Development of a Culturally-Oriented Website Usability Evaluation

As the uni-cultural studies of website usability have matured, the paucity of cross-cultural studies of usability become increasingly apparent. Moving toward these cross-cultural studies will require the development of a new tool to assess website usability in the context of cultural dimensions. This paper introduces the preliminary results from the first phase of this project and then presents the proposed method for the research in progress that specifically is directed to the development and quantitative evaluation of a measurement scale of a culture sensitive measurement of website usability. The recognition of the need to develop this scale resulted from the identification of culture-related shortcomings of previous measurement tools that have been used widely within the Management of Information Systems (MIS) literature

A Location-based Approach for Distributed Kiosk Design

Electronic kiosk interface design and implementation metrics have been well established. The problem arises when more than one kiosk is utilized in a different location within the same geographic proximity using the same basic informational parameters. This manuscript describes the design implications of a distributed kiosk environment from the standpoint of a field experiment. The log files from 2 kiosks deployed in the same building are analyzed for correlations among kiosk location and information required. The results show that while kiosk systems deployed in “primary entrances” should have a broad view of pertinent information, kiosks deployed in more remote locations should have information pertinent to that area initially presented to the individual. This research provides both confirmatory evidence and a checklist of implementation decision points for those who wish to implement a distributed kiosk architecture

Software Libre, Pirateria y Cultura de TI en Mexico

This research in progress analyzes the use of open-source software as a potential alternate path to applications piracy that affects so much the Mexican region, causing economic losses in millions and severe damages to national morality. We propose a determination model where the lack of information technology use culture, along with the high costs associated to commercial applications, fosters the generation of a black market for pirate software. Due to the cognitive dissonance generated, values tend to relax making piracy acceptable or, in the worst cases, an encouragement to act against the great producers of technology in the world. The open-source software alternative provides a possibility for the competitive development of firms, without breaking the law, and promoting a cooperative spirit rarely observed in the business context of Latin American cultures. A perception analysis through a cross-sectional survey study is proposed. We expect to gain valuable insights for the establishment of awareness-building programs in the industry sector regarding the use and benefits of information technologies

Albiglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Harmony Outcomes): a double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial

Background: Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists differ in chemical structure, duration of action, and in their effects on clinical outcomes. The cardiovascular effects of once-weekly albiglutide in type 2 diabetes are unknown. We aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of albiglutide in preventing cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. Methods: We did a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial in 610 sites across 28 countries. We randomly assigned patients aged 40 years and older with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (at a 1:1 ratio) to groups that either received a subcutaneous injection of albiglutide (30–50 mg, based on glycaemic response and tolerability) or of a matched volume of placebo once a week, in addition to their standard care. Investigators used an interactive voice or web response system to obtain treatment assignment, and patients and all study investigators were masked to their treatment allocation. We hypothesised that albiglutide would be non-inferior to placebo for the primary outcome of the first occurrence of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke, which was assessed in the intention-to-treat population. If non-inferiority was confirmed by an upper limit of the 95% CI for a hazard ratio of less than 1·30, closed testing for superiority was prespecified. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02465515. Findings: Patients were screened between July 1, 2015, and Nov 24, 2016. 10 793 patients were screened and 9463 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to groups: 4731 patients were assigned to receive albiglutide and 4732 patients to receive placebo. On Nov 8, 2017, it was determined that 611 primary endpoints and a median follow-up of at least 1·5 years had accrued, and participants returned for a final visit and discontinuation from study treatment; the last patient visit was on March 12, 2018. These 9463 patients, the intention-to-treat population, were evaluated for a median duration of 1·6 years and were assessed for the primary outcome. The primary composite outcome occurred in 338 (7%) of 4731 patients at an incidence rate of 4·6 events per 100 person-years in the albiglutide group and in 428 (9%) of 4732 patients at an incidence rate of 5·9 events per 100 person-years in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·78, 95% CI 0·68–0·90), which indicated that albiglutide was superior to placebo (p<0·0001 for non-inferiority; p=0·0006 for superiority). The incidence of acute pancreatitis (ten patients in the albiglutide group and seven patients in the placebo group), pancreatic cancer (six patients in the albiglutide group and five patients in the placebo group), medullary thyroid carcinoma (zero patients in both groups), and other serious adverse events did not differ between the two groups. There were three (<1%) deaths in the placebo group that were assessed by investigators, who were masked to study drug assignment, to be treatment-related and two (<1%) deaths in the albiglutide group. Interpretation: In patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, albiglutide was superior to placebo with respect to major adverse cardiovascular events. Evidence-based glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists should therefore be considered as part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes. Funding: GlaxoSmithKline

El rol de las instituciones sobre la vida de una estudiante mexicana de postgrado en una ciudad de la región norte-centro de los E.E.U.U.

El objetivo de este artículo es describir el rol que diversas instituciones asumieron dentro del proceso de aculturación e integración de una ciudadana mexicana dentro de una sociedad estadounidense conservadora, blanca y de la región norte-centro (Midwestern/Midwest). Se pone especial énfasis en la identificación de elementos clave que deben ser considerados cuando se viaja a cualquiera de los estados que integran esta región de los E.E.U.U. y que se caracterizan por tener climas, marcos legales, valores académicos, tradiciones y construcciones sociales muy diferentes a los de la participante: una mujer, mexicana, educada que busca obtener el Doctorado mientras vive en los E.E.U.U