that intervention duration ≤3 months yielded optimal performance (WMD –0.51%; 95% CI –0.71 to –0.31; P<.001). Combined mobile and website interventions were substantially superior to solely Web-based and mobile-based interventions in glycemic control (combined WMD –0.77%, 95% CI –1.07 to –0.47; P<.001; Web only: WMD –0.48%; 95% CI –0.71 to –0.24, P<.001; mobile only WMD –0.31%, 95% CI –0.49 to –0.14; P<.001). Furthermore, the effect of interventions with automated feedbacks was similar to those with manual feedbacks, and studies with internet-based educational contents were more effective in glycemic control. The assessment revealed a low risk of bias. Conclusions In conclusion, utilization of internet-based intervention is beneficial for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and

  9. Current Views and Perspectives on E-Mental Health: An Exploratory Survey Study for Understanding Public Attitudes Toward Internet-Based Psychotherapy in Germany.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Apolinário-Hagen, Jennifer; Vehreschild, Viktor; Alkoudmani, Ramez M

    2017-02-23

    Despite the advanced development of evidence-based psychological treatment services, help-seeking persons with mental health problems often fail to receive appropriate professional help. Internet-delivered psychotherapy has thus been suggested as an efficient strategy to overcome barriers to access mental health care on a large scale. However, previous research indicated poor public acceptability as an issue for the dissemination of Internet-delivered therapies. Currently, little is known about the expectations and attitudes toward Internet-delivered therapies in the general population. This is especially the case for countries such as Germany where electronic mental health (e-mental health) treatment services are planned to be implemented in routine care. This pilot study aimed to determine the expectations and attitudes toward Internet-based psychotherapy in the general population in Germany. Furthermore, it aimed to explore the associations between attitudes toward Internet-based therapies and perceived stress. To assess public attitudes toward Internet-based psychotherapy, we conducted both Web-based and paper-and-pencil surveys using a self-developed 14-item questionnaire (Cronbach alpha=.89). Psychological distress was measured by employing a visual analogue scale (VAS) and the 20-item German version of the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ). In addition, we conducted explorative factor analysis (principal axis factor analysis with promax rotation). Spearman's rank correlations were used to determine the associations between attitudes toward Internet-based therapies and perceived stress. Descriptive analyses revealed that most respondents (N=1558; female: 78.95%, 1230/1558) indicated being not aware of the existence of Internet-delivered therapies (83.46%, 1141/1367). The average age was 32 years (standard deviation, SD 10.9; range 16-76). Through exploratory factor analysis, we identified 3 dimensions of public attitudes toward Internet-based therapies

  10. Mutton Traceability Method Based on Internet of Things

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wu Min-Ning

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available In order to improve the mutton traceability efficiency for Internet of Things and solve the problem of data transmission, analyzed existing tracking algorithm, proposed the food traceability application model, Petri network model of food traceability and food traceability of time series data of improved K-means algorithm based on the Internet of things. The food traceability application model to convert, integrate and mine the heterogeneous information, implementation of the food safety traceability information management, Petri network model for food traceability in the process of the state transition were analyzed and simulated and provides a theoretical basis to study the behavior described in the food traceability system and structural design. The experiments on simulation data show that the proposed traceability method based on Internet of Things is more effective for mutton traceability data than the traditional K-means methods.

  11. Determinants of Internet Use for Interactive Learning: An Exploratory Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castaño, Jonatan; Duart, Josep M.; Sancho-Vinuesa, Teresa

    2015-01-01

    The use of the Internet in higher education teaching can facilitate the interactive learning process and thus improve educational outcomes. The aim of the study presented here is to explore which variables are linked to higher intensity of Internet-based interactive educational practices. The study is based on data obtained from an online survey…

  12. Location-based prospective memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Rear, Andrea E; Radvansky, Gabriel A

    2018-02-01

    This study explores location-based prospective memory. People often have to remember to do things when in a particular location, such as buying tissues the next time they are in the supermarket. For event cognition theory, location is important for structuring events. However, because event cognition has not been used to examine prospective memory, the question remains of how multiple events will influence prospective memory performance. In our experiments, people delivered messages from store to store in a virtual shopping mall as an ongoing task. The prospective tasks were to do certain activities in certain stores. For Experiment 1, each trial involved one prospective memory task to be done in a single location at one of three delays. The virtual environment and location cues were effective for prospective memory, and performance was unaffected by delay. For Experiment 2, each trial involved two prospective memory tasks, given in either one or two instruction locations, and to be done in either one or two store locations. There was improved performance when people received instructions from two locations and did both tasks in one location relative to other combinations. This demonstrates that location-based event structure influences how well people perform on prospective memory tasks.

  13. Lifestyle intervention using an internet-based curriculum with cell phone reminders for obese Chinese teens: a randomized controlled study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anisha A Abraham

    Full Text Available Obesity is an increasing public health problem affecting young people. The causes of obesity are multi-factorial among Chinese youth including lack of physical activity and poor eating habits. The use of an internet curriculum and cell phone reminders and texting may be an innovative means of increasing follow up and compliance with obese teens. The objectives of this study were to determine the feasibility of using an adapted internet curriculum and existing nutritional program along with cell phone follow up for obese Chinese teens.This was a randomized controlled study involving obese teens receiving care at a paediatric obesity clinic of a tertiary care hospital in Hong Kong. Forty-eight subjects aged 12 to 18 years were randomized into three groups. The control group received usual care visits with a physician in the obesity clinic every three months. The first intervention (IT group received usual care visits every three months plus a 12-week internet-based curriculum with cell phone calls/texts reminders. The second intervention group received usual care visits every three months plus four nutritional counselling sessions.The use of the internet-based curriculum was shown to be feasible as evidenced by the high recruitment rate, internet log-in rate, compliance with completing the curriculum and responses to phone reminders. No significant differences in weight were found between IT, sLMP and control groups.An internet-based curriculum with cell phone reminders as a supplement to usual care of obesity is feasible. Further study is required to determine whether an internet plus text intervention can be both an effective and a cost-effective adjunct to changing weight in obese youth.Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR-TRC-12002624.

  14. Internet-based health education in China: a content analysis of websites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Ying; Wu, Xi; Atkins, Salla; Zwarentein, Merrick; Zhu, Ming; Zhan, Xing Xin; Zhang, Fan; Ran, Peng; Yan, Wei Rong

    2014-01-27

    The Internet is increasingly being applied in health education worldwide; however there is little knowledge of its use in Chinese higher education institutions. The present study provides the first review and highlights the deficiencies and required future advances in Chinese Internet-based health education. Two authors independently conducted a duplicate Internet search in order to identify information regarding Internet-based health education in China. The findings showed that Internet-based education began in China in September 1998. Currently, only 16 of 150 (10.7%) health education institutions in China offer fee-based online undergraduate degree courses, awarding associates and/or bachelors degrees. Fifteen of the 16 institutions were located in the middle or on the eastern coast of China, where were more developed than other regions. Nursing was the most popular discipline in Internet-based health education, while some other disciplines, such as preventive medicine, were only offered at one university. Besides degree education, Chinese institutions also offered non-degree online training and free resources. The content was mainly presented in the form of PowerPoint slides or videos for self-learning. Very little online interactive mentoring was offered with any of the courses. There is considerable potential for the further development of Internet-based health education in China. These developments should include a focus on strengthening cooperation among higher education institutions in order to develop balanced online health curricula, and on enhancing distance education in low- and middle-income regions to meet extensive learning demands.

  15. Internet-based tools for behaviour change

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bottrill, Catherine [Environmental Change Inst., Oxford Unversity Centre for the Environment (United Kingdom)

    2007-07-01

    Internet-based carbon calculators have the potential to be powerful tools for helping people to understand their personal energy use derived from fossil fuels and to take action to reduce the related carbon emissions. This paper reviews twenty-three calculators concluding that in most cases this environmental learning tool is falling short of giving people the ability to accurately monitor their energy use; to receive meaningful feedback and guidance for altering their energy use; or to connect with others also going through the same learning process of saving energy and conserving carbon. This paper presents the findings of research into the accuracy and effectiveness of carbon calculators. Based on the assessment of the calculators the paper discusses the opportunities Internet technology could be offering for engagement, communication, encouragement and guidance on low-carbon lifestyle choices. Finally, recommendations are made for the development of accurate, informative and social Internet-based carbon calculators.

  16. Internet-based self-management in asthma

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Meer, Victor van der

    2010-01-01

    This thesis describes the role of internet-based support in the delivery of an asthma self management program. First, the compliance and reliability of home lung function monitoring, one of the key features of asthma self-management, was studied and appeared to be high over a 4-week period. Second,

  17. The role of rostral prefrontal cortex in prospective memory: a voxel-based lesion study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Volle, Emmanuelle; Gonen-Yaacovi, Gil; Costello, Angela de Lacy; Gilbert, Sam J; Burgess, Paul W

    2011-07-01

    Patients with lesions in rostral prefrontal cortex (PFC) often experience problems in everyday-life situations requiring multitasking. A key cognitive component that is critical in multitasking situations is prospective memory, defined as the ability to carry out an intended action after a delay period filled with unrelated activity. The few functional imaging studies investigating prospective memory have shown consistent activation in both medial and lateral rostral PFC but also in more posterior prefrontal regions and non-frontal regions. The aim of this study was to determine regions that are necessary for prospective memory performance, using the human lesion approach. We designed an experimental paradigm allowing us to assess time-based (remembering to do something at a particular time) and event-based (remembering to do something in a particular situation) prospective memory, using two types of material, words and pictures. Time estimation tasks and tasks controlling for basic attention, inhibition and multiple instructions processing were also administered. We examined brain-behaviour relationships with a voxelwise lesion method in 45 patients with focal brain lesions and 107 control subjects using this paradigm. The results showed that lesions in the right polar prefrontal region (in Brodmann area 10) were specifically associated with a deficit in time-based prospective memory tasks for both words and pictures. This deficit could not be explained by impairments in basic attention, detection, inhibition or multiple instruction processing, and there was also no deficit in event-based prospective memory conditions. In addition to their prospective memory difficulties, these polar prefrontal patients were significantly impaired in time estimation ability compared to other patients. The same region was found to be involved using both words and pictures, suggesting that right rostral PFC plays a material nonspecific role in prospective memory. This is the first

  18. eLearning: a review of Internet-based continuing medical education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wutoh, Rita; Boren, Suzanne Austin; Balas, E Andrew

    2004-01-01

    The objective was to review the effect of Internet-based continuing medical education (CME) interventions on physician performance and health care outcomes. Data sources included searches of MEDLINE (1966 to January 2004), CINAHL (1982 to December 2003), ACP Journal Club (1991 to July/August 2003), and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (third quarter, 2003). Studies were included in the analyses if they were randomized controlled trials of Internet-based education in which participants were practicing health care professionals or health professionals in training. CME interventions were categorized according to the nature of the intervention, sample size, and other information about educational content and format. Sixteen studies met the eligibility criteria. Six studies generated positive changes in participant knowledge over traditional formats; only three studies showed a positive change in practices. The remainder of the studies showed no difference in knowledge levels between Internet-based interventions and traditional formats for CME. The results demonstrate that Internet-based CME programs are just as effective in imparting knowledge as traditional formats of CME. Little is known as to whether these positive changes in knowledge are translated into changes in practice. Subjective reports of change in physician behavior should be confirmed through chart review or other objective measures. Additional studies need to be performed to assess how long these new learned behaviors could be sustained. eLearning will continue to evolve as new innovations and more interactive modes are incorporated into learning.

  19. Research of MOOC Platform BasedInternet +”

    OpenAIRE

    Wang Guang Xing; Chen Yan

    2016-01-01

    This paper is devoted to examining the construction of MOOC platform basedInternet +”. It firstly introduced the “Internet+” model, the “Internet + education” influence and the significance of education. Then, it analyzed the existing problems in the development of the current MOOC, and put forward the model of “Internet + MOOC” through the method of software engineering. It explored the advantage of “Internet + MOOC” mode and promoting the function to the education teaching. This paper put...

  20. DADOS-Prospective: an open source application for Web-based prospective data collection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nguyen Lam

    2006-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Randomized, prospective trials involving multi-institutional collaboration have become a central part of clinical and translational research. However, data management and coordination of multi-center studies is a complex process that involves developing systems for data collection and quality control, tracking data queries and resolutions, as well as developing communication procedures. We describe DADOS-Prospective, an open-source Web-based application for collecting and managing prospective data on human subjects for clinical and translational trials. DADOS-Prospective not only permits users to create new clinical research forms (CRF and supports electronic signatures, but also offers the advantage of containing, in a single environment, raw research data in downloadable spreadsheet format, source documentation and regulatory files stored in PDF format, and audit trails. Results Feedback from formal and field usability tests was used to guide the design and development of DADOS-Prospective. To date, DADOS-Prospective has been implemented in five prospective clinical studies at our institution. Four of these studies are still in the CRF creation phase and one study has been entirely launched. Conclusion DADOS-Prospective has significant advantages over existing Web-based data collecting programs. At our institution, it has been demonstrated to be an efficient tool for prospective clinical studies.

  1. Further validation of the Internet-based Dementia Risk Assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brandt, Jason; Blehar, Justin; Anderson, Allan; Gross, Alden L

    2014-01-01

    Most approaches to the detection of presymptomatic or prodromal Alzheimer's disease require the costly collection and analysis of biological samples or neuroimaging measurements. The Dementia Risk Assessment (DRA) was developed to facilitate this detection by collecting self-report and proxy-report of dementia risk variables and episodic memory performance on a free Internet website. We now report two validation studies. In Study 1, 130 community-residing older adults seeking memory screening at senior health fairs were tested using the Mini-Cog, and were then observed while taking the DRA. They were compared to a demographically-matched subsample from our anonymous Internet sample. Participants seeking memory screening had more dementia risk factors and obtained lower scores on the DRA's recognition memory test (RMT) than their Internet controls. In addition, those who failed the Mini-Cog obtained much lower scores on the RMT than those who passed the Mini-Cog. In Study 2, 160 older adults seeking evaluation of cognitive difficulties took the DRA prior to diagnostic evaluations at outpatient dementia clinics. Patients who ultimately received the diagnosis of a dementia syndrome scored significantly lower on the RMT than those diagnosed with other conditions or deemed normal. Lower education, family history of dementia, presence of hypercholesterolemia and diabetes, and memory test score distinguished the dementia and no-dementia groups with around 82% accuracy. In addition, score on the RMT correlated highly with scores on other instruments widely used to detect cognitive decline. These findings support the concurrent validity of the DRA for detecting prevalent cognitive impairment. Prospective studies of cognitively normal persons who subsequently develop dementia will be necessary to establish its predictive validity.

  2. Radiation monitoring system based on Internet

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Drndarevic, V.R.; Popovic, A.T; Bolic, M.D.; Pavlovic, R.S.

    2001-01-01

    This paper presents concept and realization of the modern distributed radiation monitoring system. The system uses existing conventional computer network and it is based on the standard Internet technology. One personal computer (PC) serves as host and system server, while a number of client computers, link to the server computer via standard local area network (LAN), are used as distributed measurement nodes. The interconnection between the server and clients are based on Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). System software is based on server-client model. Based on this concept distributed system for gamma ray monitoring in the region of the Institute of Nuclear Sciences Vinca has been implemented. (author)

  3. A study on the effect of internet on competitiveness and customer loyalty in insurance industry based on Porter competitive forces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samira Ghazavi

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents an empirical investigation to study the effect of internet in insurance industry in Iran. The proposed study designs a questionnaire, distributes it among some experts and analyzes them based on some statistical test. The survey is conducted within insurance firms located in one of provinces of Iran. The results of the study confirm that internet influences competition among providers, bargaining power of customers as well as suppliers, significantly. In addition, internet has meaningful impacts on starting a business, the threat of substitutes, customer satisfaction, perceived image as well as perceived quality. The results of this survey emphasizes on the relative importance of internet for building a better competitive insurance industry.

  4. Retention of autobiographical memories: an Internet-based diary study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kristo, Gert; Janssen, Steve M J; Murre, Jaap M J

    2009-11-01

    In this online study we examined the retention of recent personal events using an Internet-based diary technique. Each participant (N=878) recorded on a website one recent personal event and was contacted after a retention interval that ranged between 2 and 46 days. We investigated how well the participants could recall the content, time, and details of their recorded event. We found a classic retention function. Details of the events were forgotten more rapidly than the content and the time of the events. There were no differences between the forgetting rates of the "who", "what" and "where" elements of the content component. Reminiscing, social sharing, pleasantness, and frequency of occurrence aided recall, but surprisingly importance and emotionality did not. They were, however, strongly associated with reminiscing and social sharing.

  5. Internet-based interface for STRMDEPL08

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reeves, Howard W.; Asher, A. Jeremiah

    2010-01-01

    The core of the computer program STRMDEPL08 that estimates streamflow depletion by a pumping well with one of four analytical solutions was re-written in the Javascript software language and made available through an internet-based interface (web page). In the internet-based interface, the user enters data for one of the four analytical solutions, Glover and Balmer (1954), Hantush (1965), Hunt (1999), and Hunt (2003), and the solution is run for constant pumping for a desired number of simulation days. Results are returned in tabular form to the user. For intermittent pumping, the interface allows the user to request that the header information for an input file for the stand-alone executable STRMDEPL08 be created. The user would add the pumping information to this header information and run the STRMDEPL08 executable that is available for download through the U.S. Geological Survey. Results for the internet-based and stand-alone versions of STRMDEPL08 are shown to match.

  6. Reach and uptake of Internet- and phone-based smoking cessation interventions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skov-Ettrup, L S; Dalum, P; Ekholm, O

    2014-01-01

    To study whether demographic and smoking-related characteristics are associated with participation (reach) in a smoking cessation trial and subsequent use (uptake) of two specific smoking interventions (Internet-based program and proactive telephone counseling).......To study whether demographic and smoking-related characteristics are associated with participation (reach) in a smoking cessation trial and subsequent use (uptake) of two specific smoking interventions (Internet-based program and proactive telephone counseling)....

  7. Characteristics and Help-Seeking Behaviors of Internet Gamblers Based on Most Problematic Mode of Gambling

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-01

    Background Previous studies of problem Internet gamblers have failed to distinguish whether their problem gambling relates to Internet or land-based gambling modes. Therefore, characteristics and help-seeking behaviors of people whose gambling problems relate specifically to Internet gambling are unknown, but could inform the optimal alignment of treatment and support services with the needs and preferences of problem gamblers. Objective This study aimed to compare (1) characteristics of problem Internet gamblers and problem land-based gamblers and (2) uptake of different types and modes of help between problem Internet gamblers and problem land-based gamblers. Hypothesis 1 was that problem Internet gamblers are less likely to seek help. Hypothesis 2 was that problem Internet gamblers are more likely to use online modes of help. Methods A sample of 620 respondents meeting criteria for problem gambling was drawn from an online survey of 4594 Australian gamblers. Respondents were recruited through advertisements on gambling and gambling help websites, Facebook, and Google. Measures consisted of gambling participation; proportion of gambling on the Internet; most problematic mode of gambling; help seeking from 11 different sources of formal help, informal help, and self-help for gambling problems; psychological distress (Kessler 6); problem gambling severity (Problem Gambling Severity Index, PGSI); and demographics. Results Problem Internet gamblers were significantly more likely than problem land-based gamblers to be male (χ2 1=28.3, Pgambling helplines, online groups, self-exclusion from land-based venues, family or friends, and self-help strategies. Both problem Internet and problem land-based gamblers had similarly low use of online help. However, problem land-based gamblers (37.6%, 126/335) were significantly more likely to have sought land-based formal help compared to problem Internet gamblers (23.5%, 67/285; χ2 1=14.3, Pgambling help by problem Internet

  8. Computer-based multi-channel analyzer based on internet

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Xinzhi; Ning Jiaoxian

    2001-01-01

    Combined the technology of Internet with computer-based multi-channel analyzer, a new kind of computer-based multi-channel analyzer system which is based on browser is presented. Its framework and principle as well as its implementation are discussed

  9. The exacerbation of depression, hostility, and social anxiety in the course of Internet addiction among adolescents: a prospective study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ko, Chih-Hung; Liu, Tai-Ling; Wang, Peng-Wei; Chen, Cheng-Sheng; Yen, Cheng-Fang; Yen, Ju-Yu

    2014-08-01

    In adolescent populations worldwide, Internet addiction is prevalent and is often comorbid with depression, hostility, and social anxiety of adolescents. This study aimed at evaluating the exacerbation of depression, hostility, and social anxiety in the course of getting addiction to Internet or remitting from Internet addiction among adolescents. This study recruited 2293 adolescents in grade 7 to assess their depression, hostility, social anxiety and Internet addiction. The same assessments were repeated one year later. The incidence group was defined as subjects classified as non-addicted in the first assessment and as addicted in the second assessment. The remission group was defined as subjects classified as addicted in the first assessment and as non-addicted in the second assessment. The incidence group exhibited increased depression and hostility more than the non-addiction group and the effect of on depression was stronger among adolescent girls. Further, the remission group showed decreased depression, hostility, and social anxiety more than the persistent addiction group. Depression and hostility worsen in the addiction process for the Internet among adolescents. Intervention of Internet addiction should be provided to prevent its negative effect on mental health. Depression, hostility, and social anxiety decreased in the process of remission. It suggested that the negative consequences could be reversed if Internet addiction could be remitted within a short duration. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Ambulatory orthopaedic surgery patients' knowledge with internet-based education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heikkinen, Katja; Leino-Kilpi, H; Salanterä, S

    2012-01-01

    There is a growing need for patient education and an evaluation of its outcomes. The aim of this study was to compare ambulatory orthopaedic surgery patients' knowledge with Internet-based education and face-to-face education with a nurse. The following hypothesis was proposed: Internet-based patient education (experiment) is as effective as face-to-face education with a nurse (control) in increasing patients' level of knowledge and sufficiency of knowledge. In addition, the correlations of demographic variables were tested. The patients were randomized to either an experiment group (n = 72) or a control group (n = 75). Empirical data were collected with two instruments. Patients in both groups showed improvement in their knowledge during their care. Patients in the experiment group improved their knowledge level significantly more in total than those patients in the control group. There were no differences in patients' sufficiency of knowledge between the groups. Knowledge was correlated especially with patients' age, gender and earlier ambulatory surgeries. As a conclusion, positive results concerning patients' knowledge could be achieved with the Internet-based education. The Internet is a viable method in ambulatory care.

  11. Participant profiles according to recruitment source in a large Web-based prospective study: experience from the Nutrinet-Santé study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kesse-Guyot, Emmanuelle; Andreeva, Valentina; Castetbon, Katia; Vernay, Michel; Touvier, Mathilde; Méjean, Caroline; Julia, Chantal; Galan, Pilar; Hercberg, Serge

    2013-09-13

    Interest in Internet-based epidemiologic research is growing given the logistic and cost advantages. Cohort recruitment to maximally diversify the sociodemographic profiles of participants, however, remains a contentious issue. The aim of the study was to characterize the sociodemographic profiles according to the recruitment mode of adult volunteers enrolled in a Web-based cohort. The French NutriNet-Santé Web-based cohort was launched in 2009. Recruitment is ongoing and largely relies on recurrent multimedia campaigns. One month after enrollment, participants are asked how they learned about the study (eg, general newscast or a health program on television, radio newscast, newspaper articles, Internet, personal advice, leaflet/flyers) The sociodemographic profiles of participants recruited through operative communication channels (radio, print media, Internet, advice) were compared with the profiles of those informed through television by using polytomous logistic regression. Among the 88,238 participants enrolled through the end of 2011, 30,401 (34.45%), 16,751 (18.98%), and 14,309 (16.22%) learned about the study from television, Internet, and radio newscasts, respectively. Sociodemographic profiles were various, with 14,541 (16.5%) aged ≥60 years, 20,166 (22.9%) aged income income €3700/month. Compared to employed individuals, unemployed and retired participants were less likely to be informed about the study through other sources than through television (adjusted ORs 0.56-0.83, Pbased studies regarding the development of promising targeted or general population recruitment strategies.

  12. International Development: The Contribution of the Internet in Broadening the Scope of Solidarity-Based Consumption

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hanitra Randrianasolo-Rakotobe

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available While extreme long-term poverty is on the wane, there is a dangerous parallel increase in different forms of inequality that threaten regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa. Several initiatives have emerged aiming at tackling these structural inequalities. It is the case of the solidarity-based economy that is challenging the major social problems of today’s world by seeking innovative solutions at economic, political, and social levels. Using the example of fair trade—which is well known to constitute the solidarity-based economy and that addresses social justice issues—this paper aims at demonstrating the contributions of the Internet in developing consumers’ prospective responsibility, which is at the heart of a new way of behaving in an interconnected and interdependent world. By mobilizing the concept of “individualized collective action”, it shows how the Internet has contributed to the implementation of the trading partnership between consumers and producers suffering from inequalities within our global society.

  13. A Comparative Study on the Architecture Internet of Things and its’ Implementation method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Zhiliang

    2017-08-01

    With the rapid development of science and technology, Internet-based the Internet of things was born and achieved good results. In order to further build a complete Internet of things system, to achieve the design of the Internet of things, we need to constitute the object of the network structure of the indicators of comparative study, and on this basis, the Internet of things connected to the way and do more in-depth to achieve the unity of the object network architecture and implementation methods. This paper mainly analyzes the two types of Internet of Things system, and makes a brief comparative study of the important indicators, and then introduces the connection method and realization method of Internet of Things based on the concept of Internet of Things and architecture.

  14. Exploring the influence of Internet-based caregiver support on experiences of isolation for older spouse caregivers in rural areas: a qualitative interview study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blusi, Madeleine; Kristiansen, Lisbeth; Jong, Mats

    2015-09-01

    Many older spouse caregivers are tied to the home by their caring duties and feel isolated. The values of supporting older caregivers are well known. In rural areas with long distances and decline in essential services, attending caregiver support groups can be difficult. Using Internet-based services can provide an opportunity for rural caregivers to participate in caregiver support, regardless of geographical distances and without the need for physical presence. This study aimed to explore how Internet-based caregiver support may influence the experience of isolation among older spouse caregivers in rural areas. An intervention study where 63 older rural caregivers received an Internet-based caregiver support service. A qualitative interview study based on 31 interviews with open-ended questions, analysed using latent content analysis. Two themes represent the findings from the study: Expanding the concept of place and Developing networks. Even though participants still spent their days in the house, they experienced that daily life was being spent in a variety of places, both physically, virtually and emotionally. The Internet-based support service provided them with a tool to reconnect with family and develop new friends. Internet-based caregiver support may reduce the experience of isolation for spouse caregivers in rural areas. Nurses played a crucial part in the development, by encouraging, educating and inspiring caregivers and supporting their independence. Internet-based services ought to be an option for caregiver support in rural areas as it may reduce feelings of isolation for older spouse caregivers. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. Young Men’s Views Toward the Barriers and Facilitators of Internet-Based Chlamydia Trachomatis Screening: Qualitative Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDaid, Lisa

    2013-01-01

    Background There is a growing number of Internet-based approaches that offer young people screening for sexually transmitted infections. Objective This paper explores young men’s views towards the barriers and facilitators of implementing an Internet-based screening approach. The study sought to consider ways in which the proposed intervention would reach and engage men across ages and socioeconomic backgrounds. Methods This qualitative study included 15 focus groups with 60 heterosexual young men (aged 16-24 years) across central Scotland, drawn across age and socioeconomic backgrounds. Focus groups began by obtaining postcode data to allocate participants to a high/low deprivation category. Focus group discussions involved exploration of men’s knowledge of chlamydia, use of technology, and views toward Internet-based screening. Men were shown sample screening invitation letters, test kits, and existing screening websites to facilitate discussions. Transcripts from audio recordings were analyzed with "Framework Analysis". Results Men’s Internet and technology use was heterogeneous in terms of individual practices, with greater use among older men (aged 20-24 years) than teenagers and some deprivation-related differences in use. We detail three themes related to barriers to successful implementation: acceptability, confidentiality and privacy concerns, and language, style, and content. These themes identify ways Internet-based screening approaches may fail to engage some men, such as by raising anxiety and failing to convey confidentiality. Men wanted screening websites to frame screening as a serious issue, rather than using humorous images and text. Participants were encouraged to reach a consensus within their groups on their broad design and style preferences for a screening website; this led to a set of common preferences that they believed were likely to engage men across age and deprivation groups and lead to greater screening uptake. Conclusions The

  16. Internet-Based Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Procrastination: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rozental, Alexander

    2013-01-01

    period, albeit without therapist contact. Results The current study is believed to result in three important findings. First, a CBT intervention is assumed to be beneficial for people suffering from problems caused by procrastination. Second, the degree of therapist contact will have a positive effect on treatment outcome as procrastination can be partially explained as a self-regulatory failure. Third, an Internet based CBT intervention is presumed to be an effective way to administer treatment for procrastination, which is considered highly important, as the availability of adequate care is limited. The current study is therefore believed to render significant knowledge on the treatment of procrastination, as well as providing support for the use of Internet based CBT for difficulties due to delayed tasks and commitments. Conclusions To our knowledge, the current study is the first clinical trial to examine the effects of CBT for procrastination, and is assumed to render significant knowledge on the treatment of procrastination, as well as investigating whether it can be delivered via the Internet. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01842945; http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT01842945 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6KSmaXewC). PMID:24220277

  17. Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy for procrastination: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rozental, Alexander; Carlbring, Per

    2013-11-12

    therapist contact. The current study is believed to result in three important findings. First, a CBT intervention is assumed to be beneficial for people suffering from problems caused by procrastination. Second, the degree of therapist contact will have a positive effect on treatment outcome as procrastination can be partially explained as a self-regulatory failure. Third, an Internet based CBT intervention is presumed to be an effective way to administer treatment for procrastination, which is considered highly important, as the availability of adequate care is limited. The current study is therefore believed to render significant knowledge on the treatment of procrastination, as well as providing support for the use of Internet based CBT for difficulties due to delayed tasks and commitments. To our knowledge, the current study is the first clinical trial to examine the effects of CBT for procrastination, and is assumed to render significant knowledge on the treatment of procrastination, as well as investigating whether it can be delivered via the Internet. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01842945; http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT01842945 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6KSmaXewC).

  18. Individually tailored internet-based cognitive behavior therapy for adolescents with anxiety disorders: A pilot effectiveness study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristin Silfvernagel

    2015-09-01

    Based on the results from this pilot study the tentative conclusion might be that tailored internet delivered CBT could be useful for adolescents with anxiety disorders along with standard treatment delivered in child and adolescent psychiatric clinics.

  19. Feasibility of Internet-based Parent Training for Low-income Parents of Young Children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGoron, Lucy; Hvizdos, Erica; Bocknek, Erika L; Montgomery, Erica; Ondersma, Steven J

    2018-01-01

    Parent training programs promote positive parenting and benefit low-income children, but are rarely used. Internet-based delivery may help expand the reach of parent training programs, although feasibility among low-income populations is still unclear. We examined the feasibility of internet-based parent training, in terms of internet access/use and engagement, through two studies. In Study 1, 160 parents recruited from Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) centers completed a brief paper survey regarding internet access and use (all parents received government aid). We found high levels of access, openness, and comfort with the internet and internet-enabled devices. In Study 2, a pilot study, we assessed use of an online parenting program in a project with a sample of 89 predominately low-income parents (75% received government aid). Parents learned about a new, online parenting program (the "5-a-Day Parenting Program") and provided ratings of level of interest and program use 2-weeks and 4-weeks later. Local website traffic was also monitored. At baseline, parents were very interested in using the web-based program, and the majority of parents (69.6%) reported visiting the website at least once. However, in-depth use was rare (only 9% of parents reported frequent use of the online program). Results support the feasibility of internet-based parent training for low-income parents, as most parent were able to use the program and were interested in doing so. However, results also suggest the need to develop strategies to promote in-depth program use.

  20. Development of Energy Management System Based on Internet of Things Technique

    OpenAIRE

    Wen-Jye Shyr; Chia-Ming Lin and Hung-Yun Feng

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to develop an energy management system for university campuses based on the Internet of Things (IoT) technique. The proposed IoT technique based on WebAccess is used via network browser Internet Explore and applies TCP/IP protocol. The case study of IoT for lighting energy usage management system was proposed. Structure of proposed IoT technique included perception layer, equipment layer, control layer, application layer and network layer.

  1. Research on the Orientation and Application of Distributed Energy Storage in Energy Internet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Ming; Zhou, Pengcheng; Li, Ran; Zhou, Jingjing; Chen, Tao; Li, Zhe

    2018-01-01

    Energy storage is indispensable resources to achieve a high proportion of new energy power consumption in electric power system. As an important support to energy Internet, energy storage system can achieve a variety of energy integration operation to ensure maximum energy efficiency. In this paper, firstly, the SWOT analysis method is used to express the internal and external advantages and disadvantages of distributed energy storage participating in the energy Internet. Secondly, the function orientation of distributed energy storage in energy Internet is studied, based on which the application modes of distributed energy storage in virtual power plant, community energy storage and auxiliary services are deeply studied. Finally, this paper puts forward the development strategy of distributed energy storage which is suitable for the development of China’s energy Internet, and summarizes and prospects the application of distributed energy storage system.

  2. Contingent approach to Internet-based supply network integration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, Jessica; Boughton, Nick; Kehoe, Dennis; Michaelides, Zenon

    2001-10-01

    The Internet is playing an increasingly important role in enhancing the operations of supply networks as many organizations begin to recognize the benefits of Internet- enabled supply arrangements. However, the developments and applications to-date do not extend significantly beyond the dyadic model, whereas the real advantages are to be made with the external and network models to support a coordinated and collaborative based approach. The DOMAIN research group at the University of Liverpool is currently defining new Internet- enabled approaches to enable greater collaboration across supply chains. Different e-business models and tools are focusing on different applications. Using inappropriate e- business models, tools or techniques will bring negative results instead of benefits to all the tiers in the supply network. Thus there are a number of issues to be considered before addressing Internet based supply network integration, in particular an understanding of supply chain management, the emergent business models and evaluating the effects of deploying e-business to the supply network or a particular tier. It is important to utilize a contingent approach to selecting the right e-business model to meet the specific supply chain requirements. This paper addresses the issues and provides a case study on the indirect materials supply networks.

  3. Undesigning the Internet : An exploratory study of reducing everyday Internet connectivity

    OpenAIRE

    Widdicks, Kelly Victoria; Ringenson, Tina; Pargman, Daniel; Kuppusamy, Vishnupriya; Lago, Patricia

    2018-01-01

    Internet connectivity is seamlessly integrated into many of our everyday habits and activities. Despite this, previous research has highlighted that our rather excessive Internet use is not sustainable or even always socially beneficial. In this paper, we carried out an exploratory study on how Internet disconnection affects our everyday lives and whether such disconnection is even possible in today’s society. Through daily surveys, we captured what Internet use means for ten participants and...

  4. The significant impact of education, poverty, and race on Internet-based research participant engagement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hartz, Sarah M; Quan, Tiffany; Ibiebele, Abiye; Fisher, Sherri L; Olfson, Emily; Salyer, Patricia; Bierut, Laura J

    2017-02-01

    Internet-based technologies are increasingly being used for research studies. However, it is not known whether Internet-based approaches will effectively engage participants from diverse racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. A total of 967 participants were recruited and offered genetic ancestry results. We evaluated viewing Internet-based genetic ancestry results among participants who expressed high interest in obtaining the results. Of the participants, 64% stated that they were very or extremely interested in their genetic ancestry results. Among interested participants, individuals with a high school diploma (n = 473) viewed their results 19% of the time relative to 4% of the 145 participants without a diploma (P Internet-based research was low despite high reported interest. This suggests that explicit strategies should be developed to increase diversity in Internet-based research.Genet Med 19 2, 240-243.

  5. Scalable video on demand adaptive Internet-based distribution

    CERN Document Server

    Zink, Michael

    2013-01-01

    In recent years, the proliferation of available video content and the popularity of the Internet have encouraged service providers to develop new ways of distributing content to clients. Increasing video scaling ratios and advanced digital signal processing techniques have led to Internet Video-on-Demand applications, but these currently lack efficiency and quality. Scalable Video on Demand: Adaptive Internet-based Distribution examines how current video compression and streaming can be used to deliver high-quality applications over the Internet. In addition to analysing the problems

  6. Trichotillomania: the impact of treatment history on the outcome of an Internet-based intervention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weidt, Steffi; Bruehl, Annette Beatrix; Delsignore, Aba; Zai, Gwyneth; Kuenburg, Alexa; Klaghofer, Richard; Rufer, Michael

    2017-01-01

    Many patients suffering from trichotillomania (TTM) have never undergone treatment. Without treatment, TTM often presents with a chronic course. Characteristics of TTM individuals who have never been treated (untreated) remain largely unknown. Whether treatment history impacts Internet-based interventions has not yet been investigated. We aimed to answer whether Internet-based interventions can reach untreated individuals and whether treatment history is associated with certain characteristics and impacts on the outcome of an Internet-based intervention. We provided Internet-based interventions. Subjects were characterized at three time points using the Massachusetts General Hospital Hairpulling Scale, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire. Of 105 individuals, 34 were untreated. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was markedly impaired in untreated and treated individuals. Symptom severity did not differ between untreated and treated individuals. Nontreatment was associated with fewer depressive symptoms ( P =0.002). Treatment history demonstrated no impact on the outcome of Internet-based interventions. Results demonstrate that Internet-based interventions can reach untreated TTM individuals. They show that untreated individuals benefit as much as treated individuals from such interventions. Future Internet-based interventions should focus on how to best reach/support untreated individuals with TTM. Additionally, future studies may examine whether Internet-based interventions can reach and help untreated individuals suffering from other psychiatric disorders.

  7. Development of the Internet addiction scale based on the Internet Gaming Disorder criteria suggested in DSM-5.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Hyun; Kwon, Min; Choi, Ji-Hye; Lee, Sang-Kyu; Choi, Jung Seok; Choi, Sam-Wook; Kim, Dai-Jin

    2014-09-01

    This study was conducted to develop and validate a standardized self-diagnostic Internet addiction (IA) scale based on the diagnosis criteria for Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, 5th edition (DSM-5). Items based on the IGD diagnosis criteria were developed using items of the previous Internet addiction scales. Data were collected from a community sample. The data were divided into two sets, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed repeatedly. The model was modified after discussion with professionals based on the first CFA results, after which the second CFA was performed. The internal consistency reliability was generally good. The items that showed significantly low correlation values based on the item-total correlation of each factor were excluded. After the first CFA was performed, some factors and items were excluded. Seven factors and 26 items were prepared for the final model. The second CFA results showed good general factor loading, Squared Multiple Correlation (SMC) and model fit. The model fit of the final model was good, but some factors were very highly correlated. It is recommended that some of the factors be refined through further studies. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  8. Predicting the Continued Use of Internet-Based Learning Technologies: The Role of Habit

    Science.gov (United States)

    Limayem, Moez; Cheung, Christy M. K.

    2011-01-01

    The proliferation and advance of Internet-based technologies create expanded opportunities for educators to provide students with better learning experiences. Although current studies focus mostly on the learning processes and learning outcomes, this article examines the students' usage behaviour with Internet-based learning technologies across…

  9. The impact of Internet-based specific activities on the perceptions of Internet addiction, quality of life, and excessive usage: A cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pontes, Halley M; Szabo, Attila; Griffiths, Mark D

    2015-06-01

    Recent research has examined the context in which preference for specific online activities arises, leading researchers to suggest that excessive Internet users are engaged in specific activities rather than 'generalized' Internet use. The present study aimed to partially replicate and expand these findings by addressing four research questions regarding (i) participants' preferred online activities, (i) possible expected changes in online behavior in light of hypothetical scenarios, (iii) perceived quality of life when access to Internet was not possible, and (iv) how participants with self-diagnosed Internet addiction relate to intensity and frequency of Internet use. A cross-sectional design was adopted using convenience and snowball sampling to recruit participants. A total of 1057 Internet users with ages ranging from 16 to 70 years (M age  = 30 years, SD = 10.84) were recruited online via several English-speaking online forums. Most participants indicated that their preferred activities were (i) accessing general information and news, (ii) social networking, and (iii) using e-mail and/or online chatting. Participants also reported that there would be a significant decrease of their Internet use if access to their preferred activities was restricted. The study also found that 51% of the total sample perceived themselves as being addicted to the Internet, while 14.1% reported that without the Internet their life would be improved. The context in which the Internet is used appears to determine the intensity and the lengths that individuals will go to use this tool. The implications of these findings are further discussed.

  10. Survey of referrals and medical reports in optometric practices in Norway: midterm findings from a 3-year prospective Internet-based study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lundmark PO

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Per O Lundmark,1 Knut Luraas1,2 1Department of Optometry, Radiography and Lighting Design, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, University College of Southeast Norway, Kongsberg, 2Rjukan Synssenter Optometri, Rjukan, Norway Purpose: The increasing demand for primary eye care due to an aging population implicates an enhanced role of optometrists in the communities. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the rate of referrals and returning medical reports between optometrists and health care professionals in Norway. The secondary objectives were to investigate the conformity of diagnoses in referrals and medical reports, the extent of optometric follow-up examinations and the use of ophthalmic diagnostic drugs in optometric practice.Materials and methods: This study is an ongoing prospective electronic survey administered on the Internet between November 2014 and December 2017. Optometrists in private optometric practice are eligible. Participants register data for up to 1 year, including examinations and the use of ophthalmic diagnostic drugs; referrals, including International Classification of Primary Care, second edition (ICPC-2 codes; medical reports, including the ICD-10 codes; and optometric follow-up enquiries. Analysis of agreement between referred and diagnosed conditions was made possible by encoding patients’ ID.Results: Seventeen months into the study, 67 optometrists were included (Female: 60%, mean age: 41 years.. There were 49,510 registered examinations (60% general, 28% contact lens, 12% auxiliary. Diagnostic drugs were used in 4% of these and in 14% of the examinations that resulted in a referral. There were 1,779 referrals (97% to ophthalmologists. Top three diagnoses were cataract (36%, glaucoma (11%, and age-related macular degeneration (7%. There were 1,036 returned medical reports, of which 76% could be linked with registered referrals. Diagnostic agreement was observed in 80% of the cases (74% for

  11. Research on technology environment improvement of related industries based on internet governance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jing; Guan, Zhongliang

    2017-08-01

    The technology of Internet is an important factor of industry’s development. Constructing a good technical environment is the foundation of the Internet and related industries’ development. This paper demonstrates the necessity of the construction and improvement of the Internet and the related industries technology environment through comparing the current situation of the related industries. It also points out that China needs to improve the environment of the Internet technology urgently. The paper establishes the technology demand pattern of different related industries, and explores strategies of the different Internet technology environment’s construction and perfection according to the different demand of the strong related Internet and the weak related Internet to the industries environment. This paper analyzes the factors that threaten the security of the Internet, and fully demonstrates the methods and tactics of establishing and improving the technology environment Internet hardware, the Internet and related industries in China under the basis of the framework of comprehensive management of Internet. This paper also studies the construction and improvement of the comprehensive management technology environment based on the Internet industry in China.

  12. Web and Internet-based Capabilities (IbC) Policies - U.S. Department of

    Science.gov (United States)

    &IIC DCIO IE DCIO R&A DCIO CS In the News Library Contact us Web and Internet-based Capabilities (IbC) Policies Army Navy Air Force Marine Corps General DoD Internet Services and Internet-Based ) Information Collection under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (OMB Memo) Internet Domain Name and Internet

  13. Internet-based self-help treatment for depression in multiple sclerosis: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Boeschoten Rosa E

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Depression in MS patients is frequent but often not treated adequately. An important underlying factor may be physical limitations that preclude face-to-face contact. Internet-based treatment showed to be effective for depressive symptoms in general and could thus be a promising tool for treatment in MS. Methods/design Here, we present a study protocol to investigate the effectiveness of a 5 week Internet-based self-help problem solving treatment (PST for depressive symptoms in MS patients in a randomized controlled trial. We aim to include 166 MS patients with moderate to severe depressive symptoms who will be randomly assigned to an Internet-based intervention (with or without supportive text-messages or waiting list control group. The primary outcome is the change in depressive symptoms defined by a change in the sum score on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II. Secondary outcomes will include measures of anxiety, fatigue, cognitive functioning, physical and psychological impact of MS, quality of life, problem solving skills, social support, mastery, satisfaction and compliance rate. Assessments will take place at baseline (T0, within a week after the intervention (T1, at four months (T2 and at ten months follow-up (T3: only the intervention group. The control group will be measured at the same moments in time. Analysis will be based on the intention-to-treat principle. Discussion If shown to be effective, Internet-based PST will offer new possibilities to reach and treat MS patients with depressive symptoms and to improve the quality of care. Trial Registration The Dutch Cochrane Center, NTR2772

  14. Teachers' Attitudes toward Web-Based Professional Development, with Relation to Internet Self-Efficacy and Beliefs about Web-Based Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kao, Chia-Pin; Tsai, Chin-Chung

    2009-01-01

    This study was conducted to explore the relationships between teachers' Internet self-efficacy, beliefs about web-based learning and attitudes toward web-based professional development. The sample of this study included 421 teachers, coming from 20 elementary schools in Taiwan. The three instruments used to assess teachers' Internet self-efficacy…

  15. Network-based analysis reveals functional connectivity related to internet addiction tendency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tanya eWen

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available IntroductionPreoccupation and compulsive use of the internet can have negative psychological effects, such that it is increasingly being recognized as a mental disorder. The present study employed network-based statistics to explore how whole-brain functional connections at rest is related to the extent of individual’s level of internet addiction, indexed by a self-rated questionnaire. We identified two topologically significant networks, one with connections that are positively correlated with internet addiction tendency, and one with connections negatively correlated with internet addiction tendency. The two networks are interconnected mostly at frontal regions, which might reflect alterations in the frontal region for different aspects of cognitive control (i.e., for control of internet usage and gaming skills. Next, we categorized the brain into several large regional subgroupings, and found that the majority of proportions of connections in the two networks correspond to the cerebellar model of addiction which encompasses the four-circuit model. Lastly, we observed that the brain regions with the most inter-regional connections associated with internet addiction tendency replicate those often seen in addiction literature, and is corroborated by our meta-analysis of internet addiction studies. This research provides a better understanding of large-scale networks involved in internet addiction tendency and shows that pre-clinical levels of internet addiction are associated with similar regions and connections as clinical cases of addiction.

  16. STUDY ON GEOGRAPHY STUDENTS’ INTERNET USE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MARIA ELIZA DULAMĂ

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available In this study we analyze the behavior of a sample of 30 third-year students of various majors of the Faculty of Geography, “Babeş-Bolyai” University of ClujNapoca, Romania, regarding the Internet use. We applied a questionnaire containing 15 items related to: Internet activities performed; length of time students spend on the Internet; devices used to access the Internet; types of materials that students downloaded, read, viewed, forwarded or posted on the Internet; types of applications used. Taking into account the time students spent daily on the Internet and correlated with other responses we concluded that their concerns were closely related to the Internet, whether it was about communication, career, or personal life.

  17. The prospects for urban densification: a place-based study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmidt-Thomé, Kaisa; Haybatollahi, Mohammad; Kyttä, Marketta; Korpi, Jari

    2013-01-01

    Study of the environmental outcomes of urban densification is a highly context-dependent task. Our study shows that collecting and processing place-based survey data by means of the softGIS method is clearly helpful here. With the map-based internet questionnaire each response remains connected to both the physical environment and the everyday life of the respondent. In our study of the Kuninkaankolmio area (located in the Helsinki metropolitan region) the survey data were combined with urban density variables calculated from register-based data on the existing built environment. The regression analysis indicated that the participants in the survey preferred the same density factors for their future residence as they enjoyed in their current neighbourhood. In the second analysis we related the densities of planned infill developments with the interest respondents had shown in these projects. The results show that new and even quite dense infill developments have been found to be rather attractive, with them often being viewed as interesting supplements to the current urban texture. These findings contribute to the ongoing scientific discussion on the feasibility of densification measures and encourage the Kuninkaankolmio planners to proceed, albeit carefully, with the planned infill developments. (letter)

  18. Educational benefits of Internet and computer-based programmes for prostate cancer patients: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salonen, Anne; Ryhänen, Anne M; Leino-Kilpi, Helena

    2014-01-01

    This study aims to review systematically the available literature on Internet and computer-based patient education programmes, assess the quality of these studies and analyze the benefit of these programmes for prostate cancer patients. Complete databases were searched. Studies were included if they concerned patient education of prostate cancer patients, were qualitative or quantitative and examined Internet or interactive CD-ROM use. Eighteen studies met the inclusion criteria. The majority of the studies reported a significant increase in the knowledge of the disease, satisfaction with treatment options and support for men. The benefit of the programmes was that the patients felt more empowered and obtained a heightened sense of control over their disease. The Internet or computer-based programmes had a positive impact on prostate cancer patient education. Most papers reported that the programmes were beneficial, but few presented data from studies with rigorous research methodologies to support these claims. Internet and computer-based programmes can be useful tools in prostate cancer patient education. In order to improve the benefits of the programmes, more Internet and computer-based programmes need to be developed and studied. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. High-intensity therapist-guided internet-based cognitive behavior therapy for alcohol use disorder: a pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sundström, Christopher; Kraepelien, Martin; Eék, Niels; Fahlke, Claudia; Kaldo, Viktor; Berman, Anne H

    2017-05-26

    A large proportion of individuals with alcohol problems do not seek psychological treatment, but access to such treatment could potentially be increased by delivering it over the Internet. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is widely recognized as one of the psychological treatments for alcohol problems for which evidence is most robust. This study evaluated a new, therapist-guided internet-based CBT program (entitled ePlus) for individuals with alcohol use disorders. Participants in the study (n = 13) were recruited through an alcohol self-help web site ( www.alkoholhjalpen.se ) and, after initial internet screening, were diagnostically assessed by telephone. Eligible participants were offered access to the therapist-guided 12-week program. The main outcomes were treatment usage data (module completion, treatment satisfaction) as well as glasses of alcohol consumed the preceding week, measured with the self-rated Timeline Followback (TLFB). Participant data were collected at screening (T0), immediately pre-treatment (T1), post-treatment (T2) and 3 months post-treatment (T3). Most participants were active throughout the treatment and found it highly acceptable. Significant reductions in alcohol consumption with a large within-group effect size were found at the three-month follow-up. Secondary outcome measures of craving and self-efficacy, as well as depression and quality of life, also showed significant improvements with moderate to large within-group effect sizes. Therapist-guided internet-based CBT may be a feasible and effective alternative for people with alcohol use disorders. In view of the high acceptability and the large within-group effect sizes found in this small pilot, a randomized controlled trial investigating treatment efficacy is warranted. ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT02384278 , February 26, 2015).

  20. TRUTH OR DARE: ONLINE DELIBERATION. A CASE STUDY OF TWO INTERNET BASED DELIBERATIVE PLATFORMS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luana Maria BIDAȘCĂ

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available In this article, I attempt to discuss how the internet can be used to stimulate an effective communication between citizens and decision-makers. In particular, I will aim to see if it can facilitate a greater degree of deliberation among citizens, if it can make democracy more inclusive and if it can make decision makers more responsible. I will first look at the definition and characteristics of deliberative democracy. Then after looking at what has been written so far about the effect of online discussions on democracy, I shall analyze the role the internet played in two case studies: web based participatory budgeting (PB and domnuleprimar.ro (DearMrMayor.ro. Both of these platforms were designed to create a closer bond between decisionmakers and citizens and will thus prove relevant to the discussion. Finally, I conclude that while the two case studies seem to favor increased inclusiveness, it only partially increases accountability and does not register any significant progress with regard to deliberation. Still, I argue that reasons for optimism exist even with regard to the deliberative aspect. Since the debate regarding the value of online deliberation is far from over, more research is needed in order to perhaps design a framework which will allow us to exploit the democratic value of the internet to its full potential.

  1. Internet-Based Education for Prostrate Cancer Screening. Addendum

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-12-01

    of site usage and changes in depression and anxiety scores. Journal of Medical Internet Research , 4(1), e3. Clarke, G., Eubanks, D., Reid, E...skills program with reminders. Journal of Medical Internet Research , 7(2), e16. Cobb, N. K., Graham, A. L., Bock, B. C., Papandonatos, G., & Abrams, D...programs. Journal of Medical Internet Research , 8(3), e15. Danaher, B. G. & Seeley, J. R. (2009). Methodological issues in research on web-based

  2. 76 FR 72124 - Internet-Based Telecommunications Relay Service Numbering

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-11-22

    ... Docket No. 10-191; FCC 11-123] Internet-Based Telecommunications Relay Service Numbering AGENCY: Federal..., the information collection associated with the Commission's Internet- Based Telecommunications Relay... Telecommunications Relay Service Numbering, CG Docket No. 03-123; WC Docket No. 05-196; WC Docket No. 10-191; FCC 11...

  3. Prospective evaluation of an internet-linked handheld computer critical care knowledge access system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lapinsky, Stephen E; Wax, Randy; Showalter, Randy; Martinez-Motta, J Carlos; Hallett, David; Mehta, Sangeeta; Burry, Lisa; Stewart, Thomas E

    2004-12-01

    Critical care physicians may benefit from immediate access to medical reference material. We evaluated the feasibility and potential benefits of a handheld computer based knowledge access system linking a central academic intensive care unit (ICU) to multiple community-based ICUs. Four community hospital ICUs with 17 physicians participated in this prospective interventional study. Following training in the use of an internet-linked, updateable handheld computer knowledge access system, the physicians used the handheld devices in their clinical environment for a 12-month intervention period. Feasibility of the system was evaluated by tracking use of the handheld computer and by conducting surveys and focus group discussions. Before and after the intervention period, participants underwent simulated patient care scenarios designed to evaluate the information sources they accessed, as well as the speed and quality of their decision making. Participants generated admission orders during each scenario, which were scored by blinded evaluators. Ten physicians (59%) used the system regularly, predominantly for nonmedical applications (median 32.8/month, interquartile range [IQR] 28.3-126.8), with medical software accessed less often (median 9/month, IQR 3.7-13.7). Eight out of 13 physicians (62%) who completed the final scenarios chose to use the handheld computer for information access. The median time to access information on the handheld handheld computer was 19 s (IQR 15-40 s). This group exhibited a significant improvement in admission order score as compared with those who used other resources (P = 0.018). Benefits and barriers to use of this technology were identified. An updateable handheld computer system is feasible as a means of point-of-care access to medical reference material and may improve clinical decision making. However, during the study, acceptance of the system was variable. Improved training and new technology may overcome some of the barriers we

  4. Gray matter abnormalities in Internet addiction: A voxel-based morphometry study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Yan; Lin Fuchun; Du Yasong; Qin Lingdi; Zhao Zhimin; Xu Jianrong; Lei Hao

    2011-01-01

    Background: This study aims to investigate brain gray matter density (GMD) changes in adolescents with Internet addiction (IA) using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis on high-resolution T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance images. Methods: Eighteen IA adolescents and 15 age- and gender-matched healthy controls took part in this study. High-resolution T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans were performed on the two groups. VBM analysis was used to compare the GMD between the two groups. Results: Compared with healthy controls, IA adolescents had lower GMD in the left anterior cingulate cortex, left posterior cingulate cortex, left insula, and left lingual gyrus. Conclusions: Our findings suggested that brain structural changes were present in IA adolescents, and this finding may provide a new insight into the pathogenesis of IA.

  5. Gray matter abnormalities in Internet addiction: A voxel-based morphometry study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhou Yan, E-mail: clare1475@hotmail.com [Department of Radiology, RenJi Hospital, Jiao Tong University Medical School, Shanghai 200127 (China); Lin Fuchun, E-mail: fclin@wipm.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071 (China); Du Yasong, E-mail: yasongdu@yahoo.com.cn [Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030 (China); Qin Lingdi, E-mail: flyingfool838@hotmail.com [Department of Radiology, RenJi Hospital, Jiao Tong University Medical School, Shanghai 200127 (China); Zhao Zhimin, E-mail: zmzsky@163.com [Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030 (China); Xu Jianrong, E-mail: xujianr@hotmail.com [Department of Radiology, RenJi Hospital, Jiao Tong University Medical School, Shanghai 200127 (China); Lei Hao, E-mail: leihao@wipm.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071 (China)

    2011-07-15

    Background: This study aims to investigate brain gray matter density (GMD) changes in adolescents with Internet addiction (IA) using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis on high-resolution T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance images. Methods: Eighteen IA adolescents and 15 age- and gender-matched healthy controls took part in this study. High-resolution T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans were performed on the two groups. VBM analysis was used to compare the GMD between the two groups. Results: Compared with healthy controls, IA adolescents had lower GMD in the left anterior cingulate cortex, left posterior cingulate cortex, left insula, and left lingual gyrus. Conclusions: Our findings suggested that brain structural changes were present in IA adolescents, and this finding may provide a new insight into the pathogenesis of IA.

  6. An Empirical Study on Washback Effects of the Internet-Based College English Test Band 4 in China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Chao; Yan, Jiaolan; Liu, Bao

    2014-01-01

    Based on Bailey's washback model, in respect of participants, process and products, the present empirical study was conducted to find the actual washback effects of the internet-based College English Test Band 4 (IB CET-4). The methods adopted are questionnaires, class observation, interview and the analysis of both the CET-4 teaching and testing…

  7. Enhancing group cognitive-behavioral therapy for hoarding disorder with between-session Internet-based clinician support: A feasibility study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ivanov, Volen Z; Enander, Jesper; Mataix-Cols, David; Serlachius, Eva; Månsson, Kristoffer N T; Andersson, Gerhard; Flygare, Oskar; Tolin, David; Rück, Christian

    2018-02-07

    Hoarding disorder (HD) is difficult to treat. In an effort to increase efficacy and engagement in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), we developed and evaluated a novel intervention comprising group CBT combined with between-session Internet-based clinician support for people with HD. Twenty participants with HD received group CBT combined with an Internet-support system enabling therapist-participant communication between group sessions. The treatment was associated with a significant reduction on the Saving Inventory-Revised (SI-R) and a large effect size (Cohen's d = 1.57) was found at posttreatment. Treatment gains were maintained at the 3-month follow-up. Group attendance was high and no participants dropped out from treatment prematurely. Between-session motivational support from the therapist was most frequently mentioned as the main strength of the system. The results of this study support adding Internet-based clinician support to group CBT for HD to increase treatment adherence and, potentially, improve the overall efficacy of CBT. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. Geography-based structural analysis of the Internet

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kasiviswanathan, Shiva [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Eidenbenz, Stephan [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Yan, Guanhua [Los Alamos National Laboratory

    2010-01-01

    In this paper, we study some geographic aspects of the Internet. We base our analysis on a large set of geolocated IP hop-level session data (including about 300,000 backbone routers, 150 million end hosts, and 1 billion sessions) that we synthesized from a variety of different input sources such as US census data, computer usage statistics, Internet market share data, IP geolocation data sets, CAJDA's Skitter data set for backbone connectivity, and BGP routing tables. We use this model to perform a nationwide and statewide geographic analysis of the Internet. Our main observations are: (1) There is a dominant coast-to-coast pattern in the US Internet traffic. In fact, in many instances even if the end-devices are not near either coast, still the traffic between them takes a long detour through the coasts. (2) More than half of the Internet paths are inflated by 100% or more compared to their corresponding geometric straight-line distance. This circuitousness makes the average ratio between the routing distance and geometric distance big (around 10). (3) The weighted mean hop count is around 5, but the hop counts are very loosely correlated with the distances. The weighted mean AS count (number of ASes traversed) is around 3. (4) The AS size and the AS location number distributions are heavy-tailed and strongly correlated. Most of the ASes are medium sized and there is a wide variability in the geographic dispersion size (measured in terms of the convex hull area) of these ASes.

  9. The Effect of Internet-Based Education on Student Success in Teaching of 8th Grade Triangles Subject

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaya, Deniz; Kesan, Cenk; Izgiol, Dilek

    2013-01-01

    In the study, it was researched the effect of internet-based application on student success. Internet-based application was used at the teaching of triangles subject which is included in 8th grade units of triangles and algebra. The study was carried out over the internet with a computer software program: Vitamin Program. The study was carried out…

  10. Experiences of undergoing Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy for procrastination: A qualitative study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexander Rozental

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Internet interventions constitute a promising and cost-effective treatment alternative for a wide range of psychiatric disorders and somatic conditions. Several clinical trials have provided evidence for its efficacy and effectiveness, and recent research also indicate that it can be helpful in the treatment of conditions that are debilitating, but do not necessarily warrant more immediate care, for instance, procrastination, a self-regulatory failure that is associated with decreased well-being and mental health. However, providing treatment interventions for procrastination via the Internet is a novel approach, making it unclear how the participants themselves perceive their experiences. The current study thus investigated participants' own apprehension of undergoing Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy for procrastination by distributing open-ended questions at the post-treatment assessment, for instance, “What did you think about the readability of the texts”, “How valuable do you believe that this treatment has been for you?”, and “The thing that I am most displeased with (and how it could be improved is …”. In total, 75 participants (50% responded, and the material was examined using thematic analysis. The results indicate that there exist both positive and negative aspects of the treatment program. Many participants increased their self-efficacy and were able to gain momentum on many tasks and assignments that had been deferred in their everyday life. Meanwhile, several participants lacked motivation to complete the exercises, had too many conflicting commitments, and were unable to keep up with the tight treatment schedule. Hence, the results suggest that Internet interventions for procrastination could profit from individual tailoring, shorter and more manageable modules, and that the content need to be adapted to the reading comprehension and motivational level of the participant.

  11. A Review of Research Ethics in Internet-Based Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Convery, Ian; Cox, Diane

    2012-01-01

    Internet-based research methods can include: online surveys, web page content analysis, videoconferencing for online focus groups and/or interviews, analysis of "e-conversations" through social networking sites, email, chat rooms, discussion boards and/or blogs. Over the last ten years, an upsurge in internet-based research (IBR) has led…

  12. A Comparison of Internet-Based Participant Recruitment Methods: Engaging the Hidden Population of Cannabis Users in Research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elizabeth Clare Temple

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available While a growing number of researchers are embracing Internet-based data collection methods, the adoption of Internet-based recruitment methods has been relatively slow. This may be because little is known regarding the relative strengths and weaknesses of different methods of Internet-based participant recruitment, nor how these different recruitment strategies impact on the data collected. These issues are addressed in this article with reference to a study comparing the effectiveness of three Internet-based strategies in recruiting cannabis users for an online study. Consideration of the recruitment data leads us to recommend that researchers use multipronged Internet-based recruitment campaigns with appropriately detailed recruitment messages tailored to the population of interest and located carefully to ensure they reach the intended audience. Further, we suggest that building rapport directly with potential participants, or utilising derived rapport and implicit endorsements, is an important aspect of successful Internet-based participant recruitment strategies.

  13. A robust internet-based auction to procure electricity forwards

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Woo, C.K.; Lloyd, D.; Borden, M.; Warrington, R.; Baskette, C.

    2004-01-01

    Securing forward contracts to manage procurement-cost risk is an intuitively appealing and economically reasonable strategy for a load-serving local distribution company (LDC) in today's volatile electricity marketplace. However, knowing what to buy does not guarantee least-cost implementation. The forward-contract price quoted by a prospective seller may not be the 'best deal' that an LDC could have obtained, especially when the forward contract desired by the LDC is not actively traded. This paper reports the results from five internet-based auctions for electricity forward contracts with non-firm delivery and varying hourly quantities held monthly by a Florida municipal utility (MU) from September 2002 to January 2003. The results confirm that a multi-round auction design is robust in realizing competitive price offers made by credit-worthy sellers, time-efficient contracting, and consistent cost savings to the MU. Thus, the Anglo-Dutch auction described herein is a reasonable substitute for generation ownership by an LDC. (author)

  14. Incorporating Internet-based Interventions into Couple Therapy: Available Resources and Recommended Uses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cicila, Larisa N; Georgia, Emily J; Doss, Brian D

    2014-12-01

    Although there are a number of highly efficacious in-person treatments designed to ameliorate relationship distress, only a small proportion of distressed couples seek out in-person treatment. Recently developed internet-based interventions based on these in-person treatments are a promising way to circumvent common barriers to in-person treatment and give more distressed couples access to these efficacious interventions. The overarching aims of this review are to provide couple and family therapists with a broad overview of the available internet-based interventions and provide suggestions about how these interventions might be utilized before, during, or after in-person treatment. First, we review internet-based interventions targeting individual psychopathology (e.g. anxiety and depression). These interventions would be particularly useful as an adjunctive resource for in-person couple or family therapy when referrals for a concurrent in-person individual therapist are not feasible (because of time, financial, or geographic constraints). The majority of the review centers on internet-based interventions for distressed couples and covers four distinct types of resources: relationship advice websites, assessment/feedback interventions, enrichment interventions for satisfied couples, and interventions targeting at-risk or distressed couples. We close with a case study of one couple's journey through a newly developed intervention targeting at-risk couples, OurRelationship.com, and provide two appendices with information on currently available internet-based interventions.

  15. Internet and Social Media Use After Traumatic Brain Injury: A Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker-Sparr, Christina; Hart, Tessa; Bergquist, Thomas; Bogner, Jennifer; Dreer, Laura; Juengst, Shannon; Mellick, David; OʼNeil-Pirozzi, Therese M; Sander, Angelle M; Whiteneck, Gale G

    To characterize Internet and social media use among adults with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to compare demographic and socioeconomic factors associated with Internet use between those with and without TBI. Ten Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems centers. Persons with moderate to severe TBI (N = 337) enrolled in the TBI Model Systems National Database and eligible for follow-up from April 1, 2014, to March 31, 2015. Prospective cross-sectional observational cohort study. Internet usage survey. The proportion of Internet users with TBI was high (74%) but significantly lower than those in the general population (84%). Smartphones were the most prevalent means of Internet access for persons with TBI. The majority of Internet users with TBI had a profile account on a social networking site (79%), with more than half of the sample reporting multiplatform use of 2 or more social networking sites. Despite the prevalence of Internet use among persons with TBI, technological disparities remain in comparison with the general population. The extent of social media use among persons with TBI demonstrates the potential of these platforms for social engagement and other purposes. However, further research examining the quality of online activities and identifying potential risk factors of problematic use is recommended.

  16. Effectiveness of an Internet-based learning program on venous leg ulcer nursing care in home health care--study protocol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ylönen, Minna; Viljamaa, Jaakko; Isoaho, Hannu; Junttila, Kristiina; Leino-Kilpi, Helena; Suhonen, Riitta

    2015-10-01

    To describe the study protocol for a study of the effectiveness of an internet-based learning program on venous leg ulcer nursing care (eVLU) in home health care. The prevalence of venous leg ulcers is increasing as population age. The majority of these patients are treated in a municipal home healthcare setting. However, studies show nurses' lack of knowledge of ulcer nursing care. Quasi-experimental study with pre- and postmeasurements and non-equivalent intervention and comparison groups. During the study, nurses taking care of patients with a chronic leg ulcer in home health care in one Finnish municipality will use the eVLU. Nurses working in home health care in another Finnish municipality will not use it providing standard care. Nurses will complete three questionnaires during the study and they will also be observed three times at patients' homes. Nurses' perceived and theoretical knowledge is the primary outcome of the study. Funding for this study was received from the Finnish Foundation for Nursing Education in 2014. Data from this study will provide information about the effectiveness of an internet-based educational program. After completing the program nurses will be accustomed to using internet-based resources that can aid them in the nursing care of patients with a VLU. Nurses will also have better knowledge of VLU nursing care. This study is registered with the International Clinical Trials Registry, identifier NCT02224300. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. Internet-Based Science Learning: A Review of Journal Publications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Silvia Wen-Yu; Tsai, Chin-Chung; Wu, Ying-Tien; Tsai, Meng-Jung; Liu, Tzu-Chien; Hwang, Fu-Kwun; Lai, Chih-Hung; Liang, Jyh-Chong; Wu, Huang-Ching; Chang, Chun-Yen

    2011-01-01

    Internet-based science learning has been advocated by many science educators for more than a decade. This review examines relevant research on this topic. Sixty-five papers are included in the review. The review consists of the following two major categories: (1) the role of demographics and learners' characteristics in Internet-based science…

  18. Internet-Based Self-Help Intervention for ICD-11 Adjustment Disorder: Preliminary Findings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eimontas, Jonas; Rimsaite, Zivile; Gegieckaite, Goda; Zelviene, Paulina; Kazlauskas, Evaldas

    2018-06-01

    Adjustment disorder is one of the most diagnosed mental disorders. However, there is a lack of studies of specialized internet-based psychosocial interventions for adjustment disorder. We aimed to analyze the outcomes of an internet-based unguided self-help psychosocial intervention BADI for adjustment disorder in a two armed randomized controlled trial with a waiting list control group. In total 284 adult participants were randomized in this study. We measured adjustment disorder as a primary outcome, and psychological well-being as a secondary outcome at pre-intervention (T1) and one month after the intervention (T2). We found medium effect size of the intervention for the completer sample on adjustment disorder symptoms. Intervention was effective for those participants who used it at least one time in 30-day period. Our results revealed the potential of unguided internet-based self-help intervention for adjustment disorder. However, high dropout rates in the study limits the generalization of the outcomes of the intervention only to completers.

  19. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Cancer Patients Delivered via Internet: Qualitative Study of Patient and Therapist Barriers and Facilitators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Compen, Félix R; Bisseling, Else M; Schellekens, Melanie Pj; Jansen, Ellen Tm; van der Lee, Marije L; Speckens, Anne Em

    2017-12-18

    The number of patients living with cancer is growing, and a substantial number of patients suffer from psychological distress. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) seem effective in alleviating psychological distress. Unfortunately, several cancer patients find it difficult, if not impossible, to attend a group-based course. Internet-based MBIs (eMBIs) such as Internet-based mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (eMBCT) may offer solutions. However, it is yet to be studied what facilitators and barriers cancer patients experience during eMBCT. This study aimed to explore facilitators and barriers of individual asynchronous therapist-assisted eMBCT as experienced by both patients and therapists. Patients with heterogeneous cancer diagnoses suffering from psychological distress were offered eMBCT. This 9-week intervention mirrored the group-based MBCT protocol and included weekly asynchronous written therapist feedback. Patients were granted access to a website that contained the eMBCT protocol and a secured inbox, and they were asked to practice and fill out diaries on which the therapist provided feedback. In total, 31 patients participated in an individual posttreatment interview on experienced facilitators and barriers during eMBCT. Moreover, eight therapists were interviewed. The data were analyzed with qualitative content analysis to identify barriers and facilitators in eMBCT. Both patients and therapists mentioned four overarching themes as facilitators and barriers: treatment setting (the individual and Internet-based nature of the treatment), treatment format (how the treatment and its guidance were organized and delivered), role of the therapist, and individual patient characteristics. The eMBCT provided flexibility in when, where, and how patients and therapists engage in MBCT. Future studies should assess how different eMBCT designs could further improve barriers that were found. ©Félix R Compen, Else M Bisseling, Melanie PJ Schellekens, Ellen TM

  20. Individually tailored internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy for young adults with anxiety disorders: A pilot effectiveness study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristin Silfvernagel

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The mental health of young people is decreasing. It is therefore important to develop early interventions for young people with mental health problems. One previous randomized controlled trial on tailored Internet-based treatment for young adults with minimal therapist guidance has shown promising results for anxiety symptoms. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of tailored internet-administered CBT for young adults (16–25 years old with anxiety, depression and possible comorbidity in regular care. Participants were recruited from a youth health care centre (n = 15. Screening consisted of online questionnaires followed by a semi-structured interview. A total of 10 participants completed pre and post measurement. The treatment consisted of individually prescribed CBT text modules with online therapist guidance. All dependent measures improved significantly immediately following treatment and the within-group effect based on pre- to post measurement on the primary outcome measure, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, was d = 1.50, the within-group effect on the secondary outcome measures, Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale-Self-Rated, Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation and Quality of Life Inventory showed large improvement. Tailored internet-based treatment can be an approach in the treatment of anxiety symptoms and comorbid depressive symptoms in youth care.

  1. Research on Application of Automatic Weather Station Based on Internet of Things

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jianyun, Chen; Yunfan, Sun; Chunyan, Lin

    2017-12-01

    In this paper, the Internet of Things is briefly introduced, and then its application in the weather station is studied. A method of data acquisition and transmission based on NB-iot communication mode is proposed, Introduction of Internet of things technology, Sensor digital and independent power supply as the technical basis, In the construction of Automatic To realize the intelligent interconnection of the automatic weather station, and then to form an automatic weather station based on the Internet of things. A network structure of automatic weather station based on Internet of things technology is constructed to realize the independent operation of intelligent sensors and wireless data transmission. Research on networking data collection and dissemination of meteorological data, through the data platform for data analysis, the preliminary work of meteorological information publishing standards, networking of meteorological information receiving terminal provides the data interface, to the wisdom of the city, the wisdom of the purpose of the meteorological service.

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

    OpenAIRE

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

    2015-01-01

    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 over...

  3. Assessing internet addiction using the parsimonious internet addiction components model—A preliminary study.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kuss, D.J.; Shorter, G.W.; Rooij, A.J. van; Griffiths, M.D.; Schoenmakers, T.M.

    2014-01-01

    Internet usage has grown exponentially over the last decade. Research indicates that excessive Internet use can lead to symptoms associated with addiction. To date, assessment of potential Internet addiction has varied regarding populations studied and instruments used, making reliable prevalence

  4. Predicting Internet risks: a longitudinal panel study of gratifications-sought, Internet addiction symptoms, and social media use among children and adolescents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leung, Louis

    2014-01-01

    This study used longitudinal panel survey data collected from 417 adolescents at 2 points in time 1 year apart. It examined relationships between Internet risks changes in Time 2 and social media gratifications-sought, Internet addiction symptoms, and social media use all measured at Time 1. By controlling for age, gender, education, and criterion variable scores in Internet addiction at Time 1, entertainment and instant messaging use at Time 1 significantly predicted increased Internet addiction measured at Time 2. The study also controlled for demographics and scores of criterion variables in Internet risks: targeted for harassment, privacy exposed, and pornographic or violent content consumed in Time 1. Gratifications-sought (including status-gaining, expressing opinions, and identity experimentation), Internet addiction symptoms (including withdrawal and negative life consequences), and social media use (in particular, blogs, and Facebook) significantly predicted Internet risk changes in Time 2. These findings suggest that, with their predictive power, these predictors at Time 1 could be used to identify those adolescents who are likely to develop Internet addiction symptoms and the likelihood of experiencing Internet risks based on their previous gratifications-sought, previous addiction symptoms, and their habits of social media use at Time 1. PMID:25750792

  5. Predicting Internet risks: a longitudinal panel study of gratifications-sought, Internet addiction symptoms, and social media use among children and adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leung, Louis

    2014-01-01

    This study used longitudinal panel survey data collected from 417 adolescents at 2 points in time 1 year apart. It examined relationships between Internet risks changes in Time 2 and social media gratifications-sought, Internet addiction symptoms, and social media use all measured at Time 1. By controlling for age, gender, education, and criterion variable scores in Internet addiction at Time 1, entertainment and instant messaging use at Time 1 significantly predicted increased Internet addiction measured at Time 2. The study also controlled for demographics and scores of criterion variables in Internet risks: targeted for harassment, privacy exposed, and pornographic or violent content consumed in Time 1. Gratifications-sought (including status-gaining, expressing opinions, and identity experimentation), Internet addiction symptoms (including withdrawal and negative life consequences), and social media use (in particular, blogs, and Facebook) significantly predicted Internet risk changes in Time 2. These findings suggest that, with their predictive power, these predictors at Time 1 could be used to identify those adolescents who are likely to develop Internet addiction symptoms and the likelihood of experiencing Internet risks based on their previous gratifications-sought, previous addiction symptoms, and their habits of social media use at Time 1.

  6. [A review on the advancement of internet-based public health surveillance program].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Y Q; Ma, W J

    2017-02-10

    Internet data is introduced into public health arena under the features of fast updating and tremendous volume. Mining and analyzing internet data, researchers can model the internet-based surveillance system to assess the distribution of health-related events. There are two main types of internet-based surveillance systems, i.e. active and passive, which are distinguished by the sources of information. Through passive surveillance system, information is collected from search engine and social media while the active system gathers information through provision of the volunteers. Except for serving as a real-time and convenient complementary approach to traditional disease, food safety and adverse drug reaction surveillance program, Internet-based surveillance system can also play a role in health-related behavior surveillance and policy evaluation. Although several techniques have been applied to filter information, the accuracy of internet-based surveillance system is still bothered by the false positive information. In this article, we have summarized the development and application of internet-based surveillance system in public health to provide reference for a better surveillance program in China.

  7. Self-guided internet-based and mobile-based stress management for employees

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ebert, D. D.; Heber, E.; Berking, M.

    2016-01-01

    Objective This randomised controlled trial (RCT) aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a self-guided internet-based stress management intervention (iSMI) for employees compared to a 6-month wait-list control group (WLC) with full access for both groups to treatment as usual. M e t h o d A sample of 264...... of stressed employees. Internet-based self-guided interventions could be an acceptable, effective and potentially costeffective approach to reduce the negative consequences associated with work-related stress....

  8. Meeting the Standards for Foreign Language Leaming through an Internet-Based Newspaper Project: Case Studies of Advanced-Level Japanese Learners

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miyuki Fukai

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Published in 1996, the Standards far Foreign Language Learning (Standards, define knowledge and abilities that foreign language learners should acquire in the U.S. The Internet is believed to facilitate standards-based instruction because of its capabilities as a communication medium, information provider, and publication tool. This paper presents one part of a study that investigated this claim through examining an Internet-based newspaper project in an advanced-level college Japanese course in light of the Japanese Standards. Six students were selected to serve as case studies, with their experiences in relation to this project analyzed in depth. The results show that the students found using the Internet to read authentic materials with the help of an online dictionary to be a positive experience. This then resulted in their actively using Japanese for personal enjoyment outside the classroom. These results suggest that the project was particularly successful in two goal areas: Communication and Communities.

  9. Case studies in geographic information systems for internet portals

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-06-30

    The following report investigates the experiences of transportation agencies in the deployment of Internet-based mapping portals based on GIS. It presents background information, a series of case studies, and a summary of conclusions given the experi...

  10. Is Internet search better than structured instruction for web-based health education?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Finkelstein, Joseph; Bedra, McKenzie

    2013-01-01

    Internet provides access to vast amounts of comprehensive information regarding any health-related subject. Patients increasingly use this information for health education using a search engine to identify education materials. An alternative approach of health education via Internet is based on utilizing a verified web site which provides structured interactive education guided by adult learning theories. Comparison of these two approaches in older patients was not performed systematically. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of a web-based computer-assisted education (CO-ED) system versus searching the Internet for learning about hypertension. Sixty hypertensive older adults (age 45+) were randomized into control or intervention groups. The control patients spent 30 to 40 minutes searching the Internet using a search engine for information about hypertension. The intervention patients spent 30 to 40 minutes using the CO-ED system, which provided computer-assisted instruction about major hypertension topics. Analysis of pre- and post- knowledge scores indicated a significant improvement among CO-ED users (14.6%) as opposed to Internet users (2%). Additionally, patients using the CO-ED program rated their learning experience more positively than those using the Internet.

  11. Group versus Internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy for procrastination: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexander Rozental

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Procrastination is defined as a voluntarily delay of an intended course of action despite expecting to be worse-off for the delay, and is considered a persistent behavior pattern that can result in major psychological suffering. About one-fifth of the adult population and half of the student population are presumed having substantial difficulties due to recurrent procrastination in their everyday lives. However, chronic and severe procrastinators seldom receive adequate care due to preconceptions and the lack of understanding regarding procrastination and the treatment interventions that are assumed beneficial. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is often deemed a treatment of choice, although the evidence supporting its use is scarce, and only one randomized controlled trial has been performed. The primary aim of the proposed study is therefore to test the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy delivered as either a group intervention or via the Internet. Participants will consist of students recruited through the Student Health Centre at Karolinska Institutet. A randomized controlled trial with a sample size of 100 participants divided into blocks of thirty will be used, comparing an eight-week Internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention, and an eight-week group cognitive-behavioral therapy based intervention. It is believed that the proposed study will result in two important findings. First, different treatment interventions in cognitive-behavioral therapy are assumed to be helpful for people suffering from problems caused by procrastination. Second, both an Internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention and a group intervention are presumed suitable for administering treatment for procrastination, which is considered important as the availability of adequate care is limited, particularly among students. The proposed study will increase the knowledge regarding the efficacy of different treatments of procrastination, as well

  12. Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for adolescents with anxiety disorders: A feasibility study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stjerneklar, Silke; Hougaard, Esben; Nielsen, Amalie D.

    2018-01-01

    Background: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a well-documented effective method for the treatment of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. While internet based CBT (ICBT) programs for adults have been widely investigated, research on ICBT programs for anxiety disorders in youth...

  13. Negative and positive impact of internet addiction on young adults: Empericial study in Malaysia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Syed Shah Alam

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore and identify the impact of internet addictions of young adults in Malaysia. There are six impacts identified, of which five are negative impacts and one is positive impact.Design/methodology/approach: This study comprised sample of 200 young adults in Malaysia. A cross-sectional research design was used to examine the impact of Internet addiction. Data were gathered based on personal administered questionnaire.Findings and Originality/value: This study results show that five negative impacts of excessive internet usages such as interpersonal problem, behavioural problem, physical problem, psychological problem, and work problem of young adults.The young adults believed that the internet usage can help them to improve their skills for doing their work better. This study also reveals that males have a great impact on working problems, psychological problems, behavioural problems and interpersonal problems than female adults. On the other hand, females are leading with their physical problems by getting Internet addiction.Research limitations/implications: The data for this study are collected by self-administered questionnaire, a method with well-known shortcomings. Secondly, this study done only on young adults from only two universities in Malaysia.Practical implications: An important implication of this research is that the interesting findings give some insight to the Internet users to focus on improving Internet usage habits. Originality/value: The findings are original and unique and are based on the literature from different western researches. The results are based on a sample of young adults in Malaysia. The research findings are useful to academics and heavy Internet users those are hooked with Internet to their everyday life.

  14. Internet Alcohol Marketing and Underage Alcohol Use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McClure, Auden C; Tanski, Susanne E; Li, Zhigang; Jackson, Kristina; Morgenstern, Matthis; Li, Zhongze; Sargent, James D

    2016-02-01

    Internet alcohol marketing is not well studied despite its prevalence and potential accessibility and attractiveness to youth. The objective was to examine longitudinal associations between self-reported engagement with Internet alcohol marketing and alcohol use transitions in youth. A US sample of 2012 youths aged 15 to 20 was surveyed in 2011. An Internet alcohol marketing receptivity score was developed, based on number of positive responses to seeing alcohol advertising on the Internet, visiting alcohol brand Web sites, being an online alcohol brand fan, and cued recall of alcohol brand home page images. We assessed the association between baseline marketing receptivity and both ever drinking and binge drinking (≥6 drinks per occasion) at 1-year follow-up with multiple logistic regression, controlling for baseline drinking status, Internet use, sociodemographics, personality characteristics, and peer or parent drinking. At baseline, ever-drinking and binge-drinking prevalence was 55% and 27%, respectively. Many (59%) reported seeing Internet alcohol advertising, but few reported going to an alcohol Web site (6%) or being an online fan (3%). Higher Internet use, sensation seeking, having family or peers who drank, and past alcohol use were associated with Internet alcohol marketing receptivity, and a score of 1 or 2 was independently associated with greater adjusted odds of initiating binge drinking (odds ratio 1.77; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-2.78 and odds ratio 2.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-4.37 respectively) but not with initiation of ever drinking. Although high levels of engagement with Internet alcohol marketing were uncommon, most underage youths reported seeing it, and we found a prospective association between receptivity to this type of alcohol marketing and future problem drinking, making additional research and ongoing surveillance important. Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  15. Internet Alcohol Marketing and Underage Alcohol Use

    Science.gov (United States)

    McClure, Auden C.; Tanski, Susanne E.; Li, Zhigang; Jackson, Kristina; Morgenstern, Matthis; Li, Zhongze; Sargent, James D.

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Internet alcohol marketing is not well studied despite its prevalence and potential accessibility and attractiveness to youth. The objective was to examine longitudinal associations between self-reported engagement with Internet alcohol marketing and alcohol use transitions in youth. METHODS A US sample of 2012 youths aged 15 to 20 was surveyed in 2011. An Internet alcohol marketing receptivity score was developed, based on number of positive responses to seeing alcohol advertising on the Internet, visiting alcohol brand Web sites, being an online alcohol brand fan, and cued recall of alcohol brand home page images. We assessed the association between baseline marketing receptivity and both ever drinking and binge drinking (≥6 drinks per occasion) at 1-year follow-up with multiple logistic regression, controlling for baseline drinking status, Internet use, sociodemographics, personality characteristics, and peer or parent drinking. RESULTS At baseline, ever-drinking and binge-drinking prevalence was 55% and 27%, respectively. Many (59%) reported seeing Internet alcohol advertising, but few reported going to an alcohol Web site (6%) or being an online fan (3%). Higher Internet use, sensation seeking, having family or peers who drank, and past alcohol use were associated with Internet alcohol marketing receptivity, and a score of 1 or 2 was independently associated with greater adjusted odds of initiating binge drinking (odds ratio 1.77; 95% confidence interval, 1.13–2.78 and odds ratio 2.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.06–4.37 respectively) but not with initiation of ever drinking. CONCLUSIONS Although high levels of engagement with Internet alcohol marketing were uncommon, most underage youths reported seeing it, and we found a prospective association between receptivity to this type of alcohol marketing and future problem drinking, making additional research and ongoing surveillance important. PMID:26738886

  16. Depression, psychological distress and Internet use among community-based Australian adolescents: a cross-sectional study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erin Hoare

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background There has been rapid increase in time spent using Internet as a platform for entertainment, socialising and information sourcing. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between duration of time spent using Internet for leisure, depressive symptoms, and psychological distress among Australian adolescents. Methods Depressive symptoms were indicated by the youth self-report module from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Version IV criteria, and psychological distress was measured by Kessler Psychological Distress scale. Internet use was self-reported based on use on an average weekday, and an average weekend day. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine the relationship between Internet use and mental health outcomes. Models were adjusted for potential confounders: age; relative level of socio-economic disadvantage, and body mass index. Results Adolescents were aged 11–17 years (M = 14.5 years, SD = 2.04 years. Greatest time spent using internet (≥7 h a day was significantly associated with experiencing depressive symptoms among females (OR = 2.09, 95% CI = 1.16, 3.76, p < 0.05, and high/very high levels of psychological distress for male (OR = 2.23, 95% CI = 1.36, 3.65, p < 0.01 and female (OR = 2.38, 95% CI = 1.55, 3.67, p < 0.01 adolescents. Conclusions With current initiatives to improve health behaviours among adolescents to improve physical health outcomes such as overweight or obesity, it is imperative that the reciprocal relationship with mental health is known and included in such public health developments. Internet use may interact with mental health and therefore could be a modifiable risk factor to reach and improve mental health outcomes for this age group. Caution is advised in interpretation of findings, with some inconsistencies emerging from this evidence.

  17. Midwives' use of the Internet: an Australian study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKenna, Lisa; McLelland, Gayle

    2011-02-01

    to report findings on midwives' use of the Internet drawn from a larger study that explored midwives' attitudes and experiences to online and computer-based learning. a descriptive, quantitative design using anonymous questionnaires was employed to obtain information from a sample of midwives in Victoria, Australia. questionnaires were forwarded by mail to a sample of 300 members of the Victorian branch of the Australian College of Midwives. A total of 169 questionnaires were returned by reply paid mail, representing a response rate of 56%. around 92.3% of respondents reported that they used the Internet. However, 31.5% did not find navigating it to be easy, 34.7% reported that finding information was not easy, and 27.2% were not confident using the Internet. many midwives have insufficient Internet competence to be able to access necessary evidence to support practice and to assist women with decision making. ongoing education and training is needed to ensure that midwives have the skills to source evidence to support practice, and are able to effectively critique Internet information. Crown Copyright © 2009. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. A new Information publishing system Based on Internet of things

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Li; Ma, Guoguang

    2018-03-01

    A new information publishing system based on Internet of things is proposed, which is composed of four level hierarchical structure, including the screen identification layer, the network transport layer, the service management layer and the publishing application layer. In the architecture, the screen identification layer has realized the internet of screens in which geographically dispersed independent screens are connected to the internet by the customized set-top boxes. The service management layer uses MQTT protocol to implement a lightweight broker-based publish/subscribe messaging mechanism in constrained environments such as internet of things to solve the bandwidth bottleneck. Meanwhile the cloud-based storage technique is used to storage and manage the promptly increasing multimedia publishing information. The paper has designed and realized a prototype SzIoScreen, and give some related test results.

  19. Nurses' experiences of the use of an Internet-based support system for adolescents with depressive disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurki, Marjo; Anttila, Minna; Koivunen, Marita; Marttunen, Mauri; Välimäki, Maritta

    2018-09-01

    Internet-based applications are potentially useful and effective interventions to reach and support adolescents with mental health problems. Adolescents' commitment to the use of a new Internet-based intervention is closely related to the support they receive from healthcare professionals. This study describes nurses' experiences of the use of an Internet-based support system for adolescents with depressive disorders. Qualitative descriptive study design including individual interviews with nine nurses at two psychiatric outpatient clinics. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was used as the theoretical background of the study. Nurses described several benefits of using the Internet-based support system in the care of adolescents with depressive disorders if the nurses integrate it into daily nursing practices. As perceived disadvantages the nurses thought that an adolescent's mental status might be a barrier to working with the support system. Perceived enablers could be organizational support, nurses' attitudes, and technology-related factors. Nurses' attitudes were identified as a barrier to supporting adolescents' use of the Internet-based support system. The findings suggest that the implementation plan and support from the organization, including that from nurse managers, are crucial in the process of implementing a technology-based support system.

  20. Internet use in rheumatology outpatients in 2006: gender less important.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richter, J G; Becker, A; Koch, T; Nixdorf, M; Schacher, B; Monser, R; Specker, C; Alten, R; Schneider, M

    2009-01-01

    Exploring patients' Internet use, their online needs and requirements, expectations and attitudes towards the Internet is mandatory to effectively provide interactive online applications and information. Within a prospective study, 153 consecutive outpatients with rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus or spondyloarthritis answered a paper-based questionnaire investigating their Internet use, interests, pattern and degree of utilization. Sociodemographic and functional disability data were collected. The data were compared with our survey of 2001 and to the normal German population. Patients were predominantly female (69.3%; n.s.). Mean age was 45.7+/-14.4 years (n.s.). 68.6% (+18.6%, p=0.0027) reported regular Internet use for 5.0+/-2.6 yrs. Internet use in 2006 is still age- and education-dependent (pInternet use from 2.9 to 6.1 hours/week (p=0.001, p=0.0006). Searching for health-related information remained an important topic. Interest in e-communication and interactive applications strongly increased. Independently of gender and functional disability, patients' future online interests focussed on information on diseases, medications, health care providers and patient education. Confidence in the Internet and reliability of information were rated unchanged since 2001. Gender no longer has significant impact on Internet use. The great potentials of Internet services-well accepted by patients and contributing substantially to more effective and improved disease (self-) management strategies-should encourage rheumatologists to provide interactive applications and high-quality information on Internet platforms and in routine patient care. Continuous research to explore the effects of Internet-delivered information on patients' attitudes,expectations, behaviour and outcome is required.

  1. Undesigning the Internet: An exploratory study of reducing everyday Internet connectivity

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Widdicks, Kelly; Ringenson, Tina; Pargman, Daniel; Kuppusamy, Vishnupriya; Lago, Patricia; Penzenstadler, Birgit; Easterbrook, Steve; Venters, Colin; Ishtiaque Ahmed, Syed

    Internet connectivity is seamlessly integrated into many of our everyday habits and activities. Despite this, previous research has highlighted that our rather excessive Internet use is not sustainable or even always socially benecial. In this paper, we carried out an exploratory study on how

  2. Nurse-Moderated Internet-Based Support for New Mothers: Non-Inferiority, Randomized Controlled Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sawyer, Michael G; Reece, Christy E; Bowering, Kerrie; Jeffs, Debra; Sawyer, Alyssa C P; Mittinty, Murthy; Lynch, John W

    2017-07-24

    Internet-based interventions moderated by community nurses have the potential to improve support offered to new mothers, many of whom now make extensive use of the Internet to obtain information about infant care. However, evidence from population-based randomized controlled trials is lacking. The aim of this study was to test the non-inferiority of outcomes for mothers and infants who received a clinic-based postnatal health check plus nurse-moderated, Internet-based group support when infants were aged 1-7 months as compared with outcomes for those who received standard care consisting of postnatal home-based support provided by a community nurse. The design of the study was a pragmatic, preference, non-inferiority randomized control trial. Participants were recruited from mothers contacted for their postnatal health check, which is offered to all mothers in South Australia. Mothers were assigned either (1) on the basis of their preference to clinic+Internet or home-based support groups (n=328), or (2) randomly assigned to clinic+Internet or home-based groups if they declared no strong preference (n=491). The overall response rate was 44.8% (819/1827). The primary outcome was parenting self-competence, as measured by the Parenting Stress Index (PSI) Competence subscale, and the Karitane Parenting Confidence Scale scores. Secondary outcome measures included PSI Isolation, Interpersonal Support Evaluation List-Short Form, Maternal Support Scale, Ages and Stages Questionnaire-Social-Emotional and MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory (MCDI) scores. Assessments were completed offline via self-assessment questionnaires at enrolment (mean child age=4.1 weeks, SD 1.3) and again when infants were aged 9, 15, and 21 months. Generalized estimating equations adjusting for post-randomization baseline imbalances showed that differences in outcomes between mothers in the clinic+Internet and home-based support groups did not exceed the pre-specified margin of

  3. Swiss community pharmacies' on the Web and pharmacists' experiences with E-commerce: longitudinal study and Internet-based questionnaire survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zehnder, Simon; Bruppacher, Rudolf; Ruppanner, Hans; Hersberger, Kurt E

    2004-03-03

    There are multiple ways in which community pharmacies can present themselves on the Internet, e.g., as a platform for drug information or as an advertising platform for their services. To estimate the number of Swiss community pharmacies on the Internet over the period of 32 months (2000-2003), to describe their current e-commerce services, and to explore the experiences and plans these pharmacies have with regard to their Internet presence. A longitudinal study was performed to determine the number of Swiss German pharmacies on the Internet by conducting Internet searches in 2000, 2001, and 2003. In April 2002, a cross-sectional Internet-based survey was administered to explore the pharmacies' experiences and plans regarding their Web sites. As of April 2003, 373 (44%) of 852 community pharmacies from the German speaking part of Switzerland were on the Internet. One hundred eighty four listed an e-mail address and were asked to complete a questionnaire. Of the 107 pharmacies answering the survey questions (58% response rate): 46% had been on the Internet for 1 to 2 years; 33% of the Web sites are part of a pharmacy group's Web portal; 31% of the pharmacies plan to expand their Internet appearance in the future; 74% provide e-commerce services, with 81% of those pharmacies filling five or less orders per month; and 12% plan on expanding their e-commerce services in the future. The number of community pharmacies offering Internet services steadily increased over 32 months. Given the importance of the Internet as a tool for information, communication, and advertising for pharmacy products and services, it can be expected that the increase will continue. Pharmacy-group portals are important promoters of pharmacies on the Internet. For many community pharmacies, Internet portals that provide an Internet presence for the pharmacies and provide regularly-updated content (e.g., health news, tips, drug information) seem to be the most effective solutions. Even though 40

  4. Swiss Community Pharmacies' on the Web and Pharmacists' Experiences with E-commerce: Longitudinal study and Internet-based questionnaire survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruppacher, Rudolf; Ruppanner, Hans; Hersberger, Kurt E

    2004-01-01

    Background There are multiple ways in which community pharmacies can present themselves on the Internet, e.g., as a platform for drug information or as an advertising platform for their services. Objective To estimate the number of Swiss community pharmacies on the Internet over the period of 32 months (2000-2003), to describe their current e-commerce services, and to explore the experiences and plans these pharmacies have with regard to their Internet presence. Methods A longitudinal study was performed to determine the number of Swiss German pharmacies on the Internet by conducting Internet searches in 2000, 2001, and 2003. In April 2002, a cross-sectional Internet-based survey was administered to explore the pharmacies' experiences and plans regarding their Web sites. Results As of April 2003, 373 (44%) of 852 community pharmacies from the German speaking part of Switzerland were on the Internet. One hundred eighty four listed an e-mail address and were asked to complete a questionnaire. Of the 107 pharmacies answering the survey questions (58% response rate): 46% had been on the Internet for 1 to 2 years; 33% of the Web sites are part of a pharmacy group's Web portal; 31% of the pharmacies plan to expand their Internet appearance in the future; 74% provide e-commerce services, with 81% of those pharmacies filling five or less orders per month; and 12% plan on expanding their e-commerce services in the future. Conclusions The number of community pharmacies offering Internet services steadily increased over 32 months. Given the importance of the Internet as a tool for information, communication, and advertising for pharmacy products and services, it can be expected that the increase will continue. Pharmacy-group portals are important promoters of pharmacies on the Internet. For many community pharmacies, Internet portals that provide an Internet presence for the pharmacies and provide regularly-updated content (e.g., health news, tips, drug information) seem to

  5. How reliable is internet-based self-reported identity, socio-demographic and obesity measures in European adults?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Celis-Morales, C.; Livingstone, K.M.; Woolhead, C.; Forster, H.; O’Donovan, C.B.; Macready, A.L.; Fallaize, R.; Marsaux, C.F.M.; Tsirigoti, L.; Efstathopoulou, E.; Moschonis, G.; Navas-Carretero, S.; San-Cristobal, R.; Kolossa, S.; Klein, U.L.; Hallmann, J.; Godlewska, M.; Surwiłło, A.; Drevon, C.A.; Bouwman, J.; Grimaldi, K.; Parnell, L.D.; Manios, Y.; Traczyk, I.; Gibney, E.R.; Brennan, L.; Walsh, M.C.; Lovegrove, J.A.; Martinez, J.A.; Daniel, H.; Saris, W.H.M.; Gibney, M.; Mathers, J.C.

    2015-01-01

    In e-health intervention studies, there are concerns about the reliability of internet-based, self-reported (SR) data and about the potential for identity fraud. This study introduced and tested a novel procedure for assessing the validity of internet-based, SR identity and validated anthropometric

  6. Internet-based control recruitment for a case-control study of major risk factors for stroke in Korea: lessons from the experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Jong-Moo; Cho, Yong-Jin; Lee, Kyung Bok; Park, Tai Hwan; Lee, Soo Joo; Han, Moon-Ku; Ko, Youngchai; Lee, Jun; Cha, Jae-Kwan; Lee, Byung-Chul; Yu, Kyung-Ho; Oh, Mi-Sun; Lee, Ji Sung; Lee, Juneyoung; Bae, Hee-Joon

    2014-01-01

    This study aimed to estimate the population-attributable risks (PARs) of 9 major risk factors for stroke in Korea through a case-control study and to test the feasibility and validity of internet-based control recruitment. From April 2008 to September 2009, controls were enrolled via internet after providing consent for participation through a web-based survey. The cases included patients who were admitted to the participating centers due to acute stroke or transient ischemic attack within 7 days of onset during the study period. Each control was age- and sex-matched with 2 cases. Adjusted odd ratios, age-standardized prevalence, and PARs were estimated for the 9 major risk factors using the prevalence of risk factors in the control group and the age and sex characteristics from Korea's national census data. In total, 1041 controls were matched to 2082 stroke cases. Because of a shortage of elderly controls in the internet-based recruitment, 248 controls were recruited off-line. The PARs were 23.44%, 10.95%, 51.32%, and 6.35% for hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and stroke history, respectively. Hypercholesterolemia, atrial fibrillation, obesity, coronary heart disease, and a family history of stroke were not associated with stroke. Comparison with education and religion of the control group with that mentioned in the national census data showed a notable difference. The study results imply that internet-based control recruitment for a case-control study requires careful selection of risk factors with high self-awareness and effective strategies to facilitate the recruitment of elderly participants. Copyright © 2014 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. A population-based prospective study of optic neuritis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Soelberg, K; Jarius, S; Skejoe, Hanne Pernille Bro

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Optic neuritis (ON) is often associated with multiple sclerosis (MS). Early diagnosis is critical to optimal patient management. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the incidence of acute ON and the rates of conversion to MS and antibody-mediated ON. METHOD: Population-based prospective study......-specific incidence was 3.28 (2.44-4.31) per 100,000 person years, 2.02 for men and 4.57 for women. At follow-up, 20 patients met the diagnostic criteria for MS, MRI lesions disseminated in space and time in 17/20 patients. AQP4-IgG was detected in none, MOG-IgG was detected in two patients. CONCLUSION...

  8. Accuracy and completeness of patient information in organic World-Wide Web search for Mohs surgery: a prospective cross-sectional multirater study using consensus criteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Christopher J; Neuhaus, Isaac M; Sobanko, Joseph F; Veledar, Emir; Alam, Murad

    2013-11-01

    Many patients obtain medical information from the Internet. Inaccurate information affects patient care and perceptions. To assess the accuracy and completeness of information regarding Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) on the Internet. Prospective cross-sectional Internet-based study reviewing 30 consecutive organic results from three U.S. urban areas on "Mohs surgery" using Google. Text was assessed using a consensus-derived rating scale that quantified necessary and additional or supplementary information about MMS, as well as wrong information. Websites were classified according to type of sponsor. Ninety-one percent of sites conveyed basic information about MMS. There was variation in the mean amount of additional information items (range 0-9) according to website type: 8.4, medical societies; 6.7, academic practices; 5.9, web-based medical information resources; 4.7, private practices; and 4.4, other (p web-based sources (mean 5.11, p web-based medical information sources also provide additional information. © 2013 by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, Inc. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. The fact and the fiction: A prospective study of internet forum discussions on vaginal breech birth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petrovska, Karolina; Sheehan, Athena; Homer, Caroline S E

    2017-04-01

    Women with a breech baby late in pregnancy may use the internet to gather information to assist in decision-making for birth. The aim of this study was to examine how women use English language internet discussion forums to find out information about vaginal breech birth and to increase understanding of how vaginal breech birth is perceived among women. A descriptive qualitative study of internet discussion forums was undertaken. Google alerts were created with the search terms "breech birth" and "breech". Alerts were collected for a one-year period (January 2013-December 2013). The content of forum discussions was analysed using thematic analysis. A total of 50 forum discussions containing 382 comments were collected. Themes that arose from the data were: Testing the waters-which way should I go?; Losing hope for the chance of a normal birth; Seeking support for options-who will listen to me?; Considering vaginal breech birth-a risky choice?; Staying on the 'safe side'-caesarean section as a guarantee; Exploring the positive potential for vaginal breech birth. Women search online for information about vaginal breech birth in an attempt to come to a place in their decision-making where they feel comfortable with their birth plan. This study highlights the need for clinicians to provide comprehensive, unbiased information on the risks and benefits of all options for breech birth to facilitate informed decision-making for the woman. This will contribute to improving the woman's confidence in distinguishing between "the fact and the fiction" of breech birth discussions online. Copyright © 2016 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. A study of Internet addiction through the lens of the interpersonal theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Chia-Yi; Kuo, Feng-Yang

    2007-12-01

    Previous studies have presented conflicting claims regarding reasons that people become addicted to the Internet. In this study, we attempted to identify predictors of Internet addiction based on Sullivan's interpersonal theory and Internet addiction literature. In our research model, it is hypothesized that good parent-child relationship positively correlates with good interpersonal relationships, which in turn are hypothesized to correlate with undesirable social anxiety. In addition, both parent-child and interpersonal relationships are hypothesized to negatively correlate with Internet addiction, whereas the level of social anxiety is hypothesized to positively correlate with Internet addiction. The results of this study confirm the research model hypotheses, indicating that the quality of parent-child relationship is indeed positively correlated to the quality of our participants' interpersonal relationships and that frustrating interpersonal relationships may raise the level of social anxiety. In addition, interpersonal relationships, the parent-child relationship, and social anxiety all influence Internet addiction, as predicted by the model. Finally, the more social anxiety and discontent with their peer interactions the participants experienced, the more addicted they were to the Internet.

  11. Study and design on the typical plan for regional hybrid energy internet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zou, Zhenyu; Zheng, Shuai; Sha, Zhicheng

    2018-04-01

    The emergence of the energy internet has changed people's understanding of energy production, transmission, storage, conversion, consumption and so on. However, how to promote the development of the energy of the Internet, how to make it with the existing various types of energy entities organic integration, so that it can play an important role, we still need do more in-depth research and practice. After introducing the current situation for energy internet at home and abroad, the definition, character and motion traits of regional energy internet, this paper comprehensively studied typical scheme for regional energy internet based on Multi-energy complementary and developed the feasible suggestion key techniques and directions on development for regional energy internet.

  12. The roles of social factor and internet self-efficacy in nurses' web-based continuing learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiu, Yen-Lin; Tsai, Chin-Chung

    2014-03-01

    This study was conducted to explore the relationships among social factor, Internet self-efficacy and attitudes toward web-based continuing learning in a clinical nursing setting. The participants recruited were 244 in-service nurses from hospitals in Taiwan. Three instruments were used to assess their perceptions of social factor, Internet self-efficacy (including basic and advanced Internet self-efficacy) and attitudes toward web-based continuing learning (including perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, affection and behavior). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to identify the hypothesized structural model. The results of this study support that social factor is a significant factor correlated to Internet self-efficacy and attitudes toward web-based continuing learning (including perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and affection). In addition, nurses' basic Internet self-efficacy plays a key role in attitudes including perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and affection. However, advanced self-efficacy was not correlated to any of the attitudes. The behavior dimension was not linked to social factor or Internet self-efficacy, but was linked to perceived ease of use and affection. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Obtaining Application-based and Content-based Internet Traffic Statistics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bujlow, Tomasz; Pedersen, Jens Myrup

    2012-01-01

    the Volunteer-Based System for Research on the Internet, developed at Aalborg University, is capable of providing detailed statistics of Internet usage. Since an increasing amount of HTTP traffic has been observed during the last few years, the system also supports creating statistics of different kinds of HTTP...... traffic, like audio, video, file transfers, etc. All statistics can be obtained for individual users of the system, for groups of users, or for all users altogether. This paper presents results with real data collected from a limited number of real users over six months. We demonstrate that the system can...

  14. Elementary School Teachers' Motivation toward Web-Based Professional Development, and the Relationship with Internet Self-Efficacy and Belief about Web-Based Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kao, Chia-Pin; Wu, Ying-Tien; Tsai, Chin-Chung

    2011-01-01

    This study was conducted to explore the relationships between teachers' motivation toward web-based professional development, Internet self-efficacy, and beliefs about web-based learning. By gathering questionnaire data from 484 elementary school teachers, this study indicated that the teachers' Internet self-efficacy and behavioral beliefs about…

  15. Students' profile as autonomous learners in an Internet-based EAP course

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonia Soler Cervera

    2005-04-01

    Full Text Available This study aims to find out to what extent university students are able to develop learner autonomy through an EAP course delivered through the Internet. The course, oriented to the use of Internet resources for language learning, was designed specifically to foster learner autonomy. Based on a previous exploratory study (Arnó et al. 2003, this research seeks to refine the profile of the autonomous learner initially developed and to discover which specific actions and attitudes related to learner autonomy are found in students’ behaviour. Thus, combining qualitative and quantitative methods, we carried out an analysis of the autonomous behaviour displayed by students when using different Internet resources through activities designed to foster learner autonomy. This study has allowed us to outline the profile of autonomous learners in a virtual classroom, with students who are able to take the initiative and make decisions on the organization and management of their learning process. Focusing on the connection between making the most of the Internet and developing students’ autonomy, our ultimate aim is to point to ways in which students may be encouraged to become more autonomous and explore the role that the Internet may play in helping us attain this objective.

  16. Effectiveness of an Internet-based preparation for psychosomatic treatment: Results of a controlled observational study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zimmer, Benjamin; Moessner, Markus; Wolf, Markus; Minarik, Carla; Kindermann, Sally; Bauer, Stephanie

    2015-11-01

    Patients often have to sustain long waiting periods between the time they first apply for psychotherapy and the actual uptake of the treatment. To support patients who are on a wait-list for inpatient psychosomatic treatment an Internet-based preparatory treatment (VORSTAT) was developed. In a randomized controlled trial, VORSTAT proved to increase treatment motivation prior to intake and to accelerate the accommodation phase at the beginning of inpatient treatment. No impact of VORSTAT on inpatient treatment outcome was found. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of VORSTAT after implementing the service into routine care. A large naturalistic observational study comparing VORSTAT participants (N=911) against non-participants (N=1721) was conducted. Propensity scores were used to control for potential confounding variables due to the non-randomized group allocation. Reliable improvement of self-reported impairment achieved during inpatient treatment was used as outcome measure. VORSTAT participants showed higher rates of reliable improvement in physical impairment (50.8% vs. 44.9%), psychological impairment (41.2% vs. 29.9%), and social problems (22.3% vs. 15.2%). An Internet-based preparation for psychotherapy is an effective approach to improve outcome of inpatient psychosomatic treatment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Command and Control of Space Assets Through Internet-Based Technologies Demonstrated

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foltz, David A.

    2002-01-01

    The NASA Glenn Research Center successfully demonstrated a transmission-control-protocol/ Internet-protocol- (TCP/IP) based approach to the command and control of onorbit assets over a secure network. This is a significant accomplishment because future NASA missions will benefit by using Internet-standards-based protocols. Benefits of this Internet-based space command and control system architecture include reduced mission costs and increased mission efficiency. The demonstration proved that this communications architecture is viable for future NASA missions. This demonstration was a significant feat involving multiple NASA organizations and industry. Phillip Paulsen, from Glenn's Project Development and Integration Office, served as the overall project lead, and David Foltz, from Glenn's Satellite Networks and Architectures Branch, provided the hybrid networking support for the required Internet connections. The goal was to build a network that would emulate a connection between a space experiment on the International Space Station and a researcher accessing the experiment from anywhere on the Internet, as shown. The experiment was interfaced to a wireless 802.11 network inside the demonstration area. The wireless link provided connectivity to the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) Internet Link Terminal (TILT) satellite uplink terminal located 300 ft away in a parking lot on top of a panel van. TILT provided a crucial link in this demonstration. Leslie Ambrose, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, provided the TILT/TDRSS support. The TILT unit transmitted the signal to TDRS 6 and was received at the White Sands Second TDRSS Ground Station. This station provided the gateway to the Internet. Coordination also took place at the White Sands station to install a Veridian Firewall and automated security incident measurement (ASIM) system to the Second TDRSS Ground Station Internet gateway. The firewall provides a trusted network for the simulated space

  18. An internet-based intervention for people with psychosis (EviBaS): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rüegg, Nina; Moritz, Steffen; Berger, Thomas; Lüdtke, Thies; Westermann, Stefan

    2018-04-13

    Evidence shows that internet-based self-help interventions are effective in reducing symptoms for a wide range of mental disorders. To date, online interventions treating psychotic disorders have been scarce, even though psychosis is among the most burdensome disorders worldwide. Furthermore, the implementation of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for psychosis in routine health care is challenging. Internet-based interventions could narrow this treatment gap. Thus, a comprehensive CBT-based online self-help intervention for people with psychosis has been developed. The aim of this study is the evaluation of the feasibility and efficacy of the intervention compared with a waiting list control group. The intervention includes modules on delusion, voice hearing, social competence, mindfulness, and seven other domains. Participants are guided through the program by a personal moderator. Usage can be amended by an optional smartphone app. In this randomized controlled trial, participants are allocated to a waiting list or an intervention of eight weeks. Change in positive psychotic symptoms of both groups will be compared (primary outcome) and predictors of treatment effects will be assessed. To our knowledge, this project is one of the first large-scale investigations of an internet-based intervention for people with psychosis. It may thus be a further step to broaden treatment options for people suffering from this disorder. NCT02974400 (clinicaltrials.gov), date of registration: November 28th 2016.

  19. Employees' Expectations of Internet-Based, Workplace Interventions Promoting the Mediterranean Diet: A Qualitative Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Papadaki, Angeliki; Thanasoulias, Andreas; Pound, Rachael; Sebire, Simon J; Jago, Russell

    Explore employees' perceptions of ability to follow the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), preferences for setting goals if asked to follow the MedDiet, and expectations of an Internet-based, workplace MedDiet intervention. Seven focus groups to guide intervention development. Four workplaces (business/professional services, government branches) in Southwest England. Employees (n = 29, 51.7% women), ages 24-58 years. Ability to follow the MedDiet; preferences for goal-setting if asked to follow the MedDiet; intervention content. Data were analyzed with the use of thematic analysis. Participants perceived that adhering to some MedDiet recommendations would be challenging and highlighted cost, taste, and cooking skills as adherence barriers. Behavior change preferences included a tailored approach to goal-setting, reviewing goal progress via a website/smartphone app, and receiving expert feedback via an app/website/text/face-to-face session. Desirable features of an Internet-based MedDiet application included recipes, interactivity, nutritional information, shopping tips, cost-saving information, and a companion smartphone app. Engaging in social support was deemed important to facilitate adherence. An Internet-based, workplace MedDiet intervention should address adherence barriers, utilize a tailored approach to setting and reviewing goals, and activate social support to facilitate adherence. These findings provide insights to planning to promote the MedDiet in non-Mediterranean regions. Copyright © 2016 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Internet addiction or excessive internet use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weinstein, Aviv; Lejoyeux, Michel

    2010-09-01

    Problematic Internet addiction or excessive Internet use is characterized by excessive or poorly controlled preoccupations, urges, or behaviors regarding computer use and Internet access that lead to impairment or distress. Currently, there is no recognition of internet addiction within the spectrum of addictive disorders and, therefore, no corresponding diagnosis. It has, however, been proposed for inclusion in the next version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM). To review the literature on Internet addiction over the topics of diagnosis, phenomenology, epidemiology, and treatment. Review of published literature between 2000-2009 in Medline and PubMed using the term "internet addiction. Surveys in the United States and Europe have indicated prevalence rate between 1.5% and 8.2%, although the diagnostic criteria and assessment questionnaires used for diagnosis vary between countries. Cross-sectional studies on samples of patients report high comorbidity of Internet addiction with psychiatric disorders, especially affective disorders (including depression), anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Several factors are predictive of problematic Internet use, including personality traits, parenting and familial factors, alcohol use, and social anxiety. Although Internet-addicted individuals have difficulty suppressing their excessive online behaviors in real life, little is known about the patho-physiological and cognitive mechanisms responsible for Internet addiction. Due to the lack of methodologically adequate research, it is currently impossible to recommend any evidence-based treatment of Internet addiction.

  1. A comparative study of uses of the Internet among college students with and without Internet addiction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kesici, Sahin; Sahin, Ismail

    2009-12-01

    The current study examined uses of the Internet among college students classified as addicted to the Internet or not. Data were gathered from 384 college students. Students classified as Internet Addicted used the Internet more for social functions, leisure functions, and virtual emotional functions, when compared to students considered as Internet Nonaddicted. Effect sizes were large, indicating important group differences in uses of the Internet.

  2. Adoption Assessment of Internet Usage Amongst Undergraduates In Nigeria Universities -A Case Study Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael Olusesan Awoleye

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available This study focused on the level of penetration of Internet usage among undergraduate students in Nigeria using Obafemi Awolowo University as a case study. Result showed that about 92% of undergraduate students have embraced the Internet and are using it consistently. The online mean time is 3.5hrs/week while on the average, undergraduate experience of Internet usage is about 4years. We found also that the students use the Internet mostly for e-mail, information search and online chatting; all of these were found to have significant impact on their academics and social life. Further analysis revealed that gender attitude is also an important issue; male students appear to use the Internet more than their female counterparts; just as science based students use it more than the non-science based students. The paper therefore recommends appropriate policies for all higher schools of learning in Nigeria to facilitate further diffusion and use of the Internet.

  3. The utilization of oncology web-based resources in Spanish-speaking Internet users.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simone, Charles B; Hampshire, Margaret K; Vachani, Carolyn; Metz, James M

    2012-12-01

    There currently are few web-based resources written in Spanish providing oncology-specific information. This study examines utilization of Spanish-language oncology web-based resources and evaluates oncology-related Internet browsing practices of Spanish-speaking patients. OncoLink (http://www.oncolink.org) is the oldest and among the largest Internet-based cancer information resources. In September 2005, OncoLink pioneered OncoLink en español (OEE) (http://es.oncolink.org), a Spanish translation of OncoLink. Internet utilization data on these sites for 2006 to 2007 were compared. Visits to OncoLink rose from 4,440,843 in 2006 to 5,125,952 in 2007. OEE had 204,578 unique visitors and 240,442 visits in 2006, and 351,228 visitors and 412,153 visits in 2007. Although there was no time predilection for viewing OncoLink, less relative browsing on OEE was conducted during weekends and early morning hours. Although OncoLink readers searched for information on the most common cancers in the United States, OEE readers most often search for gastric, vaginal, osteosarcoma, leukemia, penile, cervical, and testicular malignancies. Average visit duration on OEE was shorter, and fewer readers surveyed OEE more than 15 minutes (4.5% vs. 14.9%, P users of web-based oncology resources are increasingly using the Internet to supplement their cancer knowledge. Limited available resources written in Spanish contribute to disparities in information access and disease outcomes. Spanish-speaking oncology readers differ from English-speaking readers in day and time of Internet browsing, visit duration, Internet search patterns, and types of cancers searched. By acknowledging these differences, content of web-based oncology resources can be developed to best target the needs of Spanish-speaking viewers.

  4. Role of Sexuality in Body Integrity Identity Disorder (BIID): A Cross-Sectional Internet-Based Survey Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blom, Rianne M; van der Wal, Sija J; Vulink, Nienke C; Denys, Damiaan

    2017-08-01

    Body integrity identity disorder (BIID)-a strong desire for amputation or paralysis-is often accompanied by feelings and cognitions of sexual arousal, although this sexual component has been largely neglected in the recent literature. To examine the presence of BIID-related sexual arousal in subjects with BIID and explore clinical and demographic variables of subjects with BIID who do and do not possess this sexual arousal. Eighty individuals with BIID responded to an internet-based survey we created. For all subjects, restoring identity was the primary motivation for preferred body modification. We collected data about respondents' demographic, clinical, and sexual characteristics. Based on responses to questions about BIID-specific sexual desires, subjects were assigned to the group with BIID-related sexual feelings (S-BIID; n = 57) or the group without such feelings (NS-BIID; n = 23). Differences in clinical, demographic, and sexual characteristics between S-BIID and NS-BIID groups. Of the respondents, 71.3% endorsed S-BIID. Subjects with S-BIID were significantly more often men, religious, and of a homosexual identity compared with the NS-BIID group. Subjects with S-BIID also significantly more often reported a change in localization and/or intensity of their BIID feelings over time. Furthermore, 66.7% of subjects with S-BIID reported S-BIID as an additional motivation for body modification. Seven of the 57 subjects with S-BIID achieved their preferred body modification through (self)-amputation, whereas none of the subjects with NS-BIID did. BIID is a heterogeneous disorder in which subjects who self-reported comorbid sexual arousal more often resorted to (self-induced) amputation. This study contains the largest BIID cohort presented in the literature and is the first to genuinely research sexuality in BIID. The first limitation is the lack of face-to-face interviews with the subjects, so no clinical diagnoses could be made. Moreover, there is an

  5. Internet user behaviour

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Radbâță, A.

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Internet is a useful tool for everybody in a technologically advanced world. As Internet appears and develops, it creates a totally new network environment. The development of commerce on the Internet based on virtual communities has become one of the most successful business models in the world. After analyzing the concept of internet, the e-commerce market and its marketing mix and the benefits and limitations of the Internet, we have presented a few studies on Internet user behaviour. Furthermore, the paper looks at a representative sample of Romanian internet users. The results reveal that the Romanians are using the Internet especially for information gathering, e-mail, entertainment and social networking.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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).

  7. Experiences of an Internet-based aural rehabilitation (IAR) program for hearing aid users: a qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malmberg, Milijana; Sundewall Thorén, Elisabet; Öberg, Marie; Lunner, Thomas; Andersson, Gerhard; Kähäri, Kim

    2018-04-24

    Internet interventions for hearing aid (HA) users have been shown to be effective in helping persons with hearing problems. As earlier research refers to objective data on these effects, little is known about how participants experience the Internet interventions subjectively. The aim of the present study was to explore participants' experiences of an Internet-based aural rehabilitation (IAR) program for HA-users, and to explore the possible subjective benefits of such a program. A qualitative exploratory design was implemented involving semi-structured telephone interviews. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using content analysis. Interviews were conducted with 20 participants (9 men and 11 women) who had completed an IAR program for HA-users. The participants were 57-81 years old and had used HAs for 2-25 years. The results are organised in three main categories: general experiences associated with participating in the program, knowledge obtained from the program and perceived impact of taking part in the program. The overall results indicate positive experiences of the IAR program, and an overreaching theme of increased self-esteem was identified. The findings provide some valuable information for developers of future IAR programs.

  8. Is there a relationship between Internet dependence and eating disorders? A comparison study of Internet dependents and non-Internet dependents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, Z L; Liu, Y

    2009-01-01

    Several studies have examined the underlying psychopathology in overuse of the Internet, including depression, social anxiety, and substance dependence. A relationship between these psychological disorders appears to exist. No links have been established between Internet dependence and eating disorders. Fifty-four Internet dependents were compared with a control group concerning symptomatic aspects of eating disorders and psychological characteristics related to eating disorders. They all belonged to 1199 respondents of Chinese secondary school and college students between the ages of 12 and 25 years old. A Mann-Whitney U-test was used to determine the difference between Internet dependent groups and non-Internet dependent groups concerning Eating Attitudes Test and Eating Disorder Inventory scores. Females and male Internet dependents rated themselves with significantly higher symptomatic aspects of eating disorders than control groups. Female and male Internet dependents showed significantly higher psychological characteristics related to eating disorders than control groups. A relationship between Internet dependence and eating disorders appears to exist.

  9. Are the kids alright? Review books and the internet as the most common study resources for the general surgery clerkship.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Janice A; Shaw, Christiana M; Tan, Sanda A; Falcone, John L

    2018-01-01

    To define resources deemed most important to medical students on their general surgery clerkship, we evaluated their material utilization. A prospective study was conducted amongst third-year medical students using a 20-item survey. Descriptive statistics were performed on the demographics. Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney analyses were performed on the Likert responses (α = 0.05). Survey response was 69.2%. Use of review books and Internet was significantly higher compared to all other resources (p Internet source (39.1%). 56% never used textbooks. Analyses of surgery subject exam (NBME) results or intended specialty with resources used showed no statistical relationship (all p > 0.05). Resources used by students reflect access to high-yield material and increased Internet use. The Internet and review books were used more than the recommended textbook; NBME results were not affected. Understanding study habits and resource use will help guide curricular development and students' self-regulated learning. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Asthma and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Nationwide Population-Based Prospective Cohort Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Mu-Hong; Su, Tung-Ping; Chen, Ying-Sheue; Hsu, Ju-Wei; Huang, Kai-Lin; Chang, Wen-Han; Chen, Tzeng-Ji; Bai, Ya-Mei

    2013-01-01

    Background: Previous cross-sectional studies have suggested an association between asthma and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but the temporal relationship was not determined. Using a nationwide population-based prospective case-control cohort study (1:4, age-/gender-matched), we hypothesized that asthma in infanthood or early…

  11. Trichotillomania: the impact of treatment history on the outcome of an Internet-based intervention

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Weidt S

    2017-04-01

    demonstrate that Internet-based interventions can reach untreated TTM individuals. They show that untreated individuals benefit as much as treated individuals from such interventions. Future Internet-based interventions should focus on how to best reach/support untreated individuals with TTM. Additionally, future studies may examine whether Internet-based interventions can reach and help untreated individuals suffering from other psychiatric disorders. Keywords: trichotillomania, health-related quality of life, treatment experience, Internet, online, hairpulling

  12. Internet-Based Mobile Ad Hoc Networking (Preprint)

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Corson, M. S; Macker, Joseph P; Cirincione, Gregory H

    1999-01-01

    Internet-based Mobile Ad Hoc Networking is an emerging technology that supports self-organizing, mobile networking infrastructures, and is one which appears well-suited for use in future commercial...

  13. Internet-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Adolescents with Anxiety Disorders: A Feasibility Study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Amalie; Gaardsvig, Majken Maria; Stjerneklar, Silke

    -17 years. Inclusion criteria were an anxiety disorder as primary diagnosis, access to a computer and the Internet at home, and ability to read and write in Danish. Exclusion criteria were comorbid depression (CSR ≥ 6), school absenteeism above 50%, self-harm, suicidal ideation, substance dependence......Aim Only a small proportion of children and adolescents with anxiety disorders receive treatment, despite evidence of the efficacy of CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) (Reynolds, Wilson, Austin & Hooper, 2012). Lately there has been an increase in the development of ICBT (internet-based CBT......) programs to reduce costs and enhance accessibility of psychological interventions. ICBT has proven efficacious towards adults with anxiety disorders (Haug, Nordgreen, Ost & Havik, 2012; Reger & Gahm, 2009). Research in ICBT with children and adolescents is still in its infancy and no program targeting...

  14. An internet graph model based on trade-off optimization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alvarez-Hamelin, J. I.; Schabanel, N.

    2004-03-01

    This paper presents a new model for the Internet graph (AS graph) based on the concept of heuristic trade-off optimization, introduced by Fabrikant, Koutsoupias and Papadimitriou in[CITE] to grow a random tree with a heavily tailed degree distribution. We propose here a generalization of this approach to generate a general graph, as a candidate for modeling the Internet. We present the results of our simulations and an analysis of the standard parameters measured in our model, compared with measurements from the physical Internet graph.

  15. Pathway Linking Internet Health Information Seeking to Better Health: A Moderated Mediation Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Shaohai; Street, Richard L

    2017-08-01

    The Internet increasingly has been recognized as an important medium with respect to population health. However, little is known about the mechanisms that underlie the potential impact of health-related Internet use on health outcomes. Based on the three-stage model of health promotion using interactive media, this study empirically tested a moderated mediation pathway model. Results showed that the effect of Internet health information seeking on three health outcomes (general, emotional, and physical) was completely mediated by respondents' access to social support resources. In addition, users' online health information seeking experience positively moderated this mediation path. The findings have significant theoretical and practical implications for the design of Internet-based health promotion resources to improve health outcomes.

  16. Are Mental Health Effects of Internet Use Attributable to the Web-Based Content or Perceived Consequences of Usage? A Longitudinal Study of European Adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hökby, Sebastian; Hadlaczky, Gergö; Westerlund, Joakim; Wasserman, Danuta; Balazs, Judit; Germanavicius, Arunas; Machín, Núria; Meszaros, Gergely; Sarchiapone, Marco; Värnik, Airi; Varnik, Peeter; Westerlund, Michael; Carli, Vladimir

    2016-07-13

    Adolescents and young adults are among the most frequent Internet users, and accumulating evidence suggests that their Internet behaviors might affect their mental health. Internet use may impact mental health because certain Web-based content could be distressing. It is also possible that excessive use, regardless of content, produces negative consequences, such as neglect of protective offline activities. The objective of this study was to assess how mental health is associated with (1) the time spent on the Internet, (2) the time spent on different Web-based activities (social media use, gaming, gambling, pornography use, school work, newsreading, and targeted information searches), and (3) the perceived consequences of engaging in those activities. A random sample of 2286 adolescents was recruited from state schools in Estonia, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Questionnaire data comprising Internet behaviors and mental health variables were collected and analyzed cross-sectionally and were followed up after 4 months. Cross-sectionally, both the time spent on the Internet and the relative time spent on various activities predicted mental health (Pengaging in those activities were more important predictors, explaining 11.1% variance. Only Web-based gaming, gambling, and targeted searches had mental health effects that were not fully accounted for by perceived consequences. The longitudinal analyses showed that sleep loss due to Internet use (ß=.12, 95% CI=0.05-0.19, P=.001) and withdrawal (negative mood) when Internet could not be accessed (ß=.09, 95% CI=0.03-0.16, Peffect on mental health in the long term. Perceived positive consequences of Internet use did not seem to be associated with mental health at all. The magnitude of Internet use is negatively associated with mental health in general, but specific Web-based activities differ in how consistently, how much, and in what direction they affect mental health. Consequences of

  17. Are Mental Health Effects of Internet Use Attributable to the Web-Based Content or Perceived Consequences of Usage? A Longitudinal Study of European Adolescents

    OpenAIRE

    H?kby, Sebastian; Hadlaczky, Gerg?; Westerlund, Joakim; Wasserman, Danuta; Balazs, Judit; Germanavicius, Arunas; Mach?n, N?ria; Meszaros, Gergely; Sarchiapone, Marco; V?rnik, Airi; Varnik, Peeter; Westerlund, Michael; Carli, Vladimir

    2016-01-01

    Background Adolescents and young adults are among the most frequent Internet users, and accumulating evidence suggests that their Internet behaviors might affect their mental health. Internet use may impact mental health because certain Web-based content could be distressing. It is also possible that excessive use, regardless of content, produces negative consequences, such as neglect of protective offline activities. Objective The objective of this study was to assess how mental health is as...

  18. An internet-based intervention for adjustment disorder (TAO): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rachyla, Iryna; Pérez-Ara, Marian; Molés, Mar; Campos, Daniel; Mira, Adriana; Botella, Cristina; Quero, Soledad

    2018-05-31

    Adjustment Disorder (AjD) is a common and disabling mental health problem. The lack of research on this disorder has led to the absence of evidence-based interventions for its treatment. Moreover, because the available data indicate that a high percentage of people with mental illness are not treated, it is necessary to develop new ways to provide psychological assistance. The present study describes a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) aimed at assessing the effectiveness and acceptance of a linear internet-delivered cognitive-behavioral therapy (ICBT) intervention for AjD. A two-armed RCT was designed to compare an intervention group to a waiting list control group. Participants from the intervention group will receive TAO, an internet-based program for AjD composed of seven modules. TAO combines CBT and Positive Psychology strategies in order to provide patients with complete support, reducing their clinical symptoms and enhancing their capacity to overcome everyday adversity. Participants will also receive short weekly telephone support. Participants in the control group will be assessed before and after a seven-week waiting period, and then they will be offered the same intervention. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of the 2 groups. Measurements will be taken at five different moments: baseline, post-intervention, and three follow-up periods (3-, 6- and 12-month). BDI-II and BAI will be used as primary outcome measures. Secondary outcomes will be symptoms of AjD, posttraumatic growth, positive and negative affect, and quality of life. The development of ICBT programs like TAO responds to a need for evidence-based interventions that can reach most of the people who need them, reducing the burden and cost of mental disorders. More specifically, TAO targets AjD and will entail a step forward in the treatment of this prevalent but under-researched disorder. Finally, it should be noted that this is the first RCT focusing on an internet-based

  19. Internet Addiction and Psychopathology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koc, Mustafa

    2011-01-01

    This study examined the relationships between university students' internet addiction and psychopathology in Turkey. The study was based on data drawn from a national survey of university students in Turkey. 174 university students completed the SCL-90-R scale and Addicted Internet Users Inventory. Results show that students who use internet six…

  20. Does internet-based prevention reduce the risk of relapse for anorexia nervosa?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fichter, Manfred M; Quadflieg, Norbert; Nisslmüller, Kerstin; Lindner, Susanne; Osen, Bernhard; Huber, Thomas; Wünsch-Leiteritz, Wally

    2012-03-01

    Technological advancements allow new approaches to psychotherapy via electronic media. The eating disorder literature currently contains no studies on internet intervention in anorexia nervosa (AN). This study presents a RCT on an internet-based relapse prevention program (RP) over nine months after inpatient treatment for AN. The sample comprised 258 women, randomized to the RP or treatment as usual (TAU). Expert- and self-ratings were evaluated by intent-to-treat analyses. Concerning age, age at onset and comorbidity, both groups were comparable at randomization. During the RP, the intervention group gained weight while the TAU group had minimal weight loss. RP completers gained significantly more body weight than patients in the TAU condition. Group-by-time comparisons for eating-related cognitions and behaviors and general psychopathology showed a significantly more favorable course in the RP program for "sexual anxieties" and "bulimic symptoms" (interview), and "maturity fears" and "social insecurity" (EDI-2). General psychopathology showed no significant group-by-time interaction. Important factors for successful relapse prevention were adherence to the intervention protocol and increased spontaneity. Considering the unfavorable course and chronicity of anorexia nervosa (AN), internet-based relapse prevention in AN following inpatient treatment appears a promising approach. Future internet-based programs may be further improved and enhanced. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Internet use in pregnancy informs women's decision making: a web-based survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lagan, Briege M; Sinclair, Marlene; Kernohan, W George

    2010-06-01

    Internet access and usage is almost ubiquitous, providing new opportunities and increasing challenges for health care practitioners and users. With pregnant women reportedly turning to the Internet for information during pregnancy, a better understanding of this behavior is needed. The objective of this study was to ascertain why and how pregnant women use the Internet as a health information source, and the overall effect it had on their decision making. Kuhlthau's (1993) information-seeking model was adapted to provide the underpinning theoretical framework for the study. The design was exploratory and descriptive. Data were collected using a valid and reliable web-based questionnaire. Over a 12-week period, 613 women from 24 countries who had confirmed that they had used the Internet for pregnancy-related information during their pregnancy completed and submitted a questionnaire. Most women (97%) used search engines such as Google to identify online web pages to access a large variety of pregnancy-related information and to use the Internet for pregnancy-related social networking, support, and electronic commerce (i.e., e-commerce). Almost 94 percent of women used the Internet to supplement information already provided by health professionals and 83 percent used it to influence their pregnancy decision making. Nearly half of the respondents reported dissatisfaction with information given by health professionals (48.6%) and lack of time to ask health professionals questions (46.5%) as key factors influencing them to access the Internet. Statistically, women's confidence levels significantly increased with respect to making decisions about their pregnancy after Internet usage (p < 0.05). In this study, the Internet played a significant part in the respondents' health information seeking and decision making in pregnancy. Health professionals need to be ready to support pregnant women in online data retrieval, interpretation, and application.

  2. Internet-based communications in radiation oncology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goldwein, Joel W.

    1996-01-01

    Currently, it is estimated that 40 million Americans have access to the Internet. The emergence of widely available software, inexpensive hardware and affordable connectivity have all led to an explosive growth in its use. Medicine in general and radiation oncology specifically are deriving great benefits from this technology. The use of this technology will result in a paradigm shift that is likely to change the way we all communicate. An understanding of the technology is therefore mandatory. The objectives of the course are to provide a practical introduction to the use of Internet technologies as they relate to our profession. The following topics will be reviewed. 1. A brief history of the Internet 2. Getting connected to the Internet 3. Internet venues - The Web, ftp, USENETS ... 4. Basic software tools - email, browsers ... 5. Specific Internet resources 6. Advanced Internet utilization 7. Business and the Internet 8. Intranet utilization 9. Philosophical and medicolegal issues 10. Predictions of the future Upon completion, the attendee will be familiar with the Internet, how it works, and how it can be used to fulfill the research, educational, and clinical care missions of our profession

  3. Dutch Adolescents' Motives, Perceptions, and Reflections Toward Sex-Related Internet Use: Results of a Web-Based Focus-Group Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doornwaard, Suzan M; den Boer, Fedde; Vanwesenbeeck, Ine; van Nijnatten, Carol H C J; Ter Bogt, Tom F M; van den Eijnden, Regina J J M

    2017-10-01

    The Internet offers adolescents unique opportunities to actively shape their own sexual media environment. The aim of this study was to gain in-depth insight into Dutch adolescents' motives, perceptions, and reflections toward Internet use for (a) finding information or advice related to romance and sexuality; (b) searching for and viewing pornographic or erotic material; and (c) romantic and sexual communication (i.e., cybersex/sexting). Data were collected through 12 Web-based focus groups (36 adolescents aged 16 to 19 years, 72.2% girls) and analyzed through three stages of open, axial, and selective coding. The themes that emerged from the focus-group discussions suggest that sex-related Internet use is a complex and ambivalent experience for adolescents. Sex-related Internet use seems an increasingly normalized and common phenomenon. Participants perceived the Internet as a useful source of sexual information, stimulation, inspiration, and communication. Yet they discussed a range of negative consequences and risks related to sex-related online behaviors, particularly concerning pornography's potential to create unrealistic expectations about sex and sexual attractiveness. Participants generally believed they had the necessary skills to navigate through the online sexual landscape in a responsible way, although they believed other young people could be influenced inadvertently and adversely by sex-related online content.

  4. Internet addiction among Iranian adolescents: a nationwide study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khodabakhsh Ahmadi

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Problematic use of the Internet by children and adolescents is a newly emerging disorder that has alerted health authorities throughout the world. In Iran, despite the very high speed rate of Internet spread, there is not enough data on the rate of Internet addiction among the adolescents. This study is the first nationwide study that addresses this issue. Overall 4500 students of high school or pre-college schools were recruited from 13/31 provinces of Iran by a cluster sampling method and 4342 (96% participated. Two self-rated questionnaires (one demographics and one Young's Internet addiction scale were filled b the participants. Data were analyzed by SPSS software. 962 (22.2% of the study participants were labeled as having "internet addiction." Males were significantly more likely to be an internet addict (P<0.001. Students whose father and/or mother had a doctorate degree were most likely to have Internet addiction (P<0.001 for both. Job engagement of mothers was significantly associated with students' internet addiction, and the least rate of addiction was observed when the mother was a housewife (P<0.001; having no exercise was associated with the highest rate of Internet addiction (P<0.001. Stepwise logistic regression models showed gender (male, older age, mother's occupation, family's financial status (either very high or very low, low quality of family relationship, and students' lower levels of religious devotion were significantly associated with having Internet addiction. This study showed that Internet addiction in Iranian adolescents is prevalent, and has several independent factors, from which, family relations is most likely to be modifiable. Improvements in family relations and more strict parental supervision, especially when mothers have active job employment, are recommended.

  5. The Internet and HIV study: design and methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elford Jonathan

    2004-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The Internet provides a new meeting ground, especially for gay men, that did not exist in the early 1990s. Several studies have found increased levels of high risk sexual behaviour and sexually transmissible infections (STI among gay men who seek sex on the Internet, although the underlying processes are not fully understood. Research funded by the UK Medical Research Council (2002–2004 provided the opportunity to consider whether the Internet represents a new sexual risk environment for gay and bisexual men living in London. Methods The objectives of the Internet and HIV study are to: (i measure the extent to which gay men living in London seek sexual partners on the Internet; (ii compare the characteristics of London gay men who do and do not seek sex on the Internet; (iii examine whether sex with Internet-partners is less safe than with other sexual partners; (iv compare use of the Internet with other venues where men meet sexual partners; (v establish whether gay men use the Internet to actively seek partners for unprotected anal intercourse; (vi determine the potential for using the Internet for HIV prevention. These objectives have been explored using quantitative and qualitative research methods in four samples of London gay men recruited and interviewed both online and offline. The four samples were: (i gay men recruited through Internet chat rooms and profiles; (ii HIV positive gay men attending an NHS hospital outpatients clinic; (iii gay men seeking an HIV test in an NHS HIV testing or sexual health clinic; (iv gay men recruited in the community. Results Quantitative data were collected by means of confidential, anonymous self-administered questionnaires (n>4000 completed on-line by the Internet sample. Qualitative data were collected by means of one-to-one interviews (n = 128 conducted either face-to-face or on-line. Conclusion The strength of the Internet and HIV study is its methodological plurality, drawing

  6. Internet-based treatment for adults with depressive symptoms: the protocol of a randomized controlled trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cuijpers Pim

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Depression is a highly prevalent condition, affecting more than 15% of the adult population at least once in their lives. Guided self-help is effective in the treatment of depression. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of two Internet-based guided self-help treatments with adults reporting elevated depressive symptoms. Other research questions concern the identification of potential mediators and the search for subgroups who respond differently to the interventions. Methods This study is a randomized controlled trial with three conditions: two treatment conditions and one waiting list control group. The two treatment conditions are Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy and Internet-based problem-solving therapy. They consist of 8 and 5 weekly lessons respectively. Both interventions are combined with support by e-mail. Participants in the waiting list control group receive the intervention three months later. The study population consists of adults from the general population. They are recruited through advertisements in local and national newspapers and through banners on the Internet. Subjects with symptoms of depression (≥ 16 on the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale are included. Other inclusion criteria are having sufficient knowledge of the Dutch language, access to the Internet and an e-mail address. Primary outcome is depressive symptoms. Secondary outcomes are anxiety, quality of life, dysfunctional cognitions, worrying, problem solving skills, mastery, absence at work and use of healthcare. We will examine the following variables as potential mediators: dysfunctional cognitions, problem solving skills, worrying, anxiety and mastery. Potential moderating variables are: socio-demographic characteristics and symptom severity. Data are collected at baseline and at 5 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks and 9 months after baseline. Analyses will be conducted on the intention

  7. Sleep problems and internet addiction among children and adolescents: a longitudinal study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yi-Lung; Gau, Susan Shur-Fen

    2016-08-01

    Although the literature has documented associations between sleep problems and internet addiction, the temporal direction of these relationships has not been established. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the bidirectional relationships between sleep problems and internet addiction among children and adolescents longitudinally. A four-wave longitudinal study was conducted with 1253 children and adolescents in grades 3, 5 and 8 from March 2013 to January 2014. The sleep problems of the student participants were measured by parental reports on the Sleep Habit Questionnaire, which catalogues early insomnia, middle insomnia, disturbed circadian rhythm, periodic leg movements, sleep terrors, sleepwalking, sleep talking, nightmares, bruxism, snoring and sleep apnoea. The severity of internet addiction was measured by students' self-reports on the Chen Internet Addiction Scale. Based on the results of time-lag models, dyssomnias (odds ratio = 1.31), especially early and middle insomnias (odds ratio = 1.74 and 2.24), sequentially predicted internet addiction, and internet addiction sequentially predicted disturbed circadian rhythm (odds ratio = 2.40), regardless of adjustment for gender and age. This is the first study to demonstrate the temporal relationship of early and middle insomnia predicting internet addiction, which subsequently predicts disturbed circadian rhythm. These findings imply that treatment strategies for sleep problems and internet addiction should vary according to the order of their occurrence. © 2016 European Sleep Research Society.

  8. Parent-adolescent interaction and risk of adolescent internet addiction: a population-based study in Shanghai.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Jian; Shen, Li-Xiao; Yan, Chong-Huai; Hu, Howard; Yang, Fang; Wang, Lu; Kotha, Sudha Rani; Ouyang, Fengxiu; Zhang, Li-Na; Liao, Xiang-Peng; Zhang, Jun; Zhang, Jin-Song; Shen, Xiao-Ming

    2014-04-15

    Family-based intervention is essential for adolescents with behavioral problems. However, limited data are available on the relationship between family-based factors and adolescent internet addiction (AIA). We aimed to examine this relationship using a representative sample of Shanghai adolescents. In October 2007, a total of 5122 adolescents were investigated from 16 high schools via stratified-random sampling in Shanghai. Self-reported and anonymous questionnaires were used to assess parent-adolescent interaction and family environments. AIA was assessed by DRM-52 Scale, developed from Young's Internet-addiction Scale, using seven subscales to evaluate psychological symptoms of AIA. Adjusting for adolescents' ages, genders, socio-economic status, school performances and levels of the consumption expenditure, strong parental disapproval of internet-use was associated with AIA (vs. parental approval, OR = 2.20, 95% CI: 1.24-3.91). Worse mother-adolescent relationships were more significantly associated with AIA (OR = 3.79, 95% CI: 2.22-6.48) than worse father-adolescent relationships (OR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.10-2.80). Marital status of "married-but-separated" and family structure of "left-behind adolescents" were associated with symptoms of some subscales. When having high monthly allowance, resident students tended to develop AIA but commuter students did not. Family social-economic status was not associated with the development of AIA. The quality of parent-adolescent relationship/communication was closely associated with the development of AIA, and maternal factors were more significantly associated with development of AIA than paternal factors. Family social-economic status moderated adolescent internet-use levels but not the development of AIA.

  9. Obtaining Internet Flow Statistics by Volunteer-Based System

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Jens Myrup; Bujlow, Tomasz

    2012-01-01

    In this paper we demonstrate how the Volunteer Based System for Research on the Internet, developed at Aalborg University, can be used for creating statistics of Internet usage. Since the data is collected on individual machines, the statistics can be made on the basis of both individual users......, and average flow durations. The paper is concluded with a discussion on what further statistics can be made, and the further development of the system....

  10. Designing the social Internet of Things

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Soro, Alessandro; Brereton, Margot; Roe, Paul

    2017-01-01

    What role do people have in the Internet of Things? Compared to the impressive body of research that is currently tackling the technical issues of the Internet of Things, social aspects of agency, engagement, participation, and ethics, are receiving less attention. The goal of this 'Designing...... the Social Internet of Things' workshop is to contribute by shedding light on these aspects. We invite prospective participants to take a humanistic standpoint, explore people's relations with 'things' first, and then build on such relations so as to support socially relevant goals of engagement, relatedness...

  11. The emergence of internet-based virtual private networks in international safeguards

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smartt, Heidi Anne

    2001-01-01

    Full text: The costs associated with secure data transmission can be an obstacle to International Safeguards. Typical communication methods are priced by distance and may include telephone lines, frame relay, and ISDN. It is therefore costly to communicate globally. The growth of the Internet has provided an extensive backbone for global communications; however, the Internet does not provide intrinsic security measures. Combining the Internet with Virtual Private Network technology, which encrypts and authenticates data, creates a secure and potentially cost-effective data transmission path, as well as achieving other benefits such as reliability and scalability. Access to the Internet can be achieved by connecting to a local Internet Service Provider, which can be preferable to installing a static link between two distant points. The cost-effectiveness of the Internet-based Virtual Private Network is dependent on such factors as data amount, current operational costs, and the specifics of the Internet connection, such as user proximity to an Internet Service Provider or existing access to the Internet. This paper will introduce Virtual Private Network technology, the benefits of Internet communication, and the emergence of Internet-based Virtual Private Networks throughout the International Safeguards community. Specific projects to be discussed include: The completed demonstration of secure remote monitoring data transfer via the Internet between STUK in Helsinki, Finland, and the IAEA in Vienna, Austria; The demonstration of secure remote access to IAEA resources by traveling inspectors with Virtual Private Network software loaded on laptops; The proposed Action Sheets between ABACC/DOE and ARN/DOE, which will provide a link between Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires; The proposed use at the HIFAR research reactor, located in Australia, to provide remote monitoring data to the IAEA; The use of Virtual Private Networks by JRC, Ispra, Italy. (author)

  12. Internet-Based Indoor Navigation Services

    OpenAIRE

    Zeinalipour-Yazti, Demetrios; Laoudias, Christos; Georgiou, Kyriakos

    2017-01-01

    Smartphone advances are leading to a class of Internet-based Indoor Navigation services. IIN services rely on geolocation databases that store indoor models, comprising floor maps and points of interest, along with wireless, light, and magnetic signals for localizing users. Developing IIN services creates new information management challenges - such as crowdsourcing indoor models, acquiring and fusing big data velocity signals, localization algorithms, and custodians' location privacy. Here, ...

  13. Advantages and Disadvantages for Receiving Internet-Based HIV/AIDS Interventions at Home or at Community Based Organization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, Shana M.; Lockhart, Elizabeth; Marhefka, Stephanie L.

    2015-01-01

    Within recent years public health interventions have become technologically based to reflect the digital age we currently live in and appeal to the public in innovative and novel ways. The Internet breaks down boundaries distance imposes and increases our ability to reach and connect with people. Internet-based interventions have the potential to expand access to effective behavioral interventions. The US National HIV/AIDS Strategy states that people living with HIV should have access to effective behavioral interventions like Healthy Relationships (HR) to help them develop safe sex and disclosure skills. However, access to HR is limited across the country, especially for people in remote or rural areas. Internet-based Healthy Relationships Video Groups (HR-VG) delivered at home or community based organizations (CBOs) can possibly expand access. This study assesses the preferences of women living with HIV (WLH) for participation in HR-VG among 21 WLH who participated in a randomized control trial (RCT) testing HR-VG and completed open-ended semi-structured telephone interviews. Transcripts were thematically analyzed to determine advantages, disadvantages and overall preference for home or agency delivery of HR-VG. Themes relating to convenience, technology access, privacy, distractions, HIV serostatus disclosure and social opportunities were identified as advantages or disadvantages to participating in HR-VG at each location. Overall privacy was the most salient concern of accessing HR-VG at home or at a CBO. Considering the concerns expressed by WLH, further studies are needed to assess how an Internet-based intervention delivered at home for WLH can maintain privacy while being cost effective. PMID:26357907

  14. Advantages and disadvantages for receiving Internet-based HIV/AIDS interventions at home or at community-based organizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, Shana M; Lockhart, Elizabeth; Marhefka, Stephanie L

    2015-01-01

    Within recent years, public health interventions have become technology based to reflect the digital age we currently live in and appeal to the public in innovative and novel ways. The Internet breaks down boundaries distance imposes and increases our ability to reach and connect with people. Internet-based interventions have the potential to expand access to effective behavioral interventions (EBIs). The US National HIV/AIDS Strategy states that people living with HIV should have access to EBIs such as healthy relationships (HR) to help them develop safe sex and disclosure skills. However, access to HR is limited across the country, especially for people in remote or rural areas. Internet-based healthy relationships video groups (HR-VG) delivered at home or community-based organizations (CBOs) can possibly expand access. This study assesses the preferences of women living with HIV (WLH) for participation in HR-VG among 21 WLH who participated in a randomized control trial (RCT) testing HR-VG and completed open-ended semi-structured telephone interviews. Transcripts were thematically analyzed to determine advantages and disadvantages of home or CBO delivery of HR-VG. Themes relating to convenience, technology access, privacy, distractions, HIV serostatus disclosure, and social opportunities were identified as advantages or disadvantages to participating in HR-VG at each location. Overall, privacy was the most salient concern of accessing HR-VG at home or at a CBO. Considering the concerns expressed by WLH, further studies are needed to assess how an Internet-based intervention delivered at home for WLH can maintain privacy while being cost effective.

  15. Internet Connection Control based on Idle Time Using User Behavior Pattern Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fadilah Fahrul Hardiansyah

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The increase of smartphone ability is rapidly increasing the power consumption. Many methods have been proposed to reduce smartphone power consumption. Most of these methods use the internet connection control based on the availability of the battery power level regardless of when and where a waste of energy occurs. This paper proposes a new approach to control the internet connection based on idle time using user behavior pattern analysis. User behavior patterns are used to predict idle time duration. Internet connection control performed during idle time. During idle time internet connection periodically switched on and off by a certain time interval. This method effectively reduces a waste of energy. Control of the internet connection does not interfere the user because it is implemented on idle time. Keywords: Smartphone, User Behavior, Pattern Recognition, Idle Time, Internet Connection Control

  16. Advertising investigation and the main sociodemo graphic internet studies in Mexico

    OpenAIRE

    Islas, Octavio

    2014-01-01

    In the first section of this article the main sociodemographic internetstudies in Mexico are presented. I highlight some of their main methodological differences and proceed to analyze some key results in these recent studies. Based on the seventh edition of the Online Advertising Expedinture Study in Mexico, the second section demonstrates the weight of internet advertising in Mexico today. En el primer apartado refiero cuáles son los principales estudiossociodemográficos de Internet en M...

  17. The Preference for Internet-Based Psychological Interventions by Individuals Without Past or Current Use of Mental Health Treatment Delivered Online: A Survey Study With Mixed-Methods Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mattsson, Susanne; Olsson, Erik Martin Gustaf

    2016-01-01

    Background The use of the Internet has the potential to increase access to evidence-based mental health services for a far-reaching population at a low cost. However, low take-up rates in routine care indicate that barriers for implementing Internet-based interventions have not yet been fully identified. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the preference for Internet-based psychological interventions as compared to treatment delivered face to face among individuals without past or current use of mental health treatment delivered online. A further aim was to investigate predictors of treatment preference and to complement the quantitative analyses with qualitative data about the perceived advantages and disadvantages of Internet-based interventions. Methods Two convenience samples were used. Sample 1 was recruited in an occupational setting (n=231) and Sample 2 consisted of individuals previously treated for cancer (n=208). Data were collected using a paper-and-pencil survey and analyzed using mixed methods. Results The preference for Internet-based psychological interventions was low in both Sample 1 (6.5%) and Sample 2 (2.6%). Most participants preferred psychological interventions delivered face to face. Use of the Internet to search for and read health-related information was a significant predictor of treatment preference in both Sample 1 (odds ratio [OR] 2.82, 95% CI 1.18-6.75) and Sample 2 (OR 3.52, 95% CI 1.33-9.29). Being born outside of Sweden was a significant predictor of preference for Internet-based interventions, but only in Sample 2 (OR 6.24, 95% CI 1.29-30.16). Similar advantages and disadvantages were mentioned in both samples. Perceived advantages of Internet-based interventions included flexibility regarding time and location, low effort, accessibility, anonymity, credibility, user empowerment, and improved communication between therapist and client. Perceived disadvantages included anonymity, low credibility, impoverished

  18. Applying Internet-based Technologies to Teaching Corporate Finance and Investments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhuoming “Joe” Peng, Ph.D.,

    2006-07-01

    Full Text Available Finance faculty are increasingly encouraged to use internet-based technologies in teaching. This paper examines students’ perceptions of finance faculty who use internet-based technologies and the impact on their learning experiences in undergraduate introductory corporate finance, investments, and MBA investments courses. The results suggest that offering all course materials online may enhance students’ learning experiences, however, the technologies may be best thought of as teaching tools. A better methodology for a finance course delivery may be that of in-classroom interactions between an instructor and the students while all the pertinent course materials are available online throughout the semester. There is a statistically significant difference between MBA (Master of Business Administration students and undergraduate business students in terms of their desire to use the internet for learning finance. Consistent with previous research, results indicate that it may not be common practice among faculty to use internet-based technologies, and that assistant professors tend to use technologies in teaching more often than their higher-ranked colleagues do.

  19. Gender, internet experience, Internet identification, and internet anxiety: a ten-year followup.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joiner, Richard; Gavin, Jeff; Brosnan, Mark; Cromby, John; Gregory, Helen; Guiller, Jane; Maras, Pam; Moon, Amy

    2012-07-01

    In 2002, we found gender differences in the use of the Internet. Since then, however, the Internet has changed considerably. We therefore conducted a follow-up study in 2012. The study involved 501 students (389 females and 100 males, 12 participants unspecified gender) and we measured Internet use, Internet anxiety, and Internet identification. We found that males had a greater breadth of Internet use; they used the Internet more for games and entertainment than females. The differentiation between males and females in terms of Internet use is evident, and in some ways is even more distinct than 10 years ago. In our previous research we had found no gender differences in the use of the Internet for communication, whereas in the current study we have found that females use the Internet for communication than males and were using social network sites more than males. We also found, consistent with our previous study, that Internet identification and Internet anxiety were related to Internet use.

  20. Comparison of brain connectivity between Internet gambling disorder and Internet gaming disorder: A preliminary study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bae, Sujin; Han, Doug Hyun; Jung, Jaebum; Nam, Ki Chun; Renshaw, Perry F

    2017-12-01

    Background and aims Given the similarities in clinical symptoms, Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is thought to be diagnostically similar to Internet-based gambling disorder (ibGD). However, cognitive enhancement and educational use of Internet gaming suggest that the two disorders derive from different neurobiological mechanisms. The goal of this study was to compare subjects with ibGD to those with IGD. Methods Fifteen patients with IGD, 14 patients with ibGD, and 15 healthy control subjects were included in this study. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data for all participants were acquired using a 3.0 Tesla MRI scanner (Philips, Eindhoven, The Netherlands). Seed-based analyses, the three brain networks of default mode, cognitive control, and reward circuitry, were performed. Results Both IGD and ibGD groups demonstrated decreased functional connectivity (FC) within the default-mode network (DMN) (family-wise error p < .001) compared with healthy control subjects. However, the IGD group demonstrated increased FC within the cognitive network compared with both the ibGD (p < .01) and healthy control groups (p < .01). In contrast, the ibGD group demonstrated increased FC within the reward circuitry compared with both IGD (p < .01) and healthy control subjects (p < .01). Discussion and conclusions The IGD and ibGD groups shared the characteristic of decreased FC in the DMN. However, the IGD group demonstrated increased FC within the cognitive network compared with both ibGD and healthy comparison groups.

  1. Components and Outcomes of Internet-Based Interventions for Caregivers of Older Adults: Systematic Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guay, Cassioppée; Auger, Claudine; Demers, Louise; Mortenson, W Ben; Miller, William C; Gélinas-Bronsard, Dominique; Ahmed, Sara

    2017-09-19

    When trying to access interventions to improve their well-being and quality of life, family caregivers face many challenges. Internet-based interventions provide new and accessible opportunities to remotely support them and can contribute to reducing their burden. However, little is known about the link existing between the components, the use of behavior change techniques, and the outcomes of these Internet-based interventions. This study aimed to provide an update on the best available evidence about the efficacy of Internet-based interventions for caregivers of older adults. Specifically, the components and the use of behavior change techniques and how they impact on the efficacy of the intervention were sought. A systematic review searched primary source studies published between 2000 and 2015. Included studies were scored with a high level of evidence by independent raters using the GRADE criteria and reported caregiver-specific outcomes about interventions delivered through the Internet for caregivers of people aged 50 years and older. A narrative synthesis identified intervention components (eg, content, multimedia use, interactive online activities, and provision of support), behavior change techniques, and caregiver outcomes (eg, effects on stressors, mediators, and psychological health). The risk of bias within the included studies was assessed. A total of 2338 articles were screened and 12 studies describing 10 Internet-based interventions were identified. Seven of these interventions led to statistically significant improvements in caregiver outcomes (eg, reducing depression or anxiety, n=4). These efficacious interventions used interactive components, such as online exercises and homework (n=4) or questionnaires on health status (n=2) and five of them incorporated remote human support, either by professionals or peers. The most frequently used behavior change techniques included in efficacious interventions were provision of social support (n=6) and

  2. PREDICTING THE INTENTION TO USE INTERNET – A COMPARATIVE STUDY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Slaven Brumec

    2006-06-01

    Full Text Available This article focuses on an application of the Triandis Model in researching Internet usage and the intention to use Internet. Unlike other TAM-based studies undertaken to date, the Triandis Model offers a sociological account of interaction between the various factors, particularly attitude, intention, and behavior. The technique of Structural Equation Modeling was used to assess the impact those factors have on intention to use the Internet in accordance with the relationships posited by the Triandis Model. The survey was administered to Croatian undergraduate students at and employed individuals. The survey results are compared to the results of a similar survey that was carried out by two universities in Hong Kong.

  3. [A STUDY INVESTIGATING THE FACTORS OF INTERNET ADDICTION].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puharić, Zrinka; Stašević, Ina; Ropac, Darko; Petričević, Nina; Jurišić, Irena

    2014-12-01

    The aim of the study was to explore the characteristics of Internet use among elementary school eighth-graders in the Bjelo- var-Bilogora County, to evaluate gender and sociodemographic differences, and to examine predictors for Internet addiction. The study included 437 (female 51%) eighth-graders, mean age 13.8 ± 0.5 years. An anonymous questionnaire was used to measure the participants' Internet use, the functions for which they used Internet, their parents' attitude towards the child's Internet use, and their signs of Internet addiction. Logistic regression was conducted to evaluate predictors for Internet addiction. The majority of children (71.5%) reported using Internet every day. Considering important risk factors of Internet addiction development, we found that 32% of children almost always stayed on-line longer than intended, 13% of boys and 4% of girls almost always neglected chores to spend more time on-line and 51.7% of children thought their life would be boring and uninteresting without the Internet. There was no significant difference between urban and rural students. In terms of the function for which they used the Internet, they were mostly engaged in on-line community/chat websites (70%), to listen to music and watch movies (81 %), and boys in gaming websites. Most of the students (43.4%) spent 1-2 hours daily on-line, 26.2% of students spent 3-4 hours on-line, and 9% spent more than 5 hours daily on-line. In conclusion, more public health preventive measures should be conducted to raise public awareness and concern about the negative effect of Internet use and Internet addiction, especially in the young population.

  4. Internet of things and bariatric surgery follow-up: Comparative study of standard and IoT follow-up.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vilallonga, Ramon; Lecube, Albert; Fort, José Manuel; Boleko, Maria Angeles; Hidalgo, Marta; Armengol, Manel

    2013-09-01

    Follow-up of obese patient is difficult. There is no literature related to patient follow-up that incorporates the concept of Internet of Things (IoT), use of WiFi, Internet, or portable devices for this purpose. This prospective observational study commenced in June 2011. Patients were prospectively offered to participate in the IoT study group, in which they received a WiFi scale (Withing®, Paris) that provides instant WiFi data to the patient and surgeon. Other patients were admitted to the standard follow-up group at the outpatient clinic. A total of 33 patients were included in our study (ten in the IoT group). Twelve patients did not have WiFi at home, ten lacked of computer knowledge, and seven preferred standard for follow-up. All patients underwent different surgical procedures. There were no complications. Excess weight loss (EWL) was similar in both groups. More than 90% of patients were satisfied. In the IoT group, patients considered it valuable in saving time, and considered seeing their evolution graphics extremely motivating. IoT technology can monitor medical parameters remotely and collect data. A WiFi scale can facilitate preoperative and follow-up. Standard follow-up in a classical outpatient clinic setting with the surgeon was preferred globally.

  5. Study on the Development of Industry of Internet of Things Based on Competitive GEM Model in Fujian Province

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Di Jun An

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Firstly, the basic theories of internet of things, competitive GEM model and industrial development in Fujian Province were studied in this paper. Then, the factors influencing the cultivation of industrial competitiveness of the internet of things was observed and finally the suggestions on enhancing the competitiveness of internet of things and strengthening the cultivation of talents of internet of things were put forward.

  6. The Internet and the Google Age: Introduction

    Science.gov (United States)

    James, Jonathan D.

    2014-01-01

    In this introductory chapter, the author begins by looking at the Internet from an historical and communication perspective in an effort to understand its significance in the contemporary world. Then he gives an overview of the most searched topics on the Internet and identifies prospects that have opened up and perils that lurk in the information…

  7. Generating Explanations for Internet-based Business Games

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martin Fischer

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available It is widely established debriefing in business games is important and influences the students' learning performance. Most games only support game statistics instead of explaining solution paths. We suggest the automatic generation of explanations for internet-mediated business games to improve the debriefing quality. As a proof of concept we developed a prototype of an internet-based auction game embedding an open simulation model and an automatic explanation component helping students and teachers to analyse the decision making process. This paper describes the usefulness of automated explanations and the underlying generic software architecture.

  8. Internet-Based Education for Prostate Cancer Screening

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Taylor, Kathryn L

    2007-01-01

    .... Abundant evidence documents the expanding role of the Internet in increasing access to and understanding of health information and the need for systematic evaluations of Internetbased interventions. The print- and web-based interventions have been.

  9. Ethical Issues in Designing Internet-Based Research: Recommendations for Good Practice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Shikha

    2017-01-01

    This article presents an overview of internet-based research, highlighting the absence of a standard terminology to define and classify such research. The label internet-based research or online research can cover a diverse range of research designs and methods, involving different degrees of ethical concern regarding privacy, transparency,…

  10. 47 CFR 64.613 - Numbering directory for internet-based TRS users.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... Uniform Resource Identifier (URI). (2) For each record associated with a VRS user, the URI shall contain.... (3) Only the TRS Numbering Administrator and Internet-based TRS providers may access the TRS...-governmental entity that is impartial and not an affiliate of any Internet-based TRS provider. (ii) Neither the...

  11. Internet-based mental health services in Norway and Sweden: characteristics and consequences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andersen, Anders Johan W; Svensson, Tommy

    2013-03-01

    Internet-based mental health services increase rapidly. However, national surveys are incomplete and the consequences for such services are poorly discussed. This study describes characteristics of 60 Internet-based mental health services in Norway and Sweden and discusses their social consequences. More than half of the services were offered by voluntary organisations and targeted towards young people. Professionals answered service users' questions in 60% of the services. Eight major themes were identified. These characteristics may indicate a shift in the delivery of mental health services in both countries, and imply changes in the understanding of mental health.

  12. Consumers on the Internet: ethical and legal aspects of commercialization of personalized nutrition

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ahlgren, J.; Nordgren, A.; Perrudin, M.; Ronteltap, A.; Savigny, J.; Trijp, van J.C.M.; Nordström, K.; Görman, U.

    2013-01-01

    Consumers often have a positive attitude to the option of receiving personalized nutrition advice based upon genetic testing, since the prospect of enhancing or maintaining one’s health can be perceived as empowering. Current direct-to-consumer services over the Internet, however, suffer from a

  13. Impact of Menu Sequencing on Internet-Based Educational Module Selection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bensley, Robert; Brusk, John J.; Rivas, Jason; Anderson, Judith V.

    2006-01-01

    Patterns of Internet-based menu item selection can occur for a number of reasons, many of which may not be based on interest in topic. It then becomes important to ensure menu order is devised in a way that ensures the greatest accuracy in matching user need with selection. This study examined the impact of menu rotation on the selection of…

  14. Risk personality traits of Internet addiction: a longitudinal study of Internet-addicted Chinese university students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Guangheng; Wang, Jiangyang; Yang, Xuelong; Zhou, Hui

    2013-12-01

    As the world's fastest growing "addiction", Internet addiction is still controversial. The present study aimed to examine the potential personality predictors of Internet addicts. Eight hundred and sixty-eight students were tested using the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire after they had just entered university. Two years later, 49 were found to be addicted to the Internet as defined by high Internet addiction test scores. Comparisons of means and logistic regression analysis were used to explore their relationship. Students addicted to the Internet showed higher Neuroticism/Stability scores, higher Psychoticism/Socialization scores, and lower Lie scores than their normal peers before their addiction. Regression results showed that Internet addiction was accounted by three independent variables: Neuroticism/Stability, Psychoticism/Socialization, and Lie. These results suggest that the risk personality traits of Internet addiction include neuroticism, psychoticism, and immaturity. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  15. Economic analysis of an internet-based depression prevention intervention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruby, Alexander; Marko-Holguin, Monika; Fogel, Joshua; Van Voorhees, Benjamin W

    2013-09-01

    The transition through adolescence places adolescents at increased risk of depression, yet care-seeking in this population is low, and treatment is often ineffective. In response, we developed an Internet-based depression prevention intervention (CATCH-IT) targeting at-risk adolescents. We explore CATCH-IT program costs, especially safety costs, in the context of an Accountable Care Organization as well as the perceived value of the Internet program. Total and per-patient costs of development were calculated using an assumed cohort of a 5,000-patient Accountable Care Organization. Total and per-patient costs of implementation were calculated from grant data and the Medicare Resource-Based Relative Value Scale (RBRVS) and were compared to the willingness-to-pay for CATCH-IT and to the cost of current treatment options. The cost effectiveness of the safety protocol was assessed using the number of safety calls placed and the percentage of patients receiving at least one safety call. The willingness-to-pay for CATCH-IT, a measure of its perceived value, was assessed using post-study questionnaires and was compared to the development cost for a break-even point. We found the total cost of developing the intervention to be USD 138,683.03. Of the total, 54% was devoted to content development with per patient cost of USD 27.74. The total cost of implementation was found to be USD 49,592.25, with per patient cost of USD 597.50. Safety costs accounted for 35% of the total cost of implementation. For comparison, the cost of a 15-session group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention aimed at at-risk adolescents was USD 1,632 per patient. Safety calls were successfully placed to 96.4% of the study participants. The cost per call was USD 40.51 with a cost per participant of USD 197.99. The willingness-to-pay for the Internet portion of CATCH-IT had a median of USD 40. The break-even point to offset the cost of development was 3,468 individuals. Developing Internet-based

  16. Research on the Operation Mode of Intelligent-town Energy Internet Based on Source-Load Interaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Hao; Li, Wen; Miao, Bo; Li, Bin; Liu, Chang; Lv, Zhipeng

    2018-01-01

    On the background of the rise of intelligence and the increasing deepening of “Internet +”application, the energy internet has become the focus of the energy research field. This paper, based on the fundamental understanding on the energy internet of the intelligent town, discusses the mode of energy supply in the source-load interactive region, and gives an in-depth study on the output characteristics of the energy supply side and the load characteristics of the demand side, so as to derive the law of energy-load interaction of the intelligent-town energy internet.

  17. Internet Usage Habits and Internet Usage in Educational Studies of Vocational School Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zehra Deniz Yakıncı

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Internet is the easiest way to access information. It provides positive contributions to individual and surroundings, in learning and information era. At this point the answers of the questions: ‘How do young people use internet and how much do they use internet for their education?’ come into prominence. In order to find the answers; a questionnaire prepared by resarchers and Young Internet Addiction Test- Short Form (YIAT-SF was used on ‘Health Services Vocational High School’ students, in this study. 3.4 % of students were found to have internet addiction and the average internet usage was found to be 5 hours daily. When students were asked to enumerate the internet sites they use, the result was: social media, news sites, movie and series sites, educational and informational content sites, play sites, e-mail, shopping sites, and sexual content sites in order of usage preferance. While social media was preferred by 79.4% in the first place, educational content sites were determined to be preferred by 5.7% in the first place among others. The second most frequently used sites by students were movies and series (22.8%. Educational / informational content (20.2 % sites were the fifth preferred sites in the preference order.

  18. Measuring Japanese EFL Student Perceptions of Internet-Based Tests with the Technology Acceptance Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dizon, Gilbert

    2016-01-01

    The Internet has made it possible for teachers to administer online assessments with affordability and ease. However, little is known about Japanese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students' attitudes of internet-based tests (IBTs). Therefore, this study aimed to measure the perceptions of IBTs among Japanese English language learners with the…

  19. Parent-adolescent interaction and risk of adolescent internet addiction: a population-based study in Shanghai

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Background Family-based intervention is essential for adolescents with behavioral problems. However, limited data are available on the relationship between family-based factors and adolescent internet addiction (AIA). We aimed to examine this relationship using a representative sample of Shanghai adolescents. Methods In October 2007, a total of 5122 adolescents were investigated from 16 high schools via stratified-random sampling in Shanghai. Self-reported and anonymous questionnaires were used to assess parent-adolescent interaction and family environments. AIA was assessed by DRM-52 Scale, developed from Young’s Internet-addiction Scale, using seven subscales to evaluate psychological symptoms of AIA. Results Adjusting for adolescents’ ages, genders, socio-economic status, school performances and levels of the consumption expenditure, strong parental disapproval of internet-use was associated with AIA (vs. parental approval, OR = 2.20, 95% CI: 1.24-3.91). Worse mother-adolescent relationships were more significantly associated with AIA (OR = 3.79, 95% CI: 2.22-6.48) than worse father-adolescent relationships (OR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.10-2.80). Marital status of “married-but-separated” and family structure of “left-behind adolescents” were associated with symptoms of some subscales. When having high monthly allowance, resident students tended to develop AIA but commuter students did not. Family social-economic status was not associated with the development of AIA. Conclusions The quality of parent-adolescent relationship/communication was closely associated with the development of AIA, and maternal factors were more significantly associated with development of AIA than paternal factors. Family social-economic status moderated adolescent internet-use levels but not the development of AIA. PMID:24731648

  20. [Interrelations Between Adolescent Problematic Internet Use and Parental Internet Mediation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kammerl, Rudolf; Wartberg, Lutz

    2018-02-01

    Interrelations Between Adolescent Problematic Internet Use and Parental Internet Mediation Everyday life of adolescents and their parents is increasingly characterized by digital media usage (also referred to as "process of mediatization"). In the current study, associations between problematic Internet use of the adolescents (as a possible consequence of the process of mediatization) and parental media education were explored. For this purpose, throughout Germany 1,095 family dyads (an adolescent and a related parent) were investigated with a standardized questionnaire measuring different aspects of parental media education and adolescent problematic Internet use. We conducted two multiple linear regression analyses (dimensional approach) with adolescent problematic Internet use based on self-ratings (model 1, corrected R 2 = 0.18) and parental assessment (model 2, corrected R 2 = 0.24) as response variables. Consistently for self- and parental ratings, adolescent problematic Internet use was statistically significant related to male gender (of the adolescent), a more frequent inconsistent media education (adolescents' and parents' perspective) and a stronger monitoring (parents' perspective). Additionally, we observed associations between the parental rating of adolescent problematic Internet use and a less frequent active and restrictive Internet Mediation (parents' perspective). The findings of the present study show the importance of parental media education for problematic Internet use in adolescence and especially, the role of inconsistent media education should be investigated again in further studies.

  1. INTERNET BANKING ACCEPTANCE IN MALAYSIA BASED ON THE THEORY OF REASONED ACTION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J Michael Pearson

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT The theory of reasoned action originally introduced in the field of Social Psychology has been widely used to explain individuals’ behaviour. The theory postulates that individuals’ behaviour is influenced by their attitude and subjective norm. The purpose of this study was to determine factors that influence an individual’s intention to use a technology based on the theory of reasoned action. We used Internet banking as the target technology and Malaysian subjects as the sampling frame. A principal component analysis was used to validate the constructs and multiple regressions were used to analyze the data. As expected, the results supported the theory’s proposition as that an individuals’ behavioural intention to use Internet banking is influenced by their attitude and subjective norm. Based on the findings, theoretical and practical implications were offered. Keywords: theory of reasoned action, Internet banking, technology acceptance

  2. The impact of Internet-based specific activities on the perceptions of Internet addiction, quality of life, and excessive usage: A cross-sectional study

    OpenAIRE

    Halley M. Pontes; Attila Szabo; Mark D. Griffiths

    2015-01-01

    Introduction: Recent research has examined the context in which preference for specific online activities arises, leading researchers to suggest that excessive Internet users are engaged in specific activities rather than ‘generalized’ Internet use. The present study aimed to partially replicate and expand these findings by addressing four research questions regarding (i) participants' preferred online activities, (ii) possible expected changes in online behavior in light of hypothetical scen...

  3. Architectural and Mobility Management Designs in Internet-Based Infrastructure Wireless Mesh Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Weiyi

    2011-01-01

    Wireless mesh networks (WMNs) have recently emerged to be a cost-effective solution to support large-scale wireless Internet access. They have numerous applications, such as broadband Internet access, building automation, and intelligent transportation systems. One research challenge for Internet-based WMNs is to design efficient mobility…

  4. Why People Aren't Using Wireless Internet

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ahluwalia, Punit; Gimpel, Gregory; Varshney, Upkar

    2010-01-01

    This paper proposes a new model for understanding the adoption of internet services when competing technological standards can fulfil similar needs. Using prospect theory as its theoretical foundation, the model posits that reference prices, flat rate preference, and status quo bias constitute...... the perceived sacrifice when users consider adoption of new services such as wireless internet. Perceived sacrifice and perceived quality influence the perceived relative value, which in turn influences the intention to adopt wireless internet. The proposed model and related hypotheses are empirically confirmed...

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  6. Value-based metrics and Internet-based enterprises

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Krishan M.

    2001-10-01

    Within the last few years, a host of value-based metrics like EVA, MVA, TBR, CFORI, and TSR have evolved. This paper attempts to analyze the validity and applicability of EVA and Balanced Scorecard for Internet based organizations. Despite the collapse of the dot-com model, the firms engaged in e- commerce continue to struggle to find new ways to account for customer-base, technology, employees, knowledge, etc, as part of the value of the firm. While some metrics, like the Balance Scorecard are geared towards internal use, others like EVA are for external use. Value-based metrics are used for performing internal audits as well as comparing firms against one another; and can also be effectively utilized by individuals outside the firm looking to determine if the firm is creating value for its stakeholders.

  7. Internet and social network recruitment: two case studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Kathy A; Peace, Jane

    2012-01-01

    The recruitment of study participants is a significant research challenge. The Internet, with its ability to reach large numbers of people in networks connected by email, Facebook and other social networking mechanisms, appears to offer new avenues for recruitment. This paper reports recruitment experiences from two research projects that engaged the Internet and social networks in different ways for study recruitment. Drawing from the non-Internet recruitment literature, we speculate that the relationship with the source of the research and the purpose of the engaged social network should be a consideration in Internet or social network recruitment strategies.

  8. The effects of an Internet based self-help course for reducing panic symptoms - Don't Panic Online: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kramer Jeannet

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Internet based self-help for panic disorder (PD has proven to be effective. However, studies so far have focussed on treating a full-blown disorder. Panic symptoms that do not meet DSM-IV criteria are more prevalent than the full-blown disorder and patients with sub-clinical panic symptoms are at risk of developing PD. This study is a randomised controlled trial aimed to evaluate an Internet based self-help intervention for sub-clinical and mild PD compared to a waiting list control group. Methods Participants with mild or sub-clinical PD (N = 128 will be recruited in the general population. Severity of panic and anxiety symptoms are the primary outcome measures. Secondary outcomes include depressive symptoms, quality of life, loss of production and health care consumption. Assessments will take place on the Internet at baseline and three months after baseline. Discussion Results will indicate the effectiveness of Internet based self-help for sub-clinical and mild PD. Strengths of this design are the external validity and the fact that it is almost completely conducted online. Trial registration Netherlands Trial Register (NTR: NTR1639 The Netherlands Trial Register is part of the Dutch Cochrane Centre.

  9. An Internet-based tailored hearing protection intervention for firefighters: development process and users' feedback.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, OiSaeng; Eakin, Brenda L; Chin, Dal Lae; Feld, Jamie; Vogel, Stephen

    2013-07-01

    Noise-induced hearing loss is a significant occupational injury for firefighters exposed to intermittent noise on the job. It is important to educate firefighters about using hearing protection devices whenever they are exposed to loud noise. Computer technology is a relatively new health education approach and can be useful for tailoring specific aspects of behavioral change training. The purpose of this study is to present the development process of an Internet-based tailored intervention program and to assess its efficacy. The intervention programs were implemented for 372 firefighters (mean age = 44 years, Caucasian = 82%, male = 95%) in three states (California, Illinois, and Indiana). The efficacy was assessed from firefighters' feedback through an Internet-based survey. A multimedia Internet-based training program was developed through (a) determining program content and writing scripts, (b) developing decision-making algorithms for tailoring, (c) graphic design and audio and video productions, (d) creating computer software and a database, and (e) postproduction quality control and pilot testing. Participant feedback regarding the training has been very positive. Participants reported that they liked completing the training via computer (83%) and also that the Internet-based training program was well organized (97%), easy to use (97%), and effective (98%) and held their interest (79%). Almost all (95%) would recommend this Internet training program to other firefighters. Interactive multimedia computer technology using the Internet was a feasible mode of delivery for a hearing protection intervention among firefighters. Participants' favorable feedback strongly supports the continued utilization of this approach for designing and developing interventions to promote healthy behaviors.

  10. Empirical Study on the Relationships of Internet Banking Quality, Customer Value, and Customer Satisfaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Umbas KRISNANTO

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this conducted study was to test the direct and indirect effects of internet banking quality and customer value to customer satisfaction. This study uses descriptive analysis and multiple regression analysis to examine these relationships. The study is based on a survey conducted with respondents who use internet banking in their day-to-day activities, and all questionnaire items are deemed valid and reliable. For data analysis, the descriptive analysis for the indicators, dimensions, and variables proved to be in a good category. Research findings and implications of the regression analysis show that internet banking quality and customer value had a greater direct impact on customer satisfaction, rather the partial relationships of these variables to satisfaction. In the partial relationships, customer value has a higher influence on customer satisfaction, than internet banking quality. As a research recommendation, banks should provide a more humanistic internet banking service for better consumer satisfaction. A major research limitation of the study is that it does not measure service quality of internet banking, and only focuses on customers of internet banking use of one single bank. The originality of this research relies on the insights of internet banking quality leading to customer satisfaction and increasing the value of a bank to its main target markets.

  11. An Affective Neuroscience Framework for the Molecular Study of Internet Addiction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montag, Christian; Sindermann, Cornelia; Becker, Benjamin; Panksepp, Jaak

    2016-01-01

    Internet addiction represents an emerging global health issue. Increasing efforts have been made to characterize risk factors for the development of Internet addiction and consequences of excessive Internet use. During the last years, classic research approaches from psychology considering personality variables as vulnerability factor, especially in conjunction with neuroscience approaches such as brain imaging, have led to coherent theoretical conceptualizations of Internet addiction. Although such conceptualizations can be valuable aid, the research field is currently lacking a comprehensive framework for determining brain-based and neurochemical markers of Internet addiction. The present work aims at providing a framework on the molecular level as a basis for future research on the neural and behavioral level, in order to facilitate a comprehensive neurobiological model of Internet addiction and its clinical symptomatology. To help establish such a molecular framework for the study of Internet addiction, we investigated in N = 680 participants associations between individual differences in tendencies toward Internet addiction measured by the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale-2 (GPIUS-2) and individual differences in primary emotional systems as assessed by the Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales (ANPS). Regression analysis revealed that the ANPS scales FEAR and SADNESS were the ANPS scales most robustly positively linked to several (sub)scales of the GPIUS-2. Also the scales SEEKING, CARE and PLAY explain variance in some of the GPIUS-2 subscales. As such, these scales are negatively linked to the GPIUS-2 subscales. As the ANPS has been constructed on substantial available brain data including an extensive molecular body with respect to evolutionary highly conserved emotional circuitry in the ancient mammalian brain, the present study gives first ideas on putative molecular mechanisms underlying different facets of Internet addiction as derived

  12. An Affective Neuroscience Framework for the Molecular Study of Internet Addiction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montag, Christian; Sindermann, Cornelia; Becker, Benjamin; Panksepp, Jaak

    2016-01-01

    Internet addiction represents an emerging global health issue. Increasing efforts have been made to characterize risk factors for the development of Internet addiction and consequences of excessive Internet use. During the last years, classic research approaches from psychology considering personality variables as vulnerability factor, especially in conjunction with neuroscience approaches such as brain imaging, have led to coherent theoretical conceptualizations of Internet addiction. Although such conceptualizations can be valuable aid, the research field is currently lacking a comprehensive framework for determining brain-based and neurochemical markers of Internet addiction. The present work aims at providing a framework on the molecular level as a basis for future research on the neural and behavioral level, in order to facilitate a comprehensive neurobiological model of Internet addiction and its clinical symptomatology. To help establish such a molecular framework for the study of Internet addiction, we investigated in N = 680 participants associations between individual differences in tendencies toward Internet addiction measured by the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale-2 (GPIUS-2) and individual differences in primary emotional systems as assessed by the Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales (ANPS). Regression analysis revealed that the ANPS scales FEAR and SADNESS were the ANPS scales most robustly positively linked to several (sub)scales of the GPIUS-2. Also the scales SEEKING, CARE and PLAY explain variance in some of the GPIUS-2 subscales. As such, these scales are negatively linked to the GPIUS-2 subscales. As the ANPS has been constructed on substantial available brain data including an extensive molecular body with respect to evolutionary highly conserved emotional circuitry in the ancient mammalian brain, the present study gives first ideas on putative molecular mechanisms underlying different facets of Internet addiction as derived

  13. Readability assessment of internet-based consumer health information.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walsh, Tiffany M; Volsko, Teresa A

    2008-10-01

    A substantial amount of consumer health-related information is available on the Internet. Studies suggest that consumer comprehension may be compromised if content exceeds a 7th-grade reading level, which is the average American reading level identified by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS). To determine the readability of Internet-based consumer health information offered by organizations that represent the top 5 medical-related causes of death in America. We hypothesized that the average readability (reading grade level) of Internet-based consumer health information on heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes would exceed the USDHHS recommended reading level. From the Web sites of the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, American Diabetes Association, and American Stroke Association we randomly gathered 100 consumer-health-information articles. We assessed each article with 3 readability-assessment tools: SMOG (Simple Measure of Gobbledygook), Gunning FOG (Frequency of Gobbledygook), and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. We also categorized the articles per the USDHHS readability categories: easy to read (below 6th-grade level), average difficulty (7th to 9th grade level), and difficult (above 9th-grade level). Most of the articles exceeded the 7th-grade reading level and were in the USDHHS "difficult" category. The mean +/- SD readability score ranges were: SMOG 11.80 +/- 2.44 to 14.40 +/- 1.47, Flesch-Kincaid 9.85 +/- 2.25 to 11.55 +/- 0.76, and Gunning FOG 13.10 +/- 3.42 to 16.05 +/- 2.31. The articles from the American Lung Association had the lowest reading-level scores with each of the readability-assessment tools. Our findings support that Web-based medical information intended for consumer use is written above USDHHS recommended reading levels. Compliance with these recommendations may increase the likelihood of consumer comprehension.

  14. The effects of Internet or interactive computer-based patient education in the field of breast cancer: a systematic literature review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryhänen, Anne M; Siekkinen, Mervi; Rankinen, Sirkku; Korvenranta, Heikki; Leino-Kilpi, Helena

    2010-04-01

    The aim of this systematic review was to analyze what kind of Internet or interactive computer-based patient education programs have been developed and to analyze the effectiveness of these programs in the field of breast cancer patient education. Patient education for breast cancer patients is an important intervention to empower the patient. However, we know very little about the effects and potential of Internet-based patient education in the empowerment of breast cancer patients. Complete databases were searched covering the period from the beginning of each database to November 2008. Studies were included if they concerned patient education for breast cancer patients with Internet or interactive computer programs and were based on randomized controlled, on clinical trials or quasi-experimental studies. We identified 14 articles involving 2374 participants. The design was randomized controlled trial in nine papers, in two papers clinical trial and in three quasi-experimental. Seven of the studies were randomized to experimental and control groups, in two papers participants were grouped by ethnic and racial differences and by mode of Internet use and three studies measured the same group pre- and post-tests after using a computer program. The interventions used were described as interactive computer or multimedia programs and use of the Internet. The methodological solutions of the studies varied. The effects of the studies were diverse except for knowledge-related issues. Internet or interactive computer-based patient education programs in the care of breast cancer patients may have positive effect increasing breast cancer knowledge. The results suggest a positive relationship between the Internet or computer-based patient education program use and the knowledge level of patients with breast cancer but a diverse relationship between patient's participation and other outcome measures. There is need to develop and research more Internet-based patient education

  15. An affective neuroscience framework for the molecular study of Internet addiction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christian Montag

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Internet addiction represents an emerging global health issue. Increasing efforts have been made to characterize risk factors for the development of Internet addiction and consequences of excessive Internet use. During the last years, classic research approaches from psychology considering personality variables as vulnerability factor, especially in conjunction with neuroscience approaches such as brain imaging, have led to coherent theoretical conceptualizations of Internet addiction. Although such conceptualizations can be valuable aid, the research field is currently lacking a comprehensive framework for determining brain-based and neurochemical markers of Internet addiction. The present work aims at providing a framework on the molecular level as a basis for future research on the neural and behavioral level, in order to facilitate a comprehensive neurobiological model of Internet addiction and its clinical symptomatology.To help establish such a molecular framework for the study of Internet addiction, we investigated in N = 680 participants associations between individual differences in tendencies towards Internet addiction measured by the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale-2 (GPIUS-2 and individual differences in primary emotional systems as assessed by the Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales (ANPS. Regression analysis revealed that the ANPS scales FEAR and SADNESS were the ANPS scales most robustly positively linked to nearly all (subscales of the GPIUS-2. Also the scales SEEKING, CARE and PLAY explain variance in some of the GPIUS-2 subscales. As such, these scales are negatively linked to the GPIUS-2 subscales.As the ANPS has been constructed on substantial available brain data including an extensive molecular body with respect to evolutionary highly conserved emotional circuitry in the ancient mammalian brain, the present study gives first ideas on putative molecular mechanisms underlying different facets of Internet

  16. Studying The Effect Of Brands And Internet WOM Advertisement On Customer Purchase

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Sedighimanesh

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Objectives e-commerce can be represented as any online trade and commerce via the Internet. MethodsAnalysis It should be noted that online purchase is not based on the actual experience of purchasing goods but is based on aspects such as image the qualitative information and publicizing of the product. Customers should be searched on the Internet randomly to evaluate the product and also reduce the risk of buying. So customers obtain product information before making a purchase and then perform the evaluation and diagnosis of products Findings The survey was conducted according to studying the model using a questionnaire which collected data analysis has been made in SPSS software. Improvements The results of this study show that the brand image and internet word of mouth advertisement and moderating variables price reductions customer trust mode and has a tremendous impact on customer purchase intention.

  17. Predictors of outcome of group and internet-based cognitive behaviour therapy.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Spek, V.; Nyklicek, I.; Cuijpers, P.; Pop, V.

    2008-01-01

    Background: Little is known about which participant characteristics determine the effectiveness of various types of cognitive behavior therapy for sub-threshold depression. The aim of this study was to investigate which characteristics predict treatment outcome of group and internet-based

  18. The Cognitive Processes Underlying Event-Based Prospective Memory In School Age Children and Young Adults: A Formal Model-Based Study

    OpenAIRE

    Smith, Rebekah E.; Bayen, Ute Johanna; Martin, Claudia

    2010-01-01

    Fifty 7-year-olds (29 female), 53 10-year-olds (29 female), and 36 young adults (19 female), performed a computerized event-based prospective memory task. All three groups differed significantly in prospective memory performance with adults showing the best performance and 7-year-olds the poorest performance. We used a formal multinomial process tree model of event-based prospective memory to decompose age differences in cognitive processes that jointly contribute to prospective memory perfor...

  19. Effectiveness of internet-based affect induction procedures: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferrer, Rebecca A; Grenen, Emily G; Taber, Jennifer M

    2015-12-01

    Procedures used to induce affect in a laboratory are effective and well-validated. Given recent methodological and technological advances in Internet research, it is important to determine whether affect can be effectively induced using Internet methodology. We conducted a meta-analysis and systematic review of prior research that has used Internet-based affect induction procedures, and examined potential moderators of the effectiveness of affect induction procedures. Twenty-six studies were included in final analyses, with 89 independent effect sizes. Affect induction procedures effectively induced general positive affect, general negative affect, fear, disgust, anger, sadness, and guilt, but did not significantly induce happiness. Contamination of other nontarget affect did not appear to be a major concern. Video inductions resulted in greater effect sizes. Overall, results indicate that affect can be effectively induced in Internet studies, suggesting an important venue for the acceleration of affective science. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  20. An internet-based self-help intervention for older adults after marital bereavement, separation or divorce: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brodbeck, Jeannette; Berger, Thomas; Znoj, Hans Joerg

    2017-01-13

    Marital bereavement and separation or divorce are among the most stressful critical life events in later life. These events require a dissolution of social and emotional ties, adjustments in daily routine and changes in identity and perspectives for the future. After a normative grief or distress reaction, most individuals cope well with the loss. However, some develop a prolonged grief reaction. Internet-based self-help interventions have proved beneficial for a broad range of disorders, including complicated grief. Based on the task model and the dual-process model of coping with bereavement, we developed a guided internet-based self-help intervention for individuals who experienced marital bereavement, separation or divorce at least 6 months prior to enrolment. The intervention consists of 10 text-based self-help sessions and one supportive email a week. The primary purpose of this study is the evaluation of the feasibility and efficacy of the intervention compared with a waiting control group. The secondary purpose is to compare the effects in bereaved and separated participants. Furthermore, we aim to analyze other predictors, moderators and mediators of the outcome, such as age, psychological distress and intensity of use of the intervention. The design is a randomized controlled trial with a waiting control condition of 12 weeks and a 24-weeks follow-up. At least 72 widowed or separated participants will be recruited via our study website and internet forums. Primary outcomes are reductions in grief symptoms, depression and psychological distress. Secondary outcome measures are related to loneliness, satisfaction with life, embitterment and the sessions. The trial will provide insights into the acceptance and efficacy of internet-based interventions among adults experiencing grief symptoms, psychological distress and adaptation problems in daily life after spousal bereavement, separation or divorce. Findings will add to existing knowledge by (1) evaluating

  1. Pilot Testing an Internet-Based STI and HIV Prevention Intervention With Chilean Women

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villegas, Natalia; Santisteban, Daniel; Cianelli, Rosina; Ferrer, Lilian; Ambrosia, Todd; Peragallo, Nilda; Lara, Loreto

    2015-01-01

    Purpose The incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is high among young Chilean women, and there are no STI or HIV prevention interventions available to them that incorporate technology. The purpose of this study was to investigate the preliminary efficacy of an Internet-based STI and HIV prevention intervention (I-STIPI) for Chilean young women on measures of STI- and HIV-related information, motivation, behavioral skills, and preventive behaviors. Design This is a pretest-posttest study. Forty young Chilean women between 18 and 24 years of age participated in an investigation of the I-STIPI’s preliminary efficacy on STI and HIV prevention-related outcomes between baseline and a postintervention assessment. The intervention consisted of four online modules. Data collection was conducted in Santiago, Chile. Paired-samples t test analysis was used to determine whether there were significant differences in each of the outcome variables. Findings After receiving I-STIPI, women reported a significant increase in levels of STI- and HIV-related knowledge, attitudes toward the use of condoms and perceived self-efficacy, and a reduction of risky sexual behaviors with uncommitted partners. Conclusions The I-STIPI showed promise as an Internet-based intervention that can reduce barriers to accessing preventive interventions and increase STI and HIV preventive behaviors in young Chilean women. Clinical Relevance The study provided important information about the ability of an Internet-based intervention to reduce young women’s risk factors and to provide positive preliminary efficacy on STI- and HIV-related outcomes. Internet-based interventions can eliminate many barriers to receiving prevention interventions and may prove to be cost effective. PMID:25410132

  2. Internet-Mediated Technologies and Mixed Methods Research: Problems and Prospects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hesse-Biber, Sharlene; Griffin, Amy J.

    2013-01-01

    This article provides an examination of a range of mixed methods research projects that employ Internet-mediated technologies (IMT) for data collection. Using a case study approach, this article allows for the uncovering of a process by which IMT are used as a data collection medium in mixed methods praxis. Under the theoretical position of medium…

  3. Screening for Internet Addiction: An Empirical Study on Cut-off Points for the Chen Internet Addiction Scale

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chih-Hung Ko

    2005-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to establish the optimal cut-off points of the Chen Internet Addiction Scale (CIAS, to screen for and diagnose Internet addiction among adolescents in the community by using the well- established diagnostic criteria of Internet addiction. This survey of 454 adolescents used screening (57/58 and diagnostic (63/64 cut-off points of the CIAS, a self-reported instrument, based on the results of systematic diagnostic interviews by psychiatrists. The area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic curve revealed that CIAS has good diagnostic accuracy (89.6%. The screening cut-off point had high sensitivity (85.6% and the diagnostic cut-off point had the highest diagnostic accuracy, classifying 87.6% of participants correctly. Accordingly, the screening point of the CIAS could provide a screening function in two-stage diagnosis, and the diagnostic point could serve as a diagnostic criterion in one-stage massive epidemiologic research.

  4. Patient-directed Internet-based Medical Image Exchange: Experience from an Initial Multicenter Implementation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greco, Giampaolo; Patel, Anand S; Lewis, Sara C; Shi, Wei; Rasul, Rehana; Torosyan, Mary; Erickson, Bradley J; Hiremath, Atheeth; Moskowitz, Alan J; Tellis, Wyatt M; Siegel, Eliot L; Arenson, Ronald L; Mendelson, David S

    2016-02-01

    Inefficient transfer of personal health records among providers negatively impacts quality of health care and increases cost. This multicenter study evaluates the implementation of the first Internet-based image-sharing system that gives patients ownership and control of their imaging exams, including assessment of patient satisfaction. Patients receiving any medical imaging exams in four academic centers were eligible to have images uploaded into an online, Internet-based personal health record. Satisfaction surveys were provided during recruitment with questions on ease of use, privacy and security, and timeliness of access to images. Responses were rated on a five-point scale and compared using logistic regression and McNemar's test. A total of 2562 patients enrolled from July 2012 to August 2013. The median number of imaging exams uploaded per patient was 5. Most commonly, exams were plain X-rays (34.7%), computed tomography (25.7%), and magnetic resonance imaging (16.1%). Of 502 (19.6%) patient surveys returned, 448 indicated the method of image sharing (Internet, compact discs [CDs], both, other). Nearly all patients (96.5%) responded favorably to having direct access to images, and 78% reported viewing their medical images independently. There was no difference between Internet and CD users in satisfaction with privacy and security and timeliness of access to medical images. A greater percentage of Internet users compared to CD users reported access without difficulty (88.3% vs. 77.5%, P Internet-based image-sharing system is feasible and surpasses the use of CDs with respect to accessibility of imaging exams while generating similar satisfaction with respect to privacy. Copyright © 2015 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Does Personality Predict Depression and Use of an Internet-Based Intervention for Depression among Adolescents?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hans Christian B. Vangberg

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Focus upon depression and prevention of its occurrence among adolescents is increasing. Novel ways of dealing with this serious problem have become available especially by means of internet-based prevention and treatment programs of depression and anxiety. The use of Internet-based intervention programs among adolescents has revealed some difficulties in implementation that need to be further elucidated. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between personality and adolescent depression and the characteristics of users of an Internet-based intervention program. Method. The Junior Temperament and Character Inventory (JTCI, the General Self-Efficacy scale (GSE and the Centre for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale (CES-D have been administered to a sample (=1234 of Norwegian senior high-school students. Results. Multiple regression analysis revealed associations between depression and gender, and several JTCI domains and facets. In line with previous findings in adults, high Harm Avoidance and low Self-Directedness emerged as the strongest predictors of adolescent depressive symptoms. Further, in logistic regression analysis with the covariates JTCI, GSE and CES-D, the only significant variables predicting use/non-use were the CES-D and the temperament domain Reward Dependence. Conclusion. The results in this study revealed level of depressive symptoms as the strongest predictor of the use of the Internet based intervention and that personality might provide useful information about the users.

  6. Internet and Social Network Recruitment: Two Case Studies

    OpenAIRE

    Johnson, Kathy A.; Peace, Jane

    2012-01-01

    The recruitment of study participants is a significant research challenge. The Internet, with its ability to reach large numbers of people in networks connected by email, Facebook and other social networking mechanisms, appears to offer new avenues for recruitment. This paper reports recruitment experiences from two research projects that engaged the Internet and social networks in different ways for study recruitment. Drawing from the non-Internet recruitment literature, we speculate that th...

  7. STUDYING ON THE INTERNET

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2012-01-01

    正Nowadays the Internet is more and more popular.I think it is a good way of learning. First,the Intemet enables people to study whenever and wherever it is convenient. They can also choose to study whatever they are interested in.However,a traditional school doesn't provide such great freedom.Students have to study given sub-

  8. Factors associated with maintenance of the use of internet, EpiFloripa Idoso longitudinal study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krug, Rodrigo de Rosso; Xavier, André Junqueira; d'Orsi, Eleonora

    2018-04-09

    To describe the use of the internet and to identify the sociodemographic and health factors associated with changes in the use of the internet over four years in older adults participating in the Brazilian EpiFloripa Idoso study. This is a longitudinal home-based, population-based study with 1,197 older adults who live in the urban area of Florianópolis, State of Santa Catarina, Brazil. We applied a face-to-face interview. We describe the use of internet according to frequency, place, devices, and motives of the use of the internet. To identify factors associated with changes in the use of the internet, we categorized the outcome as: non-use of the internet, stopped using the internet, started using the internet, and kept using the internet. The independent variables were sex, age, family income, education level, family arrangement, marital status, presence of caregiver, paid work, and cognitive impairment screening. We used multinomial logistic regression with risk ratio (RR) estimates and their respective confidence intervals (95%CI). The prevalence of the use of internet increased from 22.9% in 2009-2010 to 26.6% in 2013-2014. Of the total number of older adults who participated in the study, 7.5% started using the internet, 3.2% stopped using it, 19.1% kept their use, and 70.2% kept their non-use in the analyzed period. Of the older adults who used the internet, most used it every day or almost every day of the week, in their own home, on desktop or portable computers, mainly to send and receive messages, to search for information to learn or investigate something, to find information about goods and services, and to use news, social networking, and health information websites. The factors associated with the use of internet over four years were: being male (RR = 2.19, 95%CI 1.48-3.26), higher monthly family income (RR = 3.53, 95%CI 1.35-9.23), higher education level (RR = 2.64, 95%CI 1.57-4.43), and no presence of caregiver (RR = 0.08, 95%CI 0

  9. Modeling traditional literacy, internet skills and internet usage: an empirical study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Deursen, Alexander Johannes Aloysius Maria; van Dijk, Johannes A.G.M.

    2016-01-01

    This paper focuses on the relationships among traditional literacy (reading, writing and understanding text), medium-related Internet skills (consisting of operational and formal skills), content-related Internet skills (consisting of information and strategic skills) and Internet usage types

  10. Daily internet time: towards an evidence-based recommendation?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berchtold, André; Akre, Christina; Barrense-Dias, Yara; Zimmermann, Grégoire; Surís, Joan-Carles

    2018-04-17

    Since 2001, a recommendation of no more than 2 h per day of screen time for children 2 years of age or older was adopted in many countries. However, this recommendation was rarely examined empirically. The goal of the present study was to question this recommendation in today's connected world. We used data from the ado@internet.ch survey (spring 2012), a representative sample of 8th graders in the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland (n = 2942, 50.6% female). Internet use, health outcomes, substance use, well-being and socio-demographic characteristics were considered. Bi-variate statistical analyses were performed. All outcomes were significantly associated with the time spent on internet, more time being associated with a higher prevalence of adverse consequences. Youth spending on average one more hour on Internet per day than the reference category (1.5-2.5 h) did not differ in terms of adverse health outcomes. Differences began to appear on sleeping problems, tobacco use, alcohol misuse, cannabis use and sport inactivity with youth spending between 3.5 h and 4.5 h per day on internet. This study demonstrates the absence of justification for setting a limit to only 2 h of screen time per day. Significant effects on health seem to appear only beyond 4 h per day and there may be benefits for those who spend less than an hour and a half on internet.

  11. A systematic review of internet-based worksite wellness approaches for cardiovascular disease risk management: outcomes, challenges & opportunities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aneni, Ehimen C; Roberson, Lara L; Maziak, Wasim; Agatston, Arthur S; Feldman, Theodore; Rouseff, Maribeth; Tran, Thinh H; Blumenthal, Roger S; Blaha, Michael J; Blankstein, Ron; Al-Mallah, Mouaz H; Budoff, Matthew J; Nasir, Khurram

    2014-01-01

    The internet is gaining popularity as a means of delivering employee-based cardiovascular (CV) wellness interventions though little is known about the cardiovascular health outcomes of these programs. In this review, we examined the effectiveness of internet-based employee cardiovascular wellness and prevention programs. We conducted a systematic review by searching PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane library for all published studies on internet-based programs aimed at improving CV health among employees up to November 2012. We grouped the outcomes according to the American Heart Association (AHA) indicators of cardiovascular wellbeing--weight, BP, lipids, smoking, physical activity, diet, and blood glucose. A total of 18 randomized trials and 11 follow-up studies met our inclusion/exclusion criteria. Follow-up duration ranged from 6-24 months. There were significant differences in intervention types and number of components in each intervention. Modest improvements were observed in more than half of the studies with weight related outcomes while no improvement was seen in virtually all the studies with physical activity outcome. In general, internet-based programs were more successful if the interventions also included some physical contact and environmental modification, and if they were targeted at specific disease entities such as hypertension. Only a few of the studies were conducted in persons at-risk for CVD, none in blue-collar workers or low-income earners. Internet based programs hold promise for improving the cardiovascular wellness among employees however much work is required to fully understand its utility and long term impact especially in special/at-risk populations.

  12. Use of internet library based services by the students of Imo State ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Findings show that students utilizes internet based library services in their academic work, for their intellectual development as well as in communicating to their lecturers and other relations on their day to day information needs. It is recommended that University libraries should provide and offer internet based library ...

  13. Guided Internet-based Psycho-educational Intervention Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Self-management for Individuals with Chronic Pain: A Feasibility Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perry, Jennifer; VanDenKerkhof, Elizabeth G; Wilson, Rosemary; Tripp, Dean A

    2017-06-01

    When considering barriers to chronic pain treatment, there is a need to deliver nonpharmacological therapies in a way that is accessible to all individuals who may benefit. To conduct feasibility testing using a guided, Internet-based intervention for individuals with chronic pain, a novel, Internet-based, chronic pain intervention (ICPI) was developed, using concepts proven effective in face-to-face interventions. This study was designed to assess usability of the ICPI and feasibility of conducting larger-scale research, and to collect preliminary data on effectiveness of the intervention. Data were collected at baseline, after each of the six intervention modules, and 12 weeks after intervention completion. Forty-one participants completed baseline questionnaires, and 15 completed the 12-week postintervention questionnaires. At baseline, all participants reported satisfaction with the structure of the intervention and ease of use. Internet-based platforms such as Facebook aided in accrual of participants, making further large-scale study of the ICPI feasible. There is preliminary evidence suggesting that the ICPI improves emotional function but not physical function, with a small but significant decrease in pain intensity and pain interference. Most participants felt they benefited at least minimally as a result of using the ICPI. The ICPI was well received by participants and demonstrated positive outcomes in this preliminary study. Further research with more participants is feasible and necessary to fully assess the effect of this intervention. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. A Prospective Observational Study

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Methods: This was a prospective, questionnaire-based observational study. Printed questionnaires were distributed to the visitors of medical, surgical and neurosurgical ICU patients to determine awareness of basic infection control practices among visitors to an ICU. All the ICU staff, including nurses, doctors, consultant ...

  15. A STUDY OF RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INTERNET USAGE AND SELF-REGULATED LEARNING OF UNDERGRADUATES

    OpenAIRE

    Dr. Meena Prakash Kute; SadhanaPote-Palsamkar

    2017-01-01

    The present paper is based on the descriptive correlational research study which aimed to study the relationship between internet usage and self-regulated learning of undergraduates. The survey method was employed to collect the data from commerce, science and arts undergraduates of Mumbai University. The findings of present study showed that, there is significant relationship between internet usage and self-regulated learning of undergraduates. The relationship was found to be positive and n...

  16. Internet-based Interactive Construction Management Learning System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sawhney, Anil; Mund, Andre; Koczenasz, Jeremy

    2001-01-01

    Describes a way to incorporate practical content into the construction engineering and management curricula: the Internet-based Interactive Construction Management Learning System, which uses interactive and adaptive learning environments to train students in the areas of construction methods, equipment and processes using multimedia, databases,…

  17. MIOTIC study: a prospective, multicenter, randomized study to evaluate the long-term efficacy of mobile phone-based Internet of Things in the management of patients with stable COPD.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jing; Song, Yuan-Lin; Bai, Chun-Xue

    2013-01-01

    Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common disease that leads to huge economic and social burden. Efficient and effective management of stable COPD is essential to improve quality of life and reduce medical expenditure. The Internet of Things (IoT), a recent breakthrough in communication technology, seems promising in improving health care delivery, but its potential strengths in COPD management remain poorly understood. We have developed a mobile phone-based IoT (mIoT) platform and initiated a randomized, multicenter, controlled trial entitled the 'MIOTIC study' to investigate the influence of mIoT among stable COPD patients. In the MIOTIC study, at least 600 patients with stable GOLD group C or D COPD and with a history of at least two moderate-to-severe exacerbations within the previous year will be randomly allocated to the control group, which receives routine follow-up, or the intervention group, which receives mIoT management. Endpoints of the study include (1) frequency and severity of acute exacerbation; (2) symptomatic evaluation; (3) pre- and post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC) measurement; (4) exercise capacity; and (5) direct medical cost per year. Results from this study should provide direct evidence for the suitability of mIoT in stable COPD patient management.

  18. Is the Internet a useful and relevant source for health and health care information retrieval for German cardiothoracic patients? First results from a prospective survey among 255 Patients at a German cardiothoracic surgical clinic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diez Claudius

    2006-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background It is not clear how prevalent Internet use among cardiopathic patients in Germany is and what impact it has on the health care utilisation. We measured the extent of Internet use among cardiopathic patients and examined the effects that Internet use has on users' knowledge about their cardiac disease, health care matters and their use of the health care system. Methods We conducted a prospective survey among 255 cardiopathic patients at a German university hospital. Results Forty seven respondents (18 % used the internet and 8,8 % (n = 23 went online more than 20 hours per month. The most frequent reason for not using the internet was disinterest (52,3 %. Fourteen patients (5,4 % searched for specific disease-related information and valued the retrieved information on an analogous scale (1 = not relevant, 5 = very relevant on median with 4,0. Internet use is age and education dependent. Only 36 (14,1 % respondents found the internet useful, whereas the vast majority would not use it. Electronic scheduling for ambulatory visits or postoperative telemedical monitoring were rather disapproved. Conclusion We conclude that Internet use is infrequent among our study population and the search for relevant health and disease related information is not well established.

  19. Implementing Internet-Based Self-Care Programs in Primary Care: Qualitative Analysis of Determinants of Practice for Patients and Providers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hermes, Eric; Burrone, Laura; Perez, Elliottnell; Martino, Steve; Rowe, Michael

    2018-05-18

    Access to evidence-based interventions for common mental health conditions is limited due to geographic distance, scheduling, stigma, and provider availability. Internet-based self-care programs may mitigate these barriers. However, little is known about internet-based self-care program implementation in US health care systems. The objective of this study was to identify determinants of practice for internet-based self-care program use in primary care by eliciting provider and administrator perspectives on internet-based self-care program implementation. The objective was explored through qualitative analysis of semistructured interviews with primary care providers and administrators from the Veterans Health Administration. Participants were identified using a reputation-based snowball design. Interviews focused on identifying determinants of practice for the use of internet-based self-care programs at the point of care in Veterans Health Administration primary care. Qualitative analysis of transcripts was performed using thematic coding. A total of 20 physicians, psychologists, social workers, and nurses participated in interviews. Among this group, internet-based self-care program use was relatively low, but support for the platform was assessed as relatively high. Themes were organized into determinants active at patient and provider levels. Perceived patient-level determinants included literacy, age, internet access, patient expectations, internet-based self-care program fit with patient experiences, interest and motivation, and face-to-face human contact. Perceived provider-level determinants included familiarity with internet-based self-care programs, changes to traditional care delivery, face-to-face human contact, competing demands, and age. This exploration of perspectives on internet-based self-care program implementation among Veterans Health Administration providers and administrators revealed key determinants of practice, which can be used to develop

  20. A Study on Teaching Gases to Prospective Primary Science Teachers through Problem-Based Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Senocak, Erdal; Taskesenligil, Yavuz; Sozbilir, Mustafa

    2007-01-01

    The aim of this study was to compare the achievement of prospective primary science teachers in a problem-based curriculum with those in a conventional primary science teacher preparation program with regard to success in learning about gases and developing positive attitudes towards chemistry. The subjects of the study were 101 first year…

  1. The importance of Internet as a strategic Management Tool: A study of Dutch SMEs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Constantinides, Efthymios

    2006-01-01

    This paper proposes a methodology for the identification and evaluation of Internet-based strategies and examines the role of the Internet as element of the strategic planning of Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) from a variety of Dutch industrial sectors. The study has an explorative character and

  2. A Study about Using Internet in History Lessons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ulusoy, Kadir

    2012-01-01

    Internet has become an important part in the field of education as it is in every area nowadays as well. Internet has become appealing among educators and students with its easy and quick access and wide opportunities. In this study, an application of using internet in the history course was done. 160 students who were enrolled in College of…

  3. [The Key Technology Study on Cloud Computing Platform for ECG Monitoring Based on Regional Internet of Things].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Shu; Qiu, Yuyan; Shi, Bo

    2016-09-01

    This paper explores the methods of building the internet of things of a regional ECG monitoring, focused on the implementation of ECG monitoring center based on cloud computing platform. It analyzes implementation principles of automatic identifi cation in the types of arrhythmia. It also studies the system architecture and key techniques of cloud computing platform, including server load balancing technology, reliable storage of massive smalfi les and the implications of quick search function.

  4. The Potential Impact of Internet and Mobile Use on Headache and Other Somatic Symptoms in Adolescence. A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cerutti, Rita; Presaghi, Fabio; Spensieri, Valentina; Valastro, Carmela; Guidetti, Vincenzo

    2016-07-01

    The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine whether migraine or tension-type headaches are associated with abuse of the internet and/or mobile phones and to explore whether headache and the abuse of the two technologies are associated with sleep disturbances and other self-reported somatic symptoms. In the last several years, estimates indicate the increasing pervasiveness of the internet and other technologies in the lives of young people, highlighting the impact on well-being. A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted between February 2013 and June 2014. The initial sample was composed of 1004 Italian students (aged 10-16 years) recruited within public middle schools not randomly selected in central Italy. The final convenience sample consisted of 841 students (Males = 51.1%; Females = 48.9%) who were included in the analysis. Data were collected using self-reported measures. Headache was reported by 28.0% of the total sample. A significant relationship was determined with gender (χ(2) (1) = 7.78, P phone categories (headache was, respectively, the 26% in no abusers, the 30% in internet abusers, the 29% in mobile abusers, and the 29% in internet and mobile abusers, P = .86). Additionally, also by excluding the no headache group, the relationship between the two groups of headache (migraine and tension type headache) and the abuse of media (tension type headache was the 31% in no abusers, the 43% in internet abusers, the 49% in mobile abusers, and the 29% in internet and mobile abusers) is not statistically significant (P = .06). No significant relationship emerged between headache and the internet and mobile phone addiction groups (headache was the 28% in no addiction group, the 35% in mobile addiction group, the 25% of internet addiction group, and the 28% in mobile and internet addiction group, P = .57) as well as no significant relationship was found when only the different headache types were considered

  5. SEGMENTASI LAYANAN INTERNET BANKING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ellen Theresia Sihotang

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to analyze internet banking�s users based on their experiences. It can be used to set marketing program of internet banking that appropriate with customers needs, in order to anticipate tight competition. This research methods starts with focus group discussion and clustering analysis to classify 312 respondents of internet banking users based on demographic, benefit and behavioral segmentation. The sampling method uses purposive sampling and snowball sampling. K-Means Clustering method�s produces four optimal clusters. The benefit orientation of the first cluster in on time saving. Second cluster, concern on the ease of getting and operating internet banking so this cluster does not need auxiliary features such as video guide to use internet banking. The third cluster�s orientation is on the modern lifestyle and the ease of getting and operating internet banking service with detailed daily mutation transaction The fourth cluster, concerns on the detailed daily mutation transaction but they are not sure with the security of personal data via internet banking. �

  6. Adopting Internet Banking in Ghana

    OpenAIRE

    G.O. Ofori-Dwumfuo; Betty A. Dankwah

    2013-01-01

    This study looks at the benefits, challenges and barriers in adopting Internet banking at a major bank in Ghana. The development of the Internet is changing the way financial services are provided in Ghana. The Internet banking facility has resulted in new ways of delivering banking services. The research is a case study based on the staffs that has worked with the bank for more than three years. In evaluating benefits, challenges and barriers to the bank in adopting Internet banking, intervi...

  7. Internet Technologies for Space-based Communications: State of the Art and Challenges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhasin, K.; DePaula, R.; Edwards, C.

    2000-01-01

    The Internet is rapidly changing the ways we communicate information around the globe today. The desire to provide Internet-based services to anyone, anywhere, anytime has brought satellite communications to the forefront to become an integral part of the Internet. In spite of the distances involved, satellite links are proving to be capable of providing Internet services based on Internet protocol (TCP/IP) stack. This development has led to the question particularly at NASA; can satellites and other space platforms become an Internet-node in space? This will allow the direct transfer of information directly from space to the users on Earth and even be able to control the spacecraft and its instruments. NASA even wants to extend the near earth space Internet to deep space applications where scientists and the public here on Earth may view space exploration in real time via the Internet. NASA's future solar system exploration will involve intensive in situ investigations of planets, moons, asteroids, and comets. While past missions typically involved a single fly-by or orbiting science spacecraft, future missions will begin to use fleets of small, highly intelligent robotic vehicles to carry out collaborative investigations. The resulting multi-spacecraft topologies will effectively create a wide area network spanning the solar system. However, this will require significant development in Internet technologies for space use. This paper provides the status'of the Internet for near earth applications and the potential extension of the Internet for use in deep space planetary exploration. The paper will discuss the overall challenges of implementing the space Internet and how the space Internet will integrate into the complex terrestrial systems those forms the Internet of today in a hybrid set of networks. Internet. We envision extending to the deep space environment such Internet concepts as a well-designed layered architecture. This effort will require an ability to

  8. Strategies for building a customer base on the internet: Symbiotic marketing

    OpenAIRE

    Lockett, A; Blackman, ID

    2001-01-01

    The advent of the Internet is leading a re-evaluation of existing business practice as the methods employed in a non-virtual world may not necessarily be as effective in a virtual environment. The present paper examines the different strategic options facing organizations as they attempt to build a customer base on the Internet. The traditional site-centric approach of directing traffic to a central Internet site suffers from the problems of the increasing costs and decreasing effectiveness o...

  9. School-based internet obesity prevention programs for adolescents: a systematic literature review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whittemore, Robin; Chao, Ariana; Popick, Rachel; Grey, Margaret

    2013-03-01

    In response to the childhood obesity epidemic, numerous studies on school-based Internet obesity prevention interventions have been conducted. The purpose of this systematic review is to describe, synthesize, and evaluate the research on school-based Internet obesity prevention programs for adolescents. Medline, CINAHL, and PsycInfo were searched from January 1995 to August 2012 to locate relevant studies. Ninety-one reports were initially identified, with 12 meeting the inclusion criteria. Studies had variable control groups, program content, and sample characteristics. Though few authors reported on implementation processes or body mass index (BMI) outcomes, the majority of studies were effective in improving health behaviors in the short term. Most studies were judged to have a high or unclear risk of bias in at least two domains, thus the quality of evidence for this body of literature is moderate. Further research is needed to examine programs of longer duration, optimal dose and timing of programs, cost-effectiveness, and mediators and moderators of intervention outcomes.

  10. Symptoms of anxiety and depression in childhood and use of MDMA: prospective, population based study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    A.C. Huizink (Anja); R.F. Ferdinand (Robert); J. van der Ende (Jan); F.C. Verhulst (Frank)

    2006-01-01

    textabstractOBJECTIVE: To investigate whether using ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, MDMA) is preceded by symptoms of behavioural and emotional problems in childhood and early adolescence. DESIGN: Prospective, longitudinal, population based study SETTING: The Dutch

  11. The impact of internet gambling on gambling problems: a comparison of moderate-risk and problem Internet and non-Internet gamblers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gainsbury, Sally M; Russell, Alex; Hing, Nerilee; Wood, Robert; Blaszczynski, Alex

    2013-12-01

    Numerous studies have reported higher rates of gambling problems among Internet compared with non-Internet gamblers. However, little research has examined those at risk of developing gambling problems or overall gambling involvement. This study aimed to examine differences between problem and moderate-risk gamblers among Internet and non-Internet gamblers to determine the mechanisms for how Internet gambling may contribute to gambling problems. Australian gamblers (N = 6,682) completed an online survey that included measures of gambling participation, problem gambling severity, and help seeking. Compared with non-Internet gamblers, Internet gamblers were younger, engaged in a greater number of gambling activities, and were more likely to bet on sports. These differences were significantly greater for problem than moderate-risk gamblers. Non-Internet gamblers were more likely to gamble on electronic gaming machines, and a significantly higher proportion of problem gamblers participated in this gambling activity. Non-Internet gamblers were more likely to report health and psychological impacts of problem gambling and having sought help for gambling problems. Internet gamblers who experience gambling-related harms appear to represent a somewhat different group from non-Internet problem and moderate-risk gamblers. This has implications for the development of treatment and prevention programs, which are often based on research that does not cater for differences between subgroups of gamblers. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

  12. How can Smartphone-Based Internet Data Support Animal Ecology Fieldtrip?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurniawan, I. S.; Tapilow, F. S.; Hidayat, T.

    2017-09-01

    Identification and classification skills must be owned by the students. In animal ecology course, the identification and classification skills are necessary to study animals. This experimental study aims to describe the identification and classification skills of students on animal ecology field trip to studying various bird species using smartphone-based internet data. Using Involving 63 students divided into 7 groups for each observation station. Data of birds were sampled using line transect method (5000 meters/station). The results showed the identification and classification skills of students are in sufficient categories. Most students have difficulties because of the limitations of data on the internet about birds. In general, students support the use of smartphones in field trip activities. The results of this study can be used as a reference for the development of learning using smartphones in the future by developing application about birds. The outline, smartphones can be used as a method of alternative learning but needs to be developed for some special purposes.

  13. Internet-based interventions for the prevention and treatment of depression in people living in developing countries: A systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez, Pablo; Rojas, Graciela; Martínez, Vania; Lara, María Asunción; Pérez, J Carola

    2018-07-01

    Internet-based interventions for depression may be a valuable resource to reduce the treatment gap for those living in developing countries. However, evidence comes mainly from developed countries. This systematic review summarized the evidence on preventive or therapeutic Internet-based interventions for depression for people who reside in developing countries. CINAHL, EMBASE, PubMed, SciELO Citation Indexes, the Journal of Medical Internet Research, and the Telemedicine and e-Health journal, were searched up to June 2017, to identify feasibility or effectiveness studies of preventive or therapeutic Internet-based interventions for depression, with or without human support. Studies included subjects residing in developing countries, and were published in English or Spanish. Study protocols were included. Risk of bias and/or quality of the reporting of the studies included was assessed. Five feasibility studies, aimed at the prevention of depression, and a study protocol were included in this systematic review. Reports came mostly from the Americas (n = 4). Internet-based interventions aimed at the prevention of depression presented low levels of human support, were useful and acceptable to their users, and require further design refinements to improve their use and retention. No gray literature was searched or included in this systematic review. Searches were limited to English and Spanish languages. Internet-based interventions aimed at the prevention of depression in people who reside in developing countries are in an early phase of development, limiting the generalizability of the results. Future studies must employ persuasive designs to improve user retention, incorporating larger samples and a control group to conclusively determine feasibility. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Symptoms of anxiety and depression in childhood and use of MDMA: prospective, population based study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Huizink, A.C.; Ferdinand, R.F.; Ende, J. van den; Verhulst, F.C.

    2006-01-01

    Objective To investigate whether using ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, MDMA) is preceded by symptoms of behavioural and emotional problems in childhood and early adolescence. Design Prospective, longitudinal, population based study. Setting The Dutch province of

  15. Internet for the internationals: effects of internet use motivations on international students' college adjustment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Eun-Ju; Lee, Lu; Jang, Jeongwoo

    2011-01-01

    Drawing upon the uses and gratifications approach, the current study examined how international students' Internet use motivations affect their academic, social, and emotional adjustments in the new environment. A total of 166 Chinese students studying in Korea participated in a web-based survey. First, a factor analysis identified four distinct motivations for Internet use: homeland orientation (to stay connected to the home country), local information seeking (to learn about the host society), local social interaction (to form interpersonal relationships locally), and entertainment. After controlling for the effects of sociodemographic variables (i.e., gender, year at school, length of residence, Korean language proficiency) and personality traits (i.e., extraversion, openness to experience, neuroticism), Internet use motivations were found to be significant predictors of international students' social and emotional adjustments. Specifically, those seeking to build a local social network through the Internet reported greater satisfaction with their social life, whereas homeland orientation was associated with poorer emotional adaptation. Various Internet activities, such as e-mail, blogging, and instant messaging, were not significantly related to college adjustments, suggesting the multi-functionality of Internet-based communication channels.

  16. Sesotho Online : Establishing an internet-based language ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    It is against this background that the status, presentation and representation of African languages are being investigated. This article reports on the contribution of the website Sesotho Online to the establishment of an internet-based language knowledge community for the Sesotho language. In its literature review the article ...

  17. MIOTIC study: a prospective, multicenter, randomized study to evaluate the long-term efficacy of mobile phone-based Internet of Things in the management of patients with stable COPD

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jing; Song, Yuan-lin; Bai, Chun-xue

    2013-01-01

    Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common disease that leads to huge economic and social burden. Efficient and effective management of stable COPD is essential to improve quality of life and reduce medical expenditure. The Internet of Things (IoT), a recent breakthrough in communication technology, seems promising in improving health care delivery, but its potential strengths in COPD management remain poorly understood. We have developed a mobile phone-based IoT (mIoT) platform and initiated a randomized, multicenter, controlled trial entitled the ‘MIOTIC study’ to investigate the influence of mIoT among stable COPD patients. In the MIOTIC study, at least 600 patients with stable GOLD group C or D COPD and with a history of at least two moderate-to-severe exacerbations within the previous year will be randomly allocated to the control group, which receives routine follow-up, or the intervention group, which receives mIoT management. Endpoints of the study include (1) frequency and severity of acute exacerbation; (2) symptomatic evaluation; (3) pre- and post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC) measurement; (4) exercise capacity; and (5) direct medical cost per year. Results from this study should provide direct evidence for the suitability of mIoT in stable COPD patient management. PMID:24082784

  18. A prospective study of the motivational and health dynamics of Internet Gaming Disorder

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Netta Weinstein

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The American Psychiatric Association has identified Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD as a potential psychiatric condition and called for research to investigate its etiology, stability, and impacts on health and behavior. The present study recruited 5,777 American adults and applied self-determination theory to examine how motivational factors influence, and are influenced by, IGD and health across a six month period. Following a preregistered analysis plan, results confirmed our hypotheses that IGD criteria are moderately stable and that they and basic psychological need satisfaction have a reciprocal relationship over time. Results also showed need satisfaction promoted health and served as a protective factor against IGD. Contrary to what was hypothesized, results provided no evidence directly linking IGD to health over time. Exploratory analyses suggested that IGD may have indirect effects on health by way of its impact on basic needs. Implications are discussed in terms of existing gaming addiction and motivational frameworks.

  19. A systematic review of internet-based worksite wellness approaches for cardiovascular disease risk management: outcomes, challenges & opportunities.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ehimen C Aneni

    Full Text Available CONTEXT: The internet is gaining popularity as a means of delivering employee-based cardiovascular (CV wellness interventions though little is known about the cardiovascular health outcomes of these programs. In this review, we examined the effectiveness of internet-based employee cardiovascular wellness and prevention programs. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: We conducted a systematic review by searching PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane library for all published studies on internet-based programs aimed at improving CV health among employees up to November 2012. We grouped the outcomes according to the American Heart Association (AHA indicators of cardiovascular wellbeing--weight, BP, lipids, smoking, physical activity, diet, and blood glucose. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: A total of 18 randomized trials and 11 follow-up studies met our inclusion/exclusion criteria. Follow-up duration ranged from 6-24 months. There were significant differences in intervention types and number of components in each intervention. Modest improvements were observed in more than half of the studies with weight related outcomes while no improvement was seen in virtually all the studies with physical activity outcome. In general, internet-based programs were more successful if the interventions also included some physical contact and environmental modification, and if they were targeted at specific disease entities such as hypertension. Only a few of the studies were conducted in persons at-risk for CVD, none in blue-collar workers or low-income earners. CONCLUSION: Internet based programs hold promise for improving the cardiovascular wellness among employees however much work is required to fully understand its utility and long term impact especially in special/at-risk populations.

  20. Research on Intelligent Agriculture Greenhouses Based on Internet of Things Technology

    OpenAIRE

    Shang Ying; Fu An-Ying

    2017-01-01

    Internet of things is a hot topic in the field of research, get a lot of attention, On behalf of the future development trend of the network, Internet of Things has a wide range of applications, because of the efficient and reliable information transmission in modern agriculture. In the greenhouse, the conditions of the Greenhouse determine the quality of crops, high yield and many other aspects. Research on Intelligent Agriculture Greenhouses based on Internet of Things, mainly Research on h...

  1. Young children as Internet users

    OpenAIRE

    Daramola, O. (Oladipo)

    2015-01-01

    Abstract In the current available research concerning the real usage of the internet among the young children, most researchers particularly emphases on the risk and opportunities regarding the active use of the internet. Limited experimental research emphases on the role-based and impact of the parent guidelines in the context. In the current studies, internet parenting methods are well-defined and operationalized to study...

  2. A series of studies examining Internet treatment of obesity to inform Internet interventions for substance use and misuse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tate, Deborah F

    2011-01-01

    The feasibility and efficacy of Internet treatment programs for overweight and obese people have been demonstrated in a series of randomized trials. Initial studies examined various approaches to Internet behavioral treatment. Other studies have examined delivery of group behavioral counseling using Internet chat rooms, using the Internet for long-term maintenance of weight loss, and enhancing motivation in Internet programs. These interventions have produced weight losses of 4-7 kg over 6 months to 1 year when support via e-mail, automated messages, or chat rooms is provided. Outcomes and lessons learned with application to the treatment of substance use and misuse are provided.

  3. A 5-Year follow-up of internet-based cognitive behavior therapy for social anxiety disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hedman, Erik; Furmark, Tomas; Carlbring, Per; Ljótsson, Brjánn; Rück, Christian; Lindefors, Nils; Andersson, Gerhard

    2011-06-15

    Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) has been shown to be a promising method to disseminate cognitive behavior therapy for social anxiety disorder (SAD). Several trials have demonstrated that Internet-based CBT can be effective for SAD in the shorter term. However, the long-term effects of Internet-based CBT for SAD are less well known. Our objective was to investigate the effect of Internet-based CBT for SAD 5 years after completed treatment. We conducted a 5-year follow-up study of 80 persons with SAD who had undergone Internet-based CBT. The assessment comprised a diagnostic interview and self-report questionnaires. The main outcome measure was the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale-Self-Report (LSAS-SR). Additional measures of social anxiety were the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS) and the Social Phobia Scale (SPS). Attrition rates were low: 89% (71/80) of the participants completed the diagnostic interview and 80% (64/80) responded to the questionnaires. Mixed-effect models analysis showed a significant effect of time on the three social anxiety measures, LSAS-SR, SIAS, and SPS (F(3,98-102) = 16.05 - 29.20, P < .001) indicating improvement. From baseline to 5-year follow-up, participants' mean scores on the LSAS-SR were reduced from 71.3 (95% confidence interval [CI] 66.1-76.5) to 40.3 (95% CI 35.2 - 45.3). The effect sizes of the LSAS-SR were large (Cohen's d range 1.30 - 1.40, 95% CI 0.77 - 1.90). Improvements gained at the 1-year follow-up were sustained 5 years after completed treatment. Internet-based CBT for SAD is a treatment that can result in large and enduring effects. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01145690; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01145690 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/5ygRxDLfK).

  4. A doctoral study of the use of the Internet for genealogy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kylie J. Veale

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Distintas  investigaciones muestran evidencia de que Internet ha tenido un impacto revolucionario en nuestra sociedad y en nuestra forma de vida cotidiana. Obviamente, ya que Internet influye en los diversos aspectos de la vida cotidiana, los intereses de aficionados en áreas tales como la historia también se han mejorado y han cambiado considerando Internet como una tecnología social. Una afición, la genealogía, se ha elevado por encima de todo para ser uno de los más populares en línea, proporcionando una oportunidad para entender el uso de Internet dentro de un contexto más amplio. Como resultado de ello, el autor ha iniciado un programa de investigación de doctorado con la Universidad Tecnológica de Curtin, Australia, para examinar cómo los genealogistas utilizan Internet, y para investigar las consecuencias del desarrollo de la genealogía como una importante actividad basada en Internet. El propuesto de este artículo, por lo tanto, es presentar las notas de investigación del estudio.____________ABSTRACT:Research evidence shows the Internet has had a revolutionary impact on our society and the way we live everyday. Consequently, as the Internet influences the many aspects of everyday lives, hobbyist interests in areas such as history have also been enhanced and changed by the Internet as a social technology. One hobby, genealogy, has risen above all to be one of the most popular online, providing an opportunity to understand the use of the Internet within a broader context. As a result, the author has commenced a PhD research program with Curtin University of Technology, Australia, to examine how genealogists use the Internet, and to investigate the consequences of the development of genealogy as a significant Internet-based activity. The purposed of this article, therefore, is to present the research notes of the study.

  5. Factors associated with maintenance of the use of internet, EpiFloripa Idoso longitudinal study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rodrigo de Rosso Krug

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To describe the use of the internet and to identify the sociodemographic and health factors associated with changes in the use of the internet over four years in older adults participating in the Brazilian EpiFloripa Idoso study. METHODS This is a longitudinal home-based, population-based study with 1,197 older adults who live in the urban area of Florianópolis, State of Santa Catarina, Brazil. We applied a face-to-face interview. We describe the use of internet according to frequency, place, devices, and motives of the use of the internet. To identify factors associated with changes in the use of the internet, we categorized the outcome as: non-use of the internet, stopped using the internet, started using the internet, and kept using the internet. The independent variables were sex, age, family income, education level, family arrangement, marital status, presence of caregiver, paid work, and cognitive impairment screening. We used multinomial logistic regression with risk ratio (RR estimates and their respective confidence intervals (95%CI. RESULTS The prevalence of the use of internet increased from 22.9% in 2009–2010 to 26.6% in 2013–2014. Of the total number of older adults who participated in the study, 7.5% started using the internet, 3.2% stopped using it, 19.1% kept their use, and 70.2% kept their non-use in the analyzed period. Of the older adults who used the internet, most used it every day or almost every day of the week, in their own home, on desktop or portable computers, mainly to send and receive messages, to search for information to learn or investigate something, to find information about goods and services, and to use news, social networking, and health information websites. The factors associated with the use of internet over four years were: being male (RR = 2.19, 95%CI 1.48–3.26, higher monthly family income (RR = 3.53, 95%CI 1.35–9.23, higher education level (RR = 2.64, 95%CI 1.57–4.43, and

  6. A Case Study: To Internet or Not To Internet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carman, Jared; Boynton, Doug

    1997-01-01

    Interactive multimedia training can be delivered via CD-ROM, hard drive, local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), Intranet, Internet and hybrid systems. This article presents a case study of how two companies (Los Angeles Times and Allen Communication) evaluated alternative delivery systems, chose one, and implemented multimedia…

  7. BASES DIDÁCTICAS PARA LA INSTRUMENTACIÓN DEL PROCESO DE ENSEÑANZA-APRENDIZAJE POR INTERNET

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rolando Aguilar Álvarez

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Teniendo en cuenta que para la organización del proceso enseñanza aprendizaje, en el permanente perfeccionamiento de sus diversos tipos y formas de desarrollo, se requiere de un basamento de sus principales principios, métodos y medios de enseñanza, resulta oportuno y necesario particularizar estos enfoques didácticos en la concepción y desarrollo de los cursos por Internet. El presente estudio se plantea fundamentar los elementos específicos de las regularidades didácticas que puedan contribuir, en las condiciones actuales, a la instrumentación adecuada de los cursos por Internet, haciendo énfasis en la concreción de los elementos antes señalados en la concepción del proceso de enseñanza aprendizaje por la vía de Internet.PALABRAS CLAVE: bases didácticas; proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje; cursos por InternetBASE DIDACTIC FOR THE INSTRUMENTATION OF THE TEACHING-LEARNING PROCESS THROUGHT INTERNETABSTRACTKeeping in mind that for the organization of the process teaching learning, in the permanent improvement of their diverse types and development forms, it is required of a basement of their main principles, methods and teaching means, it is opportune and necessary to particularize these didactic focuses in the conception and development of the courses for Internet. The present study thinks about to base the specific elements of the didactic regularities that can contribute, under the current conditions, to the appropriate instrumentation of the courses for Internet, making emphasis before in the concretion of the elements pointed out in the conception of the process of teaching learning by the road of Internet.  KEYWORDS: base didactic; teaching-learning process; e-learning

  8. Data collection in Internet environment in social representations studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aline Vieira De Lima Nunes

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The present study aimed at comparing social representations structures concerning data collection procedures: through internet forms, diffused in the WWW, and through conventional paper and pencil questionnaire methods. O verall 893 individuals participated in the research, 58% of whom were female. A total of 217 questionnaires about the social representation on football (soccer and 218 about the representation on aging were answered by Brazilian university students in classrooms. Electronic versions of the same instrument were diffused through an internet forum linked to the same university. There were 238 answers for the football questionnaire and 230 for the aging one. The instrument asked participants to indicate five wordsor expressions related to one of the social objects. Sample characteristics and structural analyses were carried out separately for the two data collection procedures. Data indicated that internet-based research allows for higher sample diversity, but it is essential to guarantee the adoption of measures that can select only desired participants. Results also pointed out the need to take into account the nature of the social object to be investigated through internet research on representations, seeking to avoid self-selection effects, which can bias results, as it seems to have happened with the football social object.

  9. Mind the Gap - Building Profitable Community Based Businesses on the Internet

    OpenAIRE

    Krieger,Bernhard; Müller,Philipp

    2001-01-01

    Building Internet communities will become a strategic tool both as a stand-alone model and as a supplement to sustain competitive advantage for "normal" businesses. Community based business models aim to profit from the value, which is created when Internet communities solve problems of collective action, by controlling access, aggregating data, or realizing side-payments. The current literature on community based business models refers to rational choices by individuals to explain why member...

  10. Turkish Prospective Chemistry Teachers' Alternative Conceptions about Acids and Bases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boz, Yezdan

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to obtain prospective chemistry teachers' conceptions about acids and bases concepts. Thirty-eight prospective chemistry teachers were the participants. Data were collected by means of an open-ended questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Analysis of data indicated that most prospective teachers did not have…

  11. Impact of an Acceptance Facilitating Intervention on Patients' Acceptance of Internet-based Pain Interventions: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baumeister, Harald; Seifferth, Holger; Lin, Jiaxi; Nowoczin, Lisa; Lüking, Marianne; Ebert, David

    2015-06-01

    Results from clinical trials indicate that Internet-based psychological pain interventions are effective in treating chronic pain. However, little is known about patients' acceptance of these programs and how to positively influence patients' intention to engage in them. Therefore, the present study aimed (1) to assess patients' acceptance of Internet-based interventions, and (2) to examine whether patients' acceptance can be increased by an acceptance facilitating intervention. A total of 104 patients with chronic pain from 2 pain units were randomly allocated to an intervention group (IG) and a no-intervention control group (CG). The IG was shown a short informational video about Internet-based psychological pain interventions before receiving a questionnaire on patients' acceptance of Internet-based psychological pain interventions and predictors of acceptance (performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, Internet usage, and Internet anxiety). The CG filled out the questionnaire immediately. Patients' acceptance was measured with a 4-item scale (sum score ranging from 4 to 20). Baseline acceptance of Internet-based interventions was reported as low (sum-score:4-9) by 53.8%, moderate (10 to 15) by 42.3%, and high (16 to 20) by 3.9% of the patients with chronic pain in the CG. The IG showed a significantly higher acceptance (M = 12.17, SD = 4.22) than the CG (M = 8.94, SD = 3.71) with a standardized mean difference of d = 0.81 (95% CI, 0.41, 1.21). All predictor variables were significantly improved in the IG compared with the CG, except for Internet usage. Patients with chronic pain display a relatively low acceptance of Internet-based psychological pain interventions, which can be substantially increased by a short informational video.

  12. Comparison of interventional cardiology in two European countries: a nationwide Internet based registry study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gudnason, T; Gudnadottir, G S; Lagerqvist, B; Eyjolfsson, K; Nilsson, T; Thorgeirsson, G; Thorgeirsson, G; Andersen, K; James, S

    2013-09-30

    The practice of interventional cardiology differs between countries and regions. In this study we report the results of the first nation-wide long-term comparison of interventional cardiology in two countries using a common web-based registry. The Swedish Coronary Angiography and Angioplasty Registry (SCAAR) was used to prospectively and continuously collect background-, quality-, and outcome parameters for all coronary angiographies (CA) and percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) performed in Iceland and Sweden during one year. The rate of CA per million inhabitants was higher in Iceland than in Sweden. A higher proportion of patients had CA for stable angina in Iceland than in Sweden, while the opposite was true for ST elevation myocardial infarction. Left main stem stenosis was more commonly found in Iceland than in Sweden. The PCI rate was similar in the two countries as was the general success rate of PCI, achievement of complete revascularisation and the overall stent use. Drug eluting stents were more commonly used in Iceland (23% vs. 19%). The use of fractional flow reserve (0.2% vs. 10%) and the radial approach (0.6% vs. 33%) was more frequent in Sweden than in Iceland. Serious complications and death were very rare in both countries. By prospectively comparing interventional cardiology in two countries, using a common web based registry online, we have discovered important differences in technique and indications. A discovery such as this can lead to a change in clinical practice and inspire prospective multinational randomised registry trials in unselected, real world populations. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Research on Intelligent Agriculture Greenhouses Based on Internet of Things Technology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shang Ying

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Internet of things is a hot topic in the field of research, get a lot of attention, On behalf of the future development trend of the network, Internet of Things has a wide range of applications, because of the efficient and reliable information transmission in modern agriculture. In the greenhouse, the conditions of the Greenhouse determine the quality of crops, high yield and many other aspects. Research on Intelligent Agriculture Greenhouses based on Internet of Things, mainly Research on how to control the conditions of the greenhouses, So that the indoor conditions suitable for crop growth. In the pater, we study of Zigbee technology, Designed the solar power supply module, greenhouse hardware and software part, And the system was tested by experiment, The analysis of the experimental data shows that the system can provide good conditions for the growth of crops to achieve the high yield and high quality of crops.

  14. Internet addiction, problematic internet use, nonproblematic internet use among Chinese adolescents: Individual, parental, peer, and sociodemographic correlates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Nan; Cao, Hongjian; Li, Xiaomin; Zhang, Jintao; Yao, Yuanwei; Geng, Xiaomin; Lin, Xiuyun; Hou, Shumeng; Liu, Fenge; Chen, Xiaoli; Fang, Xiaoyi

    2018-05-01

    Internet addiction has been typically conceptualized as either a continuous construct or a dichotomous construct. Limited research has differentiated adolescents with problematic Internet use (PIU) from the Internet addiction group (IA) and/or nonproblematic Internet use group (NPIU) and examined the potential correlates. To fill this gap, based on data obtained from 956 Chinese adolescents (11-19 years, 47% male), this study examined if adolescents with PIU is a distinctive group from the IA and NPIU. This study also examined factors from different ecological levels that may differentiate among the three groups, including individual, parental, peer, and sociodemographic factors. Results indicated that IA, PIU, and NPIU differed significantly on scores of Young's Diagnostic Questionnaire (YDQ). Critical factors emerging from different ecological levels could differentiate between PIU and NPIU and between IA and NPIU. Such findings suggest that PIU may represent a distinct, intermediate group of Internet users. The potential theoretical and practical implications of identifying PIU were also discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  15. [Efficacy of health education on patients with hip replacement based on the Internet].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Yang; Yang, Tubao; Li, Yinglan; Yu, Jie; Zeng, Biyun

    2015-03-01

    To evaluate the efficacy of health education on patients with hip replacement based on the Internet, and to establish a new health education model through modern technology. A total of 300 patients with hip replacement from March to August, 2015 were enrolled in this study. The participants were divided into a control group and an experimental group according to months surgeries performed. Traditional education was applied in the control group while the multimedia source material plus the Internet platform of Joint Registration System were applied in the experimental group. Levels of anxiety, degree of satisfaction, and postoperative complications were analyzed. The levels of knowledge, attitude and behavior compliance in the patients of the experimental group were significantly improved, while the levels of postoperative anxiety were decreased compared with those in the control group (PEducation based on the Internet platform of Joint Registration System and the computer video could improve patients' knowledge, attitude, and behavior, which is worthy of clinical spread.

  16. Internet-based data interchange with XML

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fuerst, Karl; Schmidt, Thomas

    2000-12-01

    In this paper, a complete concept for Internet Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) - a well-known buzzword in the area of logistics and supply chain management to enable the automation of the interactions between companies and their partners - using XML (eXtensible Markup Language) will be proposed. This approach is based on Internet and XML, because the implementation of traditional EDI (e.g. EDIFACT, ANSI X.12) is mostly too costly for small and medium sized enterprises, which want to integrate their suppliers and customers in a supply chain. The paper will also present the results of the implementation of a prototype for such a system, which has been developed for an industrial partner to improve the current situation of parts delivery. The main functions of this system are an early warning system to detect problems during the parts delivery process as early as possible, and a transport following system to pursue the transportation.

  17. The digital divide in Internet-based patient education materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Gordon H

    2012-11-01

    The ubiquity of the Internet has led to the widespread availability of health-related information to the public, and the subsequent empowerment of patients has fundamentally altered the patient-physician relationship. Among several concerns of physicians is the possibility that patients may be misinformed by information obtained from the Internet. One opportunity for health care providers to address this problem exists within Internet-based patient education materials (IPEMs). According to recent research in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, IPEMs found within professional otolaryngology websites are written at the 8th- to 18th-grade reading comprehension level, essentially unchanged over the past 3 years. This greatly exceeds the fourth- to sixth-grade reading level recommended by the National Institutes of Health. Benefits, strategies, and challenges to improving the readability of IPEMs are discussed.

  18. Disaster management: using Internet-based technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dimitruk, Paul

    2007-01-01

    Disasters impose operational challenges and substantial financial burdens on hospitals. Internet-based disaster management technology can help. This technology should: Capture, analyze, and track relevant data. Be available 24/7. Guide decision makers in setting up an incident command center and monitor the completion of jobs by ICC role. Provide assistance in areas that hospitals are not used to dealing with, e.g., chemical or bio-terror agents.

  19. Blending Face-to-Face and Internet-Based Interventions for the Treatment of Mental Disorders in Adults: Systematic Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erbe, Doris; Eichert, Hans-Christoph; Riper, Heleen; Ebert, David Daniel

    2017-09-15

    Many studies have provided evidence for the effectiveness of Internet-based stand-alone interventions for mental disorders. A newer form of intervention combines the strengths of face-to-face (f2f) and Internet approaches (blended interventions). The aim of this review was to provide an overview of (1) the different formats of blended treatments for adults, (2) the stage of treatment in which these are applied, (3) their objective in combining face-to-face and Internet-based approaches, and (4) their effectiveness. Studies on blended concepts were identified through systematic searches in the MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Cochrane, and PubMed databases. Keywords included terms indicating face-to-face interventions ("inpatient," "outpatient," "face-to-face," or "residential treatment"), which were combined with terms indicating Internet treatment ("internet," "online," or "web") and terms indicating mental disorders ("mental health," "depression," "anxiety," or "substance abuse"). We focused on three of the most common mental disorders (depression, anxiety, and substance abuse). We identified 64 publications describing 44 studies, 27 of which were randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Results suggest that, compared with stand-alone face-to-face therapy, blended therapy may save clinician time, lead to lower dropout rates and greater abstinence rates of patients with substance abuse, or help maintain initially achieved changes within psychotherapy in the long-term effects of inpatient therapy. However, there is a lack of comparative outcome studies investigating the superiority of the outcomes of blended treatments in comparison with classic face-to-face or Internet-based treatments, as well as of studies identifying the optimal ratio of face-to-face and Internet sessions. Several studies have shown that, for common mental health disorders, blended interventions are feasible and can be more effective compared with no treatment controls. However, more RCTs on effectiveness and

  20. Factors associated with Internet addiction: Cross-sectional study of Turkish adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seyrek, Sezen; Cop, Esra; Sinir, Hayati; Ugurlu, Mehmet; Şenel, Saliha

    2017-02-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Internet addiction (IA), and the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics, depression, anxiety, attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and IA in adolescents. This was a cross-sectional school-based study with a representative sample of 468 students aged 12-17 years at the first trimester of the 2013-2014 academic year. The students were assessed using Young's Internet Addiction Scale, Children's Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Conners' Parent Rating Scale, Conners' Teacher Rating Scale, Hollingshead-Redlich Scale, and the information form including characteristics of Internet use and socioeconomic status (SES). The relationship between these factors and Internet use was examined. Approximately 1.6% of students were identified as having IA, whereas 16.2% had possible IA. There were significant correlations between IA and depression, anxiety, attention disorder and hyperactivity symptoms in adolescents. Smoking was also related to IA. There was no significant relationship between IA and age, sex, body mass index, school type, and SES. Depression, anxiety, ADHD and smoking addiction are associated with PIU in adolescent students. Preventive public health policies targeting the psychological wellbeing of young people are needed. © 2016 Japan Pediatric Society.

  1. Examining the Internet-Based Free Talk in College English Classes from the Motivation Perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li Ming

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Free Talk is recognized as an effective approach to teaching college English in China to improve students’ English speaking. With the popularity of Internet around the world, the Internet-based Free Talk demonstrates more advantages in motivating students to engage in English learning. In this paper, the author compares the main features of the Internet-based Free Talk with the five components of the MUSIC Model of Motivation synthesized from current research and theory in the field of motivation. Furthermore, the author illustrates how Internet facilitates Free Talk through online writing service system and online QQ community. The comparison reveals that the success of the Internet-based Free Talk is consistent with the key motivation principles. This paper indicates that professors and researchers in higher education could design and evaluate their instruction according to the components of the MUSIC model of motivation.

  2. Internet Exposure Associated With Canadian Parents' Perception of Risk on Childhood Immunization: Cross-Sectional Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tustin, Jordan Lee; Crowcroft, Natasha Sarah; Gesink, Dionne; Johnson, Ian; Keelan, Jennifer

    2018-01-19

    There is a large presence of provaccination and antivaccination content on the Internet. The Internet has been identified as an important source for parents to seek and share vaccine information. There are concerns that parental fears or hesitancy on childhood immunizations are increasing due to the popularity of social media and exposure to online antivaccination sentiment. No other studies have investigated the association between seeking vaccine information online and Canadian parents' perception of risk on childhood immunization. We aimed to investigate the potential association between seeking vaccine information on the Internet and Canadian parents' perception of risk on childhood immunization in order to quantify the perceived association and increase our understanding on the impact of the Internet to help guide public health interventions. We analyzed this association in two population samples: a self-selecting Web-based sample of Canadian parents recruited through Facebook (n=966) and a population-based sample of parents recruited by random digit dialing (RDD; n=951). The outcome was parental perception of vaccine safety on a seven-point ordinal scale from "not safe" to "extremely safe." An ordinal regression model was used to investigate if Internet information seeking on childhood vaccination predicted parental perception of vaccine safety. After adjusting for income level, Internet reliability, age of parent, and region, the odds of perceiving vaccines as less safe rather than more safe were 1.6 times higher (95% CI 1.3-2.1) for parents who used the Internet to search for vaccination information compared to parents who did not search the Internet in the Web-based sample, and 2.0 times higher (95% CI 1.6-2.5) in the population-based RDD sample. The results suggest the Internet is significantly associated with Canadian parents' negative perception of vaccine risk. Governmental and scientific sectors should consider the development and implementation of

  3. Internet from Above.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sullivan, Laura

    1998-01-01

    Explains how fast and reliable Internet access can be obtained by using satellite communications based on experiences at a high school in Mississippi. Discusses Internet communications; how it was implemented in the media center; local area networks; the need for Ethernet-based connection to the Internet; and price. (LRW)

  4. Modification of an Internet-based patient education program for adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorder to suit adolescents with psychosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laine, Anna; Anttila, Minna; Välimäki, Maritta

    2016-01-01

    The overall goal of this study was to produce a user-friendly and high quality Internet-based patient education program for adolescents with psychosis. To achieve this, we ascertained the adolescents' and health care professionals' needs and expectations of patient education using Internet and the improvement proposals for an existing MentalNet program originally developed for adults with schizophrenia. The research process was conducted in two phases. First, adolescents' and healthcare professionals' needs for patient education and Internet were ascertained by interviewing adolescents and in two educational sessions with staff members (Phase I). Second, the preliminary evaluation of the Internet-based patient education program MentalNet was gathered from adolescents by an iterative process (see cyclic, recurring, repeating method), in one educational session with staff members and a questionnaire via email from other health care professionals (Phase II). The needs and expectations of adolescents and health care professionals were related to the content, usability, design and realization of Internet-based patient education. Based on the information obtained the MentalNet program was modified to satisfy adolescents' needs. The usefulness and effectiveness of the program will require scrutiny in future studies.

  5. Sleep Deprivation and Time-Based Prospective Memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esposito, Maria José; Occhionero, Miranda; Cicogna, PierCarla

    2015-11-01

    To evaluate the effect of sleep deprivation on time-based prospective memory performance, that is, realizing delayed intentions at an appropriate time in the future (e.g., to take a medicine in 30 minutes). Between-subjects experimental design. The experimental group underwent 24 h of total sleep deprivation, and the control group had a regular sleep-wake cycle. Participants were tested at 08:00. Laboratory. Fifty healthy young adults (mean age 22 ± 2.1, 31 female). 24 h of total sleep deprivation. Participants were monitored by wrist actigraphy for 3 days before the experimental session. The following cognitive tasks were administered: one time-based prospective memory task and 3 reasoning tasks as ongoing activity. Objective and subjective vigilance was assessed by the psychomotor vigilance task and a visual analog scale, respectively. To measure the time-based prospective memory task we assessed compliance and clock checking behavior (time monitoring). Sleep deprivation negatively affected time-based prospective memory compliance (P sleep deprivation on human behavior, particularly the ability to perform an intended action after a few minutes. Sleep deprivation strongly compromises time-based prospective memory compliance but does not affect time check frequency. Sleep deprivation may impair the mechanism that allows the integration of information related to time monitoring with the prospective intention. © 2015 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.

  6. Domestic kraudfandinh: problems and prospects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L.V. Mihalchuk

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available The description kraudfandinh as an innovative tool to attract private investment in promising business projects as a special type of financing over the Internet. Powered its classification and kraud lists of successful projects, clearly illustrated by comparison of the normal business process to create a product and a similar process using kraudfandinh, given the differences between them and the main advantages. Based on the summaries of the literature and current practices of foreign companies and kraud platforms, defined the prospects of its application by domestic enterprises in various industries, proved its positive impact on the economy of Ukraine. The main problem of the use of this instrument in the domestic business, according to national circumstances, given their explanations. Described the prospects for its implementation at Ukrainian enterprises in terms of economic instability. The characteristic of the first Ukrainian kraudfandinh platforms by their future prospects in this direction

  7. The effects of using the Internet on the health-related quality of life in people with spinal cord injury: a controlled study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Celik, B; Ones, K; Celik, E C; Bugdayci, D S; Paker, N; Avci, C; Ince, N

    2014-05-01

    Prospective cohort study. To compare the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in people with spinal cord injury (SCI) who use the Internet versus those who don't and with a control group of able-bodied individuals. To investigate the frequency of Internet usage before and after injury. To evaluate the differences in terms of demographic features of both groups, analyze the variation in the Internet usage pattern of people with SCI before and after the injury. Istanbul, Turkey. A total of 60 people with SCI (38 Internet users, 22 nonusers) were included in the study. The control group consisted of 33 healthy persons of similar age and sex. The HRQoL was evaluated with the SF-36 Health Survey. The scores of all the subscales of the SF-36, except vitality, were significantly lower in people with SCI than those of the controls'. The bodily pain subscale and physical component scores were found to be significantly higher in people with SCI using the Internet than the nonuser group with SCI (PInternet usage frequency increased significantly in people with SCI after injury (PInternet use (r=0.365, P=0.007). Although HRQoL scores were lower in people with an SCI, the physical status component score was better in the Internet user SCI group. As there is a significant increase in the time spent online after injury, the Internet could be an effective modality to contact and educate people with an SCI.

  8. Internet trials: participant experiences and perspectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mathieu, Erin; Barratt, Alexandra; Carter, Stacy M; Jamtvedt, Gro

    2012-10-23

    Use of the Internet to conduct randomised controlled trials is increasing, and provides potential to increase equity of access to medical research, increase the generalisability of trial results and decrease the costs involved in conducting large scale trials. Several studies have compared response rates, completeness of data, and reliability of surveys using the Internet and traditional methods, but very little is known about participants' attitudes towards Internet-based randomised trials or their experience of participating in an Internet-based trial. To obtain insights into the experiences and perspectives of participants in an Internet-based randomised controlled trial, their attitudes to the use of the Internet to conduct medical research, and their intentions regarding future participation in Internet research. All English speaking participants in a recently completed Internet randomised controlled trial were invited to participate in an online survey. 1246 invitations were emailed. 416 participants completed the survey between May and October 2009 (33% response rate). Reasons given for participating in the Internet RCT fell into 4 main areas: personal interest in the research question and outcome, ease of participation, an appreciation of the importance of research and altruistic reasons. Participants' comments and reflections on their experience of participating in a fully online trial were positive and less than half of participants would have participated in the trial had it been conducted using other means of data collection. However participants identified trade-offs between the benefits and downsides of participating in Internet-based trials. The main trade-off was between flexibility and convenience - a perceived benefit - and a lack connectedness and understanding - a perceived disadvantage. The other tradeoffs were in the areas of: ease or difficulty in use of the Internet; security, privacy and confidentiality issues; perceived benefits and

  9. Prediction of Internet Addiction of University Students Based on Various Variables

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    atma Gizem Karaoglan Yilmaz

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available That internet is developing fast and its cost is becoming cheaper rapidly increases the number of people using this technology. Although internet provides miscellaneous benefits for the users, it also causes them to encounter certain difficulties. Particularly, those young people, who leave their families to study at a university spend most of their time on the internet because of such personal and social problems as having low satisfaction from life, having social anxiety, not being able to communicate or establish relationships and feeling lonely. And this could lead to internet addiction in young people. The aim of this study is to discuss the internet addiction levels of freshmen and sophomores at university within the scope of educational theories and to predict addiction according to various variables. Survey method is used in the study. The study was carried out on 329 freshmen and sophomores studying at economics, science teaching, primary school mathematics education, primary school teaching and social sciences teaching departments of Bartın University in the second term of 2012-2013 academic year. As an end of the study, factors that cause to internet addiction and what can be done to remove these factors are discussed within theoretical framework.

  10. Advertising, Internet Based Networking Websites (IBNWs) and New Ventures

    OpenAIRE

    Jara, Carlos; Wayburne, Terence

    2012-01-01

    With the explosion of technology we are finding that our methods of communication are  changing rapidly year to year. The way that we interact with each other from personal  levels to more formal business is all being affected. With the birth of the internet we have  seen continuous growth  of communication methods via this medium and most recently is  the boom of the Internet Based Networking Websites (IBNWs) that allow the, over  300million, users to interact with each other. Websites like ...

  11. Relationships of Dietary Histidine and Obesity in Northern Chinese Adults, an Internet-Based Cross-Sectional Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan-Chuan Li

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Our previous studies have demonstrated that histidine supplementation significantly ameliorates inflammation and oxidative stress in obese women and high-fat diet-induced obese rats. However, the effects of dietary histidine on general population are not known. The objective of this Internet-based cross-sectional study was to evaluate the associations between dietary histidine and prevalence of overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity in northern Chinese population. A total of 2376 participants were randomly recruited and asked to finish our Internet-based dietary questionnaire for the Chinese (IDQC. Afterwards, 88 overweight/obese participants were randomly selected to explore the possible mechanism. Compared with healthy controls, dietary histidine was significantly lower in overweight (p < 0.05 and obese (p < 0.01 participants of both sexes. Dietary histidine was inversely associated with body mass index (BMI, waist circumference (WC and blood pressure in overall population and stronger associations were observed in women and overweight/obese participants. Higher dietary histidine was associated with lower prevalence of overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity, especially in women. Further studies indicated that higher dietary histidine was associated with lower fasting blood glucose (FBG, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR, 2-h postprandial glucose (2 h-PG, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α, interleukin-1β (IL-1β, interleukin-6 (IL-6, C-reactive protein (CRP, malonaldehyde (MDA and vaspin and higher glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px, superoxide dismutase (SOD and adiponectin of overweight/obese individuals of both sexes. In conclusion, higher dietary histidine is inversely associated with energy intake, status of insulin resistance, inflammation and oxidative stress in overweight/obese participants and lower prevalence of overweight/obesity in northern Chinese adults.

  12. Relationships of Dietary Histidine and Obesity in Northern Chinese Adults, an Internet-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yan-Chuan; Li, Chun-Long; Qi, Jia-Yue; Huang, Li-Na; Shi, Dan; Du, Shan-Shan; Liu, Li-Yan; Feng, Ren-Nan; Sun, Chang-Hao

    2016-07-11

    Our previous studies have demonstrated that histidine supplementation significantly ameliorates inflammation and oxidative stress in obese women and high-fat diet-induced obese rats. However, the effects of dietary histidine on general population are not known. The objective of this Internet-based cross-sectional study was to evaluate the associations between dietary histidine and prevalence of overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity in northern Chinese population. A total of 2376 participants were randomly recruited and asked to finish our Internet-based dietary questionnaire for the Chinese (IDQC). Afterwards, 88 overweight/obese participants were randomly selected to explore the possible mechanism. Compared with healthy controls, dietary histidine was significantly lower in overweight (p obese (p Dietary histidine was inversely associated with body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and blood pressure in overall population and stronger associations were observed in women and overweight/obese participants. Higher dietary histidine was associated with lower prevalence of overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity, especially in women. Further studies indicated that higher dietary histidine was associated with lower fasting blood glucose (FBG), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), 2-h postprandial glucose (2 h-PG), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), malonaldehyde (MDA) and vaspin and higher glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and adiponectin of overweight/obese individuals of both sexes. In conclusion, higher dietary histidine is inversely associated with energy intake, status of insulin resistance, inflammation and oxidative stress in overweight/obese participants and lower prevalence of overweight/obesity in northern Chinese adults.

  13. Empirical Study on the Relationships of Internet Banking Quality, Customer Value, and Customer Satisfaction

    OpenAIRE

    Umbas KRISNANTO

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this conducted study was to test the direct and indirect effects of internet banking quality and customer value to customer satisfaction. This study uses descriptive analysis and multiple regression analysis to examine these relationships. The study is based on a survey conducted with respondents who use internet banking in their day-to-day activities, and all questionnaire items are deemed valid and reliable. For data analysis, the descriptive analysis for the indicators, dime...

  14. Determinants of user acceptance of internet banking: An empirical study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hessam Zandhessami

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available The boom of Internet usage and the significant funding dynamism in electronic banking have attracted the attention of researchers towards Internet banking. In the past, the traditional focus of Internet banking research has been on technological development, but it is now switching to user-focused research. This paper presents an empirical investigation to determine determinants of user acceptance of internet banking. The proposed study uses Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL technique to measure the relationships between different factors in a case study of Iranian firm. The results indicate that trust is the most important factor for development of internet banking.

  15. Persistent digital divide in access to and use of the Internet as a resource for health information: Results from a California population-based study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Amy; Mosadeghi, Sasan; Almario, Christopher V

    2017-07-01

    Access to the Internet has grown dramatically over the past two decades. Using data from a population-based survey, we aimed to determine the prevalence and predictors of (i) access to the Internet, and (ii) use of the Internet to search for health information. We analyzed data from the 2011-12 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) and included all individuals 18 years of age and older. Our outcomes were (i) prior use of the Internet, and (ii) use of the Internet to find health or medical information within the past year. We performed survey-weighted logistic regression models on our outcomes to adjust for potentially confounding demographic and socioeconomic factors. Our study included an unweighted and survey-weighted sample of 42,935 and 27,796,484 individuals, respectively. We found that 81.5% of the weighted sample reported having previously used the Internet. Among Internet users, 64.5% stated that they used the Internet within the past year to find health or medical information. Racial/ethnic minorities, older individuals, and those who lived in lower income households and rural areas were less likely to have access to and use the Internet to search for health information. Conversely, English-proficiency and increasing levels of education were positively associated with online health information-seeking. We found that most Californians have access to and use the Internet to search for health information, but still noted a persistent digital divide. Interventions to narrow the divide are needed, otherwise this may lead to a continued widening of existing healthcare disparities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Employees' Expectations of Internet-Based, Workplace Interventions Promoting the Mediterranean Diet:A Qualitative Study

    OpenAIRE

    Papadaki, Angeliki; Thanasoulias, Andreas; Pound, Rachael; Sebire, Simon J.; Jago, Russell

    2016-01-01

    ObjectiveExplore employees' perceptions of ability to follow the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), preferences for setting goals if asked to follow the MedDiet, and expectations of an Internet-based, workplace MedDiet intervention.DesignSeven focus groups to guide intervention development.SettingFour workplaces (business/professional services, government branches) in Southwest England.ParticipantsEmployees (n = 29, 51.7% women), ages 24–58 years.Phenomenon of InterestAbility to follow the MedDiet...

  17. What is the impact of the Internet on decision-making in pregnancy? A global study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lagan, Briege M; Sinclair, Marlene; Kernohan, W George

    2011-12-01

      Women need access to evidence-based information to make informed choices in pregnancy. A search for health information is one of the major reasons that people worldwide access the Internet. Recent years have witnessed an increase in Internet usage by women seeking pregnancy-related information. The aim of this study was to build on previous quantitative studies to explore women's experiences and perceptions of using the Internet for retrieving pregnancy-related information, and its influence on their decision-making processes.   This global study drew on the interpretive qualitative traditions together with a theoretical model on information seeking, adapted to understand Internet use in pregnancy and its role in relation to decision-making. Thirteen asynchronous online focus groups across five countries were conducted with 92 women who had accessed the Internet for pregnancy-related information over a 3-month period. Data were readily transferred and analyzed deductively.   The overall analysis indicates that the Internet is having a visible impact on women's decision making in regards to all aspects of their pregnancy. The key emergent theme was the great need for information. Four broad themes also emerged: "validate information,"empowerment,"share experiences," and "assisted decision-making." Women also reported how the Internet provided support, its negative and positive aspects, and as a source of accurate, timely information.   Health professionals have a responsibility to acknowledge that women access the Internet for support and pregnancy-related information to assist in their decision-making. Health professionals must learn to work in partnership with women to guide them toward evidence-based websites and be prepared to discuss the ensuing information. © 2011, Copyright the Authors. Journal compilation © 2011, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Internet MEMS design tools based on component technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brueck, Rainer; Schumer, Christian

    1999-03-01

    The micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) industry in Europe is characterized by small and medium sized enterprises specialized on products to solve problems in specific domains like medicine, automotive sensor technology, etc. In this field of business the technology driven design approach known from micro electronics is not appropriate. Instead each design problem aims at its own, specific technology to be used for the solution. The variety of technologies at hand, like Si-surface, Si-bulk, LIGA, laser, precision engineering requires a huge set of different design tools to be available. No single SME can afford to hold licenses for all these tools. This calls for a new and flexible way of designing, implementing and distributing design software. The Internet provides a flexible manner of offering software access along with methodologies of flexible licensing e.g. on a pay-per-use basis. New communication technologies like ADSL, TV cable of satellites as carriers promise to offer a bandwidth sufficient even for interactive tools with graphical interfaces in the near future. INTERLIDO is an experimental tool suite for process specification and layout verification for lithography based MEMS technologies to be accessed via the Internet. The first version provides a Java implementation even including a graphical editor for process specification. Currently, a new version is brought into operation that is based on JavaBeans component technology. JavaBeans offers the possibility to realize independent interactive design assistants, like a design rule checking assistants, a process consistency checking assistants, a technology definition assistants, a graphical editor assistants, etc. that may reside distributed over the Internet, communicating via Internet protocols. Each potential user thus is able to configure his own dedicated version of a design tool set dedicated to the requirements of the current problem to be solved.

  19. Internet-based intelligent information processing systems

    CERN Document Server

    Tonfoni, G; Ichalkaranje, N S

    2003-01-01

    The Internet/WWW has made it possible to easily access quantities of information never available before. However, both the amount of information and the variation in quality pose obstacles to the efficient use of the medium. Artificial intelligence techniques can be useful tools in this context. Intelligent systems can be applied to searching the Internet and data-mining, interpreting Internet-derived material, the human-Web interface, remote condition monitoring and many other areas. This volume presents the latest research on the interaction between intelligent systems (neural networks, adap

  20. A Comparison Of Internet-Based Learning And Traditional Classroom Lecture To Learn Cpr For Continuing Medical Education

    OpenAIRE

    HEMMATI, Nima; OMRANI, Soghra; HEMMATI, Naser

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare the satisfaction and effectiveness of Internet-based learning (IBL) and traditional classroom lecture (TCL) for continuing medical education (CME) programs by comparing final resuscitation exam results of physicians who received the newest cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) curriculum guidelines training either by traditional or by an Internet-based CME. A randomized two-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was used. Postgraduate general ...

  1. Preferences for Depression Treatment Including Internet-Based Interventions: Results From a Large Sample of Primary Care Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marie Dorow

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: To date, little is known about treatment preferences for depression concerning new media. This study aims to (1 investigate treatment preferences for depression including internet-based interventions and (2 examine subgroup differences concerning age, gender and severity of depression as well as patient-related factors associated with treatment preferences.Methods: Data were derived from the baseline assessment of the @ktiv-trial. Depression treatment preferences were assessed from n = 641 primary care patients with mild to moderate depression regarding the following treatments: medication, psychotherapy, combined treatment, alternative treatment, talking to friends and family, exercise, self-help literature, and internet-based interventions. Depression severity was specified by GPs according to ICD-10 criteria. Ordinal logistic regression models were conducted to identify associated factors of treatment preferences.Results: Patients had a mean age of 43.9 years (SD = 13.8 and more than two thirds (68.6% were female. About 43% of patients had mild depression while 57% were diagnosed with moderate depression. The majority of patients reported strong preferences for psychotherapy, talking to friends and family, and exercise. About one in five patients was very likely to consider internet-based interventions in case of depression. Younger patients expressed significantly stronger treatment preferences for psychotherapy and internet-based interventions than older patients. The most salient factors associated with treatment preferences were the patients' education and perceived self-efficacy.Conclusions: Patients with depression report individually different treatment preferences.Our results underline the importance of shared decision-making within primary care. Future studies should investigate treatment preferences for different types of internet-based interventions.

  2. Internet Use among Community-Based Rehabilitation Workers in Bosnia and Herzegovina: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeung, Euson; Balogh, Robert; Cole, Donald; Jakovic, Djenana; Landry, Michel D

    2011-01-01

    The Internet may be one way to support and improve rehabilitation practice and service delivery in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) such as Bosnia and Herzegovina. Little information exists on use of the Internet to enhance the practice and professional development of community-based rehabilitation (CBR) workers in LMICs. The purpose of this study was to assess the patterns of and barriers to Internet use by CBR workers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Participants were CBR workers (physiotherapists, physiatrists, and technicians) from Bosnia and Herzegovina who attended a conference or workshop in 2005. A cross-sectional questionnaire was administered in the local language to assess Internet use. Descriptive results were summarized in tables. Bivariate and multiple logistic regressions were used to assess factors associated with Internet use. A total of 33% of respondents had never used the Internet. Common barriers to Internet use included "not enough time" (24%), "no access" (23%), and "lack of skill" (18%). Participants with higher levels of education had greater odds of using the Internet than physiotherapy school graduates (odds ratio=7.6, p=0.016) and had greater odds of using the Internet to obtain medical, rehabilitation, or health information (odds ratio=5.8, p=0.028). Improving CBR workers' access to the Internet and their proficiency in using it may enable them to obtain valuable rehabilitation-related information and enhance communication among CBR workers, potentially translating into improved rehabilitation services for people with disabilities in LMICs.

  3. Alcohol attributable burden of incidence of cancer in eight European countries based on results from prospective cohort study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schuetze, Madlen; Boeing, Heiner; Pischon, Tobias; Rehm, Juergen; Kehoe, Tara; Gmel, Gerrit; Olsen, Anja; Tjonneland, Anne M.; Dahm, Christina C.; Overvad, Kim; Clavel-Chapelon, Francoise; Boutron-Ruault, Marie-Christine; Trichopoulou, Antonia; Benetou, Vasiliki; Zylis, Dimosthenis; Kaaks, Rudolf; Rohrmann, Sabine; Palli, Domenico; Berrino, Franco; Tumino, Rosario; Vineis, Paolo; Rodriguez, Laudina; Agudo, Antonio; Sanchez, Maria-Jose; Dorronsoro, Miren; Chirlaque, Maria-Dolores; Barricarte, Aurelio; Peeters, Petra H.; van Gils, Carla H.; Khaw, Kay-Tee; Wareham, Nick; Allen, Naomi E.; Key, Timothy J.; Boffetta, Paolo; Slimani, Nadia; Jenab, Mazda; Romaguera, Dora; Wark, Petra A.; Riboli, Elio; Bergmann, Manuela M.

    2011-01-01

    Objective To compute the burden of cancer attributable to current and former alcohol consumption in eight European countries based on direct relative risk estimates from a cohort study. Design Combination of prospective cohort study with representative population based data on alcohol exposure.

  4. GIS-based rare events logistic regression for mineral prospectivity mapping

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiong, Yihui; Zuo, Renguang

    2018-02-01

    Mineralization is a special type of singularity event, and can be considered as a rare event, because within a specific study area the number of prospective locations (1s) are considerably fewer than the number of non-prospective locations (0s). In this study, GIS-based rare events logistic regression (RELR) was used to map the mineral prospectivity in the southwestern Fujian Province, China. An odds ratio was used to measure the relative importance of the evidence variables with respect to mineralization. The results suggest that formations, granites, and skarn alterations, followed by faults and aeromagnetic anomaly are the most important indicators for the formation of Fe-related mineralization in the study area. The prediction rate and the area under the curve (AUC) values show that areas with higher probability have a strong spatial relationship with the known mineral deposits. Comparing the results with original logistic regression (OLR) demonstrates that the GIS-based RELR performs better than OLR. The prospectivity map obtained in this study benefits the search for skarn Fe-related mineralization in the study area.

  5. Social importance enhances prospective memory: evidence from an event-based task.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walter, Stefan; Meier, Beat

    2017-07-01

    Prospective memory performance can be enhanced by task importance, for example by promising a reward. Typically, this comes at costs in the ongoing task. However, previous research has suggested that social importance (e.g., providing a social motive) can enhance prospective memory performance without additional monitoring costs in activity-based and time-based tasks. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of social importance in an event-based task. We compared four conditions: social importance, promising a reward, both social importance and promising a reward, and standard prospective memory instructions (control condition). The results showed enhanced prospective memory performance for all importance conditions compared to the control condition. Although ongoing task performance was slowed in all conditions with a prospective memory task when compared to a baseline condition with no prospective memory task, additional costs occurred only when both the social importance and reward were present simultaneously. Alone, neither social importance nor promising a reward produced an additional slowing when compared to the cost in the standard (control) condition. Thus, social importance and reward can enhance event-based prospective memory at no additional cost.

  6. Utilization and efficacy of internet-based eHealth technology in gastroenterology: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knowles, Simon R; Mikocka-Walus, Antonina

    2014-04-01

    While there have been several reviews exploring the outcomes of various eHealth studies, none have been gastroenterology-specific. This paper aims to evaluate the research conducted within gastroenterology which utilizes internet-based eHealth technology to promote physical and psychological well-being. A systematic literature review of internet-based eHealth interventions involving gastroenterological cohorts was conducted. Searched databases included: EbSCOhost Medline, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. Inclusion criteria were studies reporting on eHealth interventions (both to manage mental health problems and somatic symptoms) in gastroenterology, with no time restrictions. Exclusion criteria were non-experimental studies, or studies using only email as primary eHealth method, and studies in language other than English. A total of 17 papers were identified; seven studies evaluated the efficacy of a psychologically oriented intervention (additional two provided follow-up analyses exploring the original published data) and eight studies evaluated disease management programs for patients with either irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or celiac disease. Overall, psychological eHealth interventions were associated with significant reductions in bowel symptoms and improvement in quality of life (QoL) that tended to continue up to 12 months follow up. The eHealth disease management was shown to generally improve QoL, adherence, knowledge about the disease, and reduce healthcare costs in IBD, although the studies were associated with various methodological problems, and thus, this observation should be confirmed in well-designed interventional studies. Based on the evidence to date, eHealth internet-based technology is a promising tool that can be utilized to both promote and enhance gastrointestinal disease management and mental health.

  7. Careless responding in internet-based quality of life assessments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneider, Stefan; May, Marcella; Stone, Arthur A

    2018-04-01

    Quality of life (QoL) measurement relies upon participants providing meaningful responses, but not all respondents may pay sufficient attention when completing self-reported QoL measures. This study examined the impact of careless responding on the reliability and validity of Internet-based QoL assessments. Internet panelists (n = 2000) completed Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) short-forms (depression, fatigue, pain impact, applied cognitive abilities) and single-item QoL measures (global health, pain intensity) as part of a larger survey that included multiple checks of whether participants paid attention to the items. Latent class analysis was used to identify groups of non-careless and careless responders from the attentiveness checks. Analyses compared psychometric properties of the QoL measures (reliability of PROMIS short-forms, correlations among QoL scores, "known-groups" validity) between non-careless and careless responder groups. Whether person-fit statistics derived from PROMIS measures accurately discriminated careless and non-careless responders was also examined. About 7.4% of participants were classified as careless responders. No substantial differences in the reliability of PROMIS measures between non-careless and careless responder groups were observed. However, careless responding meaningfully and significantly affected the correlations among QoL domains, as well as the magnitude of differences in QoL between medical and disability groups (presence or absence of disability, depression diagnosis, chronic pain diagnosis). Person-fit statistics significantly and moderately distinguished between non-careless and careless responders. The results support the importance of identifying and screening out careless responders to ensure high-quality self-report data in Internet-based QoL research.

  8. Orbitofrontal gray matter deficits as marker of Internet gaming disorder: converging evidence from a cross-sectional and prospective longitudinal design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Feng; Montag, Christian; Sariyska, Rayna; Lachmann, Bernd; Reuter, Martin; Weber, Bernd; Trautner, Peter; Kendrick, Keith M; Markett, Sebastian; Becker, Benjamin

    2017-10-23

    Internet gaming disorder represents a growing health issue. Core symptoms include unsuccessful attempts to control the addictive patterns of behavior and continued use despite negative consequences indicating a loss of regulatory control. Previous studies revealed brain structural deficits in prefrontal regions subserving regulatory control in individuals with excessive Internet use. However, because of the cross-sectional nature of these studies, it remains unknown whether the observed brain structural deficits preceded the onset of excessive Internet use. Against this background, the present study combined a cross-sectional and longitudinal design to determine the consequences of excessive online video gaming. Forty-one subjects with a history of excessive Internet gaming and 78 gaming-naive subjects were enrolled in the present study. To determine effects of Internet gaming on brain structure, gaming-naive subjects were randomly assigned to 6 weeks of daily Internet gaming (training group) or a non-gaming condition (training control group). At study inclusion, excessive Internet gamers demonstrated lower right orbitofrontal gray matter volume compared with Internet gaming-naive subjects. Within the Internet gamers, a lower gray matter volume in this region was associated with higher online video gaming addiction severity. Longitudinal analysis revealed initial evidence that left orbitofrontal gray matter volume decreased during the training period in the training group as well as in the group of excessive gamers. Together, the present findings suggest an important role of the orbitofrontal cortex in the development of Internet addiction with a direct association between excessive engagement in online gaming and structural deficits in this brain region. © 2017 Society for the Study of Addiction.

  9. Internet trials: participant experiences and perspectives

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Background Use of the Internet to conduct randomised controlled trials is increasing, and provides potential to increase equity of access to medical research, increase the generalisability of trial results and decrease the costs involved in conducting large scale trials. Several studies have compared response rates, completeness of data, and reliability of surveys using the Internet and traditional methods, but very little is known about participants’ attitudes towards Internet-based randomised trials or their experience of participating in an Internet-based trial. Objective To obtain insights into the experiences and perspectives of participants in an Internet-based randomised controlled trial, their attitudes to the use of the Internet to conduct medical research, and their intentions regarding future participation in Internet research. Methods All English speaking participants in a recently completed Internet randomised controlled trial were invited to participate in an online survey. Results 1246 invitations were emailed. 416 participants completed the survey between May and October 2009 (33% response rate). Reasons given for participating in the Internet RCT fell into 4 main areas: personal interest in the research question and outcome, ease of participation, an appreciation of the importance of research and altruistic reasons. Participants’ comments and reflections on their experience of participating in a fully online trial were positive and less than half of participants would have participated in the trial had it been conducted using other means of data collection. However participants identified trade-offs between the benefits and downsides of participating in Internet-based trials. The main trade-off was between flexibility and convenience – a perceived benefit – and a lack connectedness and understanding – a perceived disadvantage. The other tradeoffs were in the areas of: ease or difficulty in use of the Internet; security, privacy and

  10. Internet trials: participant experiences and perspectives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mathieu Erin

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Use of the Internet to conduct randomised controlled trials is increasing, and provides potential to increase equity of access to medical research, increase the generalisability of trial results and decrease the costs involved in conducting large scale trials. Several studies have compared response rates, completeness of data, and reliability of surveys using the Internet and traditional methods, but very little is known about participants’ attitudes towards Internet-based randomised trials or their experience of participating in an Internet-based trial. Objective To obtain insights into the experiences and perspectives of participants in an Internet-based randomised controlled trial, their attitudes to the use of the Internet to conduct medical research, and their intentions regarding future participation in Internet research. Methods All English speaking participants in a recently completed Internet randomised controlled trial were invited to participate in an online survey. Results 1246 invitations were emailed. 416 participants completed the survey between May and October 2009 (33% response rate. Reasons given for participating in the Internet RCT fell into 4 main areas: personal interest in the research question and outcome, ease of participation, an appreciation of the importance of research and altruistic reasons. Participants’ comments and reflections on their experience of participating in a fully online trial were positive and less than half of participants would have participated in the trial had it been conducted using other means of data collection. However participants identified trade-offs between the benefits and downsides of participating in Internet-based trials. The main trade-off was between flexibility and convenience – a perceived benefit – and a lack connectedness and understanding – a perceived disadvantage. The other tradeoffs were in the areas of: ease or difficulty in use of the Internet

  11. Internet-Based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Psychological Distress Experienced by People With Hearing Problems: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molander, Peter; Hesser, Hugo; Weineland, Sandra; Bergwall, Kajsa; Buck, Sonia; Hansson-Malmlöf, Johan; Lantz, Henning; Lunner, Thomas; Andersson, Gerhard

    2015-09-01

    Psychological distress and psychiatric symptoms are prevalent among people with hearing loss or other audiological conditions, but psychological interventions for these groups are rare. This article describes the study protocol for a randomized controlled trial for evaluating the effect of a psychological treatment delivered over the Internet for individuals with hearing problems and concurrent psychological distress. Participants who are significantly distressed will be randomized to either an 8-week Internet-delivered acceptance-based cognitive behavioral therapy (i.e., acceptance and commitment therapy [ACT]), or wa it-list control. We aim to include measures of distress associated with hearing difficulties, anxiety, and depression. In addition, we aim to measure acceptance associated with hearing difficulties as well as quality of life. The results of the trial may further our understanding of how to best treat people who present problems with both psychological distress and hearing in using the Internet.

  12. Treatment of depression and anxiety with internet-based cognitive behavior therapy in patients with a recent myocardial infarction (U-CARE Heart): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Norlund, Fredrika; Olsson, Erik M G; Burell, Gunilla; Wallin, Emma; Held, Claes

    2015-04-11

    Major depression and depressive symptoms are common in patients with a recent myocardial infarction (MI), and depression is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Anxiety post-MI is less studied, but occurs commonly in patients with heart disease, and is also considered a risk factor for recurrence of cardiac events. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is an established therapy for depression and anxiety disorders. To the best of our knowledge, there have not been any studies to determine if internet-based CBT (iCBT) can reduce the symptoms of depression and anxiety in patients with a recent MI. The main aim of the U-CARE Heart trial is to evaluate an iCBT intervention for patients with a recent MI. This is a randomized, controlled, prospective study with a multicenter design. A total of 500 participants will be randomized at a 1:1 ratio, around two months after an acute MI, to either iCBT or to a control group. Both groups will receive an optimal standard of care according to guidelines. The intervention consists of a self-help program delivered via the internet with individual online support from a psychologist. Treatment duration is 14 weeks. The primary outcome is change in patients' self-rated anxiety and depression symptoms from baseline to end of treatment. An internal pilot study was conducted indicating sufficient levels of study acceptability and engagement in treatment. The present study is designed to evaluate an iCBT intervention targeting symptoms of depression and anxiety in a post-MI population. If effective, iCBT has several advantages, and will potentially be implemented as an easily accessible treatment option added to modern standard of care. This trial was registered with Clinicaltrials.gov (identifier: NCT01504191 ) on 19 December 2011.

  13. Secure Web-based Ground System User Interfaces over the Open Internet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langston, James H.; Murray, Henry L.; Hunt, Gary R.

    1998-01-01

    A prototype has been developed which makes use of commercially available products in conjunction with the Java programming language to provide a secure user interface for command and control over the open Internet. This paper reports successful demonstration of: (1) Security over the Internet, including encryption and certification; (2) Integration of Java applets with a COTS command and control product; (3) Remote spacecraft commanding using the Internet. The Java-based Spacecraft Web Interface to Telemetry and Command Handling (Jswitch) ground system prototype provides these capabilities. This activity demonstrates the use and integration of current technologies to enable a spacecraft engineer or flight operator to monitor and control a spacecraft from a user interface communicating over the open Internet using standard World Wide Web (WWW) protocols and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products. The core command and control functions are provided by the COTS Epoch 2000 product. The standard WWW tools and browsers are used in conjunction with the Java programming technology. Security is provided with the current encryption and certification technology. This system prototype is a step in the direction of giving scientist and flight operators Web-based access to instrument, payload, and spacecraft data.

  14. Internet-based guided self-help for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, Catrin E; Farewell, Daniel; Groves, Vicky; Kitchiner, Neil J; Roberts, Neil P; Vick, Tracey; Bisson, Jonathan I

    2017-06-01

    There are numerous barriers that limit access to evidence-based treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Internet-based guided self-help is a treatment option that may help widen access to effective intervention, but the approach has not been sufficiently explored for the treatment of PTSD. Forty two adults with DSM-5 PTSD of mild to moderate severity were randomly allocated to internet-based self-help with up to 3 h of therapist assistance, or to a delayed treatment control group. The internet-based program included eight modules that focused on psychoeducation, grounding, relaxation, behavioural activation, real-life and imaginal exposure, cognitive therapy, and relapse prevention. The primary outcome measure was reduction in clinician-rated traumatic stress symptoms using the clinician administered PTSD scale for DSM-V (CAPS-5). Secondary outcomes were self-reported PTSD symptoms, depression, anxiety, alcohol use, perceived social support, and functional impairment. Posttreatment, the internet-based guided self-help group had significantly lower clinician assessed PTSD symptoms than the delayed treatment control group (between-group effect size Cohen's d = 1.86). The difference was maintained at 1-month follow-up and dissipated once both groups had received treatment. Similar patterns of difference between the two groups were found for depression, anxiety, and functional impairment. The average contact with treating clinicians was 2½ h. Internet-based trauma-focused guided self-help for PTSD is a promising treatment option that requires far less therapist time than current first line face-to-face psychological therapy. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. A Comparison of Internet Marketing Methods Utilized by Higher Education Institutions

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCoy, Joseph C.

    2011-01-01

    Use of Internet marketing techniques in higher education to attract prospective students is relatively new. While the research is recent, there are several studies that identify what is most valuable to students seeking information on college web sites. Higher education is now facing increasing competition from for-profit schools and reduced…

  16. Drivers of Adoption and Implementation of Internet-Based Marketing Channels

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Jørn Flohr; Mols, Niels Peter; Høst, Viggo

    2007-01-01

    This chapter analyses factors influencing manufacturers= adoption and implementation of Internet-based marketing channels, using models based on marketing channel and organisational innovation theory. Survey data from 1163 Danish, Finnish, and Swedish manufacturers form the empirical basis for te...

  17. Cooperative Cloud Service Aware Mobile Internet Coverage Connectivity Guarantee Protocol Based on Sensor Opportunistic Coverage Mechanism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qin Qin

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available In order to improve the Internet coverage ratio and provide connectivity guarantee, based on sensor opportunistic coverage mechanism and cooperative cloud service, we proposed the coverage connectivity guarantee protocol for mobile Internet. In this scheme, based on the opportunistic covering rules, the network coverage algorithm of high reliability and real-time security was achieved by using the opportunity of sensor nodes and the Internet mobile node. Then, the cloud service business support platform is created based on the Internet application service management capabilities and wireless sensor network communication service capabilities, which is the architecture of the cloud support layer. The cooperative cloud service aware model was proposed. Finally, we proposed the mobile Internet coverage connectivity guarantee protocol. The results of experiments demonstrate that the proposed algorithm has excellent performance, in terms of the security of the Internet and the stability, as well as coverage connectivity ability.

  18. Internet TV set-top devices for web-based projects: smooth sailing or rough surfing?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, K B; Ravert, R D; Everton, A

    1999-01-01

    The explosion of projects utilizing the World Wide Web in the home environment offer a select group of patients a tremendous tool for information management and health-related support. However, many patients do not have ready access to the Internet in their homes. For these patients, Internet TV set-top devices may provide a low cost alternative to PC-based web browsers. As a part of a larger descriptive study providing adolescents with access to an on-line support group, we investigated the feasibility of using an Internet TV set-top device for those patients in need of Internet access. Although the devices required some configuration before being installed in the home environment, they required a minimum of support and were well accepted by these patients. However, these patients used the Internet less frequently than their peers with home personal computers--most likely due to a lack of easy availability of the telephone or television at all times. Internet TV set-top devices represent a feasible alternative access to the World Wide Web for some patients. Any attempt to use these devices should, however, be coupled with education to all family members, and an attempt at providing a dedicated television and phone line.

  19. Learning-Based QoS Control Algorithms for Next Generation Internet of Things

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sungwook Kim

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The Internet has become an evolving entity, growing in importance and creating new value through its expansion and added utilization. The Internet of Things (IoT is a new concept associated with the future Internet and has recently become popular in a dynamic and global network infrastructure. However, in an IoT implementation, it is difficult to satisfy different Quality of Service (QoS requirements and achieve rapid service composition and deployment. In this paper, we propose a new QoS control scheme for IoT systems. Based on the Markov game model, the proposed scheme can effectively allocate IoT resources while maximizing system performance. In multiagent environments, a game theory approach can provide an effective decision-making framework for resource allocation problems. To verify the results of our study, we perform a simulation and confirm that the proposed scheme can achieve considerably improved system performance compared to existing schemes.

  20. Developing an Internet- and Mobile-Based System to Measure Cigarette Use Among Pacific Islanders: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pike, James Russell; Xie, Bin; Tan, Nasya; Sabado-Liwag, Melanie Dee; Orne, Annette; Toilolo, Tupou; Cen, Steven; May, Vanessa; Lee, Cevadne; Pang, Victor Kaiwi; Rainer, Michelle A; Vaivao, Dorothy Etimani S; Lepule, Jonathan Tana; Tanjasiri, Sora Park; Palmer, Paula Healani

    2016-01-07

    Recent prevalence data indicates that Pacific Islanders living in the United States have disproportionately high smoking rates when compared to the general populace. However, little is known about the factors contributing to tobacco use in this at-risk population. Moreover, few studies have attempted to determine these factors utilizing technology-based assessment techniques. The objective was to develop a customized Internet-based Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) system capable of measuring cigarette use among Pacific Islanders in Southern California. This system integrated the ubiquity of text messaging, the ease of use associated with mobile phone apps, the enhanced functionality offered by Internet-based Cell phone-optimized Assessment Techniques (ICAT), and the high survey completion rates exhibited by EMA studies that used electronic diaries. These features were tested in a feasibility study designed to assess whether Pacific Islanders would respond to this method of measurement and whether the data gathered would lead to novel insights regarding the intrapersonal, social, and ecological factors associated with cigarette use. 20 young adult smokers in Southern California who self-identified as Pacific Islanders were recruited by 5 community-based organizations to take part in a 7-day EMA study. Participants selected six consecutive two-hour time blocks per day during which they would be willing to receive a text message linking them to an online survey formatted for Web-enabled mobile phones. Both automated reminders and community coaches were used to facilitate survey completion. 720 surveys were completed from 840 survey time blocks, representing a completion rate of 86%. After adjusting for gender, age, and nicotine dependence, feeling happy (P=technology-based assessments of tobacco use among Pacific Islanders. Such systems can foster high levels of survey completion and may lead to novel insights for future research and interventions.

  1. How Turkish Middle School Students Use the Internet to Study Social Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acikalin, Mehmet

    2014-01-01

    The Internet has become one of the most common educational tools used by teachers and students in social studies education worldwide. Although there are extensive studies on how the Internet is used by teachers as an instructional tool in social studies classes, less work has been done to explain how students themselves use and interact with…

  2. A three-group study, internet-based, face-to-face based and standard- management after acute whiplash associated disorders (WAD – choosing the most efficient and cost-effective treatment: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bring Annika

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The management of Whiplash Associated Disorders is one of the most complicated challenges with high expenses for the health care system and society. There are still no general guidelines or scientific documentation to unequivocally support any single treatment for acute care following whiplash injury. The main purpose of this study is to try a new behavioural medicine intervention strategy at acute phase aimed to reduce the number of patients who have persistent problems after the whiplash injury. The goal is also to identify which of three different interventions that is most cost-effective for patients with Whiplash Associated Disorders. In this study we are controlling for two factors. First, the effect of behavioural medicine approach is compared with standard care. Second, the manner in which the behavioural medicine treatment is administered, Internet or face-to-face, is evaluated in it's effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. Methods/Design The study is a randomized, prospective, experimental three-group study with analyses of cost-effectiveness up to two-years follow-up. Internetbased programme and face-to-face group treatment programme are compared to standard-treatment only. Patient follow-ups take place three, six, twelve and 24 months, that is, short-term as well as long-term effects are evaluated. Patients will be enrolled via the emergency ward during the first week after the accident. Discussion This new self-help management will concentrate to those psychosocial factors that are shown to be predictive in long-term problems in Whiplash Associated Disorders, i.e. the importance of self-efficacy, fear of movement, and the significance of catastrophizing as a coping strategy for restoring and sustaining activities of daily life. Within the framework of this project, we will develop, broaden and evaluate current physical therapy treatment methods for acute Whiplash Associated Disorders. The project will

  3. Study the Relationship between Internet-related Lifestyle and Loneliness and Social Support among Internet Users in Ilam University of Medical Sciences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Morteza Mansoorian

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Background & Objective: Using internet have had a significant impact on the lifestyle changes of internet clients which can affect their health. The aim of this study was to survey the relationship between lifestyle related to internet with loneliness and social support of the internet clients in Ilam University of medical sciences. Methods: This study was a cross sectional study which was performed in 2014 on 400 university students and personnel of Ilam University of medical sciences using stratified random sampling method.Data collection instrument was a questionnaire comprising of four sections: demographic information, lifestyle related to internet questionnaire , loneliness and social supports questionnaires.All data were analyzed using SPSS software by Mann Withney and Kruscall- Wallis tests and linear regression test. Results: The linear regression results showed that there was a significant relationship between loneliness and lifestyle related to the internet, gender, marital status, occupational statues and age (P<0.01. There was also a significant relationship between social support and lifestyle related to the internet and age (P<0/05. The results showed that there was a significant relationship between loneliness and social support with marital status, educational degree and internet usage (P<0/01. Conclusion: According to the significant relation between loneliness and social support with the lifestyle related to the internet, and regarding the inevitability of Internet, it seems more supporting the students and implementing the educational programs for university clients about suitable using of internet is necessary.

  4. Social and psychological determinants of participation in internet-based cancer support groups

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Høybye, Mette Terp; Dalton, Susanne Oksbjerg; Christensen, Jane

    2010-01-01

    PURPOSE: In this study, we identified the social and psychological characteristics of Danish cancer patients that determine use of the internet for support. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We invited 230 cancer patients taking part in a public rehabilitation program to participate in an internet module...... observed no difference between the two groups in quality of life or psychological well-being, while coping to some extent seemed related to participation in internet support groups. CONCLUSION: This study adds to the discussion on social inequality in internet use by cancer patients, showing that patients...... comprising training in the retrieval of cancer-related information from the internet and self-support groups. Persons who were motivated to join the internet groups (N = 100; 47%) were compared with persons who chose not to participate (N = 111) on the basis of self-reported baseline questionnaire data...

  5. Russia and Countering Violent Extremism in the Internet and Social Media: Exploring Prospects for U.S.-Russia Cooperation Beyond the "Reset"

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sharyl N. Cross Dr.

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Russia has been targeted with a series of terrorist attacks over the past several years, and there are a growing number of extremist groups operating throughout Russia’s society utilizing the Internet/social media to promote their narratives and objectives. Russia’s policy community has created institutional mechanisms and laws to address the challenge of violent extremism in the Internet/social media, and recognizes the importance of international cooperation toward these ends. This study, based on primary research conducted in Moscow in 2012, defines Russia’s assessment of domestic and international sources violent extremist threats; explains Moscow’s perspective on balancing democratic principles with the challenge of countering violent extremism in the Internet/social media; assesses existing capacities and impediments to further international collaboration with Russia in countering violent extremism in the Internet/social media spheres; defines specific initiatives that Russia, the United States, and other nations of the world community could advance to enhance international cooperation in countering violent extremism throughout the world cyber community.

  6. A telemedicine instrument for Internet-based home monitoring of thoracoabdominal motion in patients with respiratory diseases

    Science.gov (United States)

    da Silva Junior, Evert Pereira; Esteves, Guilherme Pompeu; Dames, Karla Kristine; Melo, Pedro Lopes de

    2011-01-01

    Changes in thoracoabdominal motion are highly prevalent in patients with chronic respiratory diseases. Home care services that use telemedicine techniques and Internet-based monitoring have the potential to improve the management of these patients. However, there is no detailed description in the literature of a system for Internet-based monitoring of patients with disturbed thoracoabdominal motion. The purpose of this work was to describe the development of a new telemedicine instrument for Internet-based home monitoring of thoracoabdominal movement. The instrument directly measures changes in the thorax and abdomen circumferences and transfers data through a transmission control protocol/Internet protocol connection. After the design details are described, the accuracy of the electronic and software processing units of the instrument is evaluated by using electronic signals simulating normal subjects and individuals with thoracoabdominal motion disorders. The results obtained during in vivo studies on normal subjects simulating thoracoabdominal motion disorders showed that this new system is able to detect a reduction in abdominal movement that is associated with abnormal thoracic breathing (p telemedicine scenarios, which can reduce the costs of assistance offered to patients with respiratory diseases.

  7. How to Protect Children from Internet Predators: A Phenomenological Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexander, Rodney T.

    2012-01-01

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

  8. Internet Usage Habits and Internet Usage in Educational Studies of Vocational School Students

    OpenAIRE

    Zehra Deniz Yakıncı; Perihan Gürbüz; Gülsüm Yetiş

    2018-01-01

    Internet is the easiest way to access information. It provides positive contributions to individual and surroundings, in learning and information era. At this point the answers of the questions: ‘How do young people use internet and how much do they use internet for their education?’ come into prominence. In order to find the answers; a questionnaire prepared by resarchers and Young Internet Addiction Test- Short Form (YIAT-SF) was used on ‘Health Services Vocational High School’ students, in...

  9. Research on the cultivation path of smart home-based care service mode in Internet+ vision

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peng Qingchao

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Home-based care for the aged is an effective method to solve the problem of caring the aged in China. This thesis analyzes some problems existing in the development of current home-based care service for the aged in our country and the positive effects brought by Internet+ in home-based care service. It proposes a new service mode of care for the aged--Internet+ home-based care service, and explains the establishment of this system and the responsibilities of the participants. Also, it explores the path to realize the establishment of Internet+ home-based care service mode so as to promote the healthy development of home-based care service in China.

  10. Internet-based self-help treatment for depression in multiple sclerosis: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boeschoten, R.E.; Dekker, J.; Uitdehaag, B.M.J.; Polman, C.H.; Collette, E.H.; Cuijpers, P.; Beekman, A.T.F.; van Oppen, P.

    2012-01-01

    Background: Depression in MS patients is frequent but often not treated adequately. An important underlying factor may be physical limitations that preclude face-to-face contact. Internet-based treatment showed to be effective for depressive symptoms in general and could thus be a promising tool for

  11. Dutch adolescents' motives, perceptions and reflections toward sex-related Internet use : Results of a web-based focus-group study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Doornwaard, S.M.; den Boer, Fedde; Vanwesenbeeck, W.M.A.; van Nijnatten, C.H.C.J.; ter Bogt, T.F.M.; van den Eijnden, R.J.J.M.

    2017-01-01

    The Internet offers adolescents unique opportunities to actively shape their own sexual media environment. The aim of this study was to gain in-depth insight into Dutch adolescents’ motives, perceptions, and reflections toward Internet use for (a) finding information or advice related to romance and

  12. An object-oriented programming system for the integration of internet-based bioinformatics resources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beveridge, Allan

    2006-01-01

    The Internet consists of a vast inhomogeneous reservoir of data. Developing software that can integrate a wide variety of different data sources is a major challenge that must be addressed for the realisation of the full potential of the Internet as a scientific research tool. This article presents a semi-automated object-oriented programming system for integrating web-based resources. We demonstrate that the current Internet standards (HTML, CGI [common gateway interface], Java, etc.) can be exploited to develop a data retrieval system that scans existing web interfaces and then uses a set of rules to generate new Java code that can automatically retrieve data from the Web. The validity of the software has been demonstrated by testing it on several biological databases. We also examine the current limitations of the Internet and discuss the need for the development of universal standards for web-based data.

  13. Use of Internet panels to conduct surveys.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hays, Ron D; Liu, Honghu; Kapteyn, Arie

    2015-09-01

    The use of Internet panels to collect survey data is increasing because it is cost-effective, enables access to large and diverse samples quickly, takes less time than traditional methods to obtain data for analysis, and the standardization of the data collection process makes studies easy to replicate. A variety of probability-based panels have been created, including Telepanel/CentERpanel, Knowledge Networks (now GFK KnowledgePanel), the American Life Panel, the Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social Sciences panel, and the Understanding America Study panel. Despite the advantage of having a known denominator (sampling frame), the probability-based Internet panels often have low recruitment participation rates, and some have argued that there is little practical difference between opting out of a probability sample and opting into a nonprobability (convenience) Internet panel. This article provides an overview of both probability-based and convenience panels, discussing potential benefits and cautions for each method, and summarizing the approaches used to weight panel respondents in order to better represent the underlying population. Challenges of using Internet panel data are discussed, including false answers, careless responses, giving the same answer repeatedly, getting multiple surveys from the same respondent, and panelists being members of multiple panels. More is to be learned about Internet panels generally and about Web-based data collection, as well as how to evaluate data collected using mobile devices and social-media platforms.

  14. Internet use and decision making in community-based older adults

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bryan David James

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Use of the internet may provide tools and resources for better decision making, yet little is known about the association of internet use with decision-making in older persons. We examined this relationship in 66190 community-dwelling older persons without dementia from the Rush Memory and Aging Project, an ongoing longitudinal study of aging. Participants were asked to report if they had access to the internet and how frequently they used the internet and email. A 12-item instrument was used to assess financial and healthcare decision making using materials designed to approximate those used in real world settings. Items were summed to yield a total decision-making score. Associations were tested via linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, race, education, and a measure of global cognitive function. Secondary models further adjusted for income, depression, loneliness, social networks, social support, chronic medical conditions, instrumental activities of daily living, life space size, and health and financial literacy. Interaction terms were used to test for effect modification. Almost 70% of participants had access to the internet, and of those with access, 55% used the internet at least several times a week. Higher frequency of internet use was associated with better financial and healthcare decision making (β=0.11, p=0.002. The association persisted in a fully adjusted model (β=0.08, p=0.024. Interaction models indicated that higher frequency of internet use attenuated the relationships of older age, poorer cognitive function, and lower levels of health and financial literacy with poorer healthcare and financial decision making. These findings indicate that internet use is associated with better health and financial decision making in older persons. Future research is required to understand whether promoting the use of the internet can produce improvements in healthcare and financial decision making.

  15. A randomized study of internet parent training accessed from community technology centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Irvine, A Blair; Gelatt, Vicky A; Hammond, Michael; Seeley, John R

    2015-05-01

    Behavioral parent training (BPT) has been shown to be efficacious to improve parenting skills for problematic interactions with adolescents displaying oppositional and antisocial behaviors. Some research suggests that support group curricula might be transferred to the Internet, and some studies suggest that other curriculum designs might also be effective. In this research, a BPT program for parents of at-risk adolescents was tested on the Internet in a randomized trial (N = 307) from computer labs at six community technology centers in or near large metropolitan areas. The instructional design was based on asynchronous scenario-based e-learning, rather than a traditional parent training model where presentation of course material builds content sequentially over multiple class sessions. Pretest to 30-day follow-up analyses indicated significant treatment effects on parent-reported discipline style (Parenting Scale, Adolescent version), child behavior (Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory), and on social cognitive theory constructs of intentions and self-efficacy. The effect sizes were small to medium. These findings suggest the potential to provide effective parent training programs on the Internet.

  16. Development of Field Information Monitoring System Based on the Internet of Things

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Ken; Liang, Xiaoying; Wang, Keqiang

    With the rapid development and wide application of electronics, communication and embedded system technologies, the global agriculture is changing from traditional agriculture that is to improve the production relying on the increase of labor, agricultural inputs to the new stage of modern agriculture with low yields, high efficiency, real-time and accuracy. On the other hand the research and development of the Internet of Things, which is an information network to connect objects, with the full capacity to perceive objects, and having the capabilities of reliable transmission and intelligence processing for information, allows us to obtain real-time information of anything. The application of the Internet of Things in field information online monitoring is an effective solution for present wired sensor monitoring system, which has much more disadvantages, such as high cost, the problems of laying lines and so on. In this paper, a novel field information monitoring system based on the Internet of Things is proposed. It can satisfy the requirements of multi-point measurement, mobility, convenience in the field information monitoring process. The whole structure of system is given and the key designs of system design are described in the hardware and software aspect. The studies have expanded current field information measurement methods and strengthen the application of the Internet of Things.

  17. Potential youth exposure to alcohol advertising on the internet: A study of internet versions of popular television programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siegel, Michael; Kurland, Rachel P; Castrini, Marisa; Morse, Catherine; de Groot, Alexander; Retamozo, Cynthia; Roberts, Sarah P; Ross, Craig S; Jernigan, David H

    No previous paper has examined alcohol advertising on the internet versions of television programs popular among underage youth. To assess the volume of alcohol advertising on web sites of television networks which stream television programs popular among youth. Multiple viewers analyzed the product advertising appearing on 12 television programs that are available in full episode format on the internet. During a baseline period of one week, six coders analyzed all 12 programs. For the nine programs that contained alcohol advertising, three underage coders (ages 10, 13, and 18) analyzed the programs to quantify the extent of that advertising over a four-week period. Alcohol advertisements are highly prevalent on these programs, with nine of the 12 shows carrying alcohol ads, and six programs averaging at least one alcohol ad per episode. There was no difference in alcohol ad exposure for underage and legal age viewers. There is a substantial potential for youth exposure to alcohol advertising on the internet through internet-based versions of television programs. The Federal Trade Commission should require alcohol companies to report the underage youth and adult audiences for internet versions of television programs on which they advertise.

  18. Going Multi-viral: Synthedemic Modelling of Internet-based Spreading Phenomena

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marily Nika

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Epidemics of a biological and technological nature pervade modern life. For centuries, scientific research focused on biological epidemics, with simple compartmental epidemiological models emerging as the dominant explanatory paradigm. Yet there has been limited translation of this effort to explain internet-based spreading phenomena. Indeed, single-epidemic models are inadequate to explain the multimodal nature of complex phenomena. In this paper we propose a novel paradigm for modelling internet-based spreading phenomena based on the composition of multiple compartmental epidemiological models. Our approach is inspired by Fourier analysis, but rather than trigonometric wave forms, our components are compartmental epidemiological models. We show results on simulated multiple epidemic data, swine flu data and BitTorrent downloads of a popular music artist. Our technique can characterise these multimodal data sets utilising a parsimonous number of subepidemic models.

  19. Ethical practice in internet research involving vulnerable people: lessons from a self-harm discussion forum study (SharpTalk).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharkey, Siobhan; Jones, Ray; Smithson, Janet; Hewis, Elaine; Emmens, Tobit; Ford, Tamsin; Owens, Christabel

    2011-12-01

    The internet is widely used for health information and support, often by vulnerable people. Internet-based research raises both familiar and new ethical problems for researchers and ethics committees. While guidelines for internet-based research are available, it is unclear to what extent ethics committees use these. Experience of gaining research ethics approval for a UK study (SharpTalk), involving internet-based discussion groups with young people who self-harm and health professionals is described. During ethical review, unsurprisingly, concerns were raised about the vulnerability of potential participants. These were dominated by the issue of anonymity, which also affected participant safety and consent. These ethical problems are discussed, and our solutions, which included: participant usernames specific to the study, a closed website, private messaging facilities, a direct contact email to researchers, information about forum rules displayed on the website, a 'report' button for participants, links to online support, and a discussion room for forum moderators. This experience with SharpTalk suggests that an approach to ethics, which recognises the relational aspects of research with vulnerable people, is particularly useful for internet-based health research. The solutions presented here can act as guidance for researchers developing proposals and for ethics committees reviewing them.

  20. Assessing the effect of an educational intervention program based on Health Belief Model on preventive behaviors of internet addiction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maheri, Aghbabak; Tol, Azar; Sadeghi, Roya

    2017-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: Internet addiction refers to the excessive use of the internet that causes mental, social, and physical problems. According to the high prevalence of internet addiction among university students, this study aimed to determine the effect of an educational intervention on preventive behaviors of internet addiction among Tehran University of Medical Sciences students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was a quasi-experimental study conducted among female college students who live in the dormitories of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Two-stage cluster sampling was used for selection of eighty participants in each study groups; data were collected using “Young's Internet Addiction” and unstructured questionnaire. Validity and reliability of unstructured questionnaire were evaluated by expert panel and were reported as Cronbach's alpha. Information of study groups before and 4 months after the intervention was compared using statistical methods by SPSS 16. RESULTS: After the intervention, the mean scores of internet addiction, perceived barriers construct, and the prevalence of internet addiction significantly decreased in the intervention group than that in the control group and the mean scores of knowledge and Health Belief Model (HBM) constructs (susceptibility, severity, benefits, self-efficacy) significantly increased. CONCLUSIONS: Education based on the HBM was effective on the reduction and prevention of internet addiction among female college students, and educational interventions in this field are highly recommended. PMID:28852654

  1. Designing Internet Learning for Novice Users -Paper Based on a Action Research Project In India

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Purushothaman, Aparna

    2012-01-01

    The paper centre on an Action Research project undertaken in India for enabling the female students empowered through Internet use. The paper will discuss the design elements of Internet training for the first time users with limited Internet access based on Blooms Digital Taxonomy of Learning...... Domains.The paper also illustrates the identity formation of students, through learning to use Internet, using wengers social theory of learning with the empirical data....

  2. The Internet of Things Technology Development and Application -- Zhengzhou Airport as An Example

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hu Songlin

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available In order to understand the trend of the development of the Internet of things, and the role of development and construction in the future,this article introduces the developing situation of the Internet of things at home and abroad. Summarizes the architecture and key technologies of iot, this paper expounds the application of the Internet of things, the last development of the Internet of things industry of our country is prospected. Combining with the development of the Internet of things industry area, zhengzhou air port development makes us on the Internet of things has a comprehensive and accurate understanding and awareness.

  3. A Factor Analytic Study of the Internet Usage Scale

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monetti, David M.; Whatley, Mark A.; Hinkle, Kerry T.; Cunningham, Kerry T.; Breneiser, Jennifer E.; Kisling, Rhea

    2011-01-01

    This study developed an Internet Usage Scale (IUS) for use with adolescent populations. The IUS is a 26-item scale that measures participants' beliefs about how their Internet usage impacts their behavior. The sample for this study consisted of 947 middle school students. An exploratory factor analysis with varimax rotation was conducted on the…

  4. Internet and Gaming Addiction: A Systematic Literature Review of Neuroimaging Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuss, Daria J.; Griffiths, Mark D.

    2012-01-01

    In the past decade, research has accumulated suggesting that excessive Internet use can lead to the development of a behavioral addiction. Internet addiction has been considered as a serious threat to mental health and the excessive use of the Internet has been linked to a variety of negative psychosocial consequences. The aim of this review is to identify all empirical studies to date that used neuroimaging techniques to shed light upon the emerging mental health problem of Internet and gaming addiction from a neuroscientific perspective. Neuroimaging studies offer an advantage over traditional survey and behavioral research because with this method, it is possible to distinguish particular brain areas that are involved in the development and maintenance of addiction. A systematic literature search was conducted, identifying 18 studies. These studies provide compelling evidence for the similarities between different types of addictions, notably substance-related addictions and Internet and gaming addiction, on a variety of levels. On the molecular level, Internet addiction is characterized by an overall reward deficiency that entails decreased dopaminergic activity. On the level of neural circuitry, Internet and gaming addiction led to neuroadaptation and structural changes that occur as a consequence of prolonged increased activity in brain areas associated with addiction. On a behavioral level, Internet and gaming addicts appear to be constricted with regards to their cognitive functioning in various domains. The paper shows that understanding the neuronal correlates associated with the development of Internet and gaming addiction will promote future research and will pave the way for the development of addiction treatment approaches. PMID:24961198

  5. Internet and Gaming Addiction: A Systematic Literature Review of Neuroimaging Studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daria J. Kuss

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available In the past decade, research has accumulated suggesting that excessive Internet use can lead to the development of a behavioral addiction. Internet addiction has been considered as a serious threat to mental health and the excessive use of the Internet has been linked to a variety of negative psychosocial consequences. The aim of this review is to identify all empirical studies to date that used neuroimaging techniques to shed light upon the emerging mental health problem of Internet and gaming addiction from a neuroscientific perspective. Neuroimaging studies offer an advantage over traditional survey and behavioral research because with this method, it is possible to distinguish particular brain areas that are involved in the development and maintenance of addiction. A systematic literature search was conducted, identifying 18 studies. These studies provide compelling evidence for the similarities between different types of addictions, notably substance-related addictions and Internet and gaming addiction, on a variety of levels. On the molecular level, Internet addiction is characterized by an overall reward deficiency that entails decreased dopaminergic activity. On the level of neural circuitry, Internet and gaming addiction led to neuroadaptation and structural changes that occur as a consequence of prolonged increased activity in brain areas associated with addiction. On a behavioral level, Internet and gaming addicts appear to be constricted with regards to their cognitive functioning in various domains. The paper shows that understanding the neuronal correlates associated with the development of Internet and gaming addiction will promote future research and will pave the way for the development of addiction treatment approaches.

  6. Internet and gaming addiction: a systematic literature review of neuroimaging studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuss, Daria J; Griffiths, Mark D

    2012-09-05

    In the past decade, research has accumulated suggesting that excessive Internet use can lead to the development of a behavioral addiction. Internet addiction has been considered as a serious threat to mental health and the excessive use of the Internet has been linked to a variety of negative psychosocial consequences. The aim of this review is to identify all empirical studies to date that used neuroimaging techniques to shed light upon the emerging mental health problem of Internet and gaming addiction from a neuroscientific perspective. Neuroimaging studies offer an advantage over traditional survey and behavioral research because with this method, it is possible to distinguish particular brain areas that are involved in the development and maintenance of addiction. A systematic literature search was conducted, identifying 18 studies. These studies provide compelling evidence for the similarities between different types of addictions, notably substance-related addictions and Internet and gaming addiction, on a variety of levels. On the molecular level, Internet addiction is characterized by an overall reward deficiency that entails decreased dopaminergic activity. On the level of neural circuitry, Internet and gaming addiction led to neuroadaptation and structural changes that occur as a consequence of prolonged increased activity in brain areas associated with addiction. On a behavioral level, Internet and gaming addicts appear to be constricted with regards to their cognitive functioning in various domains. The paper shows that understanding the neuronal correlates associated with the development of Internet and gaming addiction will promote future research and will pave the way for the development of addiction treatment approaches.

  7. Internet-based developmental screening: a digital divide between English- and Spanish-speaking parents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hambidge, Simon J; Phibbs, Stephanie; Beck, Arne; Bergman, David Aaron

    2011-10-01

    Internet-based developmental screening is being implemented in pediatric practices across the United States. Little is known about the application of this technology in poor urban populations. We describe here the results of focus groups, surveys, and in-depth interviews during home visits with families served by an urban safety-net organization to address the question of whether it is possible to use Internet or e-mail communication for medical previsit engagement in a population that is majority Hispanic, of low socioeconomic status, and has many non-English-speaking families. This study included families in 4 clinics within a safety-net health care system. The study design included the use of (1) parental surveys (n = 200) of a convenience sample of parents whose children received primary care in the clinics, (2) focus groups (n = 7 groups) with parents, and (3) in-depth interviews during home visits with 4 families. We used χ(2) and multivariate analyses to compare Internet access in English- and Spanish-speaking families. Standard qualitative methods were used to code focus-group texts and identify convergent themes. In multivariate analysis, independent factors associated with computer use were English versus Spanish language (odds ratio: 3.2 [95% confidence interval: 1.4-6.9]) and education through at least high school (odds ratio: 4.7 [95% confidence interval: 2.3-9.7]). In focus groups, the concept of parental previsit work, such as developmental screening tests, was viewed favorably by all groups. However, many parents expressed reservations about doing this work by using the Internet or e-mail and stated a preference for either paper or telephone options. Many Spanish-speaking families discussed lack of access to computers and printers. In this economically disadvantaged population, language and maternal education were associated with access to the Internet. Given the potential power of previsit work to tailor well-child visits to the needs of

  8. Cognitive load and task condition in event- and time-based prospective memory: an experimental investigation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khan, Azizuddin; Sharma, Narendra K; Dixit, Shikha

    2008-09-01

    Prospective memory is memory for the realization of delayed intention. Researchers distinguish 2 kinds of prospective memory: event- and time-based (G. O. Einstein & M. A. McDaniel, 1990). Taking that distinction into account, the present authors explored participants' comparative performance under event- and time-based tasks. In an experimental study of 80 participants, the authors investigated the roles of cognitive load and task condition in prospective memory. Cognitive load (low vs. high) and task condition (event- vs. time-based task) were the independent variables. Accuracy in prospective memory was the dependent variable. Results showed significant differential effects under event- and time-based tasks. However, the effect of cognitive load was more detrimental in time-based prospective memory. Results also revealed that time monitoring is critical in successful performance of time estimation and so in time-based prospective memory. Similarly, participants' better performance on the event-based prospective memory task showed that they acted on the basis of environment cues. Event-based prospective memory was environmentally cued; time-based prospective memory required self-initiation.

  9. Internet addiction based on personality characteristics of high school students in kerman, iran.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zamani, Bibi Eshrat; Abedini, Yasamin; Kheradmand, Ali

    2011-01-01

    The new phenomenon of Internet addiction among teenagers and young adults is one of the modern addictions in industrial and post-industrial societies. The purpose of this research was to predict the Internet addiction based on the personality characteristics of high school students in Kerman. This research was a descriptive correlational study. The statistical population included 538 male and female students in the second grade of high school in Kerman during 2010. The subjects were randomly selected by multistage clustering. Data was collected by two questionnaires including the five-factor Revised NEO Personality Inventory and the Internet dependency questionnaire. The data was analyzed using ANOVA test and multivariable regression analysis. The findings showed a significant relationship between the personality trait of emotional stability and academic fields, i.e. students with higher emotional stability experience less negative emotions when confronting with problems. Therefore, it is less likely for them to alleviate the negative emotions by the extreme and obsessed usage of the Internet. In addition, it appears that the students with high extroversion scores prefer social, face to face interactions with other people to interaction with the virtual world. Conversely, more introvert students avoid interactions with other people due to their shyness. Thus, they communicate with the virtual world more. Three personality traits of loyalty, emotional stability, and extroversion are the most significant predictors of Internet addiction in high school students.

  10. The Internet as a parameter of strategic planning: A study of E-Marketing practices of Dutch SMBs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Constantinides, Efthymios

    2006-01-01

    This paper proposes a methodology for the identification and evaluation of Internet-based strategies and examines the role of the Internet as element of the strategic planning of Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) from a variety of Dutch industrial sectors. The study has an explorative character and

  11. The effects of Internet-based exercise compared with supervised group exercise in people with type 2 diabetes: a randomized controlled study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akinci, Buket; Yeldan, Ipek; Satman, Ilhan; Dirican, Ahmet; Ozdincler, Arzu Razak

    2018-06-01

    To compare the effects of Internet-based exercise on glycaemic control, blood lipids, body composition, physical activity level, functional capacity, and quality of life with supervised group exercise in patients with type 2 diabetes. Single-blind, randomized controlled study. A Faculty of Health Sciences. A total of 65 patients with type 2 diabetes (47 women, 18 men). Group A ( n = 22), control group - physical activity counselling once with a brochure. Group B ( n = 22), supervised group-based exercise, three days per week for eight weeks. Group C ( n = 21), Internet-based exercise following the same programme via a website. Primary outcomes - glycosylated haemoglobin, fasting blood glucose, high-density and low-density lipoprotein, triglyceride, and cholesterol. Secondary outcomes - waist and hip circumferences, body mass index, number of steps, six-minute walking test, and Euro-Quality of Life-5 Dimension. After treatment, glycaemic control (mean change for Group B; Group C; -0.80%, -0.91%, P = 0.003), waist circumference (-4.23 cm, 5.64 cm, P = 0.006), and quality of life (0.26, 0.15, P = 0.013) significantly improved in both training groups compared with the control group. Fasting blood glucose (-46.86 mg/dL, P = 0.009) and hip circumference (-2.7 cm, P = 0.011) were significantly decreased in Group B and total cholesterol (-16.4 mg/dL, P = 0.028), six-minute walking distance (30.5 m, P = 0.01), and number of steps (1258.05, P = 0.023) significantly improved in Group C compared with control group. Group B and Group C changed with equal magnitude. In type 2 diabetes, supervised group-based and Internet-based exercise can improve equally glycaemic control, waist circumference, and quality of life, and both are better than simply counselling.

  12. Evaluation of Internet-based dengue query data: Google Dengue Trends.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rebecca Tave Gluskin

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Dengue is a common and growing problem worldwide, with an estimated 70-140 million cases per year. Traditional, healthcare-based, government-implemented dengue surveillance is resource intensive and slow. As global Internet use has increased, novel, Internet-based disease monitoring tools have emerged. Google Dengue Trends (GDT uses near real-time search query data to create an index of dengue incidence that is a linear proxy for traditional surveillance. Studies have shown that GDT correlates highly with dengue incidence in multiple countries on a large spatial scale. This study addresses the heterogeneity of GDT at smaller spatial scales, assessing its accuracy at the state-level in Mexico and identifying factors that are associated with its accuracy. We used Pearson correlation to estimate the association between GDT and traditional dengue surveillance data for Mexico at the national level and for 17 Mexican states. Nationally, GDT captured approximately 83% of the variability in reported cases over the 9 study years. The correlation between GDT and reported cases varied from state to state, capturing anywhere from 1% of the variability in Baja California to 88% in Chiapas, with higher accuracy in states with higher dengue average annual incidence. A model including annual average maximum temperature, precipitation, and their interaction accounted for 81% of the variability in GDT accuracy between states. This climate model was the best indicator of GDT accuracy, suggesting that GDT works best in areas with intense transmission, particularly where local climate is well suited for transmission. Internet accessibility (average ∼ 36% did not appear to affect GDT accuracy. While GDT seems to be a less robust indicator of local transmission in areas of low incidence and unfavorable climate, it may indicate cases among travelers in those areas. Identifying the strengths and limitations of novel surveillance is critical for these types of data to

  13. Ethical problems inherent in psychological research based on internet communication as stored information

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Øhrstrøm, Peter; Dyhrberg, Johan

    2007-01-01

    This paper deals with certain ethical problems inherent in psychological research based on internet communication as stored information. Section 1 contains an analysis of research on Internet debates. In particular, it takes into account a famous example of deception for psychology research...... purposes. In section 2, the focus is on research on personal data in texts published on the Internet. Section 3 includes an attempt to formulate some ethical principles and guidelines, which should be regarded as fundamental in research on stored information....

  14. Internet and Fuzzy Based Control System for Rotary Kiln in Cement Manufacturing Plant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hanane Zermane

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper develops an Internet-based fuzzy control system for an industrial process plant to ensure the remote and fuzzy control in cement factories in Algeria. The remote process consists of control, diagnosing alarms occurs, maintaining and synchronizing different regulation loops. Fuzzy control of the kiln ensures that the system be operational at all times, with minimal downtime. Internet technology ensures remote control. The system reduces downtimes and can guided by operators in the main control room or via Internet.

  15. HUMANICS 1. A feasibility study to create a home internet based telehealth product to supplement acquired brain injury therapy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brooks, Tony

    2005-01-01

    The goal of the project was to produce a unique, cost effective, and user-friendly computer based telehealth system product which had longevity and the ability to be integrated modularly into a future internet-based health care communication provision. This was conceptualised as an aid to home-ba...

  16. Direct to consumer advertising via the Internet, a study of hip resurfacing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogunwale, B; Clarke, J; Young, D; Mohammed, A; Patil, S; Meek, R M D

    2009-02-01

    With increased use of the internet for health information and direct to consumer advertising from medical companies, there is concern about the quality of information available to patients. The aim of this study was to examine the quality of health information on the internet for hip resurfacing. An assessment tool was designed to measure quality of information. Websites were measured on credibility of source; usability; currentness of the information; content relevance; content accuracy/completeness and disclosure/bias. Each website assessed was given a total score, based on number of scores achieved from the above categories websites were further analysed on author, geographical origin and possession of an independent credibility check. There was positive correlation between the overall score for the website and the score of each website in each assessment category. Websites by implant companies, doctors and hospitals scored poorly. Websites with an independent credibility check such as Health on the Net (HoN) scored twice the total scores of websites without. Like other internet health websites, the quality of information on hip resurfacing websites is variable. This study highlights methods by which to assess the quality of health information on the internet and advocates that patients should look for a statement of an "independent credibility check" when searching for information on hip resurfacing.

  17. Internet usage among women with breast cancer: an exploratory study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pereira, J L; Koski, S; Hanson, J; Bruera, E D; Mackey, J R

    2000-07-01

    An increasing number of breast cancer patients are accessing the Internet for medical information. A survey was administered to breast cancer patients and their families attending follow-up outpatient clinics in a comprehensive cancer care center to explore their frequency of Internet use, their motivation for online activity, the type of information they sought, and the perceived impact of the information they found on the Internet on their medical care. The survey was conducted over a 4-month period. A total of 107 surveys were returned. Seventy-nine of these (74%) were from patients while 28 (26%) were from family members and friends. Thirty-four of the patient responses (43%) indicated that the patient had used the Internet to look for cancer-related information. Patients who had used the Internet to access cancer-related information were significantly younger (P = 0.007), better educated (P = 0.027), and less satisfied with the amount of treatment-related information given by caregivers than those patients who had not used the Internet to access cancer-related information (P = 0.032). The majority of patient Internet users desired more information on their cancer and its treatment (91%), looked up information that was presented to them by their clinicians (66%), researched other treatment options (63%), and obtained more information on "alternative treatments" (63%). Patient Internet users generally found the cancer-related information on the Internet to be useful, and the majority discussed Internet-derived information with their health care providers and perceived that clinicians listened to such information. However, 53% were undecided about the trustworthiness of the medical information obtained via the Internet. Internet nonusers commonly lacked Internet access (53%) or were unfamiliar with the Internet (33%), but few (13%) distrusted Internet-derived information. This exploratory study underscores the need for more research in this area, specifically

  18. Assessing the Acceptability and Usability of an Internet-Based Intelligent Health Assistant Developed for Use among Turkish Migrants: Results of a Study Conducted in Bremen, Germany

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Florence Samkange-Zeeb

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The Internet offers a new chance for health professionals to reach population groups not usually reached through traditional information channels, for example, migrants. Criticism has, however, been raised that most health information on the Internet is not easy to read and lacks cultural sensitivity. We developed an Internet-based bilingual health assistant especially for Turkish migrants in Germany, tested its acceptance, and evaluated its usability in a participatory research design with families with and without Turkish migrant background. The interactive health assistant covered the following: nutrition, physical activity, overweight, diabetes, as well as pregnancy and pregnancy support. The idea of an Internet-based health assistant was generally accepted by all participants of the evaluation study, as long as it would be incorporated in existing appliances, such as smartphones. The bilingual nature of the assistant was welcomed especially by first generation migrants, but migrant participants also indicated that not all health information needed to be made available in a culture-specific way. The participants were least satisfied with the nutrition component, which they felt should include recipes and ingredients from the culture of origin, as well as specific aspects of food preparation.

  19. Assessing the Acceptability and Usability of an Internet-Based Intelligent Health Assistant Developed for Use among Turkish Migrants: Results of a Study Conducted in Bremen, Germany.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samkange-Zeeb, Florence; Ernst, Sinja Alexandra; Klein-Ellinghaus, Funda; Brand, Tilman; Reeske-Behrens, Anna; Plumbaum, Till; Zeeb, Hajo

    2015-12-03

    The Internet offers a new chance for health professionals to reach population groups not usually reached through traditional information channels, for example, migrants. Criticism has, however, been raised that most health information on the Internet is not easy to read and lacks cultural sensitivity. We developed an Internet-based bilingual health assistant especially for Turkish migrants in Germany, tested its acceptance, and evaluated its usability in a participatory research design with families with and without Turkish migrant background. The interactive health assistant covered the following: nutrition, physical activity, overweight, diabetes, as well as pregnancy and pregnancy support. The idea of an Internet-based health assistant was generally accepted by all participants of the evaluation study, as long as it would be incorporated in existing appliances, such as smartphones. The bilingual nature of the assistant was welcomed especially by first generation migrants, but migrant participants also indicated that not all health information needed to be made available in a culture-specific way. The participants were least satisfied with the nutrition component, which they felt should include recipes and ingredients from the culture of origin, as well as specific aspects of food preparation.

  20. Assessing the Acceptability and Usability of an Internet-Based Intelligent Health Assistant Developed for Use among Turkish Migrants: Results of a Study Conducted in Bremen, Germany

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samkange-Zeeb, Florence; Ernst, Sinja Alexandra; Klein-Ellinghaus, Funda; Brand, Tilman; Reeske-Behrens, Anna; Plumbaum, Till; Zeeb, Hajo

    2015-01-01

    The Internet offers a new chance for health professionals to reach population groups not usually reached through traditional information channels, for example, migrants. Criticism has, however, been raised that most health information on the Internet is not easy to read and lacks cultural sensitivity. We developed an Internet-based bilingual health assistant especially for Turkish migrants in Germany, tested its acceptance, and evaluated its usability in a participatory research design with families with and without Turkish migrant background. The interactive health assistant covered the following: nutrition, physical activity, overweight, diabetes, as well as pregnancy and pregnancy support. The idea of an Internet-based health assistant was generally accepted by all participants of the evaluation study, as long as it would be incorporated in existing appliances, such as smartphones. The bilingual nature of the assistant was welcomed especially by first generation migrants, but migrant participants also indicated that not all health information needed to be made available in a culture-specific way. The participants were least satisfied with the nutrition component, which they felt should include recipes and ingredients from the culture of origin, as well as specific aspects of food preparation. PMID:26633455

  1. Internet use by physicians and its impact on medical practice-an exploratory study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwon, Ik-Whan G; Xie, Henry Yu

    2003-01-01

    Internet use by physicians has played a vital role in medical practices for many years. A number of related studies have emerged to examine the impact of Internet use on medical practice. However, there is yet to be a comprehensive study on the impact of Internet use by physicians on their medical practice. This study examines a preliminary step to explore the major implications of physicians' Internet use on the traditional areas, such as health education and learning, physician-patient relationship, and medical marketing. Barriers to Internet use are also investigated. Implication of use of the Internet in the medical practice and limitations of this study are discussed as well.

  2. Risk Factors of Internet Addiction among Internet Users: An Online Questionnaire Survey.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chia-Yi Wu

    Full Text Available Internet addiction (IA has become a major public health issue worldwide and is closely linked to psychiatric disorders and suicide. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of IA and its associated psychosocial and psychopathological determinants among internet users across different age groups.The study was a cross-sectional survey initiated by the Taiwan Suicide Prevention Center. The participants were recruited from the general public who responded to the online questionnaire. They completed a series of self-reported measures, including Chen Internet Addiction Scale-revised (CIAS-R, Five-item Brief Symptom Rating Scale (BSRS-5, Maudsley Personality Inventory (MPI, and questions about suicide and internet use habits.We enrolled 1100 respondents with a preponderance of female subjects (85.8%. Based on an optimal cutoff for CIAS-R (67/68, the prevalence rate of IA was 10.6%. People with higher scores of CIAS-R were characterized as: male, single, students, high neuroticism, life impairment due to internet use, time for internet use, online gaming, presence of psychiatric morbidity, recent suicide ideation and past suicide attempts. Multiple regression on IA showed that age, gender, neuroticism, life impairment, internet use time, and BSRS-5 score accounted for 31% of variance for CIAS-R score. Further, logistic regression showed that neuroticism, life impairment and internet use time were three main predictors for IA. Compared to those without IA, the internet addicts had higher rates of psychiatric morbidity (65.0%, suicide ideation in a week (47.0%, lifetime suicide attempts (23.1%, and suicide attempt in a year (5.1%.Neurotic personality traits, psychopathology, time for internet use and its subsequent life impairment were important predictors for IA. Individuals with IA may have higher rates of psychiatric morbidity and suicide risks. The findings provide important information for further investigation and prevention of IA.

  3. Internet-based home training is capable to improve balance in multiple sclerosis: a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frevel, D; Mäurer, M

    2015-02-01

    Balance disorders are common in multiple sclerosis. Aim of the study is to investigate the effectiveness of an Internet-based home training program (e-Training) to improve balance in patients with multiple sclerosis. A randomized, controlled study. Academic teaching hospital in cooperation with the therapeutic riding center Gut Üttingshof, Bad Mergentheim. Eighteen multiple sclerosis patients (mean EDSS 3,5) took part in the trial. Outcome of patients using e-Training (N.=9) was compared to the outcome of patients receiving hippotherapy (N.=9), which can be considered as an advanced concept for the improvement of balance and postural control in multiple sclerosis. After simple random allocation patients received hippotherapy or Internet-based home training (balance, postural control and strength training) twice a week for 12 weeks. Assessments were done before and after the intervention and included static and dynamic balance (primary outcome). Isometric muscle strength of the knee and trunk extension/flexion (dynamometer), walking capacity, fatigue and quality of life served as secondary outcome parameters. Both intervention groups showed comparable and highly significant improvement in static and dynamic balance capacity, no difference was seen between the both intervention groups. However looking at fatigue and quality of life only the group receiving hippotherapy improved significantly. Since e-Training shows even comparable effects to hippotherapy to improve balance, we believe that the established Internet-based home training program, specialized on balance and postural control training, is feasible for a balance and strength training in persons with multiple sclerosis. We demonstrated that Internet-based home training is possible in patients with multiple sclerosis.

  4. Lessons From Recruitment to an Internet-Based Survey for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: Comparison of Free and Fee-Based Methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    2018-01-01

    Background Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy (DCM) is a syndrome of subacute cervical spinal cord compression due to spinal degeneration. Although DCM is thought to be common, many fundamental questions such as the natural history and epidemiology of DCM remain unknown. In order to answer these, access to a large cohort of patients with DCM is required. With its unrivalled and efficient reach, the Internet has become an attractive tool for medical research and may overcome these limitations in DCM. The most effective recruitment strategy, however, is unknown. Objective To compare the efficacy of fee-based advertisement with alternative free recruitment strategies to a DCM Internet health survey. Methods An Internet health survey (SurveyMonkey) accessed by a new DCM Internet platform (myelopathy.org) was created. Using multiple survey collectors and the website’s Google Analytics, the efficacy of fee-based recruitment strategies (Google AdWords) and free alternatives (including Facebook, Twitter, and myelopathy.org) were compared. Results Overall, 760 surveys (513 [68%] fully completed) were accessed, 305 (40%) from fee-based strategies and 455 (60%) from free alternatives. Accounting for researcher time, fee-based strategies were more expensive ($7.8 per response compared to $3.8 per response for free alternatives) and identified a less motivated audience (Click-Through-Rate of 5% compared to 57% using free alternatives) but were more time efficient for the researcher (2 minutes per response compared to 16 minutes per response for free methods). Facebook was the most effective free strategy, providing 239 (31%) responses, where a single message to 4 existing communities yielded 133 (18%) responses within 7 days. Conclusions The Internet can efficiently reach large numbers of patients. Free and fee-based recruitment strategies both have merits. Facebook communities are a rich resource for Internet researchers. PMID:29402760

  5. Lessons From Recruitment to an Internet-Based Survey for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: Comparison of Free and Fee-Based Methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davies, Benjamin; Kotter, Mark

    2018-02-05

    Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy (DCM) is a syndrome of subacute cervical spinal cord compression due to spinal degeneration. Although DCM is thought to be common, many fundamental questions such as the natural history and epidemiology of DCM remain unknown. In order to answer these, access to a large cohort of patients with DCM is required. With its unrivalled and efficient reach, the Internet has become an attractive tool for medical research and may overcome these limitations in DCM. The most effective recruitment strategy, however, is unknown. To compare the efficacy of fee-based advertisement with alternative free recruitment strategies to a DCM Internet health survey. An Internet health survey (SurveyMonkey) accessed by a new DCM Internet platform (myelopathy.org) was created. Using multiple survey collectors and the website's Google Analytics, the efficacy of fee-based recruitment strategies (Google AdWords) and free alternatives (including Facebook, Twitter, and myelopathy.org) were compared. Overall, 760 surveys (513 [68%] fully completed) were accessed, 305 (40%) from fee-based strategies and 455 (60%) from free alternatives. Accounting for researcher time, fee-based strategies were more expensive ($7.8 per response compared to $3.8 per response for free alternatives) and identified a less motivated audience (Click-Through-Rate of 5% compared to 57% using free alternatives) but were more time efficient for the researcher (2 minutes per response compared to 16 minutes per response for free methods). Facebook was the most effective free strategy, providing 239 (31%) responses, where a single message to 4 existing communities yielded 133 (18%) responses within 7 days. The Internet can efficiently reach large numbers of patients. Free and fee-based recruitment strategies both have merits. Facebook communities are a rich resource for Internet researchers. ©Benjamin Davies, Mark Kotter. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (http

  6. Effects of Internet and Smartphone Addictions on Depression and Anxiety Based on Propensity Score Matching Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Yeon-Jin; Jang, Hye Min; Lee, Youngjo; Lee, Donghwan; Kim, Dai-Jin

    2018-04-25

    The associations of Internet addiction (IA) and smartphone addiction (SA) with mental health problems have been widely studied. We investigated the effects of IA and SA on depression and anxiety while adjusting for sociodemographic variables. In this study, 4854 participants completed a cross-sectional web-based survey including socio-demographic items, the Korean Scale for Internet Addiction, the Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale, and the subscales of the Symptom Checklist 90 Items-Revised. The participants were classified into IA, SA, and normal use (NU) groups. To reduce sampling bias, we applied the propensity score matching method based on genetics matching. The IA group showed an increased risk of depression (relative risk 1.207; p smartphone use.

  7. Influence of Internet Accessibility and Demographic factors on utilization of Web-based Health Information Resources by Resident Doctors in Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ajuwon, G A; Popoola, S O

    2014-09-01

    The internet is a huge library with avalanche of information resources including healthcare information. There are numerous studies on use of electronic resources by healthcare providers including medical practitioners however, there is a dearth of information on the patterns of use of web-based health information resource by resident doctors in Nigeria. This study therefore investigates the influence of internet accessibility and demographic factors on utilization of web-based health information resources by resident doctors in tertiary healthcare institutions in Nigeria. Descriptive survey design was adopted for this study. The population of study consisted of medical doctors undergoing residency training in 13 tertiary healthcare institutions in South-West Nigeria. The tertiary healthcare institutions were Federal Medical Centres, University Teaching Hospitals and Specialist Hospitals (Neuropsychiatric and Orthopaedic). A pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for data analysis. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moment correlation and multiple regression analysis. The mean age of the respondents was 34 years and males were in the majority (69.0%). A total of 96.1% respondents had access to the Internet. E-mail (X̄=5.40, SD=0.91), Google (X̄=5.26, SD=1.38), Yahoo (X̄=5.15, SD=4.44) were used weekly by the respondents. Preparation for Seminar/Grand Round presentation (X̄=8.4, SD=1.92), research (X̄=7.8, SD=2.70) and communication (X̄=7.6, SD=2.60) were ranked high as purposes for use of web-based information resources. There is a strong, positive and significant relationship between internet accessibility and utilization of web-based health information resources (r=0.628, pdesignation (B=-0.343) educational qualification (B=2.411) significantly influence utilization of web-based health information resources of the respondents. A

  8. Differential psychological impact of internet exposure on Internet addicts.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michela Romano

    Full Text Available The study explored the immediate impact of internet exposure on the mood and psychological states of internet addicts and low internet-users. Participants were given a battery of psychological tests to explore levels of internet addiction, mood, anxiety, depression, schizotypy, and autism traits. They were then given exposure to the internet for 15 min, and re-tested for mood and current anxiety. Internet addiction was associated with long-standing depression, impulsive nonconformity, and autism traits. High internet-users also showed a pronounced decrease in mood following internet use compared to the low internet-users. The immediate negative impact of exposure to the internet on the mood of internet addicts may contribute to increased usage by those individuals attempting to reduce their low mood by re-engaging rapidly in internet use.

  9. Differential psychological impact of internet exposure on Internet addicts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romano, Michela; Osborne, Lisa A; Truzoli, Roberto; Reed, Phil

    2013-01-01

    The study explored the immediate impact of internet exposure on the mood and psychological states of internet addicts and low internet-users. Participants were given a battery of psychological tests to explore levels of internet addiction, mood, anxiety, depression, schizotypy, and autism traits. They were then given exposure to the internet for 15 min, and re-tested for mood and current anxiety. Internet addiction was associated with long-standing depression, impulsive nonconformity, and autism traits. High internet-users also showed a pronounced decrease in mood following internet use compared to the low internet-users. The immediate negative impact of exposure to the internet on the mood of internet addicts may contribute to increased usage by those individuals attempting to reduce their low mood by re-engaging rapidly in internet use.

  10. Effectiveness of a transdiagnostic internet-based protocol for the treatment of emotional disorders versus treatment as usual in specialized care: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    González-Robles, Alberto; García-Palacios, Azucena; Baños, Rosa; Riera, Antonio; Llorca, Ginés; Traver, Francisco; Haro, Gonzalo; Palop, Vicente; Lera, Guillem; Romeu, José Enrique; Botella, Cristina

    2015-10-31

    Emotional disorders (depression and anxiety disorders) are highly prevalent mental health problems. Although evidence showing the effectiveness of disorder-specific treatments exists, high comorbidity rates among emotional disorders limit the utility of these protocols. This has led some researchers to focus their interest on transdiagnostic interventions, a treatment perspective that might be more widely effective across these disorders. Also, the current way of delivering treatments makes it difficult provide assistance to all of the population in need. The use of the Internet in the delivery of evidence-based treatments may help to disseminate treatments among the population. In this study, we aim to test the effectiveness of EmotionRegulation, a new transdiagnostic Internet-based protocol for unipolar mood disorders, five anxiety disorders (panic disorder, agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and anxiety disorder not otherwise specified), and obsessive-compulsive disorder in comparison to treatment as usual as provided in Spanish public specialized mental health care. We will also study its potential impact on basic temperament dimensions (neuroticism/behavioral inhibition and extraversion/behavioral activation). Expectations and opinions of patients about this protocol will also be studied. The study is a randomized controlled trial. 200 participants recruited in specialized care will be allocated to one of two treatment conditions: a) EmotionRegulation or b) treatment as usual. Primary outcome measures will be the BAI and the BDI-II. Secondary outcomes will include a specific measure of the principal disorder, and measures of neuroticism/behavioral inhibition and extraversion/behavioral activation. Patients will be assessed at baseline, post-treatment, and 3- and 12-month follow-ups. Intention to treat and per protocol analyses will be performed. Although the effectiveness of face-to-face transdiagnostic protocols has been

  11. Readability assessment of Internet-based patient education materials related to endoscopic sinus surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cherla, Deepa V; Sanghvi, Saurin; Choudhry, Osamah J; Liu, James K; Eloy, Jean Anderson

    2012-08-01

    Numerous professional societies, clinical practices, and hospitals provide Internet-based patient education materials (PEMs) to the general public, but not all of this information is written at a reading level appropriate for the average patient. The National Institutes of Health and the US Department of Health and Human Services recommend that PEMs be written at or below the sixth-grade level. Our purpose was to assess the readability of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS)-related PEMs available on the Internet and compare readability levels of PEMs provided by three sources: professional societies, clinical practices, and hospitals. A descriptive and correlational design was used for this study. The readability of 31 ESS-related PEMs was assessed with four different readability indices: Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), and Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook (Gunning FOG). Averages were evaluated against national recommendations and between each source using analysis of variance and t tests. The majority of PEMs (96.8%) were written above the recommended sixth-grade reading level, based on FKGL (P Internet-based PEMs related to ESS, regardless of source type, were written well above the recommended sixth-grade level. Materials from the hospitals/university-affiliated websites had lower readability scores, but were still above recommended levels. Web-based PEMs pertaining to ESS should be written with the average patient in mind. Copyright © 2012 The American Laryngological, Rhinological, and Otological Society, Inc.

  12. Internet-based remote consultations - general practitioner experience and attitudes in Norway and Germany.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kampik, Timotheus; Larsen, Frank; Bellika, Johan Gustav

    2015-01-01

    The objective of the study was to identify experiences and attitudes of German and Norwegian general practitioners (GPs) towards Internet-based remote consultation solutions supporting communication between GPs and patients in the context of the German and Norwegian healthcare systems. Interviews with four German and five Norwegian GPs were conducted. The results were qualitatively analyzed. All interviewed GPs stated they would like to make use of Internet-based remote consultations in the future. Current experiences with remote consultations are existent to a limited degree. No GP reported to use a comprehensive remote consultation solution. The main features GPs would like to see in a remote consultation solution include asynchronous exchange of text messages, video conferencing with text chat, scheduling of remote consultation appointments, secure login and data transfer and the integration of the remote consultation solution into the GP's EHR system.

  13. Quota sampling in internet research: practical issues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Im, Eun-Ok; Chee, Wonshik

    2011-07-01

    Quota sampling has been suggested as a potentially good method for Internet-based research and has been used by several researchers working with Internet samples. However, very little is known about the issues or concerns in using a quota sampling method in Internet research. The purpose of this article was to present the practical issues using quota sampling in an Internet-based study. During the Internet study, the research team recorded all recruitment issues that arose and made written notes indicating the possible reasons for the problems. In addition, biweekly team discussions were conducted for which written records were kept. Overall, quota sampling was effective in ensuring that an adequate number of midlife women were recruited from the targeted ethnic groups. However, during the study process, we encountered the following practical issues using quota sampling: (1) difficulty reaching out to women in lower socioeconomic classes, (2) difficulty ensuring authenticity of participants' identities, (3) participants giving inconsistent answers for the screening questions versus the Internet survey questions, (4) potential problems with a question on socioeconomic status, (5) resentment toward the research project and/or researchers because of rejection, and (6) a longer time and more expense than anticipated.

  14. Guided Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for mild and moderate depression: A benchmarking study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hanne Jakobsen

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Major depression is among the most common and debilitating disorders worldwide, associated with large societal and individual costs. Effective treatments exist, but accessibility is scarce. Guided Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (guided iCBT is a promising approach to reach more people in need of help. In the present pilot study, we investigated the outcome of a guided iCBT program for mild and moderate depression when disseminated from Sweden to Norway. The guided iCBT intervention was implemented within a university-based outpatient clinic by six student therapists under supervision. Twenty-two participants with mild and moderate depression were included in the study. Large treatment effects were found for depressive symptoms, whereas small to medium effects were observed for anxiety symptoms. More than half (55% of the participants were classified as recovered at post-treatment and more than a third (41% at follow-up. No participants had a significant deterioration from pre- to post-treatment, but two reported a significant deterioration from post-treatment to 6-month follow-up. Benchmarking the present results against those reported in the four original Swedish studies, we found that the treatment effect in the Norwegian study was slightly higher at post-treatment and slightly lower at 6-month follow-up compared to the outcome in the Swedish studies. The results should be interpreted with caution, as our sample was small and had no control group.

  15. Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Residual Symptoms in Bipolar Disorder Type II: A Single-Subject Design Pilot Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holländare, Fredrik; Eriksson, Annsofi; Lövgren, Lisa; Humble, Mats B; Boersma, Katja

    2015-04-23

    Bipolar disorder is a chronic condition with recurring episodes that often lead to suffering, decreased functioning, and sick leave. Pharmacotherapy in the form of mood stabilizers is widely available, but does not eliminate the risk of a new depressive or (hypo)manic episode. One way to reduce the risk of future episodes is to combine pharmacological treatment with individual or group psychological interventions. However, access to such interventions is often limited due to a shortage of trained therapists. In unipolar depression there is now robust evidence of the effectiveness of Internet-based psychological interventions, usually comprising psychoeducation and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Internet-based interventions for persons suffering from bipolar disorder could increase access to psychological treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of an Internet-based intervention, as well as its effect on residual depressive symptoms in persons diagnosed with bipolar disorder type II (BP-II). The most important outcomes were depressive symptoms, treatment adherence, and whether the patient perceived the intervention as helpful. A total of 7 patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder type II at a Swedish psychiatric outpatient clinic were offered the opportunity to participate. Of the 7 patients, 3 (43%) dropped out before treatment began, and 4 (57%) were treated by means of an online, Internet-based intervention based on CBT (iCBT). The intervention was primarily aimed at psychoeducation, treatment of residual depressive symptoms, emotion regulation, and improved sleep. All patients had ongoing pharmacological treatment at recruitment and established contact with a psychiatrist. The duration of BP-II among the treated patients was between 6 and 31 years. A single-subject design was used and the results of the 4 participating patients were presented individually. Initiating treatment was perceived as too demanding under current life

  16. Bearing load distribution studies in a multi bearing rotor system and a remote computing method based on the internet

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Zhao Jian; Peng, Ze Jun; Kim, Seock Sam

    2004-01-01

    A model in the form of a Bearing Load Distribution (BLD) matrix in the Multi Bearing Rotor System (MBRS) is established by a transfer matrix equation with the consideration of a bearing load, elevation and uniform load distribution. The concept of Bearing Load Sensitivity (BLS) is proposed and matrices for load and elevation sensitivity are obtained. In order to share MBRS design resources on the internet with remote customers, the basic principle of Remote Computing (RC) based on the internet is introduced ; the RC of the BLD and BLS is achieved by Microsoft Active Server Pages (ASP) technology

  17. Internet-based versus traditional teaching and learning methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2014-10-01

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

  18. Internet gambling is a predictive factor of Internet addictive behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Critselis, Elena; Janikian, Mari; Paleomilitou, Noni; Oikonomou, Despoina; Kassinopoulos, Marios; Kormas, George; Tsitsika, Artemis

    2013-12-01

    Adolescent Internet gambling is associated with concomitant addictive behaviors. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of Internet gambling practices, its impact upon psychosocial development and to evaluate the association between gambling practices and Internet addictive behavior among Cypriot adolescents. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a convenience sample (n = 805) of adolescents attending selected public schools (9th and 10th grades) in Cyprus. Anonymous self-completed questionnaires were used including the Internet Addiction Test and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Among the study population (n = 805), approximately one third (n = 28; 34.9%) reported Internet gambling. Internet gamblers were twice as likely to utilize Internet café portals (adjusted odds ratio for gender and age, AOR: 2.13; 95% confidence interval, 95% CI: 1.56-2.91) for interactive game-playing (AOR: 6.84; 95% CI: 4.23-11.07), chat-rooms (AOR: 2.57; 95% CI: 1.31-4.85), and retrieval of sexual information (AOR: 1.99; 95% CI: 1.42-2.81). Among Internet gamblers 26.0% (n = 73) reported borderline addictive Internet use and 4.3% (n = 12) addictive behavior. Internet gamblers more often had comprehensive psychosocial and emotional maladjustment (AOR: 4.00; 95% CI: 1.97-8.13), including Abnormal Conduct Problems (AOR: 3.26; 95% CI: 2.00-5.32), Emotional Symptoms (AOR: 1.78; 95% CI: 1.02-3.11), and Peer Problems (AOR: 2.44; 95% CI: 1.08-5.48) scores. The multivariate regression analyses indicated that the single independent predictor associated with Internet addictive behavior was Internet gambling (AOR: 5.66; 95% CI: 1.45-22.15). Internet gambling is associated with addictive Internet use, as well as emotional maladjustment and behavioral problems, among Cypriot adolescents. Longitudinal studies are needed to elucidate whether Internet gambling constitutes a risk factor for the development of Internet addictive behavior among adolescents.

  19. A novel Internet-based blended learning programme providing core competency in clinical research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsugihashi, Yukio; Kakudate, Naoki; Yokoyama, Yoko; Yamamoto, Yosuke; Mishina, Hiroki; Fukumori, Norio; Nakamura, Fumiaki; Takegami, Misa; Ohno, Shinya; Wakita, Takafumi; Watanabe, Kazuhiro; Yamaguchi, Takuhiro; Fukuhara, Shunichi

    2013-04-01

    We developed a novel Internet-based blended learning programme that allows busy health care professionals to attain core competency in clinical research. This study details the educational strategies and learning outcomes of the programme. This study was conducted at Kyoto University and seven satellite campuses from September 2009 to March 2010. A total of 176 health care professionals who had never attempted to attain core competency in clinical research were enrolled. The participants were supplied with a novel programme comprising the following four strategies: online live lectures at seven satellite campuses, short examinations after each lecture, an Internet-based feedback system and an end-of-course examination. We assessed the proportion of attendance at the lectures as the main outcome. In addition, we evaluated interaction via the feedback system and scores for end-of-course examination. Of the 176 participants, 134 (76%) reported working more than 40 hours per week. The mean proportion of attendance over all 23 lectures was 82%. A total of 156 (89%) participants attended more than 60% of all lectures and were eligible for the end-of-course examination. A total of the participants accessed the feedback system 3564 times and asked 284 questions. No statistically significant differences were noted in the end-of-course scores among medical doctors, pharmacists, registered nurses and other occupations. We developed an Internet-based blended learning programme providing core competency in clinical research. Most busy health care professionals completed the programme successfully. In addition, the participants could attain the core competency effectively, regardless of their occupation. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  20. SHOULD WE BE CONSERED ABOUT CHILDREN USE OF INTERNET? – PILOT STUDY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tarik Smailbegović

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Addiction of internet and problematic internet use is a growing problem in Bosnian scholars. There are many risk factors for addiction and problematic use of Internet found at school and at home. The purpose of this study is to examine scholar's habits and experiences while using the internet and to identify the most common dangers to which children are exposed during a web search. The main risks to which children are exposed while using the internet are: sexual or violent content, direct communication with persons seeking inappropriate relationships, exposure to disturbing, hostile or inappropriate messages, and the isolation of the child due to too frequent and prolonged use of the internet. The study was conducted on a sample of 1,941 scholars from fifth to eight grades in Sarajevo. Problematic use of internet is common among scholars in Sarajevo. Serious risk factors are found at home and at school. The results show that scholars of different ages differ in terms of their use of the internet, owning a Facebook profile, frequency and purposes of internet use, as well as releasing personal information on the internet, confronting pornographic content and internet addiction. Researchers did not find a statistically significant difference between scholars of different ages in experiencing violence on the internet. According to the search results, children whose parents did not pay enough attention to the activities of their children on the internet are more frequently confronted with pornographic content and are more likely to experience violence on the internet and show more signs of internet addiction. Effective measures are needed to prevent the spread of this problem.

  1. Internet use and the digital divide in the English longitudinal study of ageing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gilleard, Chris; Higgs, Paul

    2008-09-01

    This paper examines the digital divide in Internet use in later life. We hypothesise that the differential diffusion of domestic information and communication technologies between pre- and post-Second World War cohorts is primarily responsible for this divide rather than either age-associated structural inequalities or age-related intrinsic features of mental and/or physical infirmity. Using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing we show that age/cohort differences in Internet use persist after income, education, employment and health status are controlled for. However, when engagement with domestic information and communication technology and cultural activities are taken into account, age/cohort influences on Internet use decline. These contingent 'age/cohort' effects suggest that 'generational' rather than 'structural' or 'stage of life' influences may be more salient explanations of the (age-based) digital divide.

  2. Internet-based cognitive behaviour therapy and physical exercise - Effects studied by automated telephone assessments in mental ill-health patients; a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strid, Catharina; Andersson, Claes; Forsell, Yvonne; Öjehagen, Agneta; Lundh, Lars-Gunnar

    2016-11-01

    Mental ill-health has become a large health problem and it is important for caregivers to provide effective treatment alternatives. REGASSA is a randomized controlled study performed in primary care to study the effects of 12 weeks of Internet-based cognitive behaviour therapy (ICBT) and physical exercise (PE) compared with treatment as usual (TAU) in patients with mild-to-moderate mental ill-health. The present study aimed to examine the results of these treatment alternatives on psychological functioning, stress, and sleep disturbances. The study comprised 879 patients with mental ill-health taking part in the REGASSA study. Data were collected by Interactive Voice Response (IVR), a computerized, automated telephone technique. The treatments were compared at baseline, twice during treatment, at the end of treatment and at three follow-ups after treatment. Measures used were the Outcome Questionnaire-45, the short versions of the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Karolinska Sleep Questionnaire. Linear mixed models showed that the patients in ICBT and PE had better results than in TAU on psychological functioning and sleep disturbances, p effect sizes. On stress there were no differences; all groups made improvements. Women had stronger effects than men. More patients recovered on psychological functioning (OQ-45) in ICBT and PE than in TAU. Internet-based cognitive behaviour therapy and PE proved to be effective treatment alternatives for patients with mild-to-moderate mental ill-health in improving psychological functioning, stress, and sleep disturbances and could be useful alternatives in primary care. Internet-based cognitive behaviour therapy and physical exercise proved to be effective treatment alternatives for mental ill-health patients in primary care. Automated techniques (Interactive Voice Response) could be useful for following treatment course in large groups of patients in the health care. It is important to use measures that capture different

  3. The Effect of Students' Perceptions of Internet Information Quality on Their Use of Internet Information in Inquiry-Based Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pow, Jacky; Li, Sandy C.

    2015-01-01

    In Web 2.0 environments, the quality of published information can vary significantly and much of the information on the Internet is unproven. This unverified information hinders rather than facilitates student learning, especially among undergraduate students who depend heavily on Internet resources for their studies. Currently, we do not have…

  4. Differential Psychological Impact of Internet Exposure on Internet Addicts

    OpenAIRE

    Romano, Michela; Osborne, Lisa A.; Truzoli, Roberto; Reed, Phil

    2013-01-01

    The study explored the immediate impact of internet exposure on the mood and psychological states of internet addicts and low internet-users. Participants were given a battery of psychological tests to explore levels of internet addiction, mood, anxiety, depression, schizotypy, and autism traits. They were then given exposure to the internet for 15 min, and re-tested for mood and current anxiety. Internet addiction was associated with long-standing depression, impulsive nonconformity, and aut...

  5. Internet addiction in a group of medical students: a cross sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pramanik, T; Sherpa, M T; Shrestha, R

    2012-03-01

    The use of Internet for education, recreation and communication is increasing day by day. Nevertheless, the possibility of exploitation and addiction leading to impairment in academic performance and emotional balance cannot be denied, especially among young population. The study was aimed to measure the degree of Internet addiction among a group of medical students. Internet addiction test questionnaire developed by Young was used to assess mild, moderate and severe addiction. Amongst the study population (n=130, age 19-23 years), 40% had mild addiction. Moderate and severe addiction was found in 41.53% and 3.07% of the participants respectively. The study revealed that 24% often and 19.2% always found themselves using Internet longer than they had planned or thought. Late night Internet surfing leading to sleep deprivation was found in 31.53% of the participants. Almost one fourth of them (25.38%) occasionally tried to cut down the time they spent on the Internet but failed and 31.53% sometimes experienced restlessness when deprived of Internet access. Results reflected that a significant number of participants suffered from mild to moderate addiction. The role of counseling and education should be emphasized for prevention of Internet addiction.

  6. Customer perceptions on Internet banking information protection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    André Redlinghuis

    2010-12-01

    Objectives: This article has reported on the results of a survey (a close-ended questionnaire that was conducted by alumni of the University of Johannesburg (UJ. The research problem for this study has been formulated as ‘what are Internet banking customers’ perception on information protection when using Internet banking services and products?’ Method: The methodology for this study falls on quantitative research. The research study consisted of a detailed literature review, followed by an empirical component which consisted of a quantitative questionnaire. The questionnaire used in this study consisted of eight sections covering biographical information, financial institution and Internet banking, Internet banking service quality and delivery, Internet banking functionality, Internet banking costs, Internet banking convenience and relationships, Internet banking trust and Internet banking security and information technology (IT. Results: It was established that the findings of this research could assist financial institutions with fostering and building greater value adding relationships with their customers. These value-adding endeavours will ensure that customers experience and perceive their Internet banking experience to be enriching. Education and awareness campaigns are key focus areas financial institutions should continuously invest in. Information should be easily retrievable and communicated in a manner that makes sense to the diverse customer base, especially within South Africa with its diverse cultures and languages. Conclusion: The final conclusion that could be reached is that Internet banking products and services will continue to grow across various divides and platforms as the Internet costs decrease in future, the growth of Internet related products and services such as Internet banking will increase.

  7. Decoding the Metaphor of Internet Meme: A Study of Satirical ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study examined an emerging trend in Internet discourse as metaphorical constructs used by individuals for communication online. The Internet meme is an evolving trend used for satirical illustrations and expression of intents in multimodal ways. While previous studies have focused on verbal metaphors signaled by ...

  8. Internet Addiction Through the Phase of Adolescence: A Questionnaire Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oreskovic, Stjepan

    2017-01-01

    Background Adolescents increasingly use the Internet for communication, education, entertainment, and other purposes in varying degrees. Given their vulnerable age, they may be prone to Internet addiction. Objective Our aim was to identify possible differences in the purpose of Internet use among adolescents with respect to age subgroup, country of residence, and gender and the distribution of Internet addiction across age subgroups. Another aim was to determine if there is a correlation between the purpose of Internet use and age and if this interaction influences the level of addiction to the Internet. Methods The study included a simple random sample of 1078 adolescents—534 boys and 525 girls—aged 11-18 years attending elementary and grammar schools in Croatia, Finland, and Poland. Adolescents were asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire and provide data on age, gender, country of residence, and purpose of Internet use (ie, school/work or entertainment). Collected data were analyzed with the chi-square test for correlations. Results Adolescents mostly used the Internet for entertainment (905/1078, 84.00%). More female than male adolescents used it for school/work (105/525, 20.0% vs 64/534, 12.0%, respectively). Internet for the purpose of school/work was mostly used by Polish adolescents (71/296, 24.0%), followed by Croatian (78/486, 16.0%) and Finnish (24/296, 8.0%) adolescents. The level of Internet addiction was the highest among the 15-16-year-old age subgroup and was lowest in the 11-12-year-old age subgroup. There was a weak but positive correlation between Internet addiction and age subgroup (P=.004). Male adolescents mostly contributed to the correlation between the age subgroup and level of addiction to the Internet (P=.001). Conclusions Adolescents aged 15-16 years, especially male adolescents, are the most prone to the development of Internet addiction, whereas adolescents aged 11-12 years show the lowest level of Internet addiction. PMID

  9. Influence of Internet dissemination on hospital selection for benign surgical disease: A single center retrospective study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Sung Ryul; Koo, Bum Hwan; Byun, Geon Young; Lee, Seung Geun; Kim, Myoung Jin; Hong, Soo Kyung; Kim, Su Yeon; Lee, Yu Jin

    2018-05-17

    The Internet is used worldwide, but its effect on hospital selection of minor surgical disease has not hitherto been thoroughly studied. To investigate the effect of the Internet dissemination on hospital selection of minor surgical disease and information affecting selection, we conducted a survey of patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery from January 2016 to April 2017. We analyzed the questionnaire responses of 1916 patients. Over 80% of patients in all groups selected the hospital based on Internet information. Among patients aged over 60 years, 65.1% selected the hospital based on Internet information. With regard to hospital selection factors, the highest number of responses was for sophisticated surgical treatment (93.1%). The second highest was for a simplified medical care system (33.0%); third was a comprehensive nursing care system (18.1%). Among responses about surgical treatment, the most were obtained for short operation time and fewer hospitalization days (81.5%). Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  10. Lessons Learned from Real-Time, Event-Based Internet Science Communications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillips, T.; Myszka, E.; Gallagher, D. L.; Adams, M. L.; Koczor, R. J.; Whitaker, Ann F. (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    For the last several years the Science Directorate at Marshall Space Flight Center has carried out a diverse program of Internet-based science communication. The Directorate's Science Roundtable includes active researchers, NASA public relations, educators, and administrators. The Science@NASA award-winning family of Web sites features science, mathematics, and space news. The program includes extended stories about NASA science, a curriculum resource for teachers tied to national education standards, on-line activities for students, and webcasts of real-time events. The focus of sharing science activities in real-time has been to involve and excite students and the public about science. Events have involved meteor showers, solar eclipses, natural very low frequency radio emissions, and amateur balloon flights. In some cases, broadcasts accommodate active feedback and questions from Internet participants. Through these projects a pattern has emerged in the level of interest or popularity with the public. The pattern differentiates projects that include science from those that do not, All real-time, event-based Internet activities have captured public interest at a level not achieved through science stories or educator resource material exclusively. The worst event-based activity attracted more interest than the best written science story. One truly rewarding lesson learned through these projects is that the public recognizes the importance and excitement of being part of scientific discovery. Flying a camera to 100,000 feet altitude isn't as interesting to the public as searching for viable life-forms at these oxygen-poor altitudes. The details of these real-time, event-based projects and lessons learned will be discussed.

  11. INTERBED: internet-based guided self-help for overweight and obese patients with full or subsyndromal binge eating disorder. A multicenter randomized controlled trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    de Zwaan Martina

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Binge eating disorder (BED is a prevalent clinical eating disorder associated with increased psychopathology, psychiatric comorbidity, overweight and obesity, and increased health care costs. Since its inclusion in the DSM-IV, a few randomized controlled trials (RCTs have suggested efficacy of book-based self-help interventions in the treatment of this disorder. However, evidence from larger RCTs is needed. Delivery of self-help through new technologies such as the internet should be investigated in particular, as these approaches have the potential to be more interactive and thus more attractive to patients than book-based approaches. This study will evaluate the efficacy of an internet-based guided self-help program (GSH-I and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT, which has been proven in several studies to be the gold standard treatment for BED, in a prospective multicenter randomized trial. Methods The study assumes the noninferiority of GSH-I compared to CBT. Both treatments lasted 4 months, and maintenance of outcome will be assessed 6 and 18 months after the end of treatment. A total of 175 patients with BED and a body mass index between 27 and 40 kg/m2 were randomized at 7 centers in Germany and Switzerland. A 20% attrition rate was assumed. As in most BED treatment trials, the difference in the number of binge eating days over the past 28 days is the primary outcome variable. Secondary outcome measures include the specific eating disorder psychopathology, general psychopathology, body weight, quality of life, and self-esteem. Predictors and moderators of treatment outcome will be determined, and the cost-effectiveness of both treatment conditions will be evaluated. Results The methodology for the INTERBED study has been detailed. Conclusions Although there is evidence that CBT is the first-line treatment for BED, it is not widely available. As BED is still a recent diagnostic category, many cases likely remain

  12. Research on Data Mining of the Internet of Things Based on Cloud Computing Platform

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Wenqing

    2018-02-01

    Based on the development of society and the progress of information technology, China’s information industry has made great progress and has gradually become an important pillar of national economic development. In this context, the gradual integration of information technology had promoted the construction of the Internet of Things system, so as to promote the human life developed in the direction of modernization intelligently. At present, in the process of forming the development of the Internet of Things the first need to fully tap the data, which thus provide users with better service, for the development of large-scale development of the Internet. This paper analyzes the meaning of Internet of things, and discusses the characteristics of Internet of things and data mining, hoping to promote the improvement on the Internet of Things system in China, and thus promote the realization of higher efficiency.

  13. Internet Addiction Based on Personality Characteristics of High School Students in Kerman, Iran

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zamani, Bibi Eshrat; Abedini, Yasamin; Kheradmand, Ali

    2011-01-01

    Background The new phenomenon of Internet addiction among teenagers and young adults is one of the modern addictions in industrial and post-industrial societies. The purpose of this research was to predict the Internet addiction based on the personality characteristics of high school students in Kerman. Methods This research was a descriptive correlational study. The statistical population included 538 male and female students in the second grade of high school in Kerman during 2010. The subjects were randomly selected by multistage clustering. Data was collected by two questionnaires including the five-factor Revised NEO Personality Inventory and the Internet dependency questionnaire. The data was analyzed using ANOVA test and multivariable regression analysis. Findings The findings showed a significant relationship between the personality trait of emotional stability and academic fields, i.e. students with higher emotional stability experience less negative emotions when confronting with problems. Therefore, it is less likely for them to alleviate the negative emotions by the extreme and obsessed usage of the Internet. In addition, it appears that the students with high extroversion scores prefer social, face to face interactions with other people to interaction with the virtual world. Conversely, more introvert students avoid interactions with other people due to their shyness. Thus, they communicate with the virtual world more. Conclusion Three personality traits of loyalty, emotional stability, and extroversion are the most significant predictors of Internet addiction in high school students. PMID:24494121

  14. The Internet Self-Perception Scale: Measuring Elementary Students' Levels of Self-Efficacy regarding Internet Use

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hinson, Janice; DiStefano, Christine; Daniel, Cathy

    2003-01-01

    This study investigated fourth grade students' perceptions of abilities to use the Internet. The 31-item research instrument measuring Internet Self-Perceptions was adapted for use from the Reader Self-Perception Scale (RSPS) developed by Henk and Melnick (1995). The RSPS survey was based upon Bandura's (1977, 1986, 1995) research in the areas of…

  15. STUDY ON THE EVOLUTION AND USE OF INTERNET BANKING SERVICES IN ROMANIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    KISS MARTA

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Nowadays, Internet banking is a service provided by all Romanian banks which has become a daily need for millions of users. This study contains a brief overview of the Internet banking services usage level in the European Union for the period 2007-2016. An increasing in the use of Internet banking services in the EU can be observed at the level of the analysed period. At the same time we compared the users (individuals aged 16 to 74 of Internet banking services to other European countries and we found that the users of the Internet banking services in Romania are still far below the European average but the trend is an upward one. In this study we have focused our attention only on Internet banking, as it is the most commonly used payment instrument in the Romanian practice of remote access payment instruments. The indicators considered in this study were the Internet banking users and the Internet users. We have used the model of the simple linear regression to highlight the existence of a relationship between the variables. In this respect we used statistical data taken from Eurostat and Romanian Ministry of Communications and Information Society as well as data provided by the Romanian National Institute of Statistics for the period 2009-2014. The results of the model have pointed out the fact that the rise of the number of Internet users leads to an increase of the number of Internet banking users.

  16. The Prevalence of Internet and Social Media Based Medication Information Seeking Behavior in Saudi Arabia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bahkali, Salwa; Alfurih, Suha; Aldremly, Maha; Alzayyat, Ma'an; Alsurimi, Khaled; Househ, Mowafa

    2016-01-01

    The internet has become an important resource to help people search for online medication information. This study aims to report the prevalence and profile of Saudi online medication seeking behavior. Conducted via a web-based survey with Twitter participants between January-February, 2015, the primary outcome measures were the self-reported rates of using the internet to search for medication related information. A valid sample of 4847 participants was collected over the period of the study. Out of the total participants, 68.3% (n=3311) were found to seek online medication related information frequently. Most of the social media users were female 83.5% (n=2766). The majority of respondents 63.6% (n= 3081) used Google, followed by Twitter 28.7% (n= 1392), Snapchat 21%, (n=1019), WhatsApp 13.8% (n= 670), Instagram 11.4%, (n= 553), and Facebook 5.5 % (n= 267), with few searching YouTube 1.3% (n=65) to access online medication information. Findings indicate that the Saudi population actively uses the internet and social media to obtain medication information. Further studies are needed to explore the influence of the internet and social media on user perception, attitude, and behavior with the use of online medication information.

  17. Internet-based biosurveillance methods for vector-borne diseases: Are they novel public health tools or just novelties?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pollett, Simon; Althouse, Benjamin M; Forshey, Brett; Rutherford, George W; Jarman, Richard G

    2017-11-01

    Internet-based surveillance methods for vector-borne diseases (VBDs) using "big data" sources such as Google, Twitter, and internet newswire scraping have recently been developed, yet reviews on such "digital disease detection" methods have focused on respiratory pathogens, particularly in high-income regions. Here, we present a narrative review of the literature that has examined the performance of internet-based biosurveillance for diseases caused by vector-borne viruses, parasites, and other pathogens, including Zika, dengue, other arthropod-borne viruses, malaria, leishmaniasis, and Lyme disease across a range of settings, including low- and middle-income countries. The fundamental features, advantages, and drawbacks of each internet big data source are presented for those with varying familiarity of "digital epidemiology." We conclude with some of the challenges and future directions in using internet-based biosurveillance for the surveillance and control of VBD.

  18. Internet-based biosurveillance methods for vector-borne diseases: Are they novel public health tools or just novelties?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simon Pollett

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Internet-based surveillance methods for vector-borne diseases (VBDs using "big data" sources such as Google, Twitter, and internet newswire scraping have recently been developed, yet reviews on such "digital disease detection" methods have focused on respiratory pathogens, particularly in high-income regions. Here, we present a narrative review of the literature that has examined the performance of internet-based biosurveillance for diseases caused by vector-borne viruses, parasites, and other pathogens, including Zika, dengue, other arthropod-borne viruses, malaria, leishmaniasis, and Lyme disease across a range of settings, including low- and middle-income countries. The fundamental features, advantages, and drawbacks of each internet big data source are presented for those with varying familiarity of "digital epidemiology." We conclude with some of the challenges and future directions in using internet-based biosurveillance for the surveillance and control of VBD.

  19. Study of Self-Efficacy Perceptions of Social Studies Teacher Candidates on Educational Internet Usage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akman, Özkan

    2016-01-01

    This study aimed at examining the self-efficacy perceptions of social studies teacher candidates with respect to educational internet use. This research was conducted on a sample of 174 social studies teacher candidates enrolled in Gaziantep University Nizip Faculty of Education. The "Educational Internet Self-Efficacy Scale," developed…

  20. Twenty years of Internet-based research at SCiP: A discussion of surviving concepts and new methodologies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolfe, Christopher R

    2017-10-01

    This discussion of the symposium 20 Years of Internet-Based Research at SCiP: Surviving Concepts, New Methodologies compares the issues faced by the pioneering Internet-based psychology researchers who presented at the first symposia on the topic, at the 1996 annual meeting of the Society for Computers in Psychology, to the issues facing researchers today. New methodologies unavailable in the early days of Web-based psychological research are discussed, with an emphasis on mobile computing with smartphones that is capitalizing on capabilities such as touch screens and gyro sensors. A persistent issue spanning the decades has been the challenge of conducting scientific research with consumer-grade electronics. In the 1996 symposia on Internet-based research, four advantages were identified: easy access to a geographically unlimited subject population, including subjects from very specific and previously inaccessible target populations; bringing the experiment to the subject; high statistical power through large sample size; and reduced cost. In retrospect, it appears that Internet-based research has largely lived up to this early promise-with the possible exception of sample size, since the public demand for controlled psychology experiments has not always been greater than the supply offered by researchers. There are many reasons for optimism about the future of Internet-based research. However, unless courses and textbooks on psychological research methods begin to give Web-based research the attention it deserves, the future of Internet-based psychological research will remain in doubt.

  1. Building an authorization model for external means of protection of APCS based on the Internet of things

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zaharov, A. A.; Nissenbaum, O. V.; Ponomaryov, K. Y.; Nesgovorov, E. S.

    2018-01-01

    In this paper we study application of Internet of Thing concept and devices to secure automated process control systems. We review different approaches in IoT (Internet of Things) architecture and design and propose them for several applications in security of automated process control systems. We consider an Attribute-based encryption in context of access control mechanism implementation and promote a secret key distribution scheme between attribute authorities and end devices.

  2. An Internet of Energy Things Based on Wireless LPWAN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yonghua Song

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Under intense environmental pressure, the global energy sector is promoting the integration of renewable energy into interconnected energy systems. The demand-side management (DSM of energy systems has drawn considerable industrial and academic attention in attempts to form new flexibilities to respond to variations in renewable energy inputs to the system. However, many DSM concepts are still in the experimental demonstration phase. One of the obstacles to DSM usage is that the current information infrastructure was mainly designed for centralized systems, and does not meet DSM requirements. To overcome this barrier, this paper proposes a novel information infrastructure named the Internet of Energy Things (IoET in order to make DSM practicable by basing it on the latest wireless communication technology: the low-power wide-area network (LPWAN. The primary advantage of LPWAN over general packet radio service (GPRS and area Internet of Things (IoT is its wide-area coverage, which comes with minimum power consumption and maintenance costs. Against this background, this paper briefly reviews the representative LPWAN technologies of narrow-band Internet of Things (NB-IoT and Long Range (LoRa technology, and compares them with GPRS and area IoT technology. Next, a wireless-to-cloud architecture is proposed for the IoET, based on the main technical features of LPWAN. Finally, this paper looks forward to the potential of IoET in various DSM application scenarios.

  3. Research on Hotspot Discovery in Internet Public Opinions Based on Improved -Means

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gensheng Wang

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available How to discover hotspot in the Internet public opinions effectively is a hot research field for the researchers related which plays a key role for governments and corporations to find useful information from mass data in the Internet. An improved -means algorithm for hotspot discovery in internet public opinions is presented based on the analysis of existing defects and calculation principle of original -means algorithm. First, some new methods are designed to preprocess website texts, select and express the characteristics of website texts, and define the similarity between two website texts, respectively. Second, clustering principle and the method of initial classification centers selection are analyzed and improved in order to overcome the limitations of original -means algorithm. Finally, the experimental results verify that the improved algorithm can improve the clustering stability and classification accuracy of hotspot discovery in internet public opinions when used in practice.

  4. The effectiveness of loyalty rewards to promote the use of an Internet-based heart health program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Sam; Hodgson, Corinne; Zbib, Ahmad M; Payne, Ada Y M; Nolan, Robert P

    2014-07-02

    Internet-based health programs have been shown to be effective in reducing risk for cardiovascular disease. However, their rates of enrollment and engagement remain low. It is currently unclear whether rewards from established loyalty programs can serve as a conditioned stimulus to improve the use of a freely available Internet-based program. The objectives of the study were to (1) examine enrollment rates and levels of engagement with the My Health eSupport program between a Conditioned Reward group and a Control group, and (2) investigate the influence of loyalty rewards and participant characteristics on levels of enrollment and program engagement. The study sample (n=142,726) consisted of individuals who were offered enrollment in an Internet-based health intervention (My Health eSupport) after completing the Heart&Stroke Risk Assessment on the Heart and Stroke Foundation website. My Health eSupport programs provided encouragement and tips for lifestyle change. This is a free, self-guided, fully automated program that proactively delivers tailored email messages at 2-week intervals based on the participant's stage of motivational "readiness" and priority for lifestyle change. Participants in the Conditioned Reward group were offered a single exposure of 20 loyalty reward points from the Air Miles loyalty program for completing the Heart&Stroke Risk Assessment (10 reward points) and enrolling in the Internet-based program (10 reward points). Meanwhile, no rewards were given to the Control group participants. All data were collected between February 1, 2011 and February 10, 2012. In total, 51.38% (73,327/142,726) of individuals in the Conditioned Reward group and 48.62% (69,399/142,726) of individuals in the Control group completed the Heart&Stroke Risk Assessment. Subsequently, significantly more individuals from the Conditioned Reward group (52.96%, 38,835/73,327) enrolled in the My Health eSupport program than Controls (4.07%, 2826/69,399). Regression analyses

  5. Usability and Feasibility of an Internet-Based Virtual Pedestrian Environment to Teach Children to Cross Streets Safely

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwebel, David C.; McClure, Leslie A.; Severson, Joan

    2013-01-01

    Child pedestrian injury is a preventable global health challenge. Successful training efforts focused on child behavior, including individualized streetside training and training in large virtual pedestrian environments, are laborious and expensive. This study considers the usability and feasibility of a virtual pedestrian environment “game” application to teach children safe street-crossing behavior via the internet, a medium that could be broadly disseminated at low cost. Ten 7- and 8-year-old children participated. They engaged in an internet-based virtual pedestrian environment and completed a brief assessment survey. Researchers rated children's behavior while engaged in the game. Both self-report and researcher observations indicated the internet-based system was readily used by the children without adult support. The youth understood how to engage in the system and used it independently and attentively. The program also was feasible. It provided multiple measures of pedestrian safety that could be used for research or training purposes. Finally, the program was rated by children as engaging and educational. Researcher ratings suggested children used the program with minimal fidgeting or boredom. The pilot test suggests an internet-based virtual pedestrian environment offers a usable, feasible, engaging, and educational environment for child pedestrian safety training. If future research finds children learn the cognitive and perceptual skills needed to cross streets safely within it, internet-based training may provide a low-cost medium to broadly disseminate child pedestrian safety training. The concept may be generalized to other domains of health-related functioning such as teen driving safety, adolescent sexual risk-taking, and adolescent substance use. PMID:24678263

  6. Internet-based discussion on climate-compatible power supply. Results and evaluation of the practical pilot study; Internetgestuetzter Diskurs 'Klimavertraegliche Energieversorgung'. Ergebnisse und Auswertung der Praxis-Pilotstudie

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Beckmann, J.; Wienhoefer, E.

    1999-12-01

    The project 'Internet-Based Discourse' is supposed to pave the way for a more intense usage of discourse within the medium Internet. In this context a constitutive element of the method is to try out an Internet-Based Discourse in combination of real and Internet-based communication. This new method fully fulfilled the expectations put into it, which are a higher commitment of participation, the avoidance of communication pathologies and the initiation and support of group processes. As long as the distribution of access to the Internet has not reached that of the telephone, the person organising social discourses of technology assessment inevitably has to provide access to the Internet for reasons of a democratic chance of equal opportunities for social groups to participate. In the interest of a continuous discussion, unlimited access to the Internet is necessary. This goal cannot be reached sufficiently by a joint use of computer rooms in the evenings, as is already the case at night schools. Additional co-operations with Internet-cafes, libraries, communes and other pursuers of public access to the Internet could help at this point. This pilot-study did not apply multimedia elements (video, sound, animation) as to limit the expenditure of making and to avoid too great demands on the capacity of the public net access in use. However, Internet-Discourses laid out on a larger scale to justify a higher expenditure for the preparation of material. Therefore, for further Internet-Based Discourses multimedia-elements should find use only where it makes sense didactically and where it helps to clarify the facts. To bring the various discussion groups together, it makes sense to apply a moderator for the Internet-Forum. The moderator should be present at the introductory meetings to be known personally by the discourse participants. Further group meetings may be organised and moderated by a member of the group on the spot. Although, one has to make sure by

  7. Screen-Based Sedentary Behavior, Physical Activity, and Muscle Strength in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamer, Mark; Stamatakis, Emmanuel

    2013-01-01

    Background Sarcopenia is associated with loss of independence and ill-health in the elderly although the causes remain poorly understood. We examined the association between two screen-based leisure time sedentary activities (daily TV viewing time and internet use) and muscle strength. Methods and Results We studied 6228 men and women (aged 64.9±9.1 yrs) from wave 4 (2008-09) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, a prospective study of community dwelling older adults. Muscle strength was assessed by a hand grip test and the time required to complete five chair rises. TV viewing and internet usage were inversely associated with one another. Participants viewing TV ≥6hrs/d had lower grip strength (Men, B = −1.20 kg, 95% CI, −2.26, −0.14; Women, −0.75 kg, 95% CI, −1.48, −0.03) in comparison to behavior. PMID:23755302

  8. A prospective emergency department-based study of pattern and outcome of neurologic and neurosurgical diseases in Haiti.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barthélemy, Ernest Joseph; Benjamin, Ernest; Edouard Jean-Pierre, Marie Yolaine; Poitevien, Geneviève; Ernst, Silvia; Osborn, Irene; Germano, Isabelle M

    2014-12-01

    To perform the first prospective survey of neurologic and neurosurgical emergency department (ED) admissions in Haiti. Data of all ED admissions at 3 Haitian hospitals for 90 consecutive days per site were collected prospectively. Patients who were given a diagnosis of a neurologic or neurosurgical disorder by the ED physician were entered in a deidentified database including demographics, presenting symptoms, brain imaging (when available), requests for neurosurgical consultation, and outcome. Of the 7628 patients admitted to the ED during this study, 1243 patients had a neurologic disorder, yielding an ED-based neurologic disease prevalence of 16%. The 3 most common neurologic diseases were cerebrovascular disease (31%), neurotrauma (28%), and altered mental status (12%). Neurosurgical pathologies represented 19% of all neurologic admissions with a combined ED-based disease prevalence of 3%. Mortality rate was 9%. The most common neurosurgical disease was neurotrauma (87%), caused by motor vehicle accidents (59%), falls (20%), and assault (17%). Neurosurgical procedures were performed in 14 of 208 patients with a mortality rate of 33%. This prospective survey represents the first study of neurosurgical or neurologic disease patterns in Haiti. The results suggest specific disease priorities for this population that can guide efforts to improve Haitian health care and conduct more comprehensive epidemiologic studies in Haiti. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. An Internet-Based Accounting Information Systems Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Louise

    2012-01-01

    This paper describes a student project assignment used in an accounting information systems course. We are now truly immersed in the internet age, and while many required accounting information systems courses and textbooks introduce database design, accounting software development, cloud computing, and internet security, projects involving the…

  10. Internet-based self-management offers an opportunity to achieve better asthma control in adolescents

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Meer, Victor; van Stel, Henk F.; Detmar, Symone B.; Otten, Wilma; Sterk, Peter J.; Sont, Jacob K.

    2007-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Internet and short message service are emerging tools for chronic disease management in adolescents, but few data exist on the barriers to and benefits of internet-based asthma self-management. Our objective was to reveal the barriers and benefits perceived by adolescents with

  11. Internet-based self-management offers an opportunity to achieve better asthma control in adolescent

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Meer, V. van der; Stel, H.F. van; Detmar, S.B.; Otten, W.; Sterk, P.J.; Sont, J.K.

    2007-01-01

    Background: Internet and short message service are emerging tools for chronic disease management in adolescents, but few data exist on the barriers to and benefits of internet-based asthma self-management. Our objective was to reveal the barriers and benefits perceived by adolescents with

  12. Demand Side Management Using the Internet of Energy based on Fog and Cloud Computing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shahryari, Kolsoom; Anvari-Moghaddam, Amjad

    2017-01-01

    The smart grid, as a communication network, allows numerous connected devices such as sensors, relays and actuators to interact and cooperate with each other. An Internet-based solution for electricity that provides bidirectional flow of information and power is internet of energy (IoE) which...

  13. Health-Related Internet Use by Children and Adolescents: Systematic Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Eunhee; Kwon, Misol

    2018-04-03

    The internet is widely used by children and adolescents, who generally have a high level of competency with technology. Thus, the internet has become a great resource for supporting youth self-care and health-related services. However, few studies have explored adolescents' internet use for health-related matters. The objective of this systematic literature review was to examine the phenomenon of children and adolescents' health-related internet use and to identify gaps in the research. A total of 19 studies were selected from a search of major electronic databases: PubMed, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and PsycINFO using the following search terms: "health-related internet use," "eHealth," "Internet use for health-related purpose," "Web-based resource," "health information seeking," and "online resource," combined with "child," "adolescent," "student," "youth," and "teen." The children's and adolescents' ages were limited to 24 years and younger. The search was conducted from September 2015 to October 2017. The studies identified to contain youth (<24 years) health-related internet use were all published in peer-reviewed journals in the past 10 years; these studies examined general internet use seeking health care services, resources, information, or using the internet for health promotion and self-care. Studies were excluded if they explored the role of the internet as a modality for surveys, recruitment, or searching for relevant literature without specifically aiming to study participants' health-related internet use; focused solely on quality assurance for specific websites; or were designed to test a specific internet-based intervention. Interesting patterns in adolescents' health-related internet use, such as seeking preventative health care and specific information about medical issues, were identified. Quantitative studies reported rates of the internet use and access among youth, and the purpose and patterns of health

  14. Comparison of small-group training with self-directed internet-based training in inhaler techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toumas, Mariam; Basheti, Iman A; Bosnic-Anticevich, Sinthia Z

    2009-08-28

    To compare the effectiveness of small-group training in correct inhaler technique with self-directed Internet-based training. Pharmacy students were randomly allocated to 1 of 2 groups: small-group training (n = 123) or self-directed Internet-based training (n = 113). Prior to intervention delivery, all participants were given a placebo Turbuhaler and product information leaflet and received inhaler technique training based on their group. Technique was assessed following training and predictors of correct inhaler technique were examined. There was a significant improvement in the number of participants demonstrating correct technique in both groups (small group training, 12% to 63%; p training, 9% to 59%; p groups in the percent change (n = 234, p > 0.05). Increased student confidence following the intervention was a predictor for correct inhaler technique. Self-directed Internet-based training is as effective as small-group training in improving students' inhaler technique.

  15. Predicting Internet risks: a longitudinal panel study of gratifications-sought, Internet addiction symptoms, and social media use among children and adolescents

    OpenAIRE

    Leung, Louis

    2014-01-01

    This study used longitudinal panel survey data collected from 417 adolescents at 2 points in time 1 year apart. It examined relationships between Internet risks changes in Time 2 and social media gratifications-sought, Internet addiction symptoms, and social media use all measured at Time 1. By controlling for age, gender, education, and criterion variable scores in Internet addiction at Time 1, entertainment and instant messaging use at Time 1 significantly predicted increased Internet addic...

  16. Pemanfaatan Augmented Reality Dalam Memvisualisasikan Produk Perumahan Melalui Internet

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bonny A Suryawinata

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available To attract house buyers, many ways is done by the developers to promote their products, such as by using multiple marketing medias namely television, radio, internet, newspapers or distribute flyers during the exhibition. It is not uncommon that the said use of multiple media elements still make prospective buyers feel confused, because they can not imagine the shape of the house, since all they see is a flat two dimensional (2D object. To obtain detailed product information house of course they have to visit the exhibition or housing sales office that would spend the time and cost. This is why the authors proposed an application that can display 3D images over the Internet by using Augmented Reality technology, so that prospective home buyers can access these applications anytime and anywhere. 

  17. Proximity-Based Asynchronous Messaging Platform for Location-Based Internet of Things Service

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hyeong gon Jo

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available The Internet of Things (IoT opens up tremendous opportunities to provide location-based applications. However, despite the services around a user being physically adjacent, common IoT platforms use a centralized structure, like a cloud-computing architecture, which transfers large amounts of data to a central server. This raises problems, such as traffic concentration, long service latency, and high communication cost. In this paper, we propose a physical distance-based asynchronous messaging platform that specializes in processing personalized data and location-based messages. The proposed system disperses traffic using a location-based message-delivery protocol, and has high stability.

  18. Internet Usage Habits and Internet Usage in Educational Studies of Vocational School Students

    OpenAIRE

    Yakıncı, Zehra Deniz; Gürbüz, Perihan; Yetiş, Gülsüm

    2018-01-01

    Internetis the easiest way to access information. It provides positive contributions toindividual and surroundings, in learning and information era. At this point theanswers of the questions: ‘How do young people use internet and how much do theyuse internet for their education?’ come into prominence. In order to find theanswers; a questionnaire prepared by resarchers and Young Internet AddictionTest- Short Form (YIAT-SF) was used on ‘Health Services Vocational High School’students, in this s...

  19. A Comparative Analysis of User Preferences for for Major Internet Based Education Media in China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wan, Chunyang; Jiang, Yanqing

    2014-01-01

    Internet based education media are developing at an amazing rate and being seen as an upstart that will likely take the place of traditional education means worldwide in the future. This paper presents the results of a comparative analysis on user preferences for four major categories of internet-based media used in China. In this paper, we first…

  20. How do eHealth Programs for Adolescents With Depression Work? A Realist Review of Persuasive System Design Components in Internet-Based Psychological Therapies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wozney, Lori; Huguet, Anna; Bennett, Kathryn; Radomski, Ashley D; Hartling, Lisa; Dyson, Michele; McGrath, Patrick J; Newton, Amanda S

    2017-08-09

    Major depressive disorders are common among adolescents and can impact all aspects of their daily life. Traditional therapies, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) have been delivered face-to-face. However, Internet-based (online) delivery of these therapies is emerging as an option for adolescents. Internet-based CBT and IPT involve therapeutic content, interaction between the user and the system, and different technological features embedded into the online program (eg, multimedia). Studies of Internet-based CBT and IPT for adolescent depression differ on all three aspects, and variable, positive therapy effects have been reported. A better understanding of the treatment conditions that influence therapy outcomes is important to designing and evaluating these novel therapies. Our aim was to examine the technological and program delivery features of Internet-based CBT and IPT for adolescent depression and to document their potential relation to treatment outcomes and program use. We performed a realist synthesis. We started with an extensive search of published and gray literature. We included intervention studies that evaluated Internet-based CBT or IPT for adolescent depression. We included mixed-methods and qualitative studies, theoretical papers, and policy/implementation documents if they included a focus on how Internet-based psychological therapy is proposed to work for adolescents with depression/depressive symptoms. We used the Mixed-Methods Appraisal Tool to assess the methodological quality of studies. We used the Persuasive System Design (PSD) model as a framework for data extraction and analysis to examine how Internet-based CBT and IPT, as technology-based systems, influence the attitudes and behaviors of system users. PSD components described for the therapies were linked to reported outcomes using a cross-case comparison method and thematic synthesis. We identified 19 Internet-based CBT programs in 59 documents

  1. Virtual reality-based prospective memory training program for people with acquired brain injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yip, Ben C B; Man, David W K

    2013-01-01

    Acquired brain injuries (ABI) may display cognitive impairments and lead to long-term disabilities including prospective memory (PM) failure. Prospective memory serves to remember to execute an intended action in the future. PM problems would be a challenge to an ABI patient's successful community reintegration. While retrospective memory (RM) has been extensively studied, treatment programs for prospective memory are rarely reported. The development of a treatment program for PM, which is considered timely, can be cost-effective and appropriate to the patient's environment. A 12-session virtual reality (VR)-based cognitive rehabilitation program was developed using everyday PM activities as training content. 37 subjects were recruited to participate in a pretest-posttest control experimental study to evaluate its treatment effectiveness. Results suggest that significantly better changes were seen in both VR-based and real-life PM outcome measures, related cognitive attributes such as frontal lobe functions and semantic fluency. VR-based training may be well accepted by ABI patients as encouraging improvement has been shown. Large-scale studies of a virtual reality-based prospective memory (VRPM) training program are indicated.

  2. Internet and cell phone based smoking cessation programs among adolescents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Purvi Mehta,

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Smoking cessation among adolescents is a salient public health issue, as it can preventthe adoption of risky health behaviors and reduce negative impacts on health. Self-efficacy,household and social support systems, and perceived benefits are some important cessationdeterminants. With the popular use of the Internet and cell phone usage among adolescents,smoking cessation programs are beginning to adopt these new delivery methods. The purpose ofthe study is to review interventions between 2005 and 2009 that used the Internet or cell phonesfor smoking cessation among 11 to 19 year olds. A systematic search of the CINAHL, ERIC,Google Scholar, and Medline databases was done. A total of 10 articles met the inclusion criteria.Interventions mainly used the Internet as a form of assistance to enhance the effectiveness of theprogram. One intervention used text messaging through cell phones. Self-efficacy, household andsocial support systems and perceived benefits were found to be significant predictors. Programswith multiple approaches, using the Internet as an adjunct were more effective than programs thatsolely relied on the Internet. Future research is needed to verify its success in cessation practices.Recommendations for future research are provided.

  3. Risk Factors for Internet Gaming Disorder: Psychological Factors and Internet Gaming Characteristics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rho, Mi Jung; Lee, Hyeseon; Lee, Taek-Ho; Cho, Hyun; Jung, Dong Jin; Kim, Dai-Jin; Choi, In Young

    2017-12-27

    Background : Understanding the risk factors associated with Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is important to predict and diagnose the condition. The purpose of this study is to identify risk factors that predict IGD based on psychological factors and Internet gaming characteristics; Methods : Online surveys were conducted between 26 November and 26 December 2014. There were 3568 Korean Internet game users among a total of 5003 respondents. We identified 481 IGD gamers and 3087 normal Internet gamers, based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5) criteria. Logistic regression analysis was applied to identify significant risk factors for IGD; Results : The following eight risk factors were found to be significantly associated with IGD: functional and dysfunctional impulsivity (odds ratio: 1.138), belief self-control (1.034), anxiety (1.086), pursuit of desired appetitive goals (1.105), money spent on gaming (1.005), weekday game time (1.081), offline community meeting attendance (2.060), and game community membership (1.393; p < 0.05 for all eight risk factors); Conclusions : These risk factors allow for the prediction and diagnosis of IGD. In the future, these risk factors could also be used to inform clinical services for IGD diagnosis and treatment.

  4. Trends in Internet Marketing

    OpenAIRE

    Panchanathan, Nitin

    2005-01-01

    Internet marketing involves the usage of the Internet to market and sell goods or services. In this thesis we wished to seek answers for the following questions with the help of web, email surveys taking into consideration consumer perspective, company perspective and 3rd party internet marketing agency perspective. Our survey sample was based on a small set of companies, consumers and internet marketing agencies. The survey results helped us in predicting the trends in internet marketing. We...

  5. Mathematical geology studies of deposit prospect types

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Guangping

    1998-08-01

    Exact certainty prospect type of uranium deposit, not only can assure the quality of deposit prospects, but also increase economic benefits. Based on the standard of geological prospect of uranium deposit, the author introduces a method of Fuzzy Synthetical Comment for dividing prospect type of uranium deposit. The practical applications demonstrate that the regression accuracy, discriminated by Zadeh operator, of 15 known deposits is 100%

  6. Qualitative study to explore Prospect Theory and message framing and diet and cancer prevention-related issues among African American adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Satia, Jessie A; Barlow, Jameta; Armstrong-Brown, Janelle; Watters, Joanne L

    2010-01-01

    There is a dearth of knowledge regarding factors that may motivate African American adolescents to consume healthier diets. To develop and test cancer prevention messages based on Prospect Theory on motivation to improve dietary intake in African American adolescents and to explore other salient factors that may inform dietary intervention design and implementation in this population. Semistructured in-person qualitative interviews were conducted with 13 African American male and female adolescents, aged 12 to 16 years, in North Carolina. Prospect Theory and message framing were used to guide the design of the 4 sets of diet-related messages related to cancer prevention: short-term, gain-framed; long-term, gain-framed; short-term, loss-framed; and long-term, loss-framed messages. Data were also collected on demographic, behavioral, and psychological factors; usual health behaviors; and preferences for intervention delivery. Most respondents found the gain-framed, short-term messages most salient for both fruits/vegetables (8 [61.5%]) and fat consumption (7 [53.8%]). For fat consumption only, 2 (15.4%) found the loss-framed, short-term messages pertinent; none found the loss-framed, long-term messages relevant for either dietary variable. All indicated interest in participating in a dietary intervention/education program; most preferred the Internet as a channel for intervention delivery. Participants expressed diverse views regarding knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding healthy eating. The gain-framed, short-term messages were most salient for motivating the majority of respondents to consume a healthy diet and most expressed a strong interest in participating in programs about diet and nutrition, with the Internet as the preferred communication channel. Researchers conducting dietary interventions and education initiatives and medical professionals who counsel African American adolescents should consider using Prospect Theory as a theoretical framework

  7. Study of internet addiction: Prevalence, pattern, and psychopathology among health professional undergraduates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sachin R Gedam

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Internet has become an essential part of our daily life, especially among adolescents and youth. It is mainly used for education, entertainment, social networking, and information sharing. Its excessive use among health care providers is becoming a major concern. Aims: The aim of our study was to estimate the prevalence, understand the pattern, and to determine the association between psychopathology and internet addiction among health profession undergraduates. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 846 students of various faculties from Deemed University. Students were assessed with semi-structured data, Internet Addiction Test and Mental Health Inventory, after giving them brief instructions. Students were classified into normal students and addicted students for comparison. Results: The total prevalence of internet addiction was 19.85%, with moderate and severe addiction being 19.5% and 0.4%, respectively. Internet addiction was associated with gender, computer ownership, preferred time of internet use, login status, and mode of internet access (P < 0.05. It was also associated with anxiety, depression, loss of emotional/behavioral control, emotional ties, life satisfaction, psychological distress, and lower psychological well-being (P < 0.05. Conclusion: Significant association was found between psychopathology and internet addiction. Male gender, login status, emotional ties, and psychological distress were found to be important predictors of internet addiction among students. Hence, these parameters should be taken into consideration while promoting awareness of problematic internet use and educating students regarding healthy internet use.

  8. Period of internet usage: An indicator of the buying behaviour of internet users?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    PJ du Plessis

    2004-07-01

    Full Text Available This article focuses on the experience of the Internet user with regard to purchasing goods and services. A self-administered survey, hosted on a dedicated website, was used as a data collection method and 1005 responses were received. It was found that the period of Internet usage significantly influenced the decision to purchase via the Internet. Another finding was that the period of Internet usage significantly influenced whether those shopping on the Internet searched for, or considered searching for, product and service information online prior to purchasing from non-Internet-based sellers.

  9. Internet and Gaming Addiction: A Systematic Literature Review of Neuroimaging Studies

    OpenAIRE

    Daria J. Kuss; Mark D. Griffiths

    2012-01-01

    In the past decade, research has accumulated suggesting that excessive Internet use can lead to the development of a behavioral addiction. Internet addiction has been considered as a serious threat to mental health and the excessive use of the Internet has been linked to a variety of negative psychosocial consequences. The aim of this review is to identify all empirical studies to date that used neuroimaging techniques to shed light upon the emerging mental health problem of Internet and gami...

  10. Megastore: Advanced Internet-based Electronic Commerce Service for Music Industry

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Benabdelkader, A.; Afsarmanesh, H.; Hertzberger, L.O.; Ibrahim, M.; Küng, J.; Revell, N.

    2000-01-01

    To support necessary requirements and flexibility to the buyers of different goods; advanced and efficient internet-based Electronic Commerce services must be designed and developed. In addition to the traditional user requirements, the developed system must properly address efficiency issues, among

  11. Is Internet addiction transitory or persistent? Incidence and prospective predictors of remission of Internet addiction among Chinese secondary school students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lau, Joseph T F; Wu, Anise M S; Gross, Danielle L; Cheng, Kit-Man; Lau, Mason M C

    2017-11-01

    Internet addiction (IA) is prevalent among adolescents but it is potentially revertible. Only three Taiwan adolescent studies reported IA remission and a few related factors. We investigated incidence and predictors of remission among Hong Kong Chinese secondary school students with a 12-month longitudinal study. IA was defined as Chen Internet Addiction Scale (CIAS) score>63. Validated measures were used to assess students' psychosocial wellbeing at baseline and follow-up. Of 1545 students with IA at baseline, 1296 (83.9%) provided matched baseline/12-month follow-up data; their data were analyzed. Incidence of remission (CIAS≤63 at follow-up) was 59.29/100 person-years. Significant predictors included: 1) baseline CIAS score (ORa=.95), 2) baseline health belief model (HBM) constructs [perception of having severe IA (ORa=.34), perceived susceptibility to IA (ORa=0.82), perceived barrier (ORa=0.95), cue to action from parents (ORa=0.82), and self-efficacy for reducing Internet use (ORa=1.13)], and 3) baseline psychosocial health measures [self-esteem (ORa=1.03), severe depression (ORa=0.72) and social anxiety (ORa=0.96)] and their changes over time [depression (ORa=.95), anxiety (ORa=.94), loneliness (ORa=.93), self-esteem (ORa=1.07), positive affect (ORa=1.10) and family support (ORa=1.03)]. Two-thirds (64.3%) of the remission group presented reduced CIAS score>1.5 SD, and recorded larger improvements in psychosocial status over time than the non-remission group. Without noticeable interventions, incidence of remission was high and related to improvements in psychosocial health. Most of the HBM constructs, and baseline/changes in psychosocial measures predicted remission. Interventions to increase remission should modify these factors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Internet based remote cooperative engineering system for NSSS system design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Y. S.; Lee, S. L.

    2000-01-01

    Implementation of information technology system through the nuclear power plant life cycle which covers site selection, design, construction, operation and decommission has been suggested continually by the reports or guidelines from NIRMA, INPO, NUMARC, USNRC and EPRI since late 1980's, and some of it has been actually implemented and applied partially to the practical design process. However, for the NSSS system design, a high level activity of nuclear power plant design phase, none of the effects has been reported with regard to implementing the information system. In Korea, KAERI studied NuIDEAS(Nuclear Integrated Database and Design Advancement System) in 1995, and KAERI (Korea Electric Power Research Institute) worked with CENP (Combustion Engineering Nuclear Power) for KNGR IMS(Information Management System) in 1997 as trials to adopt information system for NSSS system design. In this paper, after reviewing the pre-studied two information system, we introduce implementation of the information system for NSSS system design which is compatible with the on-going design works and can be used as means of concurrent engineering through internet. With this electronic design system, we expect increase of the design efficiency and productivity by switching from hard copy based design flow to internet based system. In addition, reliability and traceability of the design data is highly elevated by containing the native document file together with all the review, comment and resolution history in one database

  13. A cluster randomized trial in general practice with referral to a group-based or an Internet-based smoking cessation programme

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pisinger, Charlotta; Jørgensen, Michael Milo; Møller, Niels Erik

    2010-01-01

    randomized to one of three groups: Group A, referral to group-based SC counselling (national model), n = 10; Group B, referral to internet-based SC programme (newly developed), n = 8; or Group C, no referral ('do as usual'), n = 6. A total of 1518/1914 smokers were included, and 760 returned a questionnaire...... at 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: The participating GPs reported significantly more SC counselling than GPs who refused participation (P = 0.04). Self-reported point abstinence was 6.7% (40/600), 5.9% (28/476) and 5.7% (25/442) in Groups A, B and C, respectively. Only 40 smokers attended group-based SC...... counselling, and 75 logged in at the internet-based SC programme. In cluster analyses, we found no significant additional effect of referral to group-based (OR: 1.05; 95% CI: 0.6-1.8) or internet-based SC programmes (OR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.6-1.4). CONCLUSIONS: We found no additional effect on cessation rates...

  14. Study protocol of the internet user Cohort for Unbiased Recognition of gaming disorder in Early adolescence (iCURE), Korea, 2015–2019

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeong, Hyunsuk; Jo, Sun-Jin; Lee, Seung-Yup; Kim, Eunjin; Son, Hye Jung; Han, Hyun-ho; Lee, Hae Kook; Kweon, Yong-Sil; Bhang, Soo-young; Choi, Jung-Seok; Kim, Bung-Nyun; Gentile, Douglas A; Potenza, Marc N

    2017-01-01

    Introduction In 2013, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) proposed nine internet gaming disorder (IGD) diagnostic criteria as a condition warranting further empirical and clinical research. The aim of this study is to clarify the natural and clinical courses of IGD proposed DSM-5 in adolescents and to evaluate its risk and protective factors. Methods and analysis The Internet user Cohort for Unbiased Recognition of gaming disorder in Early Adolescence (iCURE) study is an ongoing multidisciplinary, prospective, longitudinal cohort study conducted in 21 schools in Korea. Participant recruitment commenced in March 2015 with the goal of registering 3000 adolescents. The baseline assessment included surveys on emotional, social and environmental characteristics. A parent or guardian completed questionnaires and a structured psychiatric comorbidity diagnostic interview regarding their children. Adolescents with the Internet Game Use-Elicited Symptom Screen total scores of 6 or higher were asked to participate in the clinical diagnostic interview. Two subcohorts of adolescents were constructed: a representative subcohort and a clinical evaluation subcohort. The representative subcohort comprises a randomly selected 10% of the iCURE to investigate the clinical course of IGD based on clinical diagnosis and to estimate the false negative rate. The clinical evaluation subcohort comprised participants meeting three or more of the nine IGD criteria, determined by clinical diagnostic interview, to show the clinical course of IGD. Follow-up data will be collected annually for the 3 years following the baseline assessments. The primary endpoint is 2-year incidence, remission and recurrence rates of IGD. Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between exposures and outcomes as well as mediation factors will be evaluated. Ethics and dissemination This study is approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Catholic University

  15. Internet Filtering Technology and Aversive Online Experiences in Adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Przybylski, Andrew K; Nash, Victoria

    2017-05-01

    To evaluate the effectiveness of Internet filtering tools designed to shield adolescents from aversive experiences online. A total of 1030 in-home interviews were conducted with early adolescents aged from 12 to 15 years (M = 13.50, SD = 1.18) and their caregivers. Caregivers were asked about their use of Internet filtering and adolescent participants were interviewed about their recent online experiences. Contrary to our hypotheses, policy, and industry advice regarding the assumed benefits of filtering we found convincing evidence that Internet filters were not effective at shielding early adolescents from aversive online experiences. Preregistered prospective and randomised controlled trials are needed to determine the extent to which Internet filtering technology supports vs thwarts young people online and if their widespread use justifies their financial and informational costs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Prediction of Internet Addiction and Social Anxiety Based on Parenting Styles in Adolescents of Sabzevar, Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elahe Sadat Tabatabaeirad

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Parenting styles are one of the most important factors in shaping adolescents’ behaviors and personality. Therefore, we aimed to predict internet addiction and social anxiety based on parenting styles. Materials and Methods: This descriptive and correlational study was performed in 400 high school students of Sabzevar, Iran, in 2015. The participants were selected using multi-stage cluster sampling method. The data were collected using Yang’s Internet Addiction Test (IAT, Social Anxiety Scale (SAS-A, and Baumrind’s Parenting Styles Questionnaire. To analyze the data, Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression were run in SPSS, version 22. Results: We found a significant positive correlation between the authoritarian and permissive parenting styles and Internet addiction (r=0.102, r=0.210, respectively and social anxiety (r=0.576, r=0.517, respectively. Moreover, a significant negative correlation was observed between the authoritative parenting style and Internet addiction and social anxiety (r= -0.291 and r= -0.263, respectively. In addition, multiple regression analysis reflected that the parenting styles could predict Internet addiction and social anxiety, and they explained respectively 39% and 35% of the variance. Conclusions: According to the results, adopting proper educational methods and implementing practical plans can predict Internet addiction and improve positive relationships among individuals.

  17. Internet interventions: Past, present and future

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gerhard Andersson

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Internet interventions have been around now for about 20 years. While the field still suffers from a scattered terminology a large number of programs and studies exist. In the present paper I present an overview of my experiences of studying internet-supported cognitive-behaviour therapy (ICBT, but also mention other approaches including the use of smartphones. The paper covers the history of ICBT, short-term effects in controlled trials for a range of conditions, long-term effects, comparisons against face-to-face therapy, effectiveness studies, prediction studies, how the treatment is perceived, critique, and finally future directions. I conclude that we have now reached a stage in which we have numerous evidence-based treatments and procedures, and increasingly internet interventions including ICBT are disseminated. Keywords: Internet treatment, Therapist guidance, Anxiety, Mood disorders, Somatic disorders

  18. Internet and social media usage of orthopaedic patients: A questionnaire-based survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duymus, Tahir Mutlu; Karadeniz, Hilmi; Çaçan, Mehmet Akif; Kömür, Baran; Demirtaş, Abdullah; Zehir, Sinan; Azboy, İbrahim

    2017-02-18

    To evaluate social media usage of orthopaedic patients to search for solutions to their health problems. The study data were collected using face-to-face questionnaire with randomly selected 1890 patients aged over 18 years who had been admitted to the orthopaedic clinics in different cities and provinces across Turkey. The questionnaire consists of a total of 16 questions pertaining to internet and social media usage and demographics of patients, patients' choice of institution for treatment, patient complaints on admission, online hospital and physician ratings, communication between the patient and the physician and its effects. It was found that 34.2% ( n = 647) of the participants consulted with an orthopaedist using the internet and 48.7% ( n = 315) of them preferred websites that allow users to ask questions to a physician. Of all question-askers, 48.5% ( n = 314) reported having found the answers helpful. Based on the educational level of the participants, there was a highly significant difference between the rates of asking questions to an orthopaedist using the internet ( P = 0.001). The rate of question-asking was significantly lower in patients with an elementary education than that in those with secondary, high school and undergraduate education ( P = 0.001) The rate of reporting that the answers given was helpful was significantly higher in participants with an undergraduate degree compared to those who were illiterate, those with primary, elementary or high school education ( P = 0.001). It was also found that the usage of the internet for health problems was higher among managers-qualified participants than unemployed-housewives, officers, workers-intermediate staff ( P social media to select a specific physician or to seek solution to their health problems in an effective way. Even though the internet and social media offer beneficial effects for physicians or patients, there is still much obscurity regarding their harms and further studies are

  19. Health-Related Internet Use by Children and Adolescents: Systematic Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwon, Misol

    2018-01-01

    Background The internet is widely used by children and adolescents, who generally have a high level of competency with technology. Thus, the internet has become a great resource for supporting youth self-care and health-related services. However, few studies have explored adolescents’ internet use for health-related matters. Objective The objective of this systematic literature review was to examine the phenomenon of children and adolescents’ health-related internet use and to identify gaps in the research. Methods A total of 19 studies were selected from a search of major electronic databases: PubMed, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and PsycINFO using the following search terms: “health-related internet use,” “eHealth,” “Internet use for health-related purpose,” “Web-based resource,” “health information seeking,” and “online resource,” combined with “child,” “adolescent,” “student,” “youth,” and “teen.” The children’s and adolescents’ ages were limited to 24 years and younger. The search was conducted from September 2015 to October 2017. The studies identified to contain youth (internet use were all published in peer-reviewed journals in the past 10 years; these studies examined general internet use seeking health care services, resources, information, or using the internet for health promotion and self-care. Studies were excluded if they explored the role of the internet as a modality for surveys, recruitment, or searching for relevant literature without specifically aiming to study participants’ health-related internet use; focused solely on quality assurance for specific websites; or were designed to test a specific internet-based intervention. Results Interesting patterns in adolescents’ health-related internet use, such as seeking preventative health care and specific information about medical issues, were identified. Quantitative studies reported rates of the internet use and

  20. Interactive Internet Based Pendulum for Learning Mechatronics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sethson, Magnus R.

    2003-01-01

    This paper describes an Internet based remote experimental setup of a double lined pendulum mechanism for students experiments at the M. Sc. Level. Some of the first year experience using this web-based setup in classes is referred. In most of the courses given at the division of mechanical engineering systems at Linkoeping Institute of Technology we provide experimental setups to enhance the teaching Of M.Sc. students. Many of these experimental setups involve mechatronical systems. Disciplines like fluid power, electronics, and mechanics and also software technologies are used in each experiment. As our campus has recently been split into two different cities some new concepts for distance learning have been studied. The one described here tries to implement remotely controlled mechatronic setups for teaching basic programming of real-time operating systems and analysis of the dynamics of mechanical systems. The students control the regulators for the pendulum through a web interface and get measurement results and a movie back through their email. The present setup uses a double linked pendulum that is controlled by a DC-motor and monitored through both camera and angular position sensors. All software needed is hosted on a double-processor PC running the RedHat 7.1. distribution complemented with real-time scheduling using DIAPM-RTAI 1.7. The Internet site is presented to the students using PHP, Apache and MySQL. All of the used software originates from the open source domain. The experience from integrating these technologies and security issues is discussed together with the web-camera interface. One of the important experiences from this project so far is the need for a good visual feedback. This is both in terms of video speed but also in resolution. It has been noticed that when the students makes misstates and wants to search the failure they want clear, large images with high resolution to support their personal believes in the cause of the failure. Even