Human Computer Interaction and Usability in the new Participative Methodology for Marketing Websites

Technological devices and information and communications technology (ICT) have become the new tactic for communication, collaboration, and the exchange of knowledge and innovation between organizations and users. These devices include websites, system and application software, and mobile and portable devices. Nevertheless, it has been noted that these devices, including websites, still lack important functionalities and utilities, i.e. Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and usability. HCI and usability are essential in any device to allow the user to complete his/her task(s) in less time and with high-quality performance. The absence of HCI and usability aspects in technology devices and ICT will lead users to become frustrated and dissatisfied, and their loyalty will be reduced. A new coherent methodology called the New Participative Methodology for Marketing Websites (NPMMW) was developed to prevent this problem. The HCI and usability aspects are combined in the design stage, in the NPMMW, to increase user acceptance of the website, and to reduce users’ dissatisfaction. This study employment an online survey (N=210) from an Australian information technology industry that allowed the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data. The study provided theoretically and practical significance contribution; that HCI and usability integration in the NPMMW would enhance users’ acceptance, satisfaction, trust, and loyalty, and would minimize users’ frustration and aggravation, likewise; the NPMMW methodology will assist designers and users to create an effective website that meet the requirements of users and designers. Finally, an overview of the NPMMW methodology is provided, together with proposals for further research

E-Learning and sustainability in higher education: An international case study

The learning management systems (LMS) facility has become an essential tool in teaching and learning processes for higher education, since this tool assists students and lecturers to interact, communicate, collaborate, and corporate, and this can lead to cultivating and improving students’ communication skills. Currently, the majority of universities nationally and internationally are using LMS (Blackboard and Moodle) for uploading unit materials, including assessment tasks. This study will assess LMS from a different angle by examining lecturers’ and students’ attitudes to it as a means of submitting assessment tasks with the traditional method. Using the LMS facility for the submission of assessment tasks can assist students as well lecturers to reduce the amount of materials being used (such as paper) and preserve resources; moreover, the cost of binding and delivery will be reduced or eliminated since all submissions are made automatically. This study provides an answer to the question “Do assessment tasks submissions made via learning management systems (LMS) and email increase sustainability awareness among Information Systems students in Portugal and Australia?"The answer was obtained through informal student feedback (N=63) containing quantitative and qualitative data. The findings indicated that a win-win situation is created since lecturers are delighted that e-learning sustainability principles are being successfully promoted in their teaching and learning approaches, since all communications between students are established via email, blackboard and Moodle forums. Furthermore, the research study confirmed that the uploading of assessment tasks via LMS and email facilities is easier, inexpensive, convenient and less time-consuming compared with the traditional methods of submission and feedback. In addition, this method is more sustainable (as fewer materials are used), practical and cheaper, as these principles are aligned with those of the Sustainability and E-learning (SeL) Model

Risks and opportunities of integrating social networking sites in the Australian and Portuguese workplace/communities: an exploratory study

In this study the researchers aim to assess and investigate the risks and opportunities of using social-networking sites (SNS) in workplace/communities, especially in Australia and Portugal. An online survey was conducted of 80 employees from both large organisations and SMEs in Australia and Portugal to determine these risks and opportunities. The study outcomes indicated that SNS usage in businesses is very useful, convenient, and fast and provides a real-time environment for marketing, communication and collaboration, enhancing employees' knowledge and skills and improving communication between customers and stakeholders. However, SNS usage in businesses can lead to legal issues or loss of reputation, security, privacy, hacking to identify theft, and virus attacks. The current study ascertains new practical significance, as a set of recommendations were generated to minimise and reduce the risks of using SNS in the workplace and to meet employees' needs and expectations

Immunization against Pertussis: An Almost Solved Problem or a Headache in Public Health

Whooping cough or pertussis is a serious infectious disease of the human respiratory tract, caused by Gram-negative bacteria Bordetella pertussis and Bordetella parapertussisHU. The current pertussis vaccines may consist of dead cells of B. pertussis (whole cell pertussis vaccines—wPs) or purified antigens from the bacterium (acellular pertussis vaccines—aPs). The aPs are less reactogenic and have been widely used in developed countries for more than two decades, but their high cost of production makes them prohibitive for developing countries, and the accelerated rate of epidemic outbreaks has led to the hypothesis that aPs are less effective than the wP ones. Considering cost-effectiveness, some authors have pointed out questions about the possibility of reintroduction of wP vaccines into the primary doses of pertussis vaccination. The Butantan Institute in São Paulo, Brazil, developed a wP vaccine with low endotoxicity (Plow) obtained by chemical extraction of the lipooligosaccharide (LOS) fraction from the outer membrane of the bacterial cell, showing to be less reactogenic and equally immunogenic and protective as the traditional wP vaccine. The Plow may possibly be introduced into the vaccination schedule for immunization of adolescents and young adults in Brazil, an important epidemiological contribution to reducing the circulation of B. pertussis

Comparison of RAPD, RFLP, AFLP and SSR markers for diversity studies in tropical maize inbred lines

In order to compare their relative efficiencies as markers and to find the most suitable marker for maize diversity studies we evaluated 18 inbred tropical maize lines using a number of different loci as markers. The loci used were: 774 amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs); 262 random amplified polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs); 185 restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs); and 68 simple sequence repeats (SSR). For estimating genetic distance the AFLP and RFLP markers gave the most correlated results, with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.87. Bootstrap analysis were used to evaluate the number of loci for the markers and the coefficients of variation (CV) revealed a skewed distribution. The dominant markers (AFLP and RAPD) had small CV values indicating a skewed distribution while the codominant markers gave high CV values. The use of maximum values of genetic distance CVs within each sample size was efficient in determining the number of loci needed to obtain a maximum CV of 10%. The number of RFLP and AFLP loci used was enough to give CV values of below 5%, while the SSRs and RAPD loci gave higher CV values. Except for the RAPD markers, all the markers correlated genetic distance with single cross performance and heterosis which showed that they could be useful in predicting single cross performance and heterosis in intrapopulation crosses for broad-based populations. Our results indicate that AFLP seemed to be the best-suited molecular assay for fingerprinting and assessing genetic relationships among tropical maize inbred lines with high accuracy.579588Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Peroxidação de lipídios de membrana e alterações morfo-anatômicas em raizes de milho sob toxidez de alumínio.

xSuplemento. Edição dos resumos do IX Congresso Brasileiro de Fisiologia Vegetal, 2003, Atibaia, SP

The influence of dopaminergic striatal innervation on upper limb locomotor synergies

To determine the role of striatal dopaminergic innervation on upper limb synergies during walking, we measured arm kinematics in 13 subjects with Parkinson disease. Patients were recruited according to several inclusion criteria to represent the best possible in vivo model of dopaminergic denervation. Of relevance, we included only subjects with normal spatio-temporal parameters of the stride and gait speed to avoid an impairment of upper limbs locomotor synergies as a consequence of gait impairment per se. Dopaminergic innervation of the striatum was measured by FP-CIT and SPECT. All patients showed a reduction of gait-associated arms movement. No linear correlation was found between arm ROM reduction and contralateral dopaminergic putaminal innervation loss. Still, a partition analysis revealed a 80% chance of reduced arm ROM when putaminal dopamine content loss was >47%. A significant correlation was described between the asymmetry indices of the swinging of the two arms and dopaminergic striatal innervation. When arm ROM was reduced, we found a positive correlation between upper-lower limb phase shift modulation (at different gait velocities) and striatal dopaminergic innervation. These findings are preliminary evidence that dopaminergic striatal tone plays a modulatory role in upper-limb locomotor synergies and upper-lower limb coupling while walking at different velocities

Disrupt of Intra-Limb APA Pattern in Parkinsonian Patients Performing Index-Finger Flexion

Voluntary movements induce postural perturbations which are counteracted by anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs). These actions are known to build up long fixation chains toward available support points (inter-limb APAs), so as to grant whole body equilibrium. Moreover, recent studies highlighted that APAs also build-up short fixation chains, within the same limb where a distal segment is moved (intra-limb APAs), aimed at stabilizing the proximal segments. The neural structures generating intra-limb APAs still need investigations; the present study aims to compare focal movement kinematics and intra-limb APA latencies and pattern between healthy subjects and parkinsonian patients, assuming the latter as a model of basal ganglia dysfunction. Intra-limb APAs that stabilize the arm when the index-finger is briskly flexed were recorded in 13 parkinsonian patients and in 10 age-matched healthy subjects. Index-finger movement was smaller in parkinsonian patients vs. healthy subjects (p = 0.01) and more delayed with respect to the onset of the prime mover flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS, p < 0.0001). In agreement with the literature, in all healthy subjects the FDS activation was preceded by an inhibitory intra-limb APA in biceps brachii (BB) and anterior deltoid (AD), and almost simultaneous to an excitatory intra-limb APA in triceps brachii (TB). In parkinsonian patients, no significant differences were found for TB and AD intra-limb APA timings, however only four patients showed an inhibitory intra-limb APA in BB, while other four did not show any BB intra-limb APAs and five actually developed a BB excitation. The frequency of occurrence of normal sign, lacking, and inverted BB APAs was different in healthy vs. parkinsonian participants (p = 0.0016). The observed alterations in index-finger kinematics and intra-limb APA pattern in parkinsonian patients suggest that basal ganglia, in addition to shaping the focal movement, may also contribute to intra-limb APA control

Mechanical energy recovery during walking in patients with Parkinson disease

The mechanisms of mechanical energy recovery during gait have been thoroughly investigated in healthy subjects, but never described in patients with Parkinson disease (PD). The aim of this study was to investigate whether such mechanisms are preserved in PD patients despite an altered pattern of locomotion. We consecutively enrolled 23 PD patients (mean age 64\ub19 years) with bilateral symptoms (H&amp;Y 65II) if able to walk unassisted in medication-off condition (overnight suspension of all dopaminergic drugs). Ten healthy subjects (mean age 62\ub13 years) walked both at their 'preferred' and 'slow' speeds, to match the whole range of PD velocities. Kinematic data were recorded by means of an optoelectronic motion analyzer. For each stride we computed spatio-temporal parameters, time-course and range of motion (ROM) of hip, knee and ankle joint angles. We also measured kinetic (Wk), potential (Wp), total (WtotCM) energy variations and the energy recovery index (ER). Along with PD progression, we found a significant correlation of WtotCM and Wp with knee ROM and in particular with knee extension in terminal stance phase. Wk and ER were instead mainly related to gait velocity. In PD subjects, the reduction of knee ROM significantly diminished both Wp and WtotCM. Rehabilitation treatments should possibly integrate passive and active mobilization of knee to prevent a reduction of gait-related energetic components

Enhanced catecholamine transporter binding in the locus coeruleus of patients with early Parkinson disease

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Studies in animals suggest that the noradrenergic system arising from the locus coeruleus (LC) and dopaminergic pathways mutually influence each other. Little is known however, about the functional state of the LC in patients with Parkinson disease (PD).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We retrospectively reviewed clinical and imaging data of 94 subjects with PD at an early clinical stage (Hoehn and Yahr stage 1-2) who underwent single photon computed tomography imaging with FP-CIT ([¹²³I] N-ω-fluoropropyl-2β-carbomethoxy-3β-(4-iodophenyl) tropane). FP-CIT binding values from the patients were compared with 15 healthy subjects: using both a voxel-based whole brain analysis and a volume of interest analysis of <it>a priori </it>defined brain regions.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Average FP-CIT binding in the putamen and caudate nucleus was significantly reduced in PD subjects (43% and 57% on average, respectively; p < 0.001). In contrast, subjects with PD showed an increased binding in the LC (166% on average; p < 0.001) in both analyses. LC-binding correlated negatively with striatal FP-CIT binding values (caudate: contralateral, ρ = -0.28, p < 0.01 and ipsilateral ρ = -0.26, p < 0.01; putamen: contralateral, ρ = -0.29, p < 0.01 and ipsilateral ρ = -0.29, p < 0.01).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These findings are consistent with an up-regulation of noradrenaline reuptake in the LC area of patients with early stage PD, compatible with enhanced noradrenaline release, and a compensating activity for degeneration of dopaminergic nigrostriatal projections.</p