Displaying publications 161 - 180 of 353 in total

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  1. Fulltext How Internet Websites Portray Herbal Vitality Products Containing Eurycoma longifolia Jack: An Evaluation of the Quality and Risks of Online Information
    Wahab MSA, Abd Hamid NN, Yassen AO, Naim MJ, Ahamad J, Zulkifli NW, et al.
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Sep 20;19(19).
    PMID: 36231154 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191911853
    BACKGROUND: Tongkat Ali (TA) or Eurycoma longifolia is a herbal medicine (HM) plant traditionally used to treat sexual dysfunction and enhance libido in men. Websites containing information about HM are abundant. However, studies have shown that in general the quality of websites containing information on HM is low. The present study aims to assess the quality and risks of websites containing information about TA supplements and to identify the health claims for TA.

    METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study to evaluate the quality and risks of websites discussing TA supplements was conducted. Online marketing websites, research articles, news articles, personal opinions, and those restricted by password were excluded. The quality and risks of websites were assessed using a modified DISCERN tool and a set of risk assessment criteria, respectively. The health claims for TA were identified and analyzed using content analysis.

    RESULTS: Overall, 321 websites met the inclusion criteria and were further evaluated. The overall rating of the quality of the websites was low, with a mean score ± standard deviation of 1.07 ± 0.51. Most websites lacked information that there may be more than one possible treatment choice and did not discuss areas of uncertainty. However, 67.9% (218/321) of the websites received a risk score of zero. A minority of websites (5/321, 1.6%) discouraged the use of conventional medicines. The most common health claims for TA included in the websites related to the enhancement of testosterone level (121/321, 37.7%), treatment of malaria (112/321, 34.9%), and improvement in libido (108/321, 33.6%).

    CONCLUSIONS: Websites containing information about TA supplements generally have a low-quality rating based on a modified DISCERN tool despite having a low-risk score. Government agencies and healthcare professionals (HCPs) must be more proactive in the critique and dissemination of information relating to HM, and in ensuring the safe use of HM among the public and patients.

    Matched MeSH terms: Internet
  2. Fulltext GrAfSS: a webserver for substructure similarity searching and comparisons in the structures of proteins and RNA
    Ghani NSA, Emrizal R, Moffit SM, Hamdani HY, Ramlan EI, Firdaus-Raih M
    Nucleic Acids Res, 2022 Jul 05;50(W1):W375-W383.
    PMID: 35639505 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac402
    The GrAfSS (Graph theoretical Applications for Substructure Searching) webserver is a platform to search for three-dimensional substructures of: (i) amino acid side chains in protein structures; and (ii) base arrangements in RNA structures. The webserver interfaces the functions of five different graph theoretical algorithms - ASSAM, SPRITE, IMAAAGINE, NASSAM and COGNAC - into a single substructure searching suite. Users will be able to identify whether a three-dimensional (3D) arrangement of interest, such as a ligand binding site or 3D motif, observed in a protein or RNA structure can be found in other structures available in the Protein Data Bank (PDB). The webserver also allows users to determine whether a protein or RNA structure of interest contains substructural arrangements that are similar to known motifs or 3D arrangements. These capabilities allow for the functional annotation of new structures that were either experimentally determined or computationally generated (such as the coordinates generated by AlphaFold2) and can provide further insights into the diversity or conservation of functional mechanisms of structures in the PDB. The computed substructural superpositions are visualized using integrated NGL viewers. The GrAfSS server is available at http://mfrlab.org/grafss/.
    Matched MeSH terms: Internet
  3. Fulltext Validation of the Thai Assessment of Criteria for Specific Internet-use Disorders (ACSID-11) among young adults
    Yang YN, Su JA, Pimsen A, Chen JS, Potenza MN, Pakpour AH, et al.
    BMC Psychiatry, 2023 Nov 08;23(1):819.
    PMID: 37940885 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-05210-z
    BACKGROUND: The Assessment of Criteria for Specific Internet-use Disorders (ACSID-11) is a consistent and comprehensive instrument to assess symptoms of specific internet-use disorders including those related to gaming, shopping, pornography use disorder, social networks use and gambling considering criteria in the eleventh revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). However, to date, there is little evidence supporting instruments assessing major types of specific internet use disorders in Thailand. The aim of this present study was to assess the psychometric properties of the ACSID-11 among Thai young adults.

    METHODS: A total of 612 participants were recruited. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) examined construct validity of the ACSID-11. Cronbach's α and McDonald's ω were used to assess reliability of the ACSID-11. Pearson correlations examined relationships between ACSID-11 domains and Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form (IGDS9-SF) scores.

    RESULTS: The CFA supported validity of the Thai version of the ACSID-11 and a four-factor structure. Specific domains of the Thai ACSID-11, particularly gaming, were positively and significantly correlated with IGDS9-SF scores.

    CONCLUSIONS: Data indicate that the Thai version of the ACSID-11 is a valid and reliable instrument to assess major types of specific internet use disorders. Additional studies are needed to further examine the validity and reliability of the Thai ACSID-11.

    Matched MeSH terms: Internet
  4. CircPrime: a web-based platform for design of specific circular RNA primers
    Sharko F, Rbbani G, Siriyappagouder P, Raeymaekers JAM, Galindo-Villegas J, Nedoluzhko A, et al.
    BMC Bioinformatics, 2023 May 19;24(1):205.
    PMID: 37208611 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-023-05331-y
    BACKGROUND: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are covalently closed-loop RNAs with critical regulatory roles in cells. Tens of thousands of circRNAs have been unveiled due to the recent advances in high throughput RNA sequencing technologies and bioinformatic tools development. At the same time, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) cross-validation for circRNAs predicted by bioinformatic tools remains an essential part of any circRNA study before publication.

    RESULTS: Here, we present the CircPrime web-based platform, providing a user-friendly solution for DNA primer design and thermocycling conditions for circRNA identification with routine PCR methods.

    CONCLUSIONS: User-friendly CircPrime web platform ( http://circprime.elgene.net/ ) works with outputs of the most popular bioinformatic predictors of circRNAs to design specific circular RNA primers. CircPrime works with circRNA coordinates and any reference genome from the National Center for Biotechnology Information database).

    Matched MeSH terms: Internet
  5. Exploring the health information-seeking practices of breast cancer patients in a middle-income country with a diverse ethnic population: a cross-sectional investigation
    Yip KC, Lai LL, Ngu ST, Chong RS, Yahya A, See MH
    Support Care Cancer, 2023 Sep 27;31(10):593.
    PMID: 37752312 DOI: 10.1007/s00520-023-08033-6
    Seeking health information is an important step for cancer patients to understand their condition and facilitate treatment. It also helps them deal with the unknown and aid in recovery. Therefore, it is vital to understand the factors that drive health information-seeking behavior. This study aims to achieve that objective in a localized context by surveying 421 breast cancer patients in an urban teaching hospital. The patients were presented with a 5-point questionnaire that explored their demography, health status, information-seeking behavior, and literacy level. The prevalence of health information-seeking initiatives reported was 60%. Patients with higher education (OR 3.31; 95% CI (1.39-7.87), p = 0.01), having their own business or were self-employed (OR 4.68; 95% CI (1.03-21.24), p = 0.046), and in a Medium 40 (M40) income level (OR 2.31; 95% CI (1.09-4.88), p = 0.03) and Top 20 (T20) level were more likely to seek health information. The mean e-Health Literacy Score (eHEALS) was 28.01 ± 5.0, with healthcare professionals having the highest level of trust (mean 4.22 ± 0.79) and most useful resource score (mean 4.21 ± 0.78). Even though Google was the most popular online search tool used by respondents, most of them seldom (23.77%) or had never (34.34%) discussed the online information they found with healthcare professionals. In conclusion, it is still best for patients to appraise the sought-after information with experts to avoid misinformation and treatment delay.
    Matched MeSH terms: Internet
  6. Fulltext The impact of nutrition education interventions on the dietary habits of college students in developed nations: a brief review
    Lua PL, Wan Putri Elena WD
    Malays J Med Sci, 2012 Jan;19(1):4-14.
    PMID: 22977369 MyJurnal
    The purpose of this review is to provide a summary of studies on the effectiveness nutrition education interventions used by college students. Electronic databases such as Medline, Science Direct, CINAHL (EBSCOhost), and Google Scholar were explored for articles that involved nutrition education interventions for college students and that were published between 1990 and 2011. Fourteen studies, which involved a total of 1668 college students as respondents, were identified and met the inclusion criteria. The results showed that there were 3 major forms of nutrition education interventions: web-based education, lectures, and supplement provisions. Dietary intake measures were used in almost all studies and were primarily collected with food records, recall, food frequency questionnaires, and dietary habit questionnaires. The outcome measures varied among the studies, with indicators such as consumption of food, nutrition knowledge, dietary habits, physical activity, and quality of life. Methodological issues were also identified. In general, college students experienced significant changes in their dietary habits after the interventions were employed. The highlighted methodological issues should be considered to improve the quality of similar research in future.
    Matched MeSH terms: Internet
  7. Fulltext Integrating health belief model and technology acceptance model: an investigation of health-related internet use
    Ahadzadeh AS, Pahlevan Sharif S, Ong FS, Khong KW
    J Med Internet Res, 2015;17(2):e45.
    PMID: 25700481 DOI: 10.2196/jmir.3564
    Today, people use the Internet to satisfy health-related information and communication needs. In Malaysia, Internet use for health management has become increasingly significant due to the increase in the incidence of chronic diseases, in particular among urban women and their desire to stay healthy. Past studies adopted the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Health Belief Model (HBM) independently to explain Internet use for health-related purposes. Although both the TAM and HBM have their own merits, independently they lack the ability to explain the cognition and the related mechanism in which individuals use the Internet for health purposes.
    Matched MeSH terms: Internet*
  8. Challenges, alternatives, and paths to sustainability: better public health promotion using social networking pages as key tools
    Zaidan AA, Zaidan BB, Kadhem Z, Larbani M, Lakulu MB, Hashim M
    J Med Syst, 2015 Feb;39(2):7.
    PMID: 25631841 DOI: 10.1007/s10916-015-0201-y
    This paper discusses the possibility of promoting public health and implementing educational health services using Facebook. We discuss the challenges and strengths of using such a platform as a tool for public health care systems from two different perspectives, namely, the view of IT developers and that of physicians. We present a new way of evaluating user interactivity in health care systems from tools provided by Facebook that measure statistical traffic in the Internet. Findings show that Facebook is a very promising tool in promoting e-health services in Web 2.0. Results from statistical traffic show that a Facebook page is more efficient than other pages in promoting public health.
    Matched MeSH terms: Internet*
  9. Epidemiology of internet behaviors and addiction among adolescents in six Asian countries
    Mak KK, Lai CM, Watanabe H, Kim DI, Bahar N, Ramos M, et al.
    Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw, 2014 Nov;17(11):720-8.
    PMID: 25405785 DOI: 10.1089/cyber.2014.0139
    Internet addiction has become a serious behavioral health problem in Asia. However, there are no up-to-date country comparisons. The Asian Adolescent Risk Behavior Survey (AARBS) screens and compares the prevalence of Internet behaviors and addiction in adolescents in six Asian countries. A total of 5,366 adolescents aged 12-18 years were recruited from six Asian countries: China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Participants completed a structured questionnaire on their Internet use in the 2012-2013 school year. Internet addiction was assessed using the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and the Revised Chen Internet Addiction Scale (CIAS-R). The variations in Internet behaviors and addiction across countries were examined. The overall prevalence of smartphone ownership is 62%, ranging from 41% in China to 84% in South Korea. Moreover, participation in online gaming ranges from 11% in China to 39% in Japan. Hong Kong has the highest number of adolescents reporting daily or above Internet use (68%). Internet addiction is highest in the Philippines, according to both the IAT (5%) and the CIAS-R (21%). Internet addictive behavior is common among adolescents in Asian countries. Problematic Internet use is prevalent and characterized by risky cyberbehaviors.
    Matched MeSH terms: Internet/utilization*
  10. A structural equation modeling approach for the adoption of cloud computing to enhance the Malaysian healthcare sector
    Ratnam KA, Dominic PD, Ramayah T
    J Med Syst, 2014 Aug;38(8):82.
    PMID: 24957398 DOI: 10.1007/s10916-014-0082-5
    The investments and costs of infrastructure, communication, medical-related equipments, and software within the global healthcare ecosystem portray a rather significant increase. The emergence of this proliferation is then expected to grow. As a result, information and cross-system communication became challenging due to the detached independent systems and subsystems which are not connected. The overall model fit expending over a sample size of 320 were tested with structural equation modelling (SEM) using AMOS 20.0 as the modelling tool. SPSS 20.0 is used to analyse the descriptive statistics and dimension reliability. Results of the study show that system utilisation and system impact dimension influences the overall level of services of the healthcare providers. In addition to that, the findings also suggest that systems integration and security plays a pivotal role for IT resources in healthcare organisations. Through this study, a basis for investigation on the need to improvise the Malaysian healthcare ecosystem and the introduction of a cloud computing platform to host the national healthcare information exchange has been successfully established.
    Matched MeSH terms: Internet*
  11. Fulltext A web-based dietary intervention for people with type 2 diabetes: development, implementation, and evaluation
    Ramadas A, Chan CK, Oldenburg B, Hussien Z, Quek KF
    Int J Behav Med, 2015 Jun;22(3):365-73.
    PMID: 25274015 DOI: 10.1007/s12529-014-9445-z
    BACKGROUND: Diabetes is becoming a very important health issue in rapidly developing nations and there is an urgent need to improve overall diabetes self-management education in these countries. Although e-health is an emerging theme, only a few successful web-based studies on diabetes self-management have been reported.
    PURPOSE: We describe the development, implementation, and process evaluation of an Internet-delivered dietary intervention program (myDIDeA) for diabetic patients in a developing country.
    METHOD: Specific dietary components to be included in the intervention module were first identified through a comprehensive review of literature and guidelines. The lesson plans and the study website were then developed based on the evidence, Transtheoretical Model's Stages of Change and user-centered design approach. Finally, the effectiveness of the website was tested through a randomized-controlled trial to promote dietary change in patients with type 2 diabetes. The participants in the intervention group (n = 66) were given access to myDIDeA for 6 months. Process evaluation in form of intervention adherence and program reception were conducted at post intervention.
    RESULTS: The response rate for the process evaluation was 89%. On average, each participant logged in at least once for each lesson plan and spent almost 12 min on the site. The participants' content satisfaction, acceptability, and usability scores were satisfactory. The primary outcome of the trial, Dietary Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior score was strongly correlated with content satisfaction (r = 0.826, p Internet-based intervention programs to other health behaviors and issues related to self-management of chronic conditions. In addition, interactivity, peer support via social media, and other means to stimulate the interest of participants can be explored.
    Study site: outpatient medical clinics, three public hospitals, Klang Valley, Malaysia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Internet*
  12. Fulltext Developing a web-based advisory expert system for implementing traffic calming strategies
    Falamarzi A, Borhan MN, Rahmat RA
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:757981.
    PMID: 25276861 DOI: 10.1155/2014/757981
    Lack of traffic safety has become a serious issue in residential areas. In this paper, a web-based advisory expert system for the purpose of applying traffic calming strategies on residential streets is described because there currently lacks a structured framework for the implementation of such strategies. Developing an expert system can assist and advise engineers for dealing with traffic safety problems. This expert system is developed to fill the gap between the traffic safety experts and people who seek to employ traffic calming strategies including decision makers, engineers, and students. In order to build the expert system, examining sources related to traffic calming studies as well as interviewing with domain experts have been carried out. The system includes above 150 rules and 200 images for different types of measures. The system has three main functions including classifying traffic calming measures, prioritizing traffic calming strategies, and presenting solutions for different traffic safety problems. Verifying, validating processes, and comparing the system with similar works have shown that the system is consistent and acceptable for practical uses. Finally, some recommendations for improving the system are presented.
    Matched MeSH terms: Internet*
  13. Distant peer-tutoring of clinical skills, using tablets with instructional videos and Skype: A pilot study in the UK and Malaysia
    O'Donovan J, Maruthappu M
    Med Teach, 2015 May;37(5):463-9.
    PMID: 25182187 DOI: 10.3109/0142159X.2014.956063
    To assess the feasibility and impact of using low-cost Android tablets to deliver video tutorials and remote online peer-tutoring for clinical skills between two countries.
    Matched MeSH terms: Internet*
  14. Validity of the Malay version of the Internet Addiction Test: a study on a group of medical students in Malaysia
    Guan NC, Isa SM, Hashim AH, Pillai SK, Harbajan Singh MK
    Asia Pac J Public Health, 2015 Mar;27(2):NP2210-9.
    PMID: 22652253 DOI: 10.1177/1010539512447808
    The use of the Internet has been increasing dramatically over the decade in Malaysia. Excessive usage of the Internet has lead to a phenomenon called Internet addiction. There is a need for a reliable, valid, and simple-to-use scale to measure Internet addiction in the Malaysian population for clinical practice and research purposes. The aim of this study was to validate the Malay version of the Internet Addiction Test, using a sample of 162 medical students. The instrument displayed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .91), parallel reliability (intraclass coefficient = .88, P < .001), and concurrent validity with the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (Pearson's correlation = .84, P < .001). Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that 43 was the optimal cutoff score to discriminate students with and without Internet dependence. Principal component analysis with varimax rotation identified a 5-factor model. The Malay version of the Internet Addiction Test appeared to be a valid instrument for assessing Internet addiction in Malaysian university students.
    Matched MeSH terms: Internet*
  15. Fulltext Integrating an open-source course management system (Moodle) into the teaching of a first-year medical physiology course: a case study
    Seluakumaran K, Jusof FF, Ismail R, Husain R
    Adv Physiol Educ, 2011 Dec;35(4):369-77.
    PMID: 22139773 DOI: 10.1152/advan.00008.2011
    Educators in medical schools around the world are presently experimenting with innovative ways of using web-based learning to supplement the existing teaching and learning process. We have recently used a popular open-source course management system (CMS) called the modular object-oriented dynamic learning environment (Moodle) to construct an online site (DPhysiol) to facilitate our face-to-face teaching of physiology to a group of first-year students in the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery program. The integration of the Moodle site into our teaching was assessed using online log activity, student examination marks, and feedback from students. The freely available Moodle platform was simple to use, helped to effectively deliver course materials, and has features that allowed cooperative learning. Students who used the CMS throughout their academic year and commented favorably regarding its use as a complement to the face-to-face classroom sessions. The group of students used the CMS obtained significantly higher scores in the final examination compared with the previous class that did not use the CMS. In addition, there was a significant correlation between student participation and performance in online quizzes and their final examination marks. However, students' overall online usage of the CMS did not correlate with their examination marks. We recommend Moodle as a useful tool for physiology educators who are interested in integrating web-based learning into their existing teaching curriculum.
    Matched MeSH terms: Internet*
  16. Normative beliefs about aggression as a mediator of narcissistic exploitativeness and cyberbullying
    Ang RP, Tan KA, Talib Mansor A
    J Interpers Violence, 2011 Sep;26(13):2619-34.
    PMID: 21156699 DOI: 10.1177/0886260510388286
    The current study examined normative beliefs about aggression as a mediator between narcissistic exploitativeness and cyberbullying using two Asian adolescent samples from Singapore and Malaysia. Narcissistic exploitativeness was significantly and positively associated with cyberbullying and normative beliefs about aggression and normative beliefs about aggression were significantly and positively associated with cyberbullying. Normative beliefs about aggression were a significant partial mediator in both samples; these beliefs about aggression served as one possible mechanism of action by which narcissistic exploitativeness could exert its influence on cyberbullying. Findings extended previous empirical research by showing that such beliefs can be the mechanism of action not only in offline but also in online contexts and across cultures. Cyberbullying prevention and intervention efforts should include modification of norms and beliefs supportive of the legitimacy and acceptability of cyberbullying.
    Matched MeSH terms: Internet/statistics & numerical data*
  17. Fulltext National Eye Database--a web based surveillance system
    Goh PP, Elias H, Norfariza N, Mariam I, National Eye Database Steering Committee
    Med J Malaysia, 2008 Sep;63 Suppl C:20-3.
    PMID: 19227672
    National Eye Database (www.acrm.org.my/ned) is a web based surveillance system which collects data on eye diseases and clinical performance in ophthalmology service. It is a prospective study with online data collection, concurrent descriptive data analysis and real time report. It includes cataract surgery registry, diabetic eye registry, glaucoma registry, contact lens related corneal ulcer surveillance and monthly ophthalmology service census. This article presents the methodology and some registries reports. The web based surveillance system has made dissemination of report prompt, easy and without barrier.
    Matched MeSH terms: Internet/statistics & numerical data*
  18. Development and implementation of a web-based system to study children with malnutrition
    Syed-Mohamad SM
    Comput Methods Programs Biomed, 2009 Jan;93(1):83-92.
    PMID: 18789553 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2008.07.011
    To develop and implement a collective web-based system to monitor child growth in order to study children with malnutrition.
    Matched MeSH terms: Internet*
  19. Developing a Web 2.0 telemedical education system: the AJAX-Cocoon portal
    Mohammed S, Orabi A, Fiaidhi J, Orabi M, R. Benlamri
    Int J Electron Healthc, 2008;4(1):24-42.
    PMID: 18583294
    Web 2.0 technologies such as wikis, podcasts/vodcasting, blogs and semantic portals could be quite effective tools in e-learning for health professionals. If effectively deployed, such tools can offer a way to enhance students', clinicians' and patients' learning experiences, and deepens levels of learners' engagement and collaboration within medical learning environments. However, Web 2.0 requires simplicity of use as well as integration with modern web technologies. This article presents a Web 2.0 telemedical portal, which provides a social community-learning paradigm from the desk of the physician, the student, the hospital administrator, or the insurer. The presented portal utilises RESTful web services and techniques like content syndication, mushups and Asynchronous JavaScript API and XML (AJAX). The designed portal is based on the Apache Cocoon RESTful framework for sharing Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) medical case studies. Central to this article is the integration between Cocoon and AJAX. The proposed AJAX-Cocoon portal utilises a JSP portlet architecture, which manages the interaction dynamics and overcomes the shortcomings of the JSR 168 and WSRP 1.0 standards.
    Matched MeSH terms: Internet/organization & administration*
  20. Fulltext ICDTag: a prototype for a web-based system for organizing physician-written blog posts using a hybrid taxonomy-folksonomy approach
    Batch Y, Yusof MM, Noah SA
    J Med Internet Res, 2013;15(2):e41.
    PMID: 23470419 DOI: 10.2196/jmir.2353
    Medical blogs have emerged as new media, extending to a wider range of medical audiences, including health professionals and patients to share health-related information. However, extraction of quality health-related information from medical blogs is challenging primarily because these blogs lack systematic methods to organize their posts. Medical blogs can be categorized according to their author into (1) physician-written blogs, (2) nurse-written blogs, and (3) patient-written blogs. This study focuses on how to organize physician-written blog posts that discuss disease-related issues and how to extract quality information from these posts.
    Matched MeSH terms: Internet*
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