Evaluating the Quality of Information Found in the Most Common Health Websites in Google Using DISCERN and CRAAP

Objectives: Google search results can have an outsized impact on the health information that consumers find and trust. The researchers analyzed the health-related websites that show up most frequently on the first page of Google search results. After determining the websites that appear most frequently, the authors would evaluate the quality of the health information on these websites using the DISCERN instrument and the CRAAP test. Methods: To replicate a common health information search, a list of search terms was gathered from the most frequently searched health-related topics on Google Trends. Each term would then be searched on Google and the authors compiled a list of the first 10 search results for each term. The authors cleared their search history and cookies from their browsers before searching. They also set their browsers to incognito/private mode and conducted the same search in three different regions of the country using a VPN to avoid any targeted results. The websites that appeared most frequently were then independently evaluated by two of the authors using the DISCERN tool and CRAAP (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose) test to determine if these sites were providing quality information. Results: A total of 62 terms were identified from Google Trends and searched on Google. 174 unique websites were found through the search results from all the terms. The top six websites that appeared most frequently for all the Google searches were WebMD(61), Mayo Clinic (57), MedlinePlus (52), Medical News Today (48), Center for Disease Control (36), and MedicineNet (28). The only website to rate an excellent score in both evaluation tools was MedlinePlus (DISCERN 67.5; CRAAP 21). The lowest rated website was Medical News Today (DISCERN 44.5; CRAAP 14.5). Conclusions: Through our search of the most frequently searched health-related terms, it was evident that Google search results appear most often from six common websites. Evaluating the information from these six websites revealed that there was a wide range in terms of quality. Based on this assessment, MedlinePlus should be recommended by health information professionals and those in the healthcare field for general health information. The health information on the most popular websites is of at least average quality, regardless of which website is used. Health science librarians can use these scores to help educate their students and faculty about the differences between websites when searching for health information on Google

Quality Evaluation of Consumer Health Information Websites Found on Google Using DISCERN, CRAAP, and HONcode

Online health misinformation is a growing problem, and health information professionals and consumers would benefit from an evaluation of health websites for reliability and trustworthiness. Terms from the Google COVID-19 Search Trends dataset were searched on Google to determine the most frequently appearing consumer health information websites. The quality of the resulting top five websites was evaluated. The top five websites that appeared most frequently were WebMD, Mayo Clinic, Healthline, MedlinePlus, and Medical News Today, respectively. All websites, except Medline Plus, received HONcode certification. Based on DISCERN and CRAAP scores, MedlinePlus was found to be the most reliable health website

Online self-presentation: Psychological predictors and outcomes

Internet technology has changed the way we interact, and online communication has become increasingly common. There is a need to know more about how individuals present and behave online. The study examined relationships between perfectionism (self-oriented, socially prescribed, other-oriented), online self-presentation types (idealised self, multiple selves and consistent self), cyberbullying experiences (victimisation and perpetration) and psychological outcomes (rumination and depressive symptoms). An online questionnaire measuring these variables was completed by 139 general population adults (91.2 % from the UK, 73 % female; age range 17–70 years; Mean = 33.32 SD = 13.76). Regression analysis showed a role of self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism in idealised self and multiple selves online presentation. Further, self-presentation was related to individuals’ likelihood to engage in cyberbullying as a perpetrator. Finally, self-presentation and cyberbullying perpetration were predictive of rumination and depressive symptoms. The findings provide insight into adults’ online behaviour and related outcomes thus contributing to our understanding of the psychology within online interactions

Independent estimation of T\u3csup\u3e*\u3c/sup\u3e2 for water and fat for improved accuracy of fat quantification

Noninvasive biomarkers of intracellular accumulation of fat within the liver (hepatic steatosis) are urgently needed for detection and quantitative grading of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, the most common cause of chronic liver disease in the United States. Accurate quantification of fat with MRI is challenging due the presence of several confounding factors, including T z.ast;2 decay. The specific purpose of this work is to quantify the impact of Tz.ast;2decay and develop a multiexponential Tz.ast;2 correction method for improved accuracy of fat quantification, relaxing assumptions made by previous T z.ast;2 correction methods. A modified Gauss-Newton algorithm is used to estimate the Tz.ast;2 for water and fat independently. Improved quantification of fat is demonstrated, with independent estimation of Tz.ast;2 for water and fat using phantom experiments. The tradeoffs in algorithm stability and accuracy between multiexponential and single exponential techniques are discussed. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc

Variation in DNA Methylation Is Not Consistently Reflected by Sociality in Hymenoptera

Changes in gene regulation that underlie phenotypic evolution can be encoded directly in the DNA sequence or mediated by chromatin modifications such as DNA methylation. It has been hypothesized that the evolution of eusocial division of labor is associated with enhanced gene regulatory potential, which may include expansions in DNA methylation in the genomes of Hymenoptera (bees, ants, wasps, and sawflies). Recently, this hypothesis garnered support from analyses of a commonly used metric to estimate DNA methylation in silico, CpG content. Here, we test this hypothesis using direct, nucleotide-level measures of DNA methylation across nine species of Hymenoptera. In doing so, we generated new DNA methylomes for three species of interest, including one solitary and one facultatively eusocial halictid bee and a sawfly. We demonstrate that the strength of correlation between CpG content and DNA methylation varies widely among hymenopteran taxa, highlighting shortcomings in the utility of CpG content as a proxy for DNA methylation in comparative studies of taxa with sparse DNA methylomes. We observed strikingly high levels of DNA methylation in the sawfly relative to other investigated hymenopterans. Analyses of molecular evolution suggest the relatively distinct sawfly DNA methylome may be associated with positive selection on functional DNMT3 domains. Sawflies are an outgroup to all ants, bees, and wasps, and no sawfly species are eusocial. We find no evidence that either global expansions or variation within individual ortholog groups in DNA methylation are consistently associated with the evolution of social behavior

What are emergency ambulance services doing to meet the needs of people who call frequently? A national survey of current practice in the United Kingdom

Background Emergency ambulance services are integral to providing a service for those with unplanned urgent and life-threatening health conditions. However, high use of the service by a small minority of patients is a concern. Our objectives were to describe: service-wide and local policies or pathways for people classified as Frequent Caller; call volume; and results of any audit or evaluation. Method We conducted a national survey of current practice in ambulance services in relation to the management of people who call the emergency ambulance service frequently using a structured questionnaire for completion by email and telephone interview. We analysed responses using a descriptive and thematic approach. Results Twelve of 13 UK ambulance services responded. Most services used nationally agreed definitions for ‘Frequent Caller’, with 600–900 people meeting this classification each month. Service-wide policies were in place, with local variations. Models of care varied from within-service care where calls are flagged in the call centre; contact made with callers; and their General Practitioner (GP) with an aim of discouraging further calls, to case management through cross-service, multi-disciplinary team meetings aiming to resolve callers’ needs. Although data were available related to volume of calls and number of callers meeting the threshold for definition as Frequent Caller, no formal audits or evaluations were reported. Conclusions Ambulance services are under pressure to meet challenging response times for high acuity patients. Tensions are apparent in the provision of care to patients who have complex needs and call frequently. Multi-disciplinary case management approaches may help to provide appropriate care, and reduce demand on emergency services. However, there is currently inadequate evidence to inform commissioning, policy or practice development

Regulation of Stat5 by FAK and PAK1 in Oncogenic FLT3 and KIT driven Leukemogenesis

Oncogenic mutations of FLT3 and KIT receptors are associated with poor survival in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) and currently available drugs are largely ineffective. Although Stat5 has been implicated in regulating several myeloid and lymphoid malignancies, how precisely Stat5 regulates leukemogenesis, including its nuclear translocation to induce gene transcription is poorly understood. In leukemic cells, we show constitutive activation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), whose inhibition represses leukemogenesis. Downstream of FAK, activation of Rac1 is regulated by RacGEF Tiam1, whose inhibition prolongs the survival of leukemic mice. Inhibition of the Rac1 effector PAK1 prolongs the survival of leukemic mice in part by inhibiting the nuclear translocation of Stat5. These results reveal a leukemic pathway involving FAK/Tiam1/Rac1/PAK1 and demonstrate an essential role for these signaling molecules in regulating the nuclear translocation of Stat5 in leukemogenesis

Training of Instrumentalists and Development of New Technologies on SOFIA

This white paper is submitted to the Astronomy and Astrophysics 2010 Decadal Survey (Astro2010)1 Committee on the State of the Profession to emphasize the potential of the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) to contribute to the training of instrumentalists and observers, and to related technology developments. This potential goes beyond the primary mission of SOFIA, which is to carry out unique, high priority astronomical research. SOFIA is a Boeing 747SP aircraft with a 2.5 meter telescope. It will enable astronomical observations anywhere, any time, and at most wavelengths between 0.3 microns and 1.6 mm not accessible from ground-based observatories. These attributes, accruing from the mobility and flight altitude of SOFIA, guarantee a wealth of scientific return. Its instrument teams (nine in the first generation) and guest investigators will do suborbital astronomy in a shirt-sleeve environment. The project will invest $10M per year in science instrument development over a lifetime of 20 years. This, frequent flight opportunities, and operation that enables rapid changes of science instruments and hands-on in-flight access to the instruments, assure a unique and extensive potential - both for training young instrumentalists and for encouraging and deploying nascent technologies. Novel instruments covering optical, infrared, and submillimeter bands can be developed for and tested on SOFIA by their developers (including apprentices) for their own observations and for those of guest observers, to validate technologies and maximize observational effectiveness.Comment: 10 pages, no figures, White Paper for Astro 2010 Survey Committee on State of the Professio