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User-Friendly Interface Developed for a Web-Based Service for SpaceCAL Emulations
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
A team at the NASA Glenn Research Center is developing a Space Communications Architecture Laboratory (SpaceCAL) for protocol development activities for coordinated satellite missions. SpaceCAL will provide a multiuser, distributed system to emulate space-based Internet architectures, backbone networks, formation clusters, and constellations. As part of a new effort in 2003, building blocks are being defined for an open distributed system to make the satellite emulation test bed accessible through an Internet connection. The first step in creating a Web-based service to control the emulation remotely is providing a user-friendly interface for encoding the data into a well-formed and complete Extensible Markup Language (XML) document. XML provides coding that allows data to be transferred between dissimilar systems. Scenario specifications include control parameters, network routes, interface bandwidths, delay, and bit error rate. Specifications for all satellite, instruments, and ground stations in a given scenario are also included in the XML document. For the SpaceCAL emulation, the XML document can be created using XForms, a Webbased forms language for data collection. Contrary to older forms technology, the interactive user interface makes the science prevalent, not the data representation. Required versus optional input fields, default values, automatic calculations, data validation, and reuse will help researchers quickly and accurately define missions. XForms can apply any XML schema defined for the test mission to validate data before forwarding it to the emulation facility. New instrument definitions, facilities, and mission types can be added to the existing schema. The first prototype user interface incorporates components for interactive input and form processing. Internet address, data rate, and the location of the facility are implemented with basic form controls with default values provided for convenience and efficiency using basic XForms operations. Because different emulation scenarios will vary widely in their component structure, more complex operations are used to add and delete facilities.
Liszka, Kathy J.; Holtz, Allen P.
On-site earthquake early warning with multiple regression analysis: Featuring two user-friendly applications for Excel
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
A variety of user-friendly spreadsheet templates have been developed for geoscience studies. However, the use of the built-in matrix functions within spreadsheet programs, such as Excel, is not particularly straightforward, lowering the value of spreadsheet programs for matrix-based computations, such as multiple regression analyses. Therefore, this study first developed two applications for Excel to perform multiple regression analyses in a much more user-friendly manner. Then using earthquake time histories from a reputable database, a series of regression analyses were performed. A new framework for on-site earthquake early warning based on multiple regression analyses is presented as an alternative to conventional models which were developed with single regression analyses.
Wang, J. P.; Huang, Duruo; Chang, Su-Chin; Brant, Logan
Siberian Earth System Science Cluster - A web-based Geoportal to provide user-friendly Earth Observation Products for supporting NEESPI scientists
To provide earth observation products in the area of Siberia, the Siberian Earth System Science Cluster (SIB-ESS-C) was established as a spatial data infrastructure at the University of Jena (Germany), Department for Earth Observation. This spatial data infrastructure implements standards published by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) and the International Organizsation for Standardization (ISO) for data discovery, data access, data processing and data analysis. The objective of SIB-ESS-C is to faciliate environmental research and Earth system science in Siberia. The region for this project covers the entire Asian part of the Russian Federation approximately between 58�E - 170�W and 48�N - 80�N. To provide discovery, access and analysis services a webportal was published for searching and visualisation of available data. This webportal is based on current web technologies like AJAX, Drupal Content Management System as backend software and a user-friendly surface with Drag-n-Drop and further mouse events. To have a wide range of regular updated earth observation products, some products from sensor MODIS at the satellites Aqua and Terra were processed. A direct connection to NASA archive servers makes it possible to download MODIS Level 3 and 4 products and integrate it in the SIB-ESS-C infrastructure. These data can be downloaded in a file format called Hierarchical Data Format (HDF). For visualisation and further analysis, this data is reprojected, converted to GeoTIFF and global products clipped to the project area. All these steps are implemented as an automatic process chain. If new MODIS data is available within the infrastructure this process chain is executed. With the link to a MODIS catalogue system, the system gets new data daily. With the implemented analysis processes, timeseries data can be analysed, for example to plot a trend or different time series against one another. Scientists working in this area and working with MODIS data can make use of this service over the webportal. Both searching manually the NASA archive for MODIS data, processing these data automatically and then download it for further processing and using the regular updated products.
Eberle, J.; Gerlach, R.; Hese, S.; Schmullius, C.
Three Applications of Automated Test Assembly within a User-Friendly Modeling Environment
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
While linear programming is a common tool in business and industry, there have not been many applications in educational assessment and only a handful of individuals have been actively involved in conducting psychometric research in this area. Perhaps this is due, at least in part, to the complexity of existing software packages. This article�
Cor, Ken; Alves, Cecilia; Gierl, Mark
Brainstorm: A User-Friendly Application for MEG/EEG Analysis
PubMed Central
Brainstorm is a collaborative open-source application dedicated to magnetoencephalography (MEG) and electroencephalography (EEG) data visualization and processing, with an emphasis on cortical source estimation techniques and their integration with anatomical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. The primary objective of the software is to connect MEG/EEG neuroscience investigators with both the best-established and cutting-edge methods through a simple and intuitive graphical user interface (GUI).
Tadel, Francois; Baillet, Sylvain; Mosher, John C.; Pantazis, Dimitrios; Leahy, Richard M.
Application of Mobile Agents in Web-Based Learning Environment.
Web-based learning environments are strongly driven by the information revolution and the Internet, but they have a number of common deficiencies, such as slow access, no adaptivity to the individual student, limitation by bandwidth, and more. This paper outlines the benefits of mobile agents technology, and describes its application in Web-based�
Hong Hong, Kinshuk; He, Xiaoqin; Patel, Ashok; Jesshope, Chris
User friendly line CAPTCHAs
Microsoft Academic Search
CAPTCHAs or reverse Turing tests are real-time assessments used by programs (or computers) to tell humans and machines apart. This is achieved by assigning and assessing hard AI problems that could only be solved easily by human but not by machines. Applications of such assessments range from stopping spammers from automatically filling online forms to preventing hackers from performing dictionary
A. K. B. Karunathilake; B. M. D. Balasuriya; R. G. Ragel
An Object Oriented Approach to Web-Based Application Design
In this paper we discuss the use of an object-oriented approach for web-based applications design, based on a method named Object Oriented Hypermedia Design Method (OOHDM). We first motivate our work discussing the problems encountered while designing large scale, dynamic web-based applications, which combine complex navigation patterns with sophisticated computational behavior. We argue that a method providing systematic guidance to
Daniel Schwabe; Gustavo Rossi
Extreme Programming: Rapid Development for Web-Based Applications
As software organizations continue to move toward Web-based systems development, they often assign or outsource such projects to small teams of highly qualified, but often relatively young, developers. Frequently, the developers?? attitude is less than positive toward software engineering practices?aparticularly software process improvement initiatives and metrics collection. Part of the problem is the business context: Web-based applications demand faster time-tomarket
Frank Maurer; Sebastien Martel
Session management for web-based healthcare applications.
In health care systems, users may access multiple applications during one session of interaction with the system. However, users must sign on to each application individually, and it is difficult to maintain a common context among these applications. We are developing a session management system for web-based applications using LDAP directory service, which will allow single sign-on to multiple web-based applications, and maintain a common context among those applications for the user. This paper discusses the motivations for building this system, the system architecture, and the challenges of our approach, such as the session objects management for the user, and session security. PMID:10566511
Wei, L; Sengupta, S
Inleiding in Het TUBA-Systeem (Introduction to the Tools for User-Friendly Business Applications (TUBA) System).
National Technical Information Service (NTIS)
A system which provides automated aids to enable the user (systems designers and programmers) to realize the desired data processing in a simple way is described. It is a generator of administrative applications. The modular structure of the application p...
F. A. Vanhoeve R. Engmann
Web-based application development: a software engineering approach
In contrast to the construction of centralised software systems which relies on a well established approach, there is a lack of a proven methodology that guides software engineers in building web-based applications. The focus is still on technology rather than analysis and design issues. However, just as the focus in software engineering shifted from programming to process thirty years ago,
Said Hadjerrouit
Web Based Application for Distributed Remote Measurement Viewing
The paper discusses web based application for distributed automation. Realization is made over three-layer distributed model. XML table driven communication model is used for heterogeneous connection of different parts of the system. Functionality of the model is delegated and distributed among servers and embedded systems. Majority features of realization, concerning scalability, flexibility, distribution, collecting and delegating of functionality, reliability and
Ivan Stankov; Grisha Spasov
Automating regression testing using web-based application similarities
Web-based applications are one of the most widely used types of software, and have become the backbone of many e-commerce\\u000a and communications businesses. These applications are often mission-critical for many organizations, motivating their precise\\u000a validation. Although regression testing has been widely used to gain confidence in the reliability of software by providing\\u000a information about the quality of an application, it
Kinga Dobolyi; Elizabeth Soechting; Westley Weimer
An Object Oriented Approach to Web-Based Applications Design
In this paper we discuss the use of an object-oriented approach forweb-based applications design, based on a method named Object OrientedHypermedia Design Method (OOHDM).We first motivate our work discussing the problems encounteredwhile designing large scale, dynamic web-based applications, which combinecomplex navigation patterns with sophisticated computational behavior. Weargue that a method providing systematic guidance to design is needed. Next,we introduce OOHDM,
A user-friendly application for the extraction of kubios hrv output to an optimal format for statistical analysis - biomed 2011.
The aim of the present manuscript is to present a user-friendly and flexible platform for transforming Kubios HRV output files to an .xls-file format, used by MS Excel. The program utilizes either native or bundled Java and is platform-independent and mobile. This means that it can run without being installed on a computer. It also has an option of continuous transferring of data indicating that it can run in the background while Kubios produces output files. The program checks for changes in the file structure and automatically updates the .xls- output file. PMID:21525593
Johnsen Lind, Andreas; Helge Johnsen, Bjorn; Hill, Labarron K; Sollers Iii, John J; Thayer, Julian F
Web application security: Improving critical web-based applications quality through in-depth security analysis
m Abstract- The Internet, and in particular the World Wide Web, have become one of the most common communication mediums in the World. Millions of users connect everyday to different web-based applications to search for information, exchange messages, interact with each other, conduct business, pay taxes, perform financial operations and many more. Some of these critical web-based services are targeted
Nuno Teodoro; Carlos Serrao
Framework for Supporting Web-Based Collaborative Applications
The article proposes an intelligent framework for supporting Web-based applications. The framework focuses on innovative use of existing resources and technologies in the form of services and takes the leverage of theoretical foundation of services science and the research from services computing. The main focus of the framework is to deliver benefits to users with various roles such as service requesters, service providers, and business owners to maximize their productivity when engaging with each other via the Web. The article opens up with research motivations and questions, analyses the existing state of research in the field, and describes the approach in implementing the proposed framework. Finally, an e-health application is discussed to evaluate the effectiveness of the framework where participants such as general practitioners (GPs), patients, and health-care workers collaborate via the Web.
Dai, Wei
Introduction to the Application of Web-Based Surveys.
This paper discusses some basic assumptions and issues concerning web-based surveys. Discussion includes: assumptions regarding cost and ease of use; disadvantages of web-based surveys, concerning the inability to compensate for four common errors of survey research: coverage error, sampling error, measurement error and nonresponse error; and�
Timmerman, Annemarie
Students perform intensive web-based applications during their education. One of these is project-based application. In this study, the effect of web based project applications on students' attitudes towards chemistry has been investigated. 42 students attending Hacettepe University, Faculty of Education, and Department of Chemistry Education have been participated in these applications. Attitude Scale towards Chemistry has been administered before and
Inci MORGIL; Hatice GUNGOR SEYHAN; Evrim URAL ALSAN; Senar TEMEL
Web-based electronic patient records for collaborative medical applications.
We developed a web-based system to interactively display electronic patient records (EPR), such as DICOM images, graphics, and structure reports and therapy records, for intranet and internet collaborative medical applications. This system has three major components, a C/S (client/server) architecture for EPR data acquisition and authoring, and a Web B/S architecture for data delivering. The Web viewer of this system integrates multi-media display modules and remote control module together to provide interactive EPR display and manipulation functions for collaborative applications. We have successfully used this system two times to provide teleconsultation for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) patients in Shanghai Infection Hospital and Xinhua Hospital. During the consultation, both the physicians in infection control area and the experts outside the control area could use this system interactively to manipulate and navigate the EPR objects of the SARS patients to facilitate a more precise diagnosis. This paper gives a new approach to create and manage image-based EPR from actual patient records, and also presents a novel method to use Web technology and DICOM standard to build an open architecture for collaborative medical applications. The system can be used for both intranet and internet medical applications such as tele-diagnosis, teleconsultation, and distant learning. PMID:15755531
Zhang, Jianguo; Sun, Jianyong; Yang, Yuanyuan; Chen, Xiaomeng; Meng, Lili; Lian, Ping
Harnessing Web-Based Application Similarities to Aid in Regression Testing
Web-based applications are growing in complexity and criticality, increasing the need for their precise validation. Regression testing is an established approach for providing information about the quality of an application in the face of recurring updates that dominate the web. We present techniques to address a key challenge of the automated regression testing of web-based applications. Innocuous program evolutions often
Kinga Dobolyi; Westley Weimer
The Effect of Web-Based Project Applications on Students' Attitudes towards Chemistry
Students perform intensive web-based applications during their education. One of these is project-based application. In this study, the effect of web based project applications on students' attitudes towards chemistry has been investigated. 42 students attending Hacettepe University, Faculty of Education, and Department of Chemistry Education have�
Morgil, Inci; Gungor Seyhan, Hatice; Ural Alsan, Evrim; Temel, Senar
Visualizing Energy Data Using Web-Based Applications
I will demonstrate a series of web-based visualizations of domestic state-level and international country-level energy statistics. The time-series energy consumption and production data sets are from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the United States Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration (EIA). I will demonstrate the capabilities of existing web-based community data analysis sites, such as Swivel.com and IBM's Many-Eyes.com,
J. P. Vermylen
Web-Based Intelligent E-Learning Systems: Technologies and Applications
Collecting and presenting the latest research and development results from the leading researchers in the field of e-learning systems, Web-Based Intelligent E-Learning Systems: Technologies and Applications provides a single record of current research and practical applications in Web-based intelligent e-learning systems. This book includes major�
Ma, Zongmin
Object-Oriented Hypermedia Design and J2EE Technology for Web-based Applications
Web-based application development is a difficult ta sk, since these applications include various features, like graphical interfaces, navigational s tructures, business models, and wireless commu- nications, as well as other issues, such as serving a multitude of users, and the need for shorter development time. To overcome these complexities, it is indispensable to use web-based applica- tion designs and software
Habib Karimpour; Ayaz Isazadeh; Mohsen Heydarian
Web-based Video Annotation and its Applications
In this paper, we developed a Web-based video annotation system, named iVAS (intelligent Video Annotation Server). Audiences can associate any video content on the Internet with annotations. The system analyzes video content in order to acquire cut/shot information and color histograms. And it also automatically generates a Web page for editing annotations. Then, audiences can create annotation data by two methods. The first one helps the users to create text data such as person/object names, scene descriptions, and comments interactively. The second method facilitates the users associating any video fragments with their subjective impression by just clicking a mouse button. The generated annotation data are accumulated and managed by an XML database connected with iVAS. We also developed some application systems based on annotations such as video retrieval, video simplification, and video-content-based community support. One of the major advantages of our approach is easy integration of hand-coded and automatically-generated (such as color histograms and cut/shot information) annotations. Additionally, since our annotation system is open for public, we must consider some reliability or correctness of annotation data. We also developed an automatic evaluation method of annotation reliability using the users' feedback. In the future, these fundamental technologies will contribute to the formation of new communities centered around video content.
Yamamoto, Daisuke; Nagao, Katashi
Rapid pair-wise synteny analysis of large bacterial genomes using web-based GeneOrder4.0
Background The growing whole genome sequence databases necessitate the development of user-friendly software tools to mine these data. Web-based tools are particularly useful to wet-bench biologists as they enable platform-independent analysis of sequence data, without having to perform complex programming tasks and software compiling. Findings GeneOrder4.0 is a web-based "on-the-fly" synteny and gene order analysis tool for comparative bacterial genomics (ca. 8 Mb). It enables the visualization of synteny by plotting protein similarity scores between two genomes and it also provides visual annotation of "hypothetical" proteins from older archived genomes based on more recent annotations. Conclusions The web-based software tool GeneOrder4.0 is a user-friendly application that has been updated to allow the rapid analysis of synteny and gene order in large bacterial genomes. It is developed with the wet-bench researcher in mind.
FACOPT: a user friendly FACility layout OPTimization system
The facility layout problem is a well-researched one. However, few effective and user friendly approaches have been proposed. Since it is an NP hard problem, various optimization approaches for small problems and heuristic approaches for the larger problems have been proposed. For the most part the more effective algorithms are not user friendly. On the other hand, user-friendly methods have
Jaydeep Balakrishnan; Chun-Hung Cheng; Kam-fai Wong
I will demonstrate a series of web-based visualizations of domestic state-level and international country-level energy statistics. The time-series energy consumption and production data sets are from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the United States Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration (EIA). I will demonstrate the capabilities of existing web-based community data analysis sites, such as Swivel.com and IBM's Many-Eyes.com, as well as the capabilities of embeddable visualization gadgets, such as the Gapminder-inspired Motion Charts created by Google. These tools will allow students and the public to interactively explore relationships and trends of energy consumption and production. These visualizations will be particularly useful in exploring energy statistics that are traditionally presented in a multitude of competing units. The tools will also be useful for students in inquiry-based learning programs.
Vermylen, J. P.
AG-NGS: a powerful and user-friendly computing application for the semi-automated preparation of next-generation sequencing libraries using open liquid handling platforms.
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is becoming one of the most widely used technologies in the field of genomics. Library preparation is one of the most critical, hands-on, and time-consuming steps in the NGS workflow. Each library must be prepared in an independent well, increasing the number of hours required for a sequencing run and the risk of human-introduced error. Automation of library preparation is the best option to avoid these problems. With this in mind, we have developed automatic genomics NGS (AG-NGS), a computing application that allows an open liquid handling platform to be transformed into a library preparation station without losing the potential of an open platform. Implementation of AG-NGS does not require programming experience, and the application has also been designed to minimize implementation costs. Automated library preparation with AG-NGS generated high-quality libraries from different samples, demonstrating its efficiency, and all quality control parameters fell within the range of optimal values. PMID:24447136
Callejas, Sergio; �lvarez, Rebeca; Benguria, Alberto; Dopazo, Ana
High-throughput Image Analysis of Tumor Spheroids: A User-friendly Software Application to Measure the Size of Spheroids Automatically and Accurately.
The increasing number of applications of three-dimensional (3D) tumor spheroids as an in vitro model for drug discovery requires their adaptation to large-scale screening formats in every step of a drug screen, including large-scale image analysis. Currently there is no ready-to-use and free image analysis software to meet this large-scale format. Most existing methods involve manually drawing the length and width of the imaged 3D spheroids, which is a tedious and time-consuming process. This study presents a high-throughput image analysis software application - SpheroidSizer, which measures the major and minor axial length of the imaged 3D tumor spheroids automatically and accurately; calculates the volume of each individual 3D tumor spheroid; then outputs the results in two different forms in spreadsheets for easy manipulations in the subsequent data analysis. The main advantage of this software is its powerful image analysis application that is adapted for large numbers of images. It provides high-throughput computation and quality-control workflow. The estimated time to process 1,000 images is about 15 min�on a minimally configured laptop, or around 1 min�on a multi-core performance workstation. The graphical user interface (GUI) is also designed for easy quality control, and users can manually override the computer results. The key method used in this software is adapted from the active contour algorithm, also known as Snakes, which is especially suitable for images with uneven illumination and noisy background that often plagues automated imaging processing in high-throughput screens. The complimentary "Manual Initialize" and "Hand Draw" tools provide the flexibility to SpheroidSizer in dealing with various types of spheroids and diverse quality images. This high-throughput image analysis software remarkably reduces labor and speeds up the analysis process. Implementing this software is beneficial for 3D tumor spheroids to become a routine in vitro model for drug screens in industry and academia. PMID:25046278
Chen, Wenjin; Wong, Chung; Vosburgh, Evan; Levine, Arnold J; Foran, David J; Xu, Eugenia Y
SVAw - a web-based application tool for automated surrogate variable analysis of gene expression studies
Background Surrogate variable analysis (SVA) is a powerful method to identify, estimate, and utilize the components of gene expression heterogeneity due to unknown and/or unmeasured technical, genetic, environmental, or demographic factors. These sources of heterogeneity are common in gene expression studies, and failing to incorporate them into the analysis can obscure results. Using SVA increases the biological accuracy and reproducibility of gene expression studies by identifying these sources of heterogeneity and correctly accounting for them in the analysis. Results Here we have developed a web application called SVAw (Surrogate variable analysis Web app) that provides a user friendly interface for SVA analyses of genome-wide expression studies. The software has been developed based on open source bioconductor SVA package. In our software, we have extended the SVA program functionality in three aspects: (i) the SVAw performs a fully automated and user friendly analysis workflow; (ii) It calculates probe/gene Statistics for both pre and post SVA analysis and provides a table of results for the regression of gene expression on the primary variable of interest before and after correcting for surrogate variables; and (iii) it generates a comprehensive report file, including graphical comparison of the outcome for the user. Conclusions SVAw is a web server freely accessible solution for the surrogate variant analysis of high-throughput datasets and facilitates removing all unwanted and unknown sources of variation. It is freely available for use at http://psychiatry.igm.jhmi.edu/sva. The executable packages for both web and standalone application and the instruction for installation can be downloaded from our web site.
Colorado Late Cenozoic Fault and Fold Database and Internet Map Server: User-friendly technology for complex information
USGS Publications Warehouse
Internet mapping applications for geologic data allow simultaneous data delivery and collection, enabling quick data modification while efficiently supplying the end user with information. Utilizing Web-based technologies, the Colorado Geological Survey's Colorado Late Cenozoic Fault and Fold Database was transformed from a monothematic, nonspatial Microsoft Access database into a complex information set incorporating multiple data sources. The resulting user-friendly format supports easy analysis and browsing. The core of the application is the Microsoft Access database, which contains information compiled from available literature about faults and folds that are known or suspected to have moved during the late Cenozoic. The database contains nonspatial fields such as structure type, age, and rate of movement. Geographic locations of the fault and fold traces were compiled from previous studies at 1:250,000 scale to form a spatial database containing information such as length and strike. Integration of the two databases allowed both spatial and nonspatial information to be presented on the Internet as a single dataset (http://geosurvey.state.co.us/pubs/ceno/). The user-friendly interface enables users to view and query the data in an integrated manner, thus providing multiple ways to locate desired information. Retaining the digital data format also allows continuous data updating and quick delivery of newly acquired information. This dataset is a valuable resource to anyone interested in earthquake hazards and the activity of faults and folds in Colorado. Additional geologic hazard layers and imagery may aid in decision support and hazard evaluation. The up-to-date and customizable maps are invaluable tools for researchers or the public.
Morgan, K. S.; Pattyn, G. J.; Morgan, M. L.
Web-based application of Community Health Center (Puskesmas) for patient electronic medical records
This research provides the design and implementation of a web-based software application of Community Health Center\\/ CHC (Pusat Kesehatan Masyarakat = Puskesmas). The application is mainly used for recording patient's personal identity and medical treatment at medical services (polyclinics) of CHC. Generally, the polyclinics at Puskesmas provides are General Medical Treatment Service (Poli Umum), Maternal and Infant Service (Poli Ibu
Mera Kartika Delimayanti; Fajar Tri Waluyanti; Riandini
AMP: a science-driven web-based application for the TeraGrid
The Asteroseismic Modeling Portal (AMP) provides a web-based interface for astronomers to run and view simulations that derive the properties of Sun-like stars from observations of their pulsation frequencies. In this paper, we describe the architecture and implementation of AMP, highlighting the lightweight design principles and tools used to produce a functional fully-custom web-based science application in less than a year. Targeted as a TeraGrid science gateway, AMP's architecture and implementation are intended to simplify its orchestration of TeraGrid computational resources. AMP's web-based interface was developed as a traditional standalone database-backed web application using the Python-based Django web development framework, allowing us to leverage the Django framework's capabilities while cleanly separating the user interface development from the grid interface development. We have found this combination of tools flexible and effective for rapid gateway development and deployment.
Woitaszek, M.; Metcalfe, T.; Shorrock, I.
User-friendly program for multitask analysis
Research on lifting activities has led to the design of several useful tools for evaluating tasks that involve lifting and material handling. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has developed a single task lifting equation. This formula has been frequently used as a guide in the field of ergonomics and material handling. While being much more complicated, the multi-task formula will provide a more realistic analysis for the evaluation of lifting and material handling jobs. A user friendly tool has been developed to assist professionals in the field of ergonomics in analyzing multitask types of material handling jobs. The program allows for up to 10 different tasks to be evaluated. The program requires a basic understanding of the NIOSH lifting guidelines and the six multipliers that are involved in the analysis of each single task. These multipliers are: Horizontal Distance Multiplier (HM), Vertical Distance Multiplier (VM), Vertical Displacement Multiplier (DM), Frequency of lifting Multiplier (FM), Coupling Multiplier (CM), and the Asymmetry Multiplier (AM). Once a given job is analyzed, a researched list of recommendations is provided to the user in an attempt to reduce the potential risk factors that are associated with each task.
Caporali, Sergio A.; Akladios, Magdy; Becker, Paul E.
Design and implementation of user-friendly remote controllers for rescue robots used at fire sites
Many robotic applications have been developed for rescue operations during disasters; these applications involve the use of different types of robots such as fire-fighting robots, rescue robots, and surveillance robots. In this paper, we propose two novel wireless remote controllers that not only offer a user-friendly operating interface but also enable easy control of a robot. The handheld controller can
Young-Duk Kim; Jeong-Ho Kang; Duk-Han Sun; Jeon-Il Moon; Young-Sun Ryuh; Jinung An
Web-Based Resources and Applications: Quality and Influence
This paper evaluates the quality of two major types of Web resources for K-12 education --information for research, and interactive applications for teaching and learning. It discusses an evaluation on the quality of 1,025 pieces of Web information (articles, research reports, news, and statistics) and 900 Web applications (tutorials, drills,�
Liu, Leping; Johnson, D. Lamont
Synchronizer - A Web-Based Application to Enhance Capabilities of NEESCentral Web Portal
This paper discusses the development of a web- based application named Synchronizer to enhance the capability of the NEESCentral Web Portal. The NEESCentral Web Portal is a cyber infrastructure tool available to all NEES participants and is designed to provide a simple way for researchers to share and archive their project data with NEES Repository. Synchronizer has been developed to
Thuy T. Le; Syeda Naema Hashmi; Kurt Mcmullin
Web-Based GIS Support for Selection of the Mars '01 Lander Site
Introduction. We have been producing a web-based, user-friendly interface built on a powerful Geographic Information System (GIS) that integrates statistical and spatial relational tools for analyses of planetary datasets. The interface, known as \\
T. M. Hare; K. L. Tanaka
Design and implementation of user friendly remote controllers for rescue robots in fire sites
Robot applications with rescue operations have been widely developed for disaster prevention purposes such as fire-fighting robot, rescue robot, and surveillance robot. This paper proposes two novel wireless remote controllers which offer not only user friendly operating interface but also easy robot controls. The handheld type controller is able to be easily carried by fire fighters and the joystick based
Young-Duk Kim; Jeon-Ho Kang; Duk-Han Sun; Jeon-Il Moon; Young-Sun Ryuh; Jinung An
Taking Advantage of Google's Web-Based Applications and Services.
Google is a company that is constantly expanding and growing its services and products. While most librarians possess a "love/hate" relationship with Google, there are a number of reasons you should consider exploring some of the tools Google has created and made freely available. Applications and services such as Google Docs, Slides, and Google+ are functional and dynamic without the cost of comparable products. This column will address some of the issues users should be aware of before signing up to use Google's tools, and a description of some of Google's web applications and services, plus how they can be useful to librarians in health care. PMID:24735269
Brigham, Tara J
Open, flexible and portable secure web-based health applications.
This paper presents a totally generic client-server model for accessing legacy and new databases according to the three tier architecture principles. It is based on an integrated environment that eases the dynamic creation and instantiation of secure web applications that access multiple database management systems. Emphasis is placed on the ability to query almost any type of relational database and queries can simultaneously address a multitude of data sources. The information is collected, assembled and presented to users depending on a possible set of user profiles. These profiles originate from work on securing the conduct of clinical studies. This has been achieved in the context of the EU funded project HARP (Harmonisation for the Security of Web Technologies and Applications). The generic character of the model is exploited through an accompanying set of development tools. This permits efficient and effective creation and maintenance of applications in several domains of health telematics and beyond. Main merit is the lightweight character of the resulting platform, whereby all necessary instantiations are accomplished through a set of related XML documents. PMID:15061523
Vlachos, Michael; Stassinopoulos, George
New web-based applications for mechanistic case diagramming.
The goal of mechanistic case diagraming (MCD) is to provide students with more in-depth understanding of cause and effect relationships and basic mechanistic pathways in medicine. This will enable them to better explain how observed clinical findings develop from preceding pathogenic and pathophysiological events. The pedagogic function of MCD is in relating risk factors, disease entities and morphology, signs and symptoms, and test and procedure findings in a specific case scenario with etiologic pathogenic and pathophysiological sequences within a flow diagram. In this paper, we describe the addition of automation and predetermined lists to further develop the original concept of MCD as described by Engelberg in 1992 and Guerrero in 2001. We demonstrate that with these modifications, MCD is effective and efficient in small group case-based teaching for second-year medical students (ratings of ~3.4 on a 4.0 scale). There was also a significant correlation with other measures of competency, with a 'true' score correlation of 0.54. A traditional calculation of reliability showed promising results (? =0.47) within a low stakes, ungraded environment. Further, we have demonstrated MCD's potential for use in independent learning and TBL. Future studies are needed to evaluate MCD's potential for use in medium stakes assessment or self-paced independent learning and assessment. MCD may be especially relevant in returning students to the application of basic medical science mechanisms in the clinical years. PMID:25059836
Dee, Fred R; Haugen, Thomas H; Kreiter, Clarence D
OpenGL in Multi-User Web-Based Applications
In this article construction and potential of OpenGL multi-user web-based application are presented. The most common technologies like: .NET ASP, Java and Mono were used with specific OpenGL libraries to visualize tree-dimensional medical data. The most important conclusion of this work is that server side applications can easily take advantage of fast GPU and produce efficient results of advanced computation just like the visualization.
Szostek, K.; Pi�rkowski, A.
Web-Based Satellite Products Database for Meteorological and Climate Applications
The need for ready access to satellite data and associated physical parameters such as cloud properties has been steadily growing. Air traffic management, weather forecasters, energy producers, and weather and climate researchers among others can utilize more satellite information than in the past. Thus, it is essential that such data are made available in near real-time and as archival products in an easy-access and user friendly environment. A host of Internet web sites currently provide a variety of satellite products for various applications. Each site has a unique contribution with appeal to a particular segment of the public and scientific community. This is no less true for the NASA Langley's Clouds and Radiation (NLCR) website (http://www-pm.larc.nasa.gov) that has been evolving over the past 10 years to support a variety of research projects This website was originally developed to display cloud products derived from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) over the Southern Great Plains for the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program. It has evolved into a site providing a comprehensive database of near real-time and historical satellite products used for meteorological, aviation, and climate studies. To encourage the user community to take advantage of the site, this paper summarizes the various products and projects supported by the website and discusses future options for new datasets.
Phan, Dung; Spangenberg, Douglas A.; Palikonda, Rabindra; Khaiyer, Mandana M.; Nordeen, Michele L.; Nguyen, Louis; Minnis, Patrick
DADOS-Prospective: an open source application for Web-based prospective data collection
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
Lam Nguyen; Anand Shah; Matthew Harker; Henrique Martins; Mariana Mccready; Andreia Menezes; Danny O. Jacobs; Ricardo Pietrobon
Development of a Web-based event reporting system in an academic environment.
In pursuit of a strategy for patient safety and error reduction, The Ohio State University Health System developed and implemented a standardized voluntary event reporting system. The Web-based application is user friendly as well as context-sensitive and encompasses a broad range of errors, events, and near misses. A full organizational transformation was required to effectively implement the system, which involved process reengineering for event entry and for postentry automated workflows. This system serves as the foundation for efficient and consistent reporting processes, which are essential for encouraging a culture of commitment to patient safety. PMID:14527972
Mekhjian, Hagop S; Bentley, Thomas D; Ahmad, Asif; Marsh, Gail
Creation of a Web-Based GIS Server and Custom Geoprocessing Tools for Enhanced Hydrologic Applications
Rising populations in the arid and semi arid parts of the World are increasing the demand for fresh water supplies worldwide. Many data sets needed for assessment of hydrologic applications across vast regions of the world are expensive, unpublished, difficult to obtain, or at varying scales which complicates their use. Fortunately, this situation is changing with the development of global remote sensing datasets and web-based platforms such as GIS Server. GIS provides a cost effective vehicle for comparing, analyzing, and querying a variety of spatial datasets as geographically referenced layers. We have recently constructed a web-based GIS, that incorporates all relevant geological, geochemical, geophysical, and remote sensing data sets that were readily used to identify reservoir types and potential well locations on local and regional scales in various tectonic settings including: (1) extensional environment (Red Sea rift), (2) transcurrent fault system (Najd Fault in the Arabian-Nubian Shield), and (3) compressional environments (Himalayas). The web-based GIS could also be used to detect spatial and temporal trends in precipitation, recharge, and runoff in large watersheds on local, regional, and continental scales. These applications were enabled through the construction of a web-based ArcGIS Server with Google Map�s interface and the development of customized geoprocessing tools. ArcGIS Server provides out-of-the-box setups that are generic in nature. This platform includes all of the standard web based GIS tools (e.g. pan, zoom, identify, search, data querying, and measurement). In addition to the standard suite of tools provided by ArcGIS Server an additional set of advanced data manipulation and display tools was also developed to allow for a more complete and customizable view of the area of interest. The most notable addition to the standard GIS Server tools is the custom on-demand geoprocessing tools (e.g., graph, statistical functions, custom raster creation, profile, TRMM). The generation of a wide range of derivative maps (e.g., buffer zone, contour map, graphs, temporal rainfall distribution maps) from various map layers (e.g., geologic maps, geophysics, satellite images) allows for more user flexibility. The use of these tools along with Google Map�s API which enables the website user to utilize high quality GeoEye 2 images provide by Google in conjunction with our data, creates a more complete image of the area being observed and allows for custom derivative maps to be created in the field and viewed immediately on the web, processes that were restricted to offline databases.
Welton, B.; Chouinard, K.; Sultan, M.; Becker, D.; Milewski, A.; Becker, R.
Pennsylvania StreamStats--A web-based application for obtaining water-resource-related information
StreamStats is a national web-based Geographic Information System (GIS) application, developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc., to provide a variety of water-resource-related information. Users can easily obtain descriptive information, basin characteristics, and streamflow statistics for USGS streamgages and ungaged stream locations throughout Pennsylvania. StreamStats also allows users to search upstream and (or) downstream from user-selected points to identify locations of and obtain information for water-resource-related activities, such as dams and streamgages.
Stuckey, Marla H.; Hoffman, Scott A.
The Application of Web-based Computer-assisted Instruction Courseware within Health Assessment
Health assessment is a clinical nursing course and places emphasis on clinical skills. The application of computer-assisted instruction in the field of nursing teaching solved the problems in the traditional lecture class. This article stated teaching experience of web-based computer-assisted instruction, based upon a two-year study of computer-assisted instruction courseware use within the course health assessment. The computer-assisted instruction courseware could develop teaching structure, simulate clinical situations, create teaching situations and facilitate students study.
Xiuyan, Guo
Web-based interactive visualization in a Grid-enabled neuroimaging application using HTML5.
Interactive visualization and correction of intermediate results are required in many medical image analysis pipelines. To allow certain interaction in the remote execution of compute- and data-intensive applications, new features of HTML5 are used. They allow for transparent integration of user interaction into Grid- or Cloud-enabled scientific workflows. Both 2D and 3D visualization and data manipulation can be performed through a scientific gateway without the need to install specific software or web browser plugins. The possibilities of web-based visualization are presented along the FreeSurfer-pipeline, a popular compute- and data-intensive software tool for quantitative neuroimaging. PMID:22942008
Siewert, Ren�; Specovius, Svenja; Wu, Jie; Krefting, Dagmar
The application of Kano's model for improving web-based learning performance
In the past decade, information and network technology had been widely utilized in learning activities. Therefore, much research was conducted on web-based learning. Most of them focused on improving functions of web-based learning platform, including multimedia interface, web-based self-exam, intelligent tutor etc. Some focused on the learning performance of web-based learning by comparing with the traditional classroom. However, rare research
Wan-I Lee; Bih-Yaw Shih; Liang-Jung Tu
TOKEN: Trustable Keystroke-Based Authentication for Web-Based Applications on Smartphones
Smartphones are increasingly being used to store personal information as well as to access sensitive data from the Internet and the cloud. Establishment of the identity of a user requesting information from smartphones is a prerequisite for secure systems in such scenarios. In the past, keystroke-based user identification has been successfully deployed on production-level mobile devices to mitigate the risks associated with na�ve username/password based authentication. However, these approaches have two major limitations: they are not applicable to services where authentication occurs outside the domain of the mobile device - such as web-based services; and they often overly tax the limited computational capabilities of mobile devices. In this paper, we propose a protocol for keystroke dynamics analysis which allows web-based applications to make use of remote attestation and delegated keystroke analysis. The end result is an efficient keystroke-based user identification mechanism that strengthens traditional password protected services while mitigating the risks of user profiling by collaborating malicious web services.
Nauman, Mohammad; Ali, Tamleek
ClimatePipes: User-Friendly Data Access, Manipulation, Analysis & Visualization of Community Climate Models
The impact of climate change will resonate through a broad range of fields including public health, infrastructure, water resources, and many others. Long-term coordinated planning, funding, and action are required for climate change adaptation and mitigation. Unfortunately, widespread use of climate data (simulated and observed) in non-climate science communities is impeded by factors such as large data size, lack of adequate metadata, poor documentation, and lack of sufficient computational and visualization resources. We present ClimatePipes to address many of these challenges by creating an open source platform that provides state-of-the-art, user-friendly data access, analysis, and visualization for climate and other relevant geospatial datasets, making the climate data available to non-researchers, decision-makers, and other stakeholders. The overarching goals of ClimatePipes are: - Enable users to explore real-world questions related to climate change. - Provide tools for data access, analysis, and visualization. - Facilitate collaboration by enabling users to share datasets, workflows, and visualization. ClimatePipes uses a web-based application platform for its widespread support on mainstream operating systems, ease-of-use, and inherent collaboration support. The front-end of ClimatePipes uses HTML5 (WebGL, Canvas2D, CSS3) to deliver state-of-the-art visualization and to provide a best-in-class user experience. The back-end of the ClimatePipes is built around Python using the Visualization Toolkit (VTK, http://vtk.org), Climate Data Analysis Tools (CDAT, http://uv-cdat.llnl.gov), and other climate and geospatial data processing tools such as GDAL and PROJ4. ClimatePipes web-interface to query and access data from remote sources (such as ESGF). Shown in the figure is climate data layer from ESGF on top of map data layer from OpenStreetMap. The ClimatePipes workflow editor provides flexibility and fine grained control, and uses the VisTrails (http://www.vistrails.org) workflow engine in the backend.
Chaudhary, A.; DeMarle, D.; Burnett, B.; Harris, C.; Silva, W.; Osmari, D.; Geveci, B.; Silva, C.; Doutriaux, C.; Williams, D. N.
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.
Nguyen, Lam; Shah, Anand; Harker, Matthew; Martins, Henrique; McCready, Mariana; Menezes, Andreia; Jacobs, Danny O; Pietrobon, Ricardo
Effects of customization on application decisions and applicant pool characteristics in a web-based recruitment context.
The authors examined 2 forms of customization in a Web-based recruitment context. Hypotheses were tested in a controlled study in which participants viewed multiple Web-based job postings that each included information about multiple fit categories. Results indicated that customization of information regarding person-organization (PO), needs-supplies, and demands-abilities (DA) fit (fit information customization) and customization of the order in which these fit categories were presented (configural customization) had differential effects on outcomes. Specifically, (a) applicant pool PO and DA fit were greater when fit information customization was provided, (b) applicant pool fit in high- versus low-relevance fit categories was better differentiated when configural customization was provided, and (c) overall application rates were lower when either or both forms of customization were provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved). PMID:19186907
Dineen, Brian R; Noe, Raymond A
User-friendly software for M�ssbauer spectrum analysis
A new user-friendly software for analysis of M�ssbauer-spectra has been developed. The program makes use of the advantages provided by the current generation of fast personal computers. An Evolution Algorithm1,2 is used for global search of M�ssbauer parameters in order to enhance the reliability of the obtained results. Fitting of Lorentzians, Pseudo-Voigt line profiles, and deriving hyperfine-field distributions including correlations
Z. Klencs�r; E. Kuzmann; A. V�rtes
Harvest: A Web-Based Biomedical Data Discovery and Reporting Application Development Platform
Biomedical researchers share a common challenge of making complex data understandable and accessible. This need is increasingly acute as investigators seek opportunities for discovery amidst an exponential growth in the volume and complexity of laboratory and clinical data. To address this need, we developed Harvest, an open source framework that provides a set of modular components to aid the rapid development and deployment of custom data discovery software applications. Harvest incorporates visual representations of multidimensional data types in an intuitive, web-based interface that promotes a real-time, iterative approach to exploring complex clinical and experimental data. The Harvest architecture capitalizes on standards-based, open source technologies to address multiple functional needs critical to a research and development environment, including domain-specific data modeling, abstraction of complex data models, and a customizable web client.
Italia, Michael J.; Pennington, Jeffrey W.; Ruth, Byron; Wrazien, Stacey; Loutrel, Jennifer G.; Crenshaw, E. Bryan; Miller, Jeffrey; White, Peter S.
A knowledge model driven solution for web-based telemedicine applications.
Building knowledge-based telemedicine systems to deliver high quality services is still a challenge. The availability and capability of different human, communication and material resources play an important role in the telemedical task management process especially in emergency scenarios. In this paper we propose a knowledge model enabling intelligent, ubiquitous telemedicine tasks management. The objective of this model is to support the quality of telemedical services delivered by web-based telemedicine applications. The methodology is based on a telemedicine tasks ontology representing the concepts and their interrelations, and on a set of rules that shall be applied by a Reasoner for decision making. This architecture design shall optimize the messages exchange among the different actors in the telemedicine systems, consequently providing more rapid and reliable telemedicine assistance. PMID:19745351
Nageba, Ebrahim; Fayn, Jocelyne; Rubel, Paul
Biblio-MetReS for user-friendly mining of genes and biological processes in scientific documents.
One way to initiate the reconstruction of molecular circuits is by using automated text-mining techniques. Developing more efficient methods for such reconstruction is a topic of active research, and those methods are typically included by bioinformaticians in pipelines used to mine and curate large literature datasets. Nevertheless, experimental biologists have a limited number of available user-friendly tools that use text-mining for network reconstruction and require no programming skills to use. One of these tools is Biblio-MetReS. Originally, this tool permitted an on-the-fly analysis of documents contained in a number of web-based literature databases to identify co-occurrence of proteins/genes. This approach ensured results that were always up-to-date with the latest live version of the databases. However, this 'up-to-dateness' came at the cost of large execution times. Here we report an evolution of the application Biblio-MetReS that permits constructing co-occurrence networks for genes, GO processes, Pathways, or any combination of the three types of entities and graphically represent those entities. We show that the performance of Biblio-MetReS in identifying gene co-occurrence is as least as good as that of other comparable applications (STRING and iHOP). In addition, we also show that the identification of GO processes is on par to that reported in the latest BioCreAtIvE challenge. Finally, we also report the implementation of a new strategy that combines on-the-fly analysis of new documents with preprocessed information from documents that were encountered in previous analyses. This combination simultaneously decreases program run time and maintains 'up-to-dateness' of the results. Availability: http://metres.udl.cat/index.php/downloads, Contact: email@example.com. PMID:24688854
Usie, Anabel; Karathia, Hiren; Teixid�, Ivan; Alves, Rui; Solsona, Francesc
Nuclides.net: A Web-Based Environment for Nuclear Data and Applications
SciTech Connect
An interactive multimedia tool, Nuclides.net, has been developed at the Institute for Transuranium Elements. The Nuclides.net 'integrated environment' is a suite of computer programs ranging from a powerful user-friendly interface, which allows the user to navigate the nuclides chart and explore the properties of nuclides, to various computational modules. Through this powerful interface, the user can access a wide variety of nuclear data including, e.g., radioactive decay data, cross sections, fission yields, etc. from international recognized sources.
Galy, J.; Magill, J. [European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Transuranium Elements, Postfach 2340, 76125 Karlsruhe (Germany)
The Application of Carl Rogers' Person-Centered Learning Theory to Web-Based Instruction.
This paper provides a review of literature that relates research on Carl Rogers' person-centered learning theory to Web-based learning. Based on the review of the literature, a set of criteria is described that can be used to determine how closely a Web-based course matches the different components of Rogers' person-centered learning theory. Using�
Miller, Christopher T.
36 CFR 1194.22 - Web-based intranet and internet information and applications.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
...2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Web-based intranet and internet information...STANDARDS Technical Standards § 1194.22 Web-based intranet and internet information...synchronized with the presentation. (c) Web pages shall be designed so that all...
...2009-07-01 2009-07-01 false Web-based intranet and internet information...STANDARDS Technical Standards § 1194.22 Web-based intranet and internet information...synchronized with the presentation. (c) Web pages shall be designed so that all...
A Full-Featured User Friendly CO{sub 2}-EOR and Sequestration Planning Software
A Full-Featured, User Friendly CO{sub 2}-EOR and Sequestration Planning Software This project addressed the development of an integrated software solution that includes a graphical user interface, numerical simulation, visualization tools and optimization processes for reservoir simulation modeling of CO{sub 2}-EOR. The objective was to assist the industry in the development of domestic energy resources by expanding the application of CO{sub 2}-EOR technologies, and ultimately to maximize the CO{sub 2} sequestration capacity of the U.S. The software resulted in a field-ready application for the industry to address the current CO{sub 2}-EOR technologies. The software has been made available to the public without restrictions and with user friendly operating documentation and tutorials. The software (executable only) can be downloaded from NITEC�s website at www.nitecllc.com. This integrated solution enables the design, optimization and operation of CO{sub 2}-EOR processes for small and mid-sized operators, who currently cannot afford the expensive, time intensive solutions that the major oil companies enjoy. Based on one estimate, small oil fields comprise 30% of the of total economic resource potential for the application of CO{sub 2}-EOR processes in the U.S. This corresponds to 21.7 billion barrels of incremental, technically recoverable oil using the current �best practices�, and 31.9 billion barrels using �next-generation� CO{sub 2}-EOR techniques. The project included a Case Study of a prospective CO{sub 2}-EOR candidate field in Wyoming by a small independent, Linc Energy Petroleum Wyoming, Inc. NITEC LLC has an established track record of developing innovative and user friendly software. The Principle Investigator is an experienced manager and engineer with expertise in software development, numerical techniques, and GUI applications. Unique, presently-proprietary NITEC technologies have been integrated into this application to further its ease of use and technical functionality.
Savage, Bill
SpliceCenter: A suite of web-based bioinformatic applications for evaluating the impact of alternative splicing on RT-PCR, RNAi, microarray, and peptide-based studies
Background Over 60% of protein-coding genes in vertebrates express mRNAs that undergo alternative splicing. The resulting collection of transcript isoforms poses significant challenges for contemporary biological assays. For example, RT-PCR validation of gene expression microarray results may be unsuccessful if the two technologies target different splice variants. Effective use of sequence-based technologies requires knowledge of the specific splice variant(s) that are targeted. In addition, the critical roles of alternative splice forms in biological function and in disease suggest that assay results may be more informative if analyzed in the context of the targeted splice variant. Results A number of contemporary technologies are used for analyzing transcripts or proteins. To enable investigation of the impact of splice variation on the interpretation of data derived from those technologies, we have developed SpliceCenter. SpliceCenter is a suite of user-friendly, web-based applications that includes programs for analysis of RT-PCR primer/probe sets, effectors of RNAi, microarrays, and protein-targeting technologies. Both interactive and high-throughput implementations of the tools are provided. The interactive versions of SpliceCenter tools provide visualizations of a gene's alternative transcripts and probe target positions, enabling the user to identify which splice variants are or are not targeted. The high-throughput batch versions accept user query files and provide results in tabular form. When, for example, we used SpliceCenter's batch siRNA-Check to process the Cancer Genome Anatomy Project's large-scale shRNA library, we found that only 59% of the 50,766 shRNAs in the library target all known splice variants of the target gene, 32% target some but not all, and 9% do not target any currently annotated transcript. Conclusion SpliceCenter provides unique, user-friendly applications for assessing the impact of transcript variation on the design and interpretation of RT-PCR, RNAi, gene expression microarrays, antibody-based detection, and mass spectrometry proteomics. The tools are intended for use by bench biologists as well as bioinformaticists.
Ryan, Michael C; Zeeberg, Barry R; Caplen, Natasha J; Cleland, James A; Kahn, Ari B; Liu, Hongfang; Weinstein, John N
Design and development of a web-based application for diabetes patient data management.
A web-based database management system developed for collecting, managing and analysing information of diabetes patients is described here. It is a searchable, client-server, relational database application, developed on the Windows platform using Oracle, Active Server Pages (ASP), Visual Basic Script (VB Script) and Java Script. The software is menu-driven and allows authorized healthcare providers to access, enter, update and analyse patient information. Graphical representation of data can be generated by the system using bar charts and pie charts. An interactive web interface allows users to query the database and generate reports. Alpha- and beta-testing of the system was carried out and the system at present holds records of 500 diabetes patients and is found useful in diagnosis and treatment. In addition to providing patient data on a continuous basis in a simple format, the system is used in population and comparative analysis. It has proved to be of significant advantage to the healthcare provider as compared to the paper-based system. PMID:15949173
Deo, S S; Deobagkar, D N; Deobagkar, Deepti D
SNiPlay: a web-based tool for detection, management and analysis of SNPs. Application to grapevine diversity projects
Background High-throughput re-sequencing, new genotyping technologies and the availability of reference genomes allow the extensive characterization of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) and insertion/deletion events (indels) in many plant species. The rapidly increasing amount of re-sequencing and genotyping data generated by large-scale genetic diversity projects requires the development of integrated bioinformatics tools able to efficiently manage, analyze, and combine these genetic data with genome structure and external data. Results In this context, we developed SNiPlay, a flexible, user-friendly and integrative web-based tool dedicated to polymorphism discovery and analysis. It integrates: 1) a pipeline, freely accessible through the internet, combining existing softwares with new tools to detect SNPs and to compute different types of statistical indices and graphical layouts for SNP data. From standard sequence alignments, genotyping data or Sanger sequencing traces given as input, SNiPlay detects SNPs and indels events and outputs submission files for the design of Illumina's SNP chips. Subsequently, it sends sequences and genotyping data into a series of modules in charge of various processes: physical mapping to a reference genome, annotation (genomic position, intron/exon location, synonymous/non-synonymous substitutions), SNP frequency determination in user-defined groups, haplotype reconstruction and network, linkage disequilibrium evaluation, and diversity analysis (Pi, Watterson's Theta, Tajima's D). Furthermore, the pipeline allows the use of external data (such as phenotype, geographic origin, taxa, stratification) to define groups and compare statistical indices. 2) a database storing polymorphisms, genotyping data and grapevine sequences released by public and private projects. It allows the user to retrieve SNPs using various filters (such as genomic position, missing data, polymorphism type, allele frequency), to compare SNP patterns between populations, and to export genotyping data or sequences in various formats. Conclusions Our experiments on grapevine genetic projects showed that SNiPlay allows geneticists to rapidly obtain advanced results in several key research areas of plant genetic diversity. Both the management and treatment of large amounts of SNP data are rendered considerably easier for end-users through automation and integration. Current developments are taking into account new advances in high-throughput technologies. SNiPlay is available at: http://sniplay.cirad.fr/.
Effects of Reflection Category and Reflection Quality on Learning Outcomes during Web-Based Portfolio Assessment Process: A Case Study of High School Students in Computer Application Course
This study examines the effects of reflection category and reflection quality on learning outcomes during Web-based portfolio assessment process. Experimental subjects consist of forty-five eight-grade students in a "Computer Application" course. Through the Web-based portfolio assessment system, these students write reflection, and join�
Chou, Pao-Nan; Chang, Chi-Cheng
CARE 3 user-friendly interface user's guide
CARE 3 predicts the unreliability of highly reliable reconfigurable fault-tolerant systems that include redundant computers or computer systems. CARE3MENU is a user-friendly interface used to create an input for the CARE 3 program. The CARE3MENU interface has been designed to minimize user input errors. Although a CARE3MENU session may be successfully completed and all parameters may be within specified limits or ranges, the CARE 3 program is not guaranteed to produce meaningful results if the user incorrectly interprets the CARE 3 stochastic model. The CARE3MENU User Guide provides complete information on how to create a CARE 3 model with the interface. The CARE3MENU interface runs under the VAX/VMS operating system.
Martensen, A. L.
A user friendly system for ultrasound carotid intima-media thickness image interpretation
Assessment of Carotid Intima-Media Thickness (CIMT) by B-mode ultrasound is a technically mature and reproducible technology. Given the high morbidity, mortality and the large societal burden associated with CV diseases, as a safe yet inexpensive tool, CIMT is increasingly utilized for cardiovascular (CV) risk stratification. However, CIMT requires a precise measure of the thickness of the intima and media layers of the carotid artery that can be tedious, time consuming, and demand specialized expertise and experience. To this end, we have developed a highly user-friendly system for semiautomatic CIMT image interpretation. Our contribution is the application of active contour models (snake models) with hard constraints, leading to an accurate, adaptive and user-friendly border detection algorithm. A comparison study with the CIMT measurement software in Siemens Syngo� Arterial Health Package shows that our system gives a small bias in mean (0.049 +/-0.051mm) and maximum (0.010 +/- 0.083 mm) CIMT measures and offers a higher reproducibility (average correlation coefficients were 0.948 and 0.844 in mean and maximum CIMT respectively (P <0.001)). This superior performance is attributed to our novel interface design for hard constraints in the snake models.
Zhu, Xiangjun; Kendall, Christopher B.; Hurst, R. Todd; Liang, Jianming
Characteristics of Domain Ontologies for Web Based Learning and their Application for Quality Evaluation
Domain ontology as an instrument for knowledge representation, sharing, reuse and interoperability takes an increasingly important role in the approaches for personalised intelligent e-learning architectures and systems. However, wider practical acceptance of domain ontology as an engineering product and as a part of web-based learning systems is still needed. We believe that one of the barriers for wider spreading of
Informatics Akademijos
Modeling and Testing Secure Web-Based Systems: Application to an Industrial Case Study
Ensuring that a Web-based system respects its security requirements is a critical issue that has become more and more difficult to perform in these last years. This difficulty is due to the complexity level of such systems as well as their variety and increasing distribution. To guarantee such a respect, we need to test the target Web system by applying
Wissam Mallouli; Mounir Lallali; Gerardo Morales; Ana Rosa Cavalli
The Application of Flash in Web-Based Multimedia Courseware Development
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce some new functions achieved in a web-based multimedia courseware, which is developed by Flash software and used by part-time graduate students. Design/methodology/approach: The courseware uses Adobe Flash CS3 as its development software, which supports Actionscript language, FMS and FLV technology�
Chen, Jun; Wang, Zu-Yuan; Wu, Yuren
FMEA and BBN for robustness analysis in web-based applications
In this paper we present a general framework for conducting robustness analysis early in the development life cycle of web-based systems. This framework exploits the robustness failure modes and evaluates the impact of modifications that can be applied to reduce the severity of these failures. First, the system is systematically decomposed in its components using Jacobson's analysis. Next, with Failure
I. Canova Calori; T. St�lhane
Interactive Profiler: An Intuitive, Web-Based Statistical Application in Visualizing Educational and Marketing Databases
We describe the design and implementation of a web-based statistical program--the Interactive Profiler (IP). The prototypical program, developed in Java, was motivated by the need for the general public to query against data collected from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), a large-scale US survey of the academic state of�
Ip, Edward H.; Leung, Phillip; Johnson, Joseph
Application of Machine Learning Techniques to Web-Based Intelligent Learning Diagnosis System
This work proposes an intelligent learning diagnosis system that supports a Web-based thematic learning model, which aims to cultivate learners' ability of knowledge integration by giving the learners the opportunities to select the learning topics that they are interested, and gain knowledge on the specific topics by surfing on the Internet to search related learning courseware and discussing what they
Chenn-jung Huang; Ming-chou Liu; San-shine Chu; Chih-lun Cheng
The Application of Social Cognitive Theory to Web-Based Learning through NetPorts
Although the Web allows for flexible learning, research has found that online students tend to lack focus, willingness to participate, confidence, and discipline. This study thus attempts to promote Web-based self-regulated learning from the social cognitive perspective, which emphasizes the interactions among personal, behavioral, and�
Wang, Shu-Ling; Lin, Sunny S. J.
Application of a Web-based monitoring and control system in plastic rotational moulding machine
This paper presents a Web based monitoring and control system. The system was applied to an industrial rotational moulding plastic oven. The developed system provides remote monitoring of several temperature sensors included in the oven, as well as control of the operation cycle in which the oven works. The oven is a rotational machine therefore no cables were able to
M�rio Rodrigues; Jos� Mendes; Jaime Fonseca
ADaCGH: A Parallelized Web-Based Application and R Package for the Analysis of aCGH Data
BackgroundCopy number alterations (CNAs) in genomic DNA have been associated with complex human diseases, including cancer. One of the most common techniques to detect CNAs is array-based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH). The availability of aCGH platforms and the need for identification of CNAs has resulted in a wealth of methodological studies.Methodology\\/Principal FindingsADaCGH is an R package and a web-based application
Ram�n D�az-Uriarte; Oscar M. Rueda; Xiaolin Wu
Ontology Agents and Their Applications in the Web-Based Education Systems: Towards an Adaptive and Intelligent Service
The ontology agent (OA) has become a necessary approach to enable and manage the acquisition, query and reuse of knowledge\\u000a in distributed artificial intelligence (DAI) approaches and applications, such as Multi-agent Systems (MAS) and Web-based\\u000a Education Systems (WBES) respectively. In this chapter, the aim is to point the reader at what I perceive to be the main theoretical\\u000a and methodological
Alejandro Pe�a Ayala
UpGene: Application of a web-based DNA codon optimization algorithm.
Although DNA codon optimization is a standard molecular biology strategy to overcome poor gene expression, to date no public software exists to facilitate this process. Among the uses of codon optimization, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccine development represents one of the most difficult challenges. A key obstacle to an effective DNA-based vaccine is the low-level expression of HIV genes in mammalian cells, which is due primarily to the instability of HIV mRNAs resulting from AU-rich elements and rare codon usage. In this report we describe the development of a DNA optimization algorithm integrated with a PCR primer design program to redesign specific coding sequences for maximal gene expression. Using this algorithm combination, together with PCR-based gene assembly, we have successfully optimized gene sequences for simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) strain mac239 structural antigenic proteins gag and env, resulting in high-level gene expression in eukaryotic cells. Our findings demonstrate that our user-friendly algorithm is a valuable tool for DNA-based HIV vaccine development. Moreover, it can be used to optimize any other genes of interest and is freely available online at http://www.vectorcore.pitt.edu/upgene.html. PMID:15058988
Gao, Wentao; Rzewski, Alexis; Sun, Huijie; Robbins, Paul D; Gambotto, Andrea
Application of a Web-Based Tailored Health Risk Assessment in a WorkSite Population
This article presents an examination of the feasibility of implementing a Web-based tailored health risk assessment (HRA) as part of a University-based work-site health promotion program. Although the effectiveness of tailoring has been well established in the research literature, tailoring health messages for the purposes of health promotion and behavior change is only now starting to be used and evaluated
Joan E. Cowdery; L. Suzanne Suggs; Shandowyn Parker
The application of flash in web-based multimedia courseware development
Purpose � The purpose of this paper is to introduce some new functions achieved in a web-based multimedia courseware, which is developed by Flash software and used by part-time graduate students. Design\\/methodology\\/approach � The courseware uses Adobe Flash CS3 as its development software, which supports Actionscript language, FMS and FLV technology as well. Findings � The courseware developed by Flash
Jun Chen; Zu-Yuan Wang; Yuren Wu
A web-based geographic hypermedia system: Data model, system design and prototype applications
Geographic Hypermedia (GH) is a rich and interactive map document with geo-tagged graphics, sound and video elements. A Geographic Hypermedia System (GHS) is designed to manage, query, display and explore GH resources. Recognizing emerging geo-tagged videos and measurable images as valuable geographic data resources, this paper aims to design a web-based GHS using web mapping, geoprocessing, video streaming and XMLhttp
Yunfeng Kong; Xinliang Liu
INMEX--a web-based tool for integrative meta-analysis of expression data
The widespread applications of various �omics� technologies in biomedical research together with the emergence of public data repositories have resulted in a plethora of data sets for almost any given physiological state or disease condition. Properly combining or integrating these data sets with similar basic hypotheses can help reduce study bias, increase statistical power and improve overall biological understanding. However, the difficulties in data management and the complexities of analytical approaches have significantly limited data integration to enable meta-analysis. Here, we introduce integrative meta-analysis of expression data (INMEX), a user-friendly web-based tool designed to support meta-analysis of multiple gene-expression data sets, as well as to enable integration of data sets from gene expression and metabolomics experiments. INMEX contains three functional modules. The data preparation module supports flexible data processing, annotation and visualization of individual data sets. The statistical analysis module allows researchers to combine multiple data sets based on P-values, effect sizes, rank orders and other features. The significant genes can be examined in functional analysis module for enriched Gene Ontology terms or Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways, or expression profile visualization. INMEX has built-in support for common gene/metabolite identifiers (IDs), as well as 45 popular microarray platforms for human, mouse and rat. Complex operations are performed through a user-friendly web interface in a step-by-step manner. INMEX is freely available at http://www.inmex.ca.
Xia, Jianguo; Fjell, Christopher D.; Mayer, Matthew L.; Pena, Olga M.; Wishart, David S.; Hancock, Robert E. W.
INMEX--a web-based tool for integrative meta-analysis of expression data.
The widespread applications of various 'omics' technologies in biomedical research together with the emergence of public data repositories have resulted in a plethora of data sets for almost any given physiological state or disease condition. Properly combining or integrating these data sets with similar basic hypotheses can help reduce study bias, increase statistical power and improve overall biological understanding. However, the difficulties in data management and the complexities of analytical approaches have significantly limited data integration to enable meta-analysis. Here, we introduce integrative meta-analysis of expression data (INMEX), a user-friendly web-based tool designed to support meta-analysis of multiple gene-expression data sets, as well as to enable integration of data sets from gene expression and metabolomics experiments. INMEX contains three functional modules. The data preparation module supports flexible data processing, annotation and visualization of individual data sets. The statistical analysis module allows researchers to combine multiple data sets based on P-values, effect sizes, rank orders and other features. The significant genes can be examined in functional analysis module for enriched Gene Ontology terms or Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways, or expression profile visualization. INMEX has built-in support for common gene/metabolite identifiers (IDs), as well as 45 popular microarray platforms for human, mouse and rat. Complex operations are performed through a user-friendly web interface in a step-by-step manner. INMEX is freely available at http://www.inmex.ca. PMID:23766290
Xia, Jianguo; Fjell, Christopher D; Mayer, Matthew L; Pena, Olga M; Wishart, David S; Hancock, Robert E W
Web based collaborative decision making in flood risk management: Application of TOPSIS and visualisation techniques for ranking of alternatives
Development of flood risk management (FRM) plans is ideally carried out in a participatory process with relevant stakeholders. Integrating stakeholders knowledge and information in the decision making process creates trust amongst decision makers and stakeholders that often leads to a successful implementation of measures. Stakeholder participation however does not come without challenges and hindrances (e.g. limitation of resources, spatial distribution and interest to participate). The most challenging type of participation is Collaborative decision making (CDM). A web-based mobile or computer-aided environment offers an innovative approach to address these challenges and hindrances. Moreover, this also enhances participation. Different phases or steps of a CDM process are addressing relevant management objectives, identify scenarios and sets of proposed alternatives, individually rank these alternatives in order of preference and present an aggregated rank to view the groups position. In individual ranking, formulation of judgement should combine scientific facts with stakeholders' beliefs and attitudes. This paper presents a developed web-based CDM framework and its implementation, highlighting the application of a Muti-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) method for individual ranking of alternative, the method Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) with Fuzzy logic. Moreover, an innovative visualisation technique for stakeholders' group ranking is also presented. Case studies are the Alster catchment (Hamburg, Germany) and Cranbrook catchment, (London, UK). A series of stakeholders' workshops was done to test and evaluate the environments. It shows that the TOPSIS method provides a close representation of the stakeholders' preferences regarding the measures and alternatives. Overall the evaluation shows that web-based environments can address the challenges and hindrances and it enhances participation in flood risk management. The web-based environment was developed within the DIANE-CM project (Decentralised Integrated Analysis and Enhancement of Awareness through Collaborative Modelling and Management of Flood Risk) of the 2nd ERANET CRUE funding initiative.
Evers, Mariele; Almoradie, Adrian; Jonoski, Andreja
LaRC Near-Real-Time Satellite-Derived products - A Web-based Resource for Geophysical Applications
Real-time satellite derived clouds products are gaining acceptance in model assimilation and now-casting applications. At NASA Langley, we are producing and archiving real-time products from geostationary and polar orbiting satellites. The products from full-disk geostationary satellites, GOES-11, GOES-13, Meteosat-9, MTSAT-2R, FY2E are merged together to derive 3-hourly global products between 60�N to 60�S. MODIS products augment the polar region. Research work is currently underway on how to best assimilate the cloud and surface information into the Goddard Earth Observing System Model (GEOS-5) analysis to improve the forecasts. NASA Langley's (LaRC) North American domain cloud products from MODIS, GOES-11, and GOES-13 are served to the National Centers for Environmental Prediction Operations Center. Currently, they are assimilated in the operational Rapid Refresh model (RR) from NOAA and the developmental CIP model at NCAR to better-forecast weather and aircraft icing conditions, in particular, for the aviation community. Additionally real-time satellite cloud products are available over multiple regional domains from GOES (ARM's Southern Great Plains & North Slope of Alaska, CONUS), Meteosat (Western Europe), MTSAT (Tropical WP) at high spatial and temporal resolution centered over ground sites and used to validate our algorithms by comparing with measurements from ground-based instruments. Since these datasets are archived over time, regional and global daily, monthly and annual datasets of the cloud products are being generated that can help study climatology and pursue investigations of historical events. Our products are also used to support field experiments like SPARTICUS, CALNEX, and STORMVEX in daily mission planning operations and post-experiment science analyses. Tools to view our data on the web and download them, in user-friendly formats like netcdf etc. are also available. This paper describes the currently available products and their applications. Future improvements and potential uses are also discussed.
Palikonda, R.; Minnis, P.; Spangenberg, D. A.; Baojuan Shan, B.; Chee, T.; Nordeen, M.; Boeke, R.; Nguyen, L.; Kato, S.; Rose, F. G.
Development of a web-based intervention for the indicated prevention of depression
Background To reduce the large public health burden of the high prevalence of depression, preventive interventions targeted at people at risk are essential and can be cost-effective. Web-based interventions are able to provide this care, but there is no agreement on how to best develop these applications and often the technology is seen as a given. This seems to be one of the main reasons that web-based interventions do not reach their full potential. The current study describes the development of a web-based intervention for the indicated prevention of depression, employing the CeHRes (Center for eHealth Research and Disease Management) roadmap. The goals are to create a user-friendly application which fits the values of the stakeholders and to evaluate the process of development. Methods The employed methods are a literature scan and discussion in the contextual inquiry; interviews, rapid prototyping and a requirement session in the value specification stage; and user-based usability evaluation, expert-based usability inspection and a requirement session in the design stage. Results The contextual inquiry indicated that there is a need for easily accessible interventions for the indicated prevention of depression and web-based interventions are seen as potentially meeting this need. The value specification stage yielded expected needs of potential participants, comments on the usefulness of the proposed features and comments on two proposed designs of the web-based intervention. The design stage yielded valuable comments on the system, content and service of the web-based intervention. Conclusions Overall, we found that by developing the technology, we successfully (re)designed the system, content and service of the web-based intervention to match the values of stakeholders. This study has shown the importance of a structured development process of a web-based intervention for the indicated prevention of depression because: (1) it allows the development team to clarify the needs that have to be met for the intervention to be of use to the target audience; and (2) it yields feedback on the design of the application that is broader than color and buttons, but encompasses comments on the quality of the service that the application offers.
Easier surveillance of climate-related health vulnerabilities through a Web-based spatial OLAP application
Background Climate change has a significant impact on population health. Population vulnerabilities depend on several determinants of different types, including biological, psychological, environmental, social and economic ones. Surveillance of climate-related health vulnerabilities must take into account these different factors, their interdependence, as well as their inherent spatial and temporal aspects on several scales, for informed analyses. Currently used technology includes commercial off-the-shelf Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Database Management Systems with spatial extensions. It has been widely recognized that such OLTP (On-Line Transaction Processing) systems were not designed to support complex, multi-temporal and multi-scale analysis as required above. On-Line Analytical Processing (OLAP) is central to the field known as BI (Business Intelligence), a key field for such decision-support systems. In the last few years, we have seen a few projects that combine OLAP and GIS to improve spatio-temporal analysis and geographic knowledge discovery. This has given rise to SOLAP (Spatial OLAP) and a new research area. This paper presents how SOLAP and climate-related health vulnerability data were investigated and combined to facilitate surveillance. Results Based on recent spatial decision-support technologies, this paper presents a spatio-temporal web-based application that goes beyond GIS applications with regard to speed, ease of use, and interactive analysis capabilities. It supports the multi-scale exploration and analysis of integrated socio-economic, health and environmental geospatial data over several periods. This project was meant to validate the potential of recent technologies to contribute to a better understanding of the interactions between public health and climate change, and to facilitate future decision-making by public health agencies and municipalities in Canada and elsewhere. The project also aimed at integrating an initial collection of geo-referenced multi-scale indicators that were identified by Canadian specialists and end-users as relevant for the surveillance of the public health impacts of climate change. This system was developed in a multidisciplinary context involving researchers, policy makers and practitioners, using BI and web-mapping concepts (more particularly SOLAP technologies), while exploring new solutions for frequent automatic updating of data and for providing contextual warnings for users (to minimize the risk of data misinterpretation). According to the project participants, the final system succeeds in facilitating surveillance activities in a way not achievable with today's GIS. Regarding the experiments on frequent automatic updating and contextual user warnings, the results obtained indicate that these are meaningful and achievable goals but they still require research and development for their successful implementation in the context of surveillance and multiple organizations. Conclusion Surveillance of climate-related health vulnerabilities may be more efficiently supported using a combination of BI and GIS concepts, and more specifically, SOLAP technologies (in that it facilitates and accelerates multi-scale spatial and temporal analysis to a point where a user can maintain an uninterrupted train of thought by focussing on "what" she/he wants (not on "how" to get it) and always obtain instant answers, including to the most complex queries that take minutes or hours with OLTP systems (e.g., aggregated, temporal, comparative)). The developed system respects Newell's cognitive band of 10 seconds when performing knowledge discovery (exploring data, looking for hypotheses, validating models). The developed system provides new operators for easily and rapidly exploring multidimensional data at different levels of granularity, for different regions and epochs, and for visualizing the results in synchronized maps, tables and charts. It is naturally adapted to deal with multiscale indicators such as those used in the surveillance community, as confirmed by thi
Bernier, Eveline; Gosselin, Pierre; Badard, Thierry; Bedard, Yvan
Vaxjo: A Web-Based Vaccine Adjuvant Database and Its Application for Analysis of Vaccine Adjuvants and Their Uses in Vaccine Development
Vaccine adjuvants are compounds that enhance host immune responses to co-administered antigens in vaccines. Vaxjo is a web-based central database and analysis system that curates, stores, and analyzes vaccine adjuvants and their usages in vaccine development. Basic information of a vaccine adjuvant stored in Vaxjo includes adjuvant name, components, structure, appearance, storage, preparation, function, safety, and vaccines that use this adjuvant. Reliable references are curated and cited. Bioinformatics scripts are developed and used to link vaccine adjuvants to different adjuvanted vaccines stored in the general VIOLIN vaccine database. Presently, 103 vaccine adjuvants have been curated in Vaxjo. Among these adjuvants, 98 have been used in 384 vaccines stored in VIOLIN against over 81 pathogens, cancers, or allergies. All these vaccine adjuvants are categorized and analyzed based on adjuvant types, pathogens used, and vaccine types. As a use case study of vaccine adjuvants in infectious disease vaccines, the adjuvants used in Brucella vaccines are specifically analyzed. A user-friendly web query and visualization interface is developed for interactive vaccine adjuvant search. To support data exchange, the information of vaccine adjuvants is stored in the Vaccine Ontology (VO) in the Web Ontology Language (OWL) format.
Sayers, Samantha; Ulysse, Guerlain; Xiang, Zuoshuang; He, Yongqun
WhichGenes: a web-based tool for gathering, building, storing and exporting gene sets with application in gene set enrichment analysis.
WhichGenes is a web-based interactive gene set building tool offering a very simple interface to extract always-updated gene lists from multiple databases and unstructured biological data sources. While the user can specify new gene sets of interest by following a simple four-step wizard, the tool is able to run several queries in parallel. Every time a new set is generated, it is automatically added to the private gene-set cart and the user is notified by an e-mail containing a direct link to the new set stored in the server. WhichGenes provides functionalities to edit, delete and rename existing sets as well as the capability of generating new ones by combining previous existing sets (intersection, union and difference operators). The user can export his sets configuring the output format and selecting among multiple gene identifiers. In addition to the user-friendly environment, WhichGenes allows programmers to access its functionalities in a programmatic way through a Representational State Transfer web service. WhichGenes front-end is freely available at http://www.whichgenes.org/, WhichGenes API is accessible at http://www.whichgenes.org/api/. PMID:19406925
Glez-Pe�a, Daniel; G�mez-L�pez, Gonzalo; Pisano, David G; Fdez-Riverola, Florentino
WhichGenes: a web-based tool for gathering, building, storing and exporting gene sets with application in gene set enrichment analysis
WhichGenes is a web-based interactive gene set building tool offering a very simple interface to extract always-updated gene lists from multiple databases and unstructured biological data sources. While the user can specify new gene sets of interest by following a simple four-step wizard, the tool is able to run several queries in parallel. Every time a new set is generated, it is automatically added to the private gene-set cart and the user is notified by an e-mail containing a direct link to the new set stored in the server. WhichGenes provides functionalities to edit, delete and rename existing sets as well as the capability of generating new ones by combining previous existing sets (intersection, union and difference operators). The user can export his sets configuring the output format and selecting among multiple gene identifiers. In addition to the user-friendly environment, WhichGenes allows programmers to access its functionalities in a programmatic way through a Representational State Transfer web service. WhichGenes front-end is freely available at http://www.whichgenes.org/, WhichGenes API is accessible at http://www.whichgenes.org/api/.
Glez-Pena, Daniel; Gomez-Lopez, Gonzalo; Pisano, David G.; Fdez-Riverola, Florentino
User-friendly tools for quantifying the dynamics of cellular morphology and intracellular protein clusters.
Understanding the heterogeneous dynamics of cellular processes requires not only tools to visualize molecular behavior but also versatile approaches to extract and analyze the information contained in live-cell movies of many cells. Automated identification and tracking of cellular features enable thorough and consistent comparative analyses in a high-throughput manner. Here, we present tools for two challenging problems in computational image analysis: (1) classification of motion for cells with complex shapes and dynamics and (2) segmentation of clustered cells and quantification of intracellular protein distributions based on a single fluorescence channel. We describe these methods and user-friendly software(1) (MATLAB applications with graphical user interfaces) so these tools can be readily applied without an extensive knowledge of computational techniques. PMID:24974040
Tsygankov, Denis; Chu, Pei-Hsuan; Chen, Hsin; Elston, Timothy C; Hahn, Klaus M
Web-based data delivery services in support of disaster-relief applications
The U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation Systems Data Center responds to emergencies in support of various government agencies for human-induced and natural disasters. This response consists of satellite tasking and acquisitions, satellite image registrations, disaster-extent maps analysis and creation, base image provision and support, Web-based mapping services for product delivery, and predisaster and postdisaster data archiving. The emergency response staff are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and have access to many commercial and government satellite and aerial photography tasking authorities. They have access to value-added data processing and photographic laboratory services for off-hour emergency requests. They work with various Federal agencies for preparedness planning, which includes providing base imagery. These data may include digital elevation models, hydrographic models, base satellite images, vector data layers such as roads, aerial photographs, and other predisaster data. These layers are incorporated into a Web-based browser and data delivery service that is accessible either to the general public or to select customers. As usage declines, the data are moved to a postdisaster nearline archive that is still accessible, but not in real time.
Jones, B. K.; Risty, R. R.; Buswell, M.
Web-based hydrodynamics computing
Proteins are long chains of amino acids that have a definite 3-d conformation and the shape of each protein is vital to its function. Since proteins are normally in solution, hydrodynamics (describes the movement of solvent around a protein as a function of shape and size of the molecule) can be used to probe the size and shape of proteins compared to those derived from X-ray crystallography. The computation chain needed for these hydrodynamics calculations consists of several separate programs by different authors on various platforms and often requires 3D visualizations of intermediate results. Due to the complexity, tools developed by a particular research group are not readily available for use by other groups, nor even by the non-experts within the same research group. To alleviate this situation, and to foment the easy and wide distribution of computational tools worldwide, we developed a web based interactive computational environment (WICE) including interactive 3D visualization that can be used with any web browser. Java based technologies were used to provide a platform neutral, user-friendly solution. Java Server Pages (JSP), Java Servlets, Java Beans, JOGL (Java bindings for OpenGL), and Java Web Start were used to create a solution that simplifies the computing chain for the user allowing the user to focus on their scientific research. WICE hides complexity from the user and provides robust and sophisticated visualization through a web browser.
Shimoide, Alan; Lin, Luping; Hong, Tracie-Lynne; Yoon, Ilmi; Aragon, Sergio R.
SLIMS--a user-friendly sample operations and inventory management system for genotyping labs
Summary: We present the Sample-based Laboratory Information Management System (SLIMS), a powerful and user-friendly open source web application that provides all members of a laboratory with an interface to view, edit and create sample information. SLIMS aims to simplify common laboratory tasks with tools such as a user-friendly shopping cart for subjects, samples and containers that easily generates reports, shareable lists and plate designs for genotyping. Further key features include customizable data views, database change-logging and dynamically filled pre-formatted reports. Along with being feature-rich, SLIMS' power comes from being able to handle longitudinal data from multiple time-points and biological sources. This type of data is increasingly common from studies searching for susceptibility genes for common complex diseases that collect thousands of samples generating millions of genotypes and overwhelming amounts of data. LIMSs provide an efficient way to deal with this data while increasing accessibility and reducing laboratory errors; however, professional LIMS are often too costly to be practical. SLIMS gives labs a feasible alternative that is easily accessible, user-centrically designed and feature-rich. To facilitate system customization, and utilization for other groups, manuals have been written for users and developers. Availability: Documentation, source code and manuals are available at http://genapha.icapture.ubc.ca/SLIMS/index.jsp. SLIMS was developed using Java 1.6.0, JSPs, Hibernate 3.3.1.GA, DB2 and mySQL, Apache Tomcat 6.0.18, NetBeans IDE 6.5, Jasper Reports 3.5.1 and JasperSoft's iReport 3.5.1. Contact: email@example.com
Van Rossum, Thea; Tripp, Ben; Daley, Denise
An integrated approach of MAS-CommonKADS, Model-View-Controller and web application optimization strategies for web-based expert system development
Web-based expert system development has been considered as complex, multidisciplinary and knowledge driven process. This paper presents a framework for development of web-based expert system with integrated approach of MAS-CommonKADS agent-oriented methodology, Model�View�Controller (MVC) architecture and web applications optimization strategies to deal with complexity of development and to achieve high usability. Study will guide in software engineering of developing such
S. S. Hasan; R. K. Isaac
CO2calc: A User Friendly Seawater Carbon Calculator for Windows, Mac OS X, and iOS (iPhone).
A user-friendly, stand-alone application for the calculation of carbonate system parameters was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey Florida Shelf Ecosystems Response to Climate Change Project in response to its Ocean Acidification Task. The applicatio...
J. A. Kleypas L. L. Robbins M. E. Hansen S. C. Meylan
Towards pathogenomics: a web-based resource for pathogenicity islands
Pathogenicity islands (PAIs) are genetic elements whose products are essential to the process of disease development. They have been horizontally (laterally) transferred from other microbes and are important in evolution of pathogenesis. In this study, a comprehensive database and search engines specialized for PAIs were established. The pathogenicity island database (PAIDB) is a comprehensive relational database of all the reported PAIs and potential PAI regions which were predicted by a method that combines feature-based analysis and similarity-based analysis. Also, using the PAI Finder search application, a multi-sequence query can be analyzed onsite for the presence of potential PAIs. As of April 2006, PAIDB contains 112 types of PAIs and 889 GenBank accessions containing either partial or all PAI loci previously reported in the literature, which are present in 497 strains of pathogenic bacteria. The database also offers 310 candidate PAIs predicted from 118 sequenced prokaryotic genomes. With the increasing number of prokaryotic genomes without functional inference and sequenced genetic regions of suspected involvement in diseases, this web-based, user-friendly resource has the potential to be of significant use in pathogenomics. PAIDB is freely accessible at .
Yoon, Sung Ho; Park, Young-Kyu; Lee, Soohyun; Choi, Doil; Oh, Tae Kwang; Hur, Cheol-Goo; Kim, Jihyun F.
RiceGeneThresher: a web-based application for mining genes underlying QTL in rice genome
RiceGeneThresher is a public online resource for mining genes underlying genome regions of interest or quantitative trait loci (QTL) in rice genome. It is a compendium of rice genomic resources consisting of genetic markers, genome annotation, expressed sequence tags (ESTs), protein domains, gene ontology, plant stress-responsive genes, metabolic pathways and prediction of protein�protein interactions. RiceGeneThresher system integrates these diverse data sources and provides powerful web-based applications, and flexible tools for delivering customized set of biological data on rice. Its system supports whole-genome gene mining for QTL by querying using DNA marker intervals or genomic loci. RiceGeneThresher provides biologically supported evidences that are essential for targeting groups or networks of genes involved in controlling traits underlying QTL. Users can use it to discover and to assign the most promising candidate genes in preparation for the further gene function validation analysis. The web-based application is freely available at http://rice.kps.ku.ac.th.
Thongjuea, Supat; Ruanjaichon, Vinitchan; Bruskiewich, Richard; Vanavichit, Apichart
Web-based application for Data INterpolation Empirical Orthogonal Functions (DINEOF) analysis
DINEOF (Data INterpolating Empirical Orthogonal Functions) is a powerful tool based on EOF decomposition developed at the University of Liege/GHER for the reconstruction of missing data in satellite datasets, as well as for the reduction of noise and detection of outliers. DINEOF is openly available as a series of Fortran routines to be compiled by the user, and as binaries (that can be run directly without any compilation) both for Windows and Linux platforms. In order to facilitate the use of DINEOF and increase the number of interested users, we developed a web-based interface for DINEOF with the necessary parameters available to run high-quality DINEOF analysis. This includes choosing variable within selected dataset, defining a domain, time range, filtering criteria based on available variables in the dataset (e.g. quality flag, satellite zenith angle �) and defining necessary DINEOF parameters. Results, including reconstructed data and calculated EOF modes will be disseminated in NetCDF format using OpenDAP and WMS server allowing easy visualisation and analysis. First, we will include several satellite datasets of sea surface temperature and chlorophyll concentration obtained from MyOcean data centre and already remapped to the regular grid (L3C). Later, based on user's request, we plan to extend number of datasets available for reconstruction.
Tomazic, Igor; Alvera-Azcarate, Aida; Barth, Alexander; Beckers, Jean-Marie
Computer-based and web-based applications for night vision goggle training
Night vision goggles (NVGs) can enhance military and civilian operations at night. With this increased capability comes the requirement to provide suitable training. Results from field experience and accident analyses suggest that problems experienced by NVG users can be attributed to a limited understanding of NVG limitations and to perceptual problems. In addition, there is evidence that NVG skills are perishable and require frequent practice. Format training is available to help users obtain the required knowledge and skills. However, there often is insufficient opportunity to obtain and practice perceptual skills prior to using NVGs in the operational environment. NVG users need early and continued exposure to the night environment across a broad range of visual and operational conditions to develop and maintain the necessary knowledge and perceptual skills. NVG training has consisted of classroom instruction, hands-on training, and simulator training. Advances in computer-based training (CBT) and web-based training (WBT) have made these technologies very appealing as additions to the NVG training mix. This paper discusses our efforts to develop NVG training using multimedia, interactive CBT and WBT for NVG training. We discuss how NVG CBT and WBT can be extended to military and civilian ground, maritime, and aviation NVG training.
Ruffner, John W.; Woodward, Kim G.
Learning and cognitive styles in web-based learning: theory, evidence, and application.
Cognitive and learning styles (CLS) have long been investigated as a basis to adapt instruction and enhance learning. Web-based learning (WBL) can reach large, heterogenous audiences, and adaptation to CLS may increase its effectiveness. Adaptation is only useful if some learners (with a defined trait) do better with one method and other learners (with a complementary trait) do better with another method (aptitude-treatment interaction). A comprehensive search of health professions education literature found 12 articles on CLS in computer-assisted learning and WBL. Because so few reports were found, research from non-medical education was also included. Among all the reports, four CLS predominated. Each CLS construct was used to predict relationships between CLS and WBL. Evidence was then reviewed to support or refute these predictions. The wholist-analytic construct shows consistent aptitude-treatment interactions consonant with predictions (wholists need structure, a broad-before-deep approach, and social interaction, while analytics need less structure and a deep-before-broad approach). Limited evidence for the active-reflective construct suggests aptitude-treatment interaction, with active learners doing better with interactive learning and reflective learners doing better with methods to promote reflection. As predicted, no consistent interaction between the concrete-abstract construct and computer format was found, but one study suggests that there is interaction with instructional method. Contrary to predictions, no interaction was found for the verbal-imager construct. Teachers developing WBL activities should consider assessing and adapting to accommodate learners defined by the wholist-analytic and active-reflective constructs. Other adaptations should be considered experimental. Further WBL research could clarify the feasibility and effectiveness of assessing and adapting to CLS. PMID:15734809
Cook, David A
A web-based e-learning application for wound diagnosis and treatment.
Pressure ulcers (PrU) are considered as one of the most challenging problems that Nursing professionals have to deal with in their daily practice. Nowadays, the education on PrUs is mainly based on traditional lecturing, seminars and face-to-face instruction, sometimes with the support of photographs of wounds being used as teaching material. This traditional educational methodology suffers from some important limitations, which could affect the efficacy of the learning process. This current study has been designed to introduce information and communication technologies (ICT) in the education on PrU for undergraduate students, with the main objective of evaluating the advantages an disadvantages of using ICT, by comparing the learning results obtained from using an e-learning tool with those from a traditional teaching methodology. In order to meet this major objective, a web-based learning system named ePULab has been designed and developed as an adaptive e-learning tool for the autonomous acquisition of knowledge on PrU evaluation. This innovative system has been validated by means of a randomized controlled trial that compares its learning efficacy with that from a control group receiving a traditional face-to-face instruction. Students using ePULab gave significantly better (p < 0.01) learning acquisition scores (from pre-test mean 8.27 (SD 1.39) to post-test mean 15.83 (SD 2.52)) than those following traditional lecture-style classes (from pre-test mean 8.23 (SD 1.23) to post-test mean 11.6 (SD 2.52)). In this article, the ePULab software is described in detail and the results from that experimental educational validation study are also presented and analyzed. PMID:25015566
Veredas, Francisco J; Ruiz-Bandera, Esperanza; Villa-Estrada, Francisca; Rufino-Gonz�lez, Juan F; Morente, Laura
A web-based information system for management and analysis of patient data after refractive eye surgery.
The aim was to develop a software tool for refractive surgeons using a standard user-friendly web-based interface, providing the user with a secure environment to protect large volumes of patient data. The software application was named "Internet-based refractive analysis" (IBRA), and was programmed with the computer languages PHP, HTML and JavaScript, attached to the opensource MySQL database. IBRA facilitated internationally accepted presentation methods including the stability chart, the predictability chart and the safety chart; it was able to perform vector analysis for the course of a single patient or for group data. With the integrated nomogram calculation, treatment could be customised to reduce the postoperative refractive error. Multicenter functions permitted quality-control comparisons between different surgeons and laser units. PMID:17964683
Zuberbuhler, Bruno; Galloway, Peter; Reddy, Aravind; Saldana, Manuel; Gale, Richard
Development and Validation of the Social Information Processing Application: A Web-Based Measure of Social Information Processing Patterns in Elementary School-Age Boys
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of an audio computer-assisted self-interviewing Web-based software application called the Social Information Processing Application (SIP-AP) that was designed to assess social information processing skills in boys in RD through 5th grades. This study included a racially and�
Kupersmidt, Janis B.; Stelter, Rebecca; Dodge, Kenneth A.
The Application of Web-Based Teaching and Learning in Tertiary Institution--A Case Study in Hong Kong
The experience of a two-year project to promote the use of Web-based teaching and learning at XXX University was presented. A total of 68 courses over two semesters were included in the study. Surveys of students and teachers suggested that the quality of learning and teaching were improved. Over 80% of the students had used Web-based teaching and�
Fung, Alex C. W.; Fu, Frank H. K.; Cheung, W. S.
QualitySNPng: a user-friendly SNP detection and visualization tool
QualitySNPng is a new software tool for the detection and interactive visualization of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). It uses a haplotype-based strategy to identify reliable SNPs; it is optimized for the analysis of current RNA-seq data; but it can also be used on genomic DNA sequences derived from next-generation sequencing experiments. QualitySNPng does not require a sequenced reference genome and delivers reliable SNPs for di- as well as polyploid species. The tool features a user-friendly interface, multiple filtering options to handle typical sequencing errors, support for SAM and ACE files and interactive visualization. QualitySNPng produces high-quality SNP information that can be used directly in genotyping by sequencing approaches for application in QTL and genome-wide association mapping as well as to populate SNP arrays. The software can be used as a stand-alone application with a graphical user interface or as part of a pipeline system like Galaxy. Versions for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux, as well as the source code, are available from http://www.bioinformatics.nl/QualitySNPng.
Nijveen, Harm; van Kaauwen, Martijn; Esselink, Danny G.; Hoegen, Brechtje; Vosman, Ben
A user-friendly web portal for T-Coffee on supercomputers
Background Parallel T-Coffee (PTC) was the first parallel implementation of the T-Coffee multiple sequence alignment tool. It is based on MPI and RMA mechanisms. Its purpose is to reduce the execution time of the large-scale sequence alignments. It can be run on distributed memory clusters allowing users to align data sets consisting of hundreds of proteins within a reasonable time. However, most of the potential users of this tool are not familiar with the use of grids or supercomputers. Results In this paper we show how PTC can be easily deployed and controlled on a super computer architecture using a web portal developed using Rapid. Rapid is a tool for efficiently generating standardized portlets for a wide range of applications and the approach described here is generic enough to be applied to other applications, or to deploy PTC on different HPC environments. Conclusions The PTC portal allows users to upload a large number of sequences to be aligned by the parallel version of TC that cannot be aligned by a single machine due to memory and execution time constraints. The web portal provides a user-friendly solution.
LISA, the next generation: from a web-based application to a fat client.
The LISA application, developed by the University Hospitals Leuven, permits referring physicians to consult the electronic medical records of their patients over the internet in a highly secure way. We decided to completely change the way we secured the application, discard the existing web application and build a completely new application, based on the in-house developed hospital information system, used in the University Hospitals Leuven. The result is a fat Java client, running on a Windows Terminal Server, secured by a commercial SSL-VPN solution. PMID:18953122
Pierlet, No�lla; Aerts, Werner; Vanautgaerden, Mark; Van den Bosch, Bart; De Deurwaerder, Andr�; Schils, Erik; Noppe, Thomas
PuffinPlot: A versatile, user-friendly program for paleomagnetic analysis
PuffinPlot is a user-friendly desktop application for analysis of paleomagnetic data, offering a unique combination of features. It runs on several operating systems, including Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux; supports both discrete and long core data; and facilitates analysis of very weakly magnetic samples. As well as interactive graphical operation, PuffinPlot offers batch analysis for large volumes of data, and a Python scripting interface for programmatic control of its features. Available data displays include demagnetization/intensity, Zijderveld, equal-area (for sample, site, and suite level demagnetization data, and for magnetic susceptibility anisotropy data), a demagnetization data table, and a natural remanent magnetization intensity histogram. Analysis types include principal component analysis, Fisherian statistics, and great-circle path intersections. The results of calculations can be exported as CSV (comma-separated value) files; graphs can be printed, and can also be saved as publication-quality vector files in SVG or PDF format. PuffinPlot is free, and the program, user manual, and fully documented source code may be downloaded from http://code.google.com/p/puffinplot/.
Lurcock, P. C.; Wilson, G. S.
RobiNA: a user-friendly, integrated software solution for RNA-Seq-based transcriptomics
Recent rapid advances in next generation RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq)-based provide researchers with unprecedentedly large data sets and open new perspectives in transcriptomics. Furthermore, RNA-Seq-based transcript profiling can be applied to non-model and newly discovered organisms because it does not require a predefined measuring platform (like e.g. microarrays). However, these novel technologies pose new challenges: the raw data need to be rigorously quality checked and filtered prior to analysis, and proper statistical methods have to be applied to extract biologically relevant information. Given the sheer volume of data, this is no trivial task and requires a combination of considerable technical resources along with bioinformatics expertise. To aid the individual researcher, we have developed RobiNA as an integrated solution that consolidates all steps of RNA-Seq-based differential gene-expression analysis in one user-friendly cross-platform application featuring a rich graphical user interface. RobiNA accepts raw FastQ files, SAM/BAM alignment files and counts tables as input. It supports quality checking, flexible filtering and statistical analysis of differential gene expression based on state-of-the art biostatistical methods developed in the R/Bioconductor projects. In-line help and a step-by-step manual guide users through the analysis. Installer packages for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux are available under the LGPL licence from http://mapman.gabipd.org/web/guest/robin.
Lohse, Marc; Bolger, Anthony M.; Nagel, Axel; Fernie, Alisdair R.; Lunn, John E.; Stitt, Mark; Usadel, Bjorn
User Friendly Open GIS Tool for Large Scale Data Assimilation - a Case Study of Hydrological Modelling
Open source software (OSS) coding has tremendous advantages over proprietary software. These are primarily fuelled by high level programming languages (JAVA, C++, Python etc...) and open source geospatial libraries (GDAL/OGR, GEOS, GeoTools etc.). Quantum GIS (QGIS) is a popular open source GIS package, which is licensed under GNU GPL and is written in C++. It allows users to perform specialised tasks by creating plugins in C++ and Python. This research article emphasises on exploiting this capability of QGIS to build and implement plugins across multiple platforms using the easy to learn - Python programming language. In the present study, a tool has been developed to assimilate large spatio-temporal datasets such as national level gridded rainfall, temperature, topographic (digital elevation model, slope, aspect), landuse/landcover and multi-layer soil data for input into hydrological models. At present this tool has been developed for Indian sub-continent. An attempt is also made to use popular scientific and numerical libraries to create custom applications for digital inclusion. In the hydrological modelling calibration and validation are important steps which are repetitively carried out for the same study region. As such the developed tool will be user friendly and used efficiently for these repetitive processes by reducing the time required for data management and handling. Moreover, it was found that the developed tool can easily assimilate large dataset in an organised manner.
Gupta, P. K.
RobiNA: a user-friendly, integrated software solution for RNA-Seq-based transcriptomics.
Recent rapid advances in next generation RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq)-based provide researchers with unprecedentedly large data sets and open new perspectives in transcriptomics. Furthermore, RNA-Seq-based transcript profiling can be applied to non-model and newly discovered organisms because it does not require a predefined measuring platform (like e.g. microarrays). However, these novel technologies pose new challenges: the raw data need to be rigorously quality checked and filtered prior to analysis, and proper statistical methods have to be applied to extract biologically relevant information. Given the sheer volume of data, this is no trivial task and requires a combination of considerable technical resources along with bioinformatics expertise. To aid the individual researcher, we have developed RobiNA as an integrated solution that consolidates all steps of RNA-Seq-based differential gene-expression analysis in one user-friendly cross-platform application featuring a rich graphical user interface. RobiNA accepts raw FastQ files, SAM/BAM alignment files and counts tables as input. It supports quality checking, flexible filtering and statistical analysis of differential gene expression based on state-of-the art biostatistical methods developed in the R/Bioconductor projects. In-line help and a step-by-step manual guide users through the analysis. Installer packages for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux are available under the LGPL licence from http://mapman.gabipd.org/web/guest/robin. PMID:22684630
Lohse, Marc; Bolger, Anthony M; Nagel, Axel; Fernie, Alisdair R; Lunn, John E; Stitt, Mark; Usadel, Bj�rn
Ganga: User-friendly Grid job submission and management tool for LHC and beyond
Ganga has been widely used for several years in ATLAS, LHCb and a handful of other communities. Ganga provides a simple yet powerful interface for submitting and managing jobs to a variety of computing backends. The tool helps users configuring applications and keeping track of their work. With the major release of version 5 in summer 2008, Ganga's main user-friendly features have been strengthened. Examples include a new configuration interface, enhanced support for job collections, bulk operations and easier access to subjobs. In addition to the traditional batch and Grid backends such as Condor, LSF, PBS, gLite/EDG a point-to-point job execution via ssh on remote machines is now supported. Ganga is used as an interactive job submission interface for end-users, and also as a job submission component for higher-level tools. For example GangaRobot is used to perform automated, end-to-end testing of distributed data analysis. Ganga comes with an extensive test suite covering more than 350 test cases. The development model involves all active developers in the release management shifts which is an important and novel approach for the distributed software collaborations. Ganga 5 is a mature, stable and widely-used tool with long-term support from the HEP community.
Vanderster, D. C.; Brochu, F.; Cowan, G.; Egede, U.; Elmsheuser, J.; Gaidoz, B.; Harrison, K.; Lee, H. C.; Liko, D.; Maier, A.; Mo?cicki, J. T.; Muraru, A.; Pajchel, K.; Reece, W.; Samset, B.; Slater, M.; Soroko, A.; Tan, C. L.; Williams, M.
Web-based Services for Earth Observing and Model Data in National Applications and Hazards
The ever-growing large volumes of Earth system science data, collected by Earth observing platforms, in situ stations and as model output data, are increasingly being used by discipline scientists and by wider classes of users. In particular, applications of Earth system science data to environmental and hazards as well as other national applications, require tailored or specialized data, as well
M. Kafatos; Z. Boybeyi; G. Cervone; L. di; D. Sun; C. Yang; R. Yang
A user-friendly, open-source tool to project impact and cost of diagnostic tests for tuberculosis
Most models of infectious diseases, including tuberculosis (TB), do not provide results customized to local conditions. We created a dynamic transmission model to project TB incidence, TB mortality, multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB prevalence, and incremental costs over 5 years after scale-up of nine alternative diagnostic strategies. A corresponding web-based interface allows users to specify local costs and epidemiology. In settings with little capacity for up-front investment, same-day microscopy had the greatest impact on TB incidence and became cost-saving within 5 years if delivered at $10/test. With greater initial investment, population-level scale-up of Xpert MTB/RIF or microcolony-based culture often averted 10 times more TB cases than narrowly-targeted strategies, at minimal incremental long-term cost. Xpert for smear-positive TB had reasonable impact on MDR-TB incidence, but at substantial price and little impact on overall TB incidence and mortality. This user-friendly modeling framework improves decision-makers' ability to evaluate the local impact of TB diagnostic strategies. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02565.001
Dowdy, David W; Andrews, Jason R; Dodd, Peter J; Gilman, Robert H
User-Friendly Data Servers for Climate Studies at the Asia-Pacific Data-Research Center (APDRC)
The APDRC was recently established within the International Pacific Research Center (IPRC) at the University of Hawaii. The APDRC mission is to increase understanding of climate variability in the Asia-Pacific region by developing the computational, data-management, and networking infrastructure necessary to make data resources readily accessible and usable by researchers, and by undertaking data-intensive research activities that will both advance knowledge and lead to improvements in data preparation and data products. A focus of recent activity is the implementation of user-friendly data servers. The APDRC is currently running a Live Access Server (LAS) developed at NOAA/PMEL to provide access to and visualization of gridded climate products via the web. The LAS also allows users to download the selected data subsets in various formats (such as binary, netCDF and ASCII). Most of the datasets served by the LAS are also served through our OPeNDAP server (formerly DODS), which allows users to directly access the data using their desktop client tools (e.g. GrADS, Matlab and Ferret). In addition, the APDRC is running an OPeNDAP Catalog/Aggregation Server (CAS) developed by Unidata at UCAR to serve climate data and products such as model output and satellite-derived products. These products are often large (> 2 GB) and are therefore stored as multiple files (stored separately in time or in parameters). The CAS remedies the inconvenience of multiple files and allows access to the whole dataset (or any subset that cuts across the multiple files) via a single request command from any DODS enabled client software. Once the aggregation of files is configured at the server (CAS), the process of aggregation is transparent to the user. The user only needs to know a single URL for the entire dataset, which is, in fact, stored as multiple files. CAS even allows aggregation of files on different systems and at different locations. Currently, the APDRC is serving NCEP, ECMWF, SODA, WOCE-Satellite, TMI, GPI and GSSTF products through the CAS. The APDRC is also running an EPIC server developed by PMEL/NOAA. EPIC is a web-based, data search and display system suited for in situ (station versus gridded) data. The process of locating and selecting individual station data from large collections (millions of profiles or time series, etc.) of in situ data is a major challenge. Serving in situ data on the Internet faces two problems: the irregularity of data formats; and the large quantity of data files. To solve the first problem, we have converted the in situ data into netCDF data format. The second problem was solved by using the EPIC server, which allows users to easily subset the files using a friendly graphical interface. Furthermore, we enhanced the capability of EPIC and configured OPeNDAP into EPIC to serve the numerous in situ data files and to export them to users through two different options: 1) an OPeNDAP pointer file of user-selected data files; and 2) a data package that includes meta-information (e.g., location, time, cruise no, etc.), a local pointer file, and the data files that the user selected. Option 1) is for those who do not want to download the selected data but want to use their own application software (such as GrADS, Matlab and Ferret) for access and analysis; option 2) is for users who want to store the data on their own system (e.g. laptops before going for a cruise) for subsequent analysis. Currently, WOCE CTD and bottle data, the WOCE current meter data, and some Argo float data are being served on the EPIC server.
Yuan, G.; Shen, Y.; Zhang, Y.; Merrill, R.; Waseda, T.; Mitsudera, H.; Hacker, P.
Case for avoiding security-enhanced HTTP tools to improve security for Web-based applications.
This paper describes some of the general weaknesses of the current popular Hypertext Transmission Protocol (HTTP) security standards and products in an effort to show that these standards are not appealing for many applications. The author will then show ...
B. Wood
Informatics in Radiology: Improving Clinical Work Flow through an AIM Database: A Sample Web-based Lesion Tracking Application
Quantitative assessments on images are crucial to clinical decision making, especially in cancer patients, in whom measurements of lesions are tracked over time. However, the potential value of quantitative approaches to imaging is impeded by the difficulty and time-intensive nature of compiling this information from prior studies and reporting corresponding information on current studies. The authors believe that the quantitative imaging work flow can be automated by making temporal data computationally accessible. In this article, they demonstrate the utility of the Annotation and Image Markup standard in a World Wide Web�based application that was developed to automatically summarize prior and current quantitative imaging measurements. The system calculates the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors metric, along with several alternative indicators of cancer treatment response, by using the data stored in the annotation files. The application also allows the user to overlay the recorded metrics on the original images for visual inspection. Clinical evaluation of the system demonstrates its potential utility in accelerating the standard radiology work flow and in providing a means to evaluate alternative response metrics that are difficult to compute by hand. The system, which illustrates the utility of capturing quantitative information in a standard format and linking it to the image from which it was derived, could enhance quantitative imaging in clinical practice without adversely affecting the current work flow. � RSNA, 2012
Abajian, Aaron C.; Levy, Mia
Rising populations in the arid and semi arid parts of the World are increasing the demand for fresh water supplies worldwide. Many data sets needed for assessment of hydrologic applications across vast regions of the world are expensive, unpublished, difficult to obtain, or at varying scales which complicates their use. Fortunately, this situation is changing with the development of global
B. Welton; K. Chouinard; M. Sultan; D. Becker; A. Milewski; R. Becker
User as Student: Towards an Adaptive Interface for Advanced Web-Based Applications
This paper discusses the problems of developing adaptive self-explaining in- terfaces for advanced World-Wide Web (WWW) applications. Two kinds of adaptation are considered: incremental learning and incremental interfaces. The key problem for these kinds of adaptation is to decide which interface features should be explained or en- abled next. We analyze possible ways to implement incremental learning and incremental interfaces
Peter Brusilovsky; Elmar Schwarz
QGRS Mapper: a web-based server for predicting G-quadruplexes in nucleotide sequences
The quadruplex structures formed by guanine-rich nucleic acid sequences have received significant attention recently because of growing evidence for their role in important biological processes and as therapeutic targets. G-quadruplex DNA has been suggested to regulate DNA replication and may control cellular proliferation. Sequences capable of forming G-quadruplexes in the RNA have been shown to play significant roles in regulation of polyadenylation and splicing events in mammalian transcripts. Whether quadruplex structure directly plays a role in regulating RNA processing requires investigation. Computational approaches to study G-quadruplexes allow detailed analysis of mammalian genomes. There are no known easily accessible user-friendly tools that can compute G-quadruplexes in the nucleotide sequences. We have developed a web-based server, QGRS Mapper, that predicts quadruplex forming G-rich sequences (QGRS) in nucleotide sequences. It is a user-friendly application that provides many options for defining and studying G-quadruplexes. It performs analysis of the user provided genomic sequences, e.g. promoter and telomeric regions, as well as RNA sequences. It is also useful for predicting G-quadruplex structures in oligonucleotides. The program provides options to search and retrieve desired gene/nucleotide sequence entries from NCBI databases for mapping G-quadruplexes in the context of RNA processing sites. This feature is very useful for investigating the functional relevance of G-quadruplex structure, in particular its role in regulating the gene expression by alternative processing. In addition to providing data on composition and locations of QGRS relative to the processing sites in the pre-mRNA sequence, QGRS Mapper features interactive graphic representation of the data. The user can also use the graphics module to visualize QGRS distribution patterns among all the alternative RNA products of a gene simultaneously on a single screen. QGRS Mapper can be accessed at .
Kikin, Oleg; D'Antonio, Lawrence; Bagga, Paramjeet S
The Consumer Juggernaut: Web-Based and Mobile Applications as Innovation Pioneer
As happened previously in electronics, software targeted at consumers is increasingly the focus of investment and innovation. Some of the areas where it is leading is animated interfaces, treating users as a community, audio and video information, software as a service, agile software development, and the integration of business models with software design. As a risk-taking and experimental market, and as a source of ideas, consumer software can benefit other areas of applications software. The influence of consumer software can be magnified by research into the internal organizations and processes of the innovative firms at its foundation.
Messerschmitt, David G.
Caching strategies for improving performance of web-based Geographic applications
The NASA Operation IceBridge mission collects airborne remote sensing measurements to bridge the gap between NASA's Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) mission and the upcoming ICESat-2 mission. The IceBridge Data Portal from the National Snow and Ice Data Center provides an intuitive web interface for accessing IceBridge mission observations and measurements. Scientists and users usually do not have knowledge about the individual campaigns but are interested in data collected in a specific place. We have developed a high-performance map interface to allow users to quickly zoom to an area of interest and see any Operation IceBridge overflights. The map interface consists of two layers: the user can pan and zoom on the base map layer; the flight line layer that overlays the base layer provides all the campaign missions that intersect with the current map view. The user can click on the flight campaigns and download the data as needed. The OpenGIS� Web Map Service Interface Standard (WMS) provides a simple HTTP interface for requesting geo-registered map images from one or more distributed geospatial databases. Web Feature Service (WFS) provides an interface allowing requests for geographical features across the web using platform-independent calls. OpenLayers provides vector support (points, polylines and polygons) to build a WMS/WFS client for displaying both layers on the screen. Map Server, an open source development environment for building spatially enabled internet applications, is serving the WMS and WFS spatial data to OpenLayers. Early releases of the portal displayed unacceptably poor load time performance for flight lines and the base map tiles. This issue was caused by long response times from the map server in generating all map tiles and flight line vectors. We resolved the issue by implementing various caching strategies on top of the WMS and WFS services, including the use of Squid (www.squid-cache.org) to cache frequently-used content. Our presentation includes the architectural design of the application, and how we use OpenLayers, WMS and WFS with Squid to build a responsive web application capable of efficiently displaying geospatial data to allow the user to quickly interact with the displayed information. We describe the design, implementation and performance improvement of our caching strategies, and the tools and techniques developed to assist our data caching strategies.
Liu, M.; Brodzik, M.; Collins, J. A.; Lewis, S.; Oldenburg, J.
Orion: a web-based application designed to monitor resident and fellow performance on-call.
Radiology residency and fellowship training provides a unique opportunity to evaluate trainee performance and determine the impact of various educational interventions. We have developed a simple software application (Orion) using open-source tools to facilitate the identification and monitoring of resident and fellow discrepancies in on-call preliminary reports. Over a 6-month period, 19,200 on-call studies were interpreted by 20 radiology residents, and 13,953 on-call studies were interpreted by 25 board-certified radiology fellows representing eight subspecialties. Using standard review macros during faculty interpretation, each of these reports was classified as "agreement", "minor discrepancy", and "major discrepancy" based on the potential to impact patient management or outcome. Major discrepancy rates were used to establish benchmarks for resident and fellow performance by year of training, modality, and subspecialty, and to identify residents and fellows demonstrating a significantly higher major discrepancy rate compared with their classmates. Trends in discrepancies were used to identify subspecialty-specific areas of increased major discrepancy rates in an effort to tailor the didactic and case-based curriculum. A series of missed-case conferences were developed based on trends in discrepancies, and the impact of these conferences is currently being evaluated. Orion is a powerful information technology tool that can be used by residency program directors, fellowship programs directors, residents, and fellows to improve radiology education and training. PMID:21249419
Itri, Jason N; Kim, Woojin; Scanlon, Mary H
SPCDC: A user-friendly computational tool for the design and refinement of practical pulse combustion systems
This paper reports on the development and use of a user-friendly, PC-executable computer code that can assist engineers in designing pulse combustors for specific applications and in refining existing units. This code represents the culmination of over 10 years of research and development in the field of pulse combustion. The Sandia Pulse Combustor Design Code, or SPCDC, couples both the fuel-air injection and the energy release to the time-varying pressure wave. Because the injection and combustion processes both drive and are driven by the wave dynamics, this model couples the major processes that occur in a pulse combustor. SPCDC can supplement the time-proven method of actually building and testing a prototype unit, and significantly reduce the number of units that must be tested. It will help produce a superior pulse combustion system tailored to a specific application and should help widen the range of successful applications.
Barr, P.K.; Keller, J.O. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States); Kezerle, J.A. [Gas Research Institute (United States)
AIRSAR Web-Based Data Processing
The AIRSAR automated, Web-based data processing and distribution system is an integrated, end-to-end synthetic aperture radar (SAR) processing system. Designed to function under limited resources and rigorous demands, AIRSAR eliminates operational errors and provides for paperless archiving. Also, it provides a yearly tune-up of the processor on flight missions, as well as quality assurance with new radar modes and anomalous data compensation. The software fully integrates a Web-based SAR data-user request subsystem, a data processing system to automatically generate co-registered multi-frequency images from both polarimetric and interferometric data collection modes in 80/40/20 MHz bandwidth, an automated verification quality assurance subsystem, and an automatic data distribution system for use in the remote-sensor community. Features include Survey Automation Processing in which the software can automatically generate a quick-look image from an entire 90-GB SAR raw data 32-MB/s tape overnight without operator intervention. Also, the software allows product ordering and distribution via a Web-based user request system. To make AIRSAR more user friendly, it has been designed to let users search by entering the desired mission flight line (Missions Searching), or to search for any mission flight line by entering the desired latitude and longitude (Map Searching). For precision image automation processing, the software generates the products according to each data processing request stored in the database via a Queue management system. Users are able to have automatic generation of coregistered multi-frequency images as the software generates polarimetric and/or interferometric SAR data processing in ground and/or slant projection according to user processing requests for one of the 12 radar modes.
Chu, Anhua; Van Zyl, Jakob; Kim, Yunjin; Hensley, Scott; Lou, Yunling; Madsen, Soren; Chapman, Bruce; Imel, David; Durden, Stephen; Tung, Wayne
Is Your Institution User-Friendly? Essential Elements of Successful Graduate Student Recruitment.
Two studies of variables influencing graduate students' consideration and choice of school found positive association with university personnel was a prime enrollment motivator. Students' decision process has changed over time. Evidence suggests students prefer an institution that is "user-friendly," affordable, and committed to quality. Cost and�
Olson, Carol
Creating the User-Friendly Library by Evaluating Patron Perception of Signage.
Librarians at Indiana University Northwest Library surveyed patrons on how to make the library's collection and services more accessible by improving signage. Examines the effectiveness of signage to instruct users, reduce difficulties and fears, ameliorate negative experiences, and contribute to a user-friendly environment. (AEF)
Bosman, Ellen; Rusinek, Carol
Application of a web-based Decision Support System in risk management
Increasingly, risk information is widely available with the help of advanced technologies such as earth observation satellites, global positioning technologies, coupled with hazard modeling and analysis, and geographical information systems (GIS). Even though it exists, no effort will be put into action if it is not properly presented to the decision makers. These information need to be communicated clearly and show its usefulness so that people can make better informed decision. Therefore, communicating available risk information has become an important challenge and decision support systems have been one of the significant approaches which can help not only in presenting risk information to the decision makers but also in making efficient decisions while reducing human resources and time needed. In this study, the conceptual framework of an internet-based decision support system is presented to highlight its importance role in risk management framework and how it can be applied in case study areas chosen. The main purpose of the proposed system is to facilitate the available risk information in risk reduction by taking into account of the changes in climate, land use and socio-economic along with the risk scenarios. It allows the users to formulate, compare and select risk reduction scenarios (mainly for floods and landslides) through an enhanced participatory platform with diverse stakeholders' involvement in the decision making process. It is based on the three-tier (client-server) architecture which integrates web-GIS plus DSS functionalities together with cost benefit analysis and other supporting tools. Embedding web-GIS provides its end users to make better planning and informed decisions referenced to a geographical location, which is the one of the essential factors in disaster risk reduction programs. Different risk reduction measures of a specific area (local scale) will be evaluated using this web-GIS tool, available risk scenarios obtained from Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) model and the knowledge collected from experts. The visualization of the risk reduction scenarios can also be shared among the users on the web to support the on-line participatory process. In addition, cost-benefit ratios of the different risk reduction scenarios can be prepared in order to serve as inputs for high-level decision makers. The most appropriate risk reduction scenarios will be chosen using Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE) method by weighting different parameters according to the preferences and criteria defined by the users. The role of public participation has been changing from one-way communication between authorities, experts, stakeholders and citizens towards more intensive two-way interaction. Involving the affected public and interest groups can enhance the level of legitimacy, transparency, and confidence in the decision making process. Due to its important part in decision making, online participatory tool is included in the DSS in order to allow the involved stakeholders interactively in risk reduction and be aware of the existing vulnerability conditions of the community. Moreover, it aims to achieve a more transparent and better informed decision-making process. The system is under in progress and the first tools implemented will be presented showing the wide possibilities of new web technologies which can have a great impact on the decision making process. It will be applied in four pilot areas in Europe: French Alps, North Eastern Italy, Romania and Poland. Nevertheless, the framework will be designed and implemented in a way to be applicable in any other regions.
Aye, Zar Chi; Jaboyedoff, Michel; Derron, Marc-Henri
Rapid, effective and user-friendly immunophenotyping of canine lymphoma using a personal flow cytometer
Background Widespread use of flow cytometry for immunophenotyping in clinical veterinary medicine is limited by cost and requirement for considerable laboratory space, staff time, and expertise. The Guava EasyCyte Plus (Guava Technologies, Hayward, CA, US) is the first, personal, bench-top flow cytometer designed to address these limitations. Objective The aim of this study was to adapt the immunohistochemical protocol used for immunophenotyping of canine lymphoma to the personal flow cytometer for rapid, effective and user-friendly application to the diagnosis and prognosis of canine lymphoma and to demonstrate its practicality for widespread veterinary application. Performance of the personal flow cytometer for immunophenotyping T and B lymphocytes in blood and lymph nodes from normal dogs and dogs with lymphoproliferative disease, was assessed using only two monoclonal antibodies (against CD3 and CD21), and by comparison with analysis using two conventional flow cytometers. Methods 26 dogs with lymphoproliferative disease (23 with lymphoma, 3 with lymphocytic leukaemia) were studied along with 15 controls (2 non-lymphoma lymph nodes and 13 non-leukemic bloods. Lymphocytes were immunostained with fluorescent-labeled, monoclonal antibodies against CD3 and CD21. To assess the effectiveness of the personal flow cytometer in discrimination between T and B cell immunophenotypes, T and B cell counts for half the samples (14 blood and 11 lymph node) were also determined using the same method and conventional flow cytometers (FACSCalibur, Cyan Dako). To assess the effectiveness of the personal flow cytometer in discriminating between leukocyte types, lymphocyte differential counts were determined for 21 blood samples and compared with those from automated hematology analyzers (CELL-DYN 3500, n=11 and ADVIA 2120, n=10). Quality and sub-cellular distribution of immunostaining was assessed using fluorescence microscopy. Results The protocol for immunophenotyping took 2 to 3�hours to complete from the point of receipt of sample to reporting of immunophenotype. The personal flow cytometer differential lymphocyte counts correlated highly (n=20; r=0.97, p<0.0001) with those of automated haematology analyzers. The personal flow cytometer counts consistently, but mildly, underestimated the percentages of lymphocytes in the samples (mean bias of -5.3%.). The personal flow cytometer immunophenotype counts were indistinguishable from those of conventional flow cytometers for both peripheral blood samples (n=13; r=0.95; p<0.0001; bias of -1.1%) and lymph node aspirates (n=11,r=0.98; p<0.001; bias of 1%). All but one leukemic and one lymphomatous lymph node sample, out of 26 samples of dogs with lymphoproliferative disease analyzed, could be immunophenotyped as either B or T cells. Conclusions We conclude that use of only 2 monoclonal antibodies is sufficient for immunophenotyping most cases of canine lymphoma by flow cytometry and enables rapid immunophenotyping. The personal flow cytometer may be as effectively used for immunophenotyping canine lymphoma as conventional flow cytometers. However, the personal flow cytometer is more accessible and user-friendly, and requires lower sample volumes.
User friendly IT Services for Monitoring and Prevention during Pregnancy.
A healthy lifestyle for a mother and monitoring both mother and fetus activities are crucial factors for a normal pregnancy without hazardous conditions. This paper proposes a cloud computing solution and a mobile application which collect data from the sensors to be used in Obstetrics-Gynecology Department. This application monitors the dietary plan of the pregnant and gives her the possibility to socialize and share pregnancy experience with the rest of women from the social network from the hospital. The physicians can access the information's of the patient in real time and they can alert mothers in some situations. Using this cloud computing device, the health condition of the pregnant women may be improved. PMID:25000061
Cri?an-Vida, Mihaela; Serban, Alexandru; Ghihor-Izdr?il?, Ioana; Mirea, Adrian; Stoicu-Tivadar, Lacramioara
User-friendly and certificate-free grid security infrastructure
Certificate-based public key infrastructures are currently widely used in computational grids to support security services.\\u000a From a user�s perspective, however, certificate acquisition is time-consuming and public\\/private key management is non-trivial.\\u000a In this paper, we propose a security infrastructure for grid applications, in which users are authenticated using passwords.\\u000a Our infrastructure allows a user to perform single sign-on based only on
Jason Crampton; Hoon Wei Lim; Kenneth G. Paterson; Geraint Price
A user-friendly self-similarity analysis tool
The concepts of self-similarity, fractals, and long-range dependence (LRD) have revolutionized network modeling during the last decade. However, despite all the attention these concepts have received, they remain difficult to use by non-experts. This difficulty can be attributed to a relative complexity of the mathematical basis, the absence of a systematic approach to their application and the absence of publicly
Thomas Karagiannis; Michalis Faloutsos; Mart Molle
Tougher: A user-friendly graphical interface for TOUGHREACT
TOUGHREACT is a powerful simulator for multiphase fluid, heat, and chemical transport, but has a steep learning curve and the creation of the input files is time intensive, particularly for heterogeneous and complex geometries such as those in mining rock pile formations. TOUGHER is an application developed by the acid rock drainage research group of the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Utah in order to develop TOUGHREACT models rapidly for two-dimensional problems and to be able to visualize the simulation results in an intuitive way. It also reduces errors when creating complex layered 2D models and makes debugging easier. The software is currently limited to 2D rectangular grids with constant spatial sizes. The application is written in C++ and can be used on any computer with a Windows or Linux operating system. This paper will describe the overall structure of the application and give some examples of how it interfaces with the TOUGHREACT program. In particular, it will be shown how the application can generate a grid system for a rock pile containing several distinct geological layers, how the properties of each layer are set, and how the input sections (ELEM and CONNE) for TOUGHREACT are generated automatically. In addition, visualizing the flow and chemical output files generated by TOUGHREACT for a particular rock pile will be demonstrated. This includes transient vector as well as transient scalar data. At the end of the paper, two case studies, one with a simplified geometry and another with more complex layered rock geometry, will be presented.
Li, You; Niewiadomski, Marcin; Trujillo, Edward; Sunkavalli, Surya Prakash
From Neuronal Ionic Channels to Muscle Control: A Web-based Simulator and Its Application to Teaching
A Web-based simulator was developed as a tool to improve the understanding of the spinal cord neurophysiology and how it controls muscle activation. Besides researchers, instructors should also benefit from such a tool because it will allow the student to grasp phenomena and mechanisms at different levels, from the neuronal membrane to muscle behavior. The illustrations presented are focused towards
Rogerio R. L. Cisi; Andre F. Kohn
Web Based Conference Management System
This paper describes the framework used to design a web-based conference management system, in order to assist conference organizers in the management of participants, papers, reviewing process and the accounting of a conference. It allows the natural processing flow of a paper, from on-line submission to camera-ready document. Providing three different class of access, the PHP-MySQL application can offer various
Zeno O. Popovici; Eduard A. Stoica
WAM (Wald's Approximation Method): a user-friendly software program for efficient covariate model building
A new software utility (WAM) based on the efficient covariate model building algorithm proposed by Kowalski and Hutmacher (2001) is presented and will be made available on the NONMEM repository (ftp:\\/\\/ftp.globomaxnm.com\\/Public\\/nonmem\\/). The WAM software is a user-friendly freeware utility that ranks all 2k possible covariate sub-models (presence or absence of k covariate parameters) based on Wald's approximation to Schwarz's Bayesian
K. G. Kowalski; W. Wang; D. Hermann
A user friendly software tool for the simulation and optimization of high power fiber lasers
Double-clad rare-earth-doped fiber laser is a new generation of high power solid-state lasers. The numerical simulation is an important approach in the configuration design and parameter optimization for the high power fiber lasers (HPFLs). In this paper, we report our user-friendly high-power fiber laser simulation software system, which integrates the design, analysis and optimization functions together. The numerical simulations of
Liang Shang; Qinghe Mao
Web-based Curriculum
OBJECTIVE To address the need for women's health education by designing, implementing, and evaluating a self-study, web-based women's health curriculum. DESIGN Cohort of students enrolled in the ambulatory portion of the medicine clerkship with comparison group of students who had not yet completed this rotation. PARTICIPANTS/SETTING Third- and fourth-year medical students on the required medicine clerkship (115 students completed the curriculum; 158 completed patient-related logs). INTERVENTION Following an extensive needs assessment and formulation of competencies and objectives, we developed a web-based women's health curriculum completed during the ambulatory portion of the medicine clerkship. The modules were case based and included web links, references, and immediate feedback on posttesting. We discuss technical issues with implementation and maintenance. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS We evaluated this curriculum using anonymous questionnaires, open-ended narrative comments, online multiple-choice tests, and personal digital assistant (PDA) logs of patient-related discussions of women's health. Students completing the curriculum valued learning women's health, preferred this self-directed learning over lecture, scored highly on knowledge tests, and were involved in more and higher-level discussions of women's health with faculty (P <.001). CONCLUSIONS We present a model for the systematic design of a web-based women's health curriculum as part of a medicine clerkship. The web-based instruction resolved barriers associated with limited curriculum time and faculty availability, provided an accessible and standard curriculum, and met the needs of adult learners (with their motivation to learn topics they value and apply this knowledge in their daily work). We hypothesize that our web-based curriculum spurred students to later discuss these topics with faculty. Web-based learning may be particularly suited for women's health because of its multidisciplinary nature and need for vertical integration throughout medical school curricula.
Zebrack, Jennifer R; Mitchell, Julie L; Davids, Susan L; Simpson, Deborah E
Electronic biorepository application system: web-based software to manage receipt, peer review, and approval of researcher applications to a biobank.
The importance of suitably characterized and preserved biospecimens for research is acknowledged, yet providing information about the availability of biospecimens and associated data, responding to enquiries from researchers, processing applications for material, and seeking independent scientific review of proposed projects are complex and time-consuming processes. Most biorepositories operate as not-for-profit entities; therefore, cost containment is a major consideration. We identified that online systematizing and automation of all of the tasks associated with application management could reduce the administrative workload and therefore reduce costs and improve the efficiency of a biobank. Accordingly, we have developed a Web-based electronic Biorepository Application System (eBAS) that allows researchers to search for suitable material from the biobank database, submit an online expression of interest, and complete all the information required for a full application. Peer review is also managed through eBAS. Implementation of eBAS has streamlined application management and external peer review of researcher applications, and has facilitated automated record storage and management. This approach has potential to reduce the costs and complexities of administering researcher applications. We have also linked eBAS to an open-source clinical research and specimen management database, Caisis. PMID:24849752
Khushi, Matloob; Carpenter, Jane E; Balleine, Rosemary L; Clarke, Christine L
IR, NLP, AI and UFOS: or IRrelevance, natural language problems, artful intelligence and user-friendly online systems
User Friendly Online Searching is examined in the context of Natural Language Processing in Information Retrieval and Artificial Intelligence. Opportunities for synergetic R & D are identified as the basis for Intelligent Information Retrieval and Artificial Retrieval Intelligence.
Tamas E. Doszkocs
Web Based Virtual Instruments
NSDL National Science Digital Library
This site provides a set of web-based tools for precise analysis of audio, acoustical and electrical signals. The modules include a sound level meter, a digital oscilloscope, a digital spectrum analyzer, and a versatile set of digital function generators.
Digital Recordings - Advanced R & D
ITS Version 3.0: Powerful, user-friendly software for radiation modelling
ITS (the Integrated Tiger Series) is a powerful, but user-friendly, software package permitting state-of-the-art modelling of electron and/or photon radiation effects. The programs provide Monte Carlo solution of linear time-independent coupled electron/photon radiation transport problems, with or without the presence of macroscopic electric and magnetic fields. The ITS system combines operational simplicity and physical accuracy in order to provide experimentalist and theorists alike with a method for the routine but rigorous solution of sophisticated radiation transport problems.
Kensek, R.P.; Halbleib, J.A.; Valdez, G.D.
Vaxign: The First Web-Based Vaccine Design Program for Reverse Vaccinology and Applications for Vaccine Development
Vaxign is the first web-based vaccine design system that predicts vaccine targets based on genome sequences using the strategy of reverse vaccinology. Predicted features in the Vaxign pipeline include protein subcellular location, transmembrane helices, adhesin probability, conservation to human and/or mouse proteins, sequence exclusion from genome(s) of nonpathogenic strain(s), and epitope binding to MHC class I and class II. The precomputed Vaxign database contains prediction of vaccine targets for >70 genomes. Vaxign also performs dynamic vaccine target prediction based on input sequences. To demonstrate the utility of this program, the vaccine candidates against uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) were predicted using Vaxign and compared with various experimental studies. Our results indicate that Vaxign is an accurate and efficient vaccine design program.
He, Yongqun; Xiang, Zuoshuang; Mobley, Harry L. T.
A Systematic Approach for Configuring Web-Based Information Systems
Enterprise information systems consist of interrelated Intranet and Internet-based applications, thus the Web platform serves well as the middleware for their development. Using a Web Browser, it is possible to download the user interface of any web-based application from anywhere around the world, providing transparency in application implementation. A web-based information system can be described as a set of web-based
Mara Nikolaidou; Dimosthenis Anagnostopoulos
Pseudomonas Genome Database: facilitating user-friendly, comprehensive comparisons of microbial genomes
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a well-studied opportunistic pathogen that is particularly known for its intrinsic antimicrobial resistance, diverse metabolic capacity, and its ability to cause life threatening infections in cystic fibrosis patients. The Pseudomonas Genome Database (http://www.pseudomonas.com) was originally developed as a resource for peer-reviewed, continually updated annotation for the Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 reference strain genome. In order to facilitate cross-strain and cross-species genome comparisons with other Pseudomonas species of importance, we have now expanded the database capabilities to include all Pseudomonas species, and have developed or incorporated methods to facilitate high quality comparative genomics. The database contains robust assessment of orthologs, a novel ortholog clustering method, and incorporates five views of the data at the sequence and annotation levels (Gbrowse, Mauve and custom views) to facilitate genome comparisons. A choice of simple and more flexible user-friendly Boolean search features allows researchers to search and compare annotations or sequences within or between genomes. Other features include more accurate protein subcellular localization predictions and a user-friendly, Boolean searchable log file of updates for the reference strain PAO1. This database aims to continue to provide a high quality, annotated genome resource for the research community and is available under an open source license.
Winsor, Geoffrey L.; Van Rossum, Thea; Lo, Raymond; Khaira, Bhavjinder; Whiteside, Matthew D.; Hancock, Robert E. W.; Brinkman, Fiona S. L.
Key issues in next-generation Web-based education
This paper analyzes and categorizes limitations and weaknesses of current Web-based educational technology, suggests the steps to overcome them, and presents a framework for developing next-generation Web-based educational systems. It suggests developing Web-based educational applications with more theory- and content-oriented intelligence, more semantic interoperation between two or more educational applications, and realistic technological support to achieve such kinds of flexibility.
Vladan Devedzic
Web-based curriculum
OBJECTIVE: To address the need for women�s health education by designing, implementing, and evaluating a self-study, web-based women�s\\u000a health curriculum.\\u000a \\u000a \\u000a DESIGN: Cohort of students enrolled in the embulatory portion of the medicine clerkship with comparison group of students who had\\u000a not yet completed this rotation.\\u000a \\u000a \\u000a \\u000a \\u000a PARTICIPANTS\\/SETTING: Third- and fourth-year medical students on the required medicine clerkship (115 students completed the
Jennifer R. Zebrack; Julie L. Mitchell; Susan L. Davids; Deborah E. Simpson
A user-friendly interface for surgeons to create haptic effects in medical simulation.
Haptics, namely the sense of touch, has been playing an important role in medical simulation. However, most medical practitioners, who are best suited to create the training environments, do not have the engineering expertise necessary for programming a haptic environment. We propose a user-friendly interface that allows surgeons to arbitrarily select regions on a 3D model of an organ, similar to "painting-by-numbers", and tune the haptic properties of each region in an intuitive way. The selected region and tuned haptic properties are recorded in a lookup table in real-time. The proposed user interface is assessed by comparing the haptic effects of a tumor on a virtual liver created by a number of surgeons. PMID:17377301
Ni, Liya; Wang, David W L; Dubrowski, Adam; Carnahan, Heather
Visual TSUNAMI: A Versatile, User-Friendly, Multidimensional Ablation and Gas-Dynamics Design Code
Gas dynamics phenomena in thick-liquid protected inertial fusion target chambers have been explored since the early 1990's with the help of a series of simulation codes known as TSUNAMI. The code has been recently redesigned entirely to make use of modern programming techniques, languages and software; improve its user-friendliness; and refine its ability to model thick-liquid protected chambers, while expanding its capability to a larger variety of systems. The new code is named 'Visual Tsunami' to emphasize the programming language of its core, Fortran 95, as well as its graphics-based input file builder and output processors. It is aimed at providing a user-friendly design tool for complex systems for which transient gas dynamics phenomena play a key role.
Debonnel, C.S.; Wang, T.X.; Suzuki, M.; Garcia, E.; Peterson, P.F. [University of California (United States)
A user-friendly PC-based data acquisition and analysis system for respirometric investigations.
We have developed an easy-to-use computer-based system for recording, displaying, storing and analyzing signals generated by Clark-type oxygen electrodes. A user-friendly interface of Windows-based program BioMed significantly increases the productivity of investigations. It allows to process, control, present and archive the experimental data in real time. A 12-bit analog-to-digital-converter, analog and digital filters, a possibility to zoom the obtained respiratory curves and calculation of the respiration rates by a linear regression method increase the resolution of the estimated oxygen consumption rates. The new system enables to register even small changes, such as 3-5 ngatoms O/min, in respiration rates of biological objects -- enzymes, mitochondria and permeabilized muscle fibers. The system has been developed and is regularly used for the respirometric investigations at the Laboratory of Biochemistry, Institute for Biomedical Research, Kaunas University of Medicine. PMID:16678932
Kopustinskas, Audris; Adaskevicius, Rimas; Krusinskas, Andrius; Kopustinskiene, Dalia M; Liobikas, Julius; Toleikis, Adolfas
A user-friendly computational workflow for the analysis of microRNA deep sequencing data.
Second-generation high-throughput sequencing is a robust and inexpensive methodology that is becoming an increasingly common technique for the study of microRNA (miRNA) expression levels in the central nervous system. This method allows for the identification of both known and novel miRNAs, reporting on the qualitative and quantitative levels these RNA species represent in any given sample. Numerous bioinformatic programs are currently available to analyze deep sequencing data but many require at least a partial understanding of the command line interface. In this chapter, we describe a user-friendly computational workflow guiding the user through the process from the initial FASTQ deep sequencing file to the identification of known and potentially novel miRNAs in a given experiment, as well as the assessment of the differential expression of these miRNAs between experimental samples. Furthermore, programs that can predict potential targets for these miRNAs are also highlighted. PMID:23007497
Majer, Anna; Caligiuri, Kyle A; Booth, Stephanie A
ROCOPT: A user friendly interactive code to optimize rocket structural components
ROCOPT is a user-friendly, graphically-interfaced, microcomputer-based computer program (IBM compatible) that optimizes rocket components by minimizing the structural weight. The rocket components considered are ring stiffened truncated cones and cylinders. The applied loading is static, and can consist of any combination of internal or external pressure, axial force, bending moment, and torque. Stress margins are calculated by means of simple closed form strength of material type equations. Stability margins are determined by approximate, orthotropic-shell, closed-form equations. A modified form of Powell's method, in conjunction with a modified form of the external penalty method, is used to determine the minimum weight of the structure subject to stress and stability margin constraints, as well as user input constraints on the structural dimensions. The graphical interface guides the user through the required data prompts, explains program options and graphically displays results for easy interpretation.
Rule, William K.
USER friendly cloning coupled with chitin-based natural transformation enables rapid mutagenesis of Vibrio vulnificus.
Vibrio vulnificus is a bacterial contaminant of shellfish and causes highly lethal sepsis and destructive wound infections. A definitive identification of virulence factors using the molecular version of Koch's postulates has been hindered because of difficulties in performing molecular genetic analysis of this opportunistic pathogen. For example, conjugation is required to introduce plasmid DNA, and allelic exchange suicide vectors that rely on sucrose sensitivity for counterselection are not efficient. We therefore incorporated USER friendly cloning techniques into pCVD442-based allelic exchange suicide vectors and other expression vectors to enable the rapid and efficient capture of PCR amplicons. Upstream and downstream DNA sequences flanking genes targeted for deletion were cloned together in a single step. Based on results from Vibrio cholerae, we determined that V. vulnificus becomes naturally transformable with linear DNA during growth on chitin in the form of crab shells. By combining USER friendly cloning and chitin-based transformation, we rapidly and efficiently produced targeted deletions in V. vulnificus, bypassing the need for two-step, suicide vector-mediated allelic exchange. These methods were used to examine the roles of two flagellin loci (flaCDE and flaFBA), the motAB genes, and the cheY-3 gene in motility and to create deletions of rtxC, rtxA1, and fadR. Additionally, chitin-based transformation was useful in moving antibiotic resistance-labeled mutations between V. vulnificus strains by simply coculturing the strains on crab shells. The methods and genetic tools that we developed should be of general use to those performing molecular genetic analysis and manipulation of other gram-negative bacteria. PMID:19502446
Gulig, Paul A; Tucker, Matthew S; Thiaville, Patrick C; Joseph, Jennifer L; Brown, Roslyn N
BATS: a Bayesian user-friendly software for Analyzing Time Series microarray experiments
Background Gene expression levels in a given cell can be influenced by different factors, namely pharmacological or medical treatments. The response to a given stimulus is usually different for different genes and may depend on time. One of the goals of modern molecular biology is the high-throughput identification of genes associated with a particular treatment or a biological process of interest. From methodological and computational point of view, analyzing high-dimensional time course microarray data requires very specific set of tools which are usually not included in standard software packages. Recently, the authors of this paper developed a fully Bayesian approach which allows one to identify differentially expressed genes in a 'one-sample' time-course microarray experiment, to rank them and to estimate their expression profiles. The method is based on explicit expressions for calculations and, hence, very computationally efficient. Results The software package BATS (Bayesian Analysis of Time Series) presented here implements the methodology described above. It allows an user to automatically identify and rank differentially expressed genes and to estimate their expression profiles when at least 5�6 time points are available. The package has a user-friendly interface. BATS successfully manages various technical difficulties which arise in time-course microarray experiments, such as a small number of observations, non-uniform sampling intervals and replicated or missing data. Conclusion BATS is a free user-friendly software for the analysis of both simulated and real microarray time course experiments. The software, the user manual and a brief illustrative example are freely available online at the BATS website:
Angelini, Claudia; Cutillo, Luisa; De Canditiis, Daniela; Mutarelli, Margherita; Pensky, Marianna
A unified framework for managing Web-based services
The emergence of Web technologies enables a variety of Web-based service applications, which can be examined from business process integration, supply chain management, and knowledge management perspectives. To categorize existing Web-based services while foreseeing potential new types, a unified view is needed to represent the structures and processes of Web-based services. This paper proposes a general framework to identify essential
Fu-ren Lin; Michael J. Shaw; Michael Y. Chuang
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of an audio computer-assisted self-interviewing Web-based software application called the Social Information Processing Application (SIP-AP) that was designed to assess social information processing skills in boys in 3rd through 5th grades. This study included a racially and ethnically diverse sample of 244 boys ages 8 through 12 (M = 9.4) from public elementary schools in 3 states. The SIP-AP includes 8 videotaped vignettes, filmed from the first-person perspective, that depict common misunderstandings among boys. Each vignette shows a negative outcome for the victim and ambiguous intent on the part of the perpetrator. Boys responded to 16 Web-based questions representing the 5 social information processing mechanisms, after viewing each vignette. Parents and teachers completed measures assessing boys� antisocial behavior. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that a model positing the original 5 cognitive mechanisms fit the data well when the items representing prosocial cognitions were included on their own factor, creating a 6th factor. The internal consistencies for each of the 16 individual cognitions as well as for the 6 cognitive mechanism scales were excellent. Boys with elevated scores on 5 of the 6 cognitive mechanisms exhibited more antisocial behavior than boys whose scores were not elevated. These findings highlight the need for further research on the measurement of prosocial cognitions or cognitive strengths in boys in addition to assessing cognitive deficits. Findings suggest that the SIP-AP is a reliable and valid tool for use in future research of social information processing skills in boys.
Web-Based Recruitment: Effects of Information, Organizational Brand, and Attitudes Toward a Web Site on Applicant Attraction
Recruitment theory and research show that objective characteristics, subjective considerations, and critical contact send signals to prospective applicants about the organization and available opportunities. In the generating applicants phase of recruitment, critical contact may consist largely of interactions with recruitment sources (e.g., newspaper ads, job fairs, organization Web sites); however, research has yet to fully address how all 3 types
David G. Allen; Raj V. Mahto; Robert F. Otondo
Will Family Health History Tools Work for Complex Families? Scenario-Based Testing of a Web-Based Consumer Application
Objective: Identify challenges that people from complex families may encounter when using traditional consumer family health history (FHH) applications and examine assumptions on which the applications are based. Method: Scenario-based testing was employed in which three evaluators used a consumer FHH application guided by four scenarios, recording the challenges they encountered and time required. Challenges identified were analyzed through qualitative content analysis of field notes. Results: Several types of FHH information deemed important in the scenarios could not be entered into the traditional FHH. Evaluators reported frustration at being unable to enter some information and perceived the resulting FHH as less accurate than it could be. These observations challenge certain implicit assumptions about families and consumers on which FHH applications are based. Conclusion: Current consumer FHH applications mirror clinical FHH tools, which may not be the most appropriate approach for consumers, especially for people from complex and diverse families.
Peace, Jane; Bisanar, William; Licht, Nathan
Web-Based Shape Modeling with Hyperfun
The increasing number of applications facilitates the importance of methods and software tools for Web-based shape modeling. These applications include Web authoring, multi-user gaming, distant learning, data visualization, 3D retail environments in e-commerce, collaborative computer-aided design and engineering, and others. Many of these application areas have their own proprietary data representations of shape, making sharing of these shapes for collaborative
Richard Cartwright; Valery Adzhiev; Alexander A. Pasko; Yuichiro Goto; Tosiyasu L. Kunii
AUREA: an open-source software system for accurate and user-friendly identification of relative expression molecular signatures
Background Public databases such as the NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus contain extensive and exponentially increasing amounts of high-throughput data that can be applied to molecular phenotype characterization. Collectively, these data can be analyzed for such purposes as disease diagnosis or phenotype classification. One family of algorithms that has proven useful for disease classification is based on relative expression analysis and includes the Top-Scoring Pair (TSP), k-Top-Scoring Pairs (k-TSP), Top-Scoring Triplet (TST) and Differential Rank Conservation (DIRAC) algorithms. These relative expression analysis algorithms hold significant advantages for identifying interpretable molecular signatures for disease classification, and have been implemented previously on a variety of computational platforms with varying degrees of usability. To increase the user-base and maximize the utility of these methods, we developed the program AUREA (Adaptive Unified Relative Expression Analyzer)�a cross-platform tool that has a consistent application programming interface (API), an easy-to-use graphical user interface (GUI), fast running times and automated parameter discovery. Results Herein, we describe AUREA, an efficient, cohesive, and user-friendly open-source software system that comprises a suite of methods for relative expression analysis. AUREA incorporates existing methods, while extending their capabilities and bringing uniformity to their interfaces. We demonstrate that combining these algorithms and adaptively tuning parameters on the training sets makes these algorithms more consistent in their performance and demonstrate the effectiveness of our adaptive parameter tuner by comparing accuracy across diverse datasets. Conclusions We have integrated several relative expression analysis algorithms and provided a unified interface for their implementation while making data acquisition, parameter fixing, data merging, and results analysis �point-and-click� simple. The unified interface and the adaptive parameter tuning of AUREA provide an effective framework in which to investigate the massive amounts of publically available data by both �in silico� and �bench� scientists. AUREA can be found at http://price.systemsbiology.net/AUREA/.
Fluorescent silver nanoclusters for user-friendly detection of Cu2+ on a paper platform.
The development of a user-friendly sensing platform for the detection of Cu(2+) in water is necessary as there are wide concerns due to the substantial impact of Cu(2+) on human health, environmental monitoring, and so on. Motivated by this, we report a fluorescent silver nanoclusters (AgNCs)-based sensor for the detection of Cu(2+). These water-soluble AgNCs, as a new class of fluorescent probes, were synthesized by using azobenzene modified poly(acrylic acid) (MPAA) as templates. Their fluorescence can be quenched in the presence of Cu(2+), which enables the label-free detection of Cu(2+) in real water samples. Furthermore, such AgNCs can be integrated onto cellulose filter paper and used as fluorescent indicators for Cu(2+). The fluorescence quenching can be observed by the naked eye under UV light. It should be noted that this AgNCs-based paper assay performs successfully in barrelled drinking water and river water samples. Therefore, it opens up new avenues to the development of robust clusters-based sensing platforms. PMID:22489282
Liu, Xiaojuan; Zong, Chenghua; Lu, Lehui
A User-Friendly Model for Spray Drying to Aid Pharmaceutical Product Development
The aim of this study was to develop a user-friendly model for spray drying that can aid in the development of a pharmaceutical product, by shifting from a trial-and-error towards a quality-by-design approach. To achieve this, a spray dryer model was developed in commercial and open source spreadsheet software. The output of the model was first fitted to the experimental output of a B�chi B-290 spray dryer and subsequently validated. The predicted outlet temperatures of the spray dryer model matched the experimental values very well over the entire range of spray dryer settings that were tested. Finally, the model was applied to produce glassy sugars by spray drying, an often used excipient in formulations of biopharmaceuticals. For the production of glassy sugars, the model was extended to predict the relative humidity at the outlet, which is not measured in the spray dryer by default. This extended model was then successfully used to predict whether specific settings were suitable for producing glassy trehalose and inulin by spray drying. In conclusion, a spray dryer model was developed that is able to predict the output parameters of the spray drying process. The model can aid the development of spray dried pharmaceutical products by shifting from a trial-and-error towards a quality-by-design approach.
Grasmeijer, Niels; de Waard, Hans; Hinrichs, Wouter L. J.; Frijlink, Henderik W.
A user-friendly software to easily count Anopheles egg batches
Background Studies on malaria vector ecology and development/evaluation of vector control strategies often require measures of mosquito life history traits. Assessing the fecundity of malaria vectors can be carried out by counting eggs laid by Anopheles females. However, manually counting the eggs is time consuming, tedious, and error prone. Methods In this paper we present a newly developed software for high precision automatic egg counting. The software written in the Java programming language proposes a user-friendly interface and a complete online manual. It allows the inspection of results by the operator and includes proper tools for manual corrections. The user can in fact correct any details on the acquired results by a mouse click. Time saving is significant and errors due to loss of concentration are avoided. Results The software was tested over 16 randomly chosen images from 2 different experiments. The results show that the proposed automatic method produces results that are close to the ground truth. Conclusions The proposed approaches demonstrated a very high level of robustness. The adoption of the proposed software package will save many hours of labor to the bench scientist. The software needs no particular configuration and is freely available for download on: http://w3.ualg.pt/?hshah/eggcounter/.
Chipster: user-friendly analysis software for microarray and other high-throughput data
Background The growth of high-throughput technologies such as microarrays and next generation sequencing has been accompanied by active research in data analysis methodology, producing new analysis methods at a rapid pace. While most of the newly developed methods are freely available, their use requires substantial computational skills. In order to enable non-programming biologists to benefit from the method development in a timely manner, we have created the Chipster software. Results Chipster (http://chipster.csc.fi/) brings a powerful collection of data analysis methods within the reach of bioscientists via its intuitive graphical user interface. Users can analyze and integrate different data types such as gene expression, miRNA and aCGH. The analysis functionality is complemented with rich interactive visualizations, allowing users to select datapoints and create new gene lists based on these selections. Importantly, users can save the performed analysis steps as reusable, automatic workflows, which can also be shared with other users. Being a versatile and easily extendable platform, Chipster can be used for microarray, proteomics and sequencing data. In this article we describe its comprehensive collection of analysis and visualization tools for microarray data using three case studies. Conclusions Chipster is a user-friendly analysis software for high-throughput data. Its intuitive graphical user interface enables biologists to access a powerful collection of data analysis and integration tools, and to visualize data interactively. Users can collaborate by sharing analysis sessions and workflows. Chipster is open source, and the server installation package is freely available.
A user-friendly model for spray drying to aid pharmaceutical product development.
The aim of this study was to develop a user-friendly model for spray drying that can aid in the development of a pharmaceutical product, by shifting from a trial-and-error towards a quality-by-design approach. To achieve this, a spray dryer model was developed in commercial and open source spreadsheet software. The output of the model was first fitted to the experimental output of a B�chi B-290 spray dryer and subsequently validated. The predicted outlet temperatures of the spray dryer model matched the experimental values very well over the entire range of spray dryer settings that were tested. Finally, the model was applied to produce glassy sugars by spray drying, an often used excipient in formulations of biopharmaceuticals. For the production of glassy sugars, the model was extended to predict the relative humidity at the outlet, which is not measured in the spray dryer by default. This extended model was then successfully used to predict whether specific settings were suitable for producing glassy trehalose and inulin by spray drying. In conclusion, a spray dryer model was developed that is able to predict the output parameters of the spray drying process. The model can aid the development of spray dried pharmaceutical products by shifting from a trial-and-error towards a quality-by-design approach. PMID:24040240
Grasmeijer, Niels; de Waard, Hans; Hinrichs, Wouter L J; Frijlink, Henderik W
A user-friendly, highly sensitive assay to detect the IFN-? secretion by T cells
Objectives Development of a user-friendly test alternative to ELISA-based assays to detect IFN-? by in vitro cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) stimulated with pathogen-derived antigens. Design and methods The molecular components of an operational IFN-? ELISA-based test were applied in a lateral flow (LF) immuno-sandwich assay using up-converting phosphor (UCP) reporter particles. The analytical sensitivity of the UCP-LF IFN-? assay (ULIGA) was determined and the assay was qualitatively validated with a selection of 60 supernatants derived from PBMC cultures stimulated with M. leprae derived antigens, mitogen or medium alone. Results ULIGA indicated an analytical sensitivity better than 2 pg/mL, and demonstrated four orders of magnitude dynamic range. The assay correlated well with the IFN-? ELISA. Conclusions ULIGA allows detection well below the cutoff value (100 pg/mL) used to define positive responses in the IFN-? ELISA. The test procedure is less demanding in respect to equipment and labor, and is suited for testing single samples.
Corstjens, Paul L.A.M.; Zuiderwijk, Michel; Tanke, Hans J.; van der Ploeg-Schip, Jolien; Ottenhoff, Tom H.M.; Geluk, Annemiek
EPA Science Inventory
The Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment (AGWA) tool is a desktop application that uses widely available standardized spatial datasets to derive inputs for multi-scale hydrologic models (Miller et al., 2007). The required data sets include topography (DEM data), soils, clima...
Prototype development of a web-based participative decision support platform in risk management
This paper discusses the proposed background architecture and prototype development of an internet-based decision support system (DSS) in the field of natural hazards and risk management using open-source geospatial software and web technologies. It is based on a three-tier, client-server architecture with the support of boundless (opengeo) framework and its client side SDK application environment using customized gxp components and data utility classes. The main purpose of the system is to integrate the workflow of risk management systematically with the diverse involvement of stakeholders from different organizations dealing with natural hazards and risk for evaluation of management measures through the active online participation approach. It aims to develop an adaptive user friendly, web-based environment that allows the users to set up risk management strategies based on actual context and data by integrating web-GIS and DSS functionality associated with process flow and other visualization tools. Web-GIS interface has been integrated within the DSS to deliver maps and provide certain geo-processing capabilities on the web, which can be easily accessible and shared by different organizations located in case study sites of the project. This platform could be envisaged not only as a common web-based platform for the centralized sharing of data such as hazard maps, elements at risk maps and additional information but also to ensure an integrated platform of risk management where the users could upload data, analyze risk and identify possible alternative scenarios for risk reduction especially for floods and landslides, either quantitatively or qualitatively depending on the risk information provided by the stakeholders in case study regions. The level of involvement, access to and interaction with the provided functionality of the system varies depending on the roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders, for example, only the experts (planners, geological services, etc.) can have access to the alternative definition component to formulate the risk reduction measures. The development of such a participative platform would finally lead to an integrated risk management approach highlighting the needs to deal with involved experts and civil society in the decision-making process for evaluation of risk management measures through the active participation approach. The system will be applied and evaluated in four case study areas of the CHANGES project in Europe: Romania, North Eastern Italy, French Alps and Poland. However, the framework of the system is designed in a generic way so as to be applicable in other regions to achieve the high adaptability and flexibility of the system. The research has been undertaken as a part of the CHANGES project funded by the European Commission's 7th framework program.
Aye, Zar Chi; Olyazadeh, Roya; Jaboyedoff, Michel; Derron, Marc-Henri
Web-based recruitment: effects of information, organizational brand, and attitudes toward a Web site on applicant attraction.
Recruitment theory and research show that objective characteristics, subjective considerations, and critical contact send signals to prospective applicants about the organization and available opportunities. In the generating applicants phase of recruitment, critical contact may consist largely of interactions with recruitment sources (e.g., newspaper ads, job fairs, organization Web sites); however, research has yet to fully address how all 3 types of signaling mechanisms influence early job pursuit decisions in the context of organizational recruitment Web sites. Results based on data from 814 student participants searching actual organization Web sites support and extend signaling and brand equity theories by showing that job information (directly) and organization information (indirectly) are related to intentions to pursue employment when a priori perceptions of image are controlled. A priori organization image is related to pursuit intentions when subsequent information search is controlled, but organization familiarity is not, and attitudes about a recruitment source also influence attraction and partially mediate the effects of organization information. Theoretical and practical implications for recruitment are discussed. PMID:18020806
Allen, David G; Mahto, Raj V; Otondo, Robert F
Effective learning techniques for military applications using the Personalized Assistant that Learns (PAL) enhanced Web-Based Temporal Analysis System (WebTAS)
The Personalized Assistant that Learns (PAL) Program is a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) research effort that is advancing technologies in the area of cognitive learning by developing cognitive assistants to support military users, such as commanders and decision makers. The Air Force Research Laboratory's (AFRL) Information Directorate leveraged several core PAL components and applied them to the Web-Based Temporal Analysis System (WebTAS) so that users of this system can have automated features, such as task learning, intelligent clustering, and entity extraction. WebTAS is a modular software toolset that supports fusion of large amounts of disparate data sets, visualization, project organization and management, pattern analysis and activity prediction, and includes various presentation aids. WebTAS is predominantly used by analysts within the intelligence community and with the addition of these automated features, many transition opportunities exist for this integrated technology. Further, AFRL completed an extensive test and evaluation of this integrated software to determine its effectiveness for military applications in terms of timeliness and situation awareness, and these findings and conclusions, as well as future work, will be presented in this report.
Lamonica, Peter; Dziegiel, Roger; Liuzzi, Raymond; Hepler, James
TIGER: A user-friendly interactive grid generation system for complicated turbomachinery and axis-symmetric configurations
The issue of time efficiency in grid generation is addressed by developing a user friendly graphical interface for interactive/automatic construction of structured grids around complex turbomachinery/axis-symmetric configurations. The accuracy of geometry modeling and its fidelity is accomplished by adapting the nonuniform rational b-spline (NURBS) representation. A customized interactive grid generation code, TIGER, has been developed to facilitate the grid generation process for complicated internal, external, and internal-external turbomachinery fields simulations. The FORMS Library is utilized to build user-friendly graphical interface. The algorithm allows a user to redistribute grid points interactively on curves/surfaces using NURBS formulation with accurate geometric definition. TIGER's features include multiblock, multiduct/shroud, multiblade row, uneven blade count, and patched/overlapping block interfaces. It has been applied to generate grids for various complicated turbomachinery geometries, as well as rocket and missile configurations.
Shih, Ming H.; Soni, Bharat K.
A graphical user-friendly interface for MCR-ALS: a new tool for multivariate curve resolution in MATLAB
A new graphical user-friendly interface for Multivariate Curve Resolution using Alternating Least Squares has been developed as a freely available MATLAB toolbox. Through the use of this new easy-to-use graphical interface, the selection of the type of data analysis (either individual experiments giving a single data matrix or the more powerful simultaneous analysis of several experiments using one or more
Joaquim Jaumot; Raimundo Gargallo; Anna de Juan; Rom� Tauler
Web-Based Services.
With the recent attention to climate change and proliferation of remote-sensing data utilization, climate model and various environmental monitoring and protection applications have begun to increasingly rely on satellite measurements. Research applicatio...
C. Lynnes G. Leptoukh P. Fox P. West S. Ahmad S. Zednik
Metacognitive Skills Development: A Web-Based Approach in Higher Education
Although there were studies that presented the applications of metacognitive skill training, the research on web-based metacognitive skills training are few. The purpose of this study is to design a web-based learning environment and further examine the effect of the web-based training. A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was used in this�
Shen, Chun-Yi; Liu, Hsiu-Chuan
Designing for Interaction, Learner Control, and Feedback During Web-Based Learning.
Combining concepts of instructional design with the attributes of Web technology is one way to maximize Web-based learning. Highlights the applications, limitations, and cognitive implications of Web-based organizational techniques such as frames, image maps, and tables, and outlines a two-phase Web-based learning design model. (PEN)
El-Tigi, Manal; Branch, Robert Maribe
Normative Data for a User-friendly Paradigm for Pattern Electroretinogram Recording
Purpose To provide normative data for a user-friendly paradigm for the pattern electroretinogram (PERG) optimized for glaucoma screening (PERGLA). Design Prospective nonrandomized case series. Participants Ninety-three normal subjects ranging in age between 22 and 85 years. Methods A circular black�white grating of 25� visual angle, reversing 16.28 times per second, was presented on a television monitor placed inside a Ganzfeld bowl. The PERG was recorded simultaneously from both eyes with undilated pupils by means of skin cup electrodes taped over the lower eyelids. Reference electrodes were taped on the ipsilateral temples. Electrophysiologic signals were conventionally amplified, filtered, and digitized. Six hundred artifact-free repetitions were averaged. The response component at the reversal frequency was isolated automatically by digital Fourier transforms and was expressed as a deviation from the age-corrected average. The procedure took approximately 4 minutes. Main Outcome Measures Pattern electroretinogram amplitude (?V) and phase (? rad); response variability (coefficient of variation [CV] = standard deviation [SD] / mean � 100) of amplitude and phase of 2 partial averages that build up the PERG waveform; amplitude (?V) of background noise waveform, obtained by multiplying alternate sweeps by +1 and ?1; and interocular asymmetry (CV of amplitude and phase of the PERG of the 2 eyes). Results On average, the PERG has a signal-to-noise ratio of more than 13:1. The CVs of intrasession and intersession variabilities in amplitude and phase are lower than 10% and 2%, respectively, and do not depend on the operator. The CV of interocular asymmetries in amplitude and phase are 9.8�8.8% and 1.5�1.4%, respectively. The PERG amplitude and phase decrease with age. Residuals of linear regression lines have normal distribution, with an SD of 0.1 log units for amplitude and 0.019 log units for phase. Age-corrected confidence limits (P<0.05) are defined as �2 SD of residuals. Conclusions The PERGLA paradigm yields responses as reliable as the best previously reported using standard protocols. The ease of execution and interpretation of results of PERGLA indicate a potential value for objective screening and follow-up of glaucoma.
Porciatti, Vittorio; Ventura, Lori M.
Web-based education in bioprocess engineering.
The combination of web technology, knowledge of bioprocess engineering, and theories on learning and instruction might yield innovative learning material for bioprocess engineering. In this article, an overview of the characteristics of web-based learning material is given, as well as guidelines for the design of learning material from theories of learning and instruction and from the bioprocess engineering domain. A diverse body of learning material is presented, which illustrates the application of these guidelines; this material has been developed during the past six years for different courses, mostly at undergraduate level, and it illustrates how web-based learning material can enable various different approaches to learning objectives that might improve overall learning. Such learning material has been used for several years in education, it has been evaluated with positive results, and is now part of the regular learning material for bioprocess engineering at Wageningen University. PMID:17113174
Sessink, O D T; van der Schaaf, H; Beeftink, H H; Hartog, R J M; Tramper, J
Implementation and application of an interactive user-friendly validation software for RADIANCE
RADIANCE extracts CT dose parameters from dose sheets using optical character recognition and stores the data in a relational database. To facilitate validation of RADIANCE's performance, a simple user interface was initially implemented and about 300 records were evaluated. Here, we extend this interface to achieve a wider variety of functions and perform a larger-scale validation. The validator uses some data from the RADIANCE database to prepopulate quality-testing fields, such as correspondence between calculated and reported total dose-length product. The interface also displays relevant parameters from the DICOM headers. A total of 5,098 dose sheets were used to test the performance accuracy of RADIANCE in dose data extraction. Several search criteria were implemented. All records were searchable by accession number, study date, or dose parameters beyond chosen thresholds. Validated records were searchable according to additional criteria from validation inputs. An error rate of 0.303% was demonstrated in the validation. Dose monitoring is increasingly important and RADIANCE provides an open-source solution with a high level of accuracy. The RADIANCE validator has been updated to enable users to test the integrity of their installation and verify that their dose monitoring is accurate and effective.
Sundaram, Anand; Boonn, William W.; Kim, Woojin; Cook, Tessa S.
Factors Influencing the Use of a Web-Based Application for Supporting the Self-Care of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Longitudinal Study
Background The take-up of eHealth applications in general is still rather low and user attrition is often high. Only limited information is available about the use of eHealth technologies among specific patient groups. Objective The aim of this study was to explore the factors that influence the initial and long-term use of a Web-based application (DiabetesCoach) for supporting the self-care of patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods A mixed-methods research design was used for a process analysis of the actual usage of the Web application over a 2-year period and to identify user profiles. Research instruments included log files, interviews, usability tests, and a survey. Results The DiabetesCoach was predominantly used for interactive features like online monitoring, personal data, and patient�nurse email contact. It was the continuous, personal feedback that particularly appealed to the patients; they felt more closely monitored by their nurse and encouraged to play a more active role in self-managing their disease. Despite the positive outcomes, usage of the Web application was hindered by low enrollment and nonusage attrition. The main barrier to enrollment had to do with a lack of access to the Internet (146/226, 65%). Although 68% (34/50) of the enrollees were continuous users, of whom 32% (16/50) could be defined as hardcore users (highly active), the remaining 32% (16/50) did not continue using the Web application for the full duration of the study period. Barriers to long-term use were primarily due to poor user-friendliness of the Web application (the absence of �push� factors or reminders) and selection of the �wrong� users; the well-regulated patients were not the ones who could benefit the most from system use because of a ceiling effect. Patients with a greater need for care seemed to be more engaged in long-term use; highly active users were significantly more often medication users than low/inactive users (P = .005) and had a longer diabetes duration (P = .03). Conclusion Innovations in health care will diffuse more rapidly when technology is employed that is simple to use and has applicable components for interactivity. This would foresee the patients� need for continuous and personalized feedback, in particular for patients with a greater need for care. From this study several factors appear to influence increased use of eHealth technologies: (1) avoiding selective enrollment, (2) making use of participatory design methods, and (3) developing push factors for persistence. Further research should focus on the causal relationship between using the system�s features and actual usage, as such a view would provide important evidence on how specific technology features can engage and captivate users.
van Gemert-Pijnen, Julia EWC; Kelders, Saskia M; Brandenburg, Bart J; Seydel, Erwin R
A framework of web-based conceptual design
A web-based conceptual design prototype system is presented. The system consists of four parts which interpret on-line sketches as 2D and 3D geometry, extract 3D hierarchical configurations, allow editing of component behaviours, and produce VRML-based behavioural simulations for design verification and web-based application. In the first part, on-line freehand sketched input is interpreted as 2D and 3D geometry, which geometrically
S. F. Qin; R. Harrison; A. A. West; I. N. Jordanov; D. K. Wright
The Clinical Ethnographic Interview: A user-friendly guide to the cultural formulation of distress and help seeking
Transcultural nursing, psychiatry, and medical anthropology have theorized that practitioners and researchers need more flexible instruments to gather culturally relevant illness experience, meaning, and help seeking. The state of the science is sufficiently developed to allow standardized yet ethnographically sound protocols for assessment. However, vigorous calls for culturally adapted assessment models have yielded little real change in routine practice. This paper describes the conversion of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV, Appendix I Outline for Cultural Formulation into a user-friendly Clinical Ethnographic Interview (CEI), and provides clinical examples of its use in a sample of highly distressed Japanese women.
Arnault, Denise Saint; Shimabukuro, Shizuka
Integrating Evidence and Individual Preferences Using a Web-Based Multi-Criteria Decision Analytic Tool: An Application to Prostate Cancer Screening
Background: Annalisa (AL) is a web-based decision-support template grounded in multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). It uses a simple expected value algorithm to calculate a score for each option by taking into account the individual's preferences for different criteria (as importance weights) and the evidence of the performance of each option on each criterion. Given the uncertainty surrounding the trade offs
Michelle Cunich; Glenn Salkeld; Jack Dowie; Joan Henderson; Clare Bayram; Helena Britt; Kirsten Howard
Development and application of a web-based nutritional management program to improve dietary behaviors for the prevention of metabolic syndrome.
The purpose of this study was to develop a Web-based nutritional management program for the prevention of metabolic syndrome and to evaluate how the program affects health-related behaviors and the health status of office workers with metabolic syndrome risk factors. For the pilot test of the Web-based nutritional management program, 29 employees (19 males, 10 females) with more than one metabolic syndrome risk factor participated in the Web-based nutritional management program for 16 weeks. Participants visited the Web site more than two times per week and completed customized assessments of health status, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, dietary habits, food intake, ideal body weight, energy requirements, and exercise. Subjects had a significant decrease in body weight, waist circumference, body mass index (P < .01 in males, P < .05 in females), and body fat (P < .01 in males). The frequency of dietary habits such as eating snacks, eating out, and dining with others decreased, whereas the frequency of intake of foods such as whole grains, seaweed, fruit, and low-fat milk increased after intervention. After 16 weeks, program satisfaction was evaluated using a Web evaluation questionnaire, and most of the participants were highly satisfied with Web site components such as the loading speed, configuration, privacy, design, functionality, and contents. PMID:24651253
Choi, Yoon; Lee, Min June; Kang, Hee Cheol; Lee, Mee Sook; Yoon, Sun
CloudDOE: A User-Friendly Tool for Deploying Hadoop Clouds and Analyzing High-Throughput Sequencing Data with MapReduce
Background Explosive growth of next-generation sequencing data has resulted in ultra-large-scale data sets and ensuing computational problems. Cloud computing provides an on-demand and scalable environment for large-scale data analysis. Using a MapReduce framework, data and workload can be distributed via a network to computers in the cloud to substantially reduce computational latency. Hadoop/MapReduce has been successfully adopted in bioinformatics for genome assembly, mapping reads to genomes, and finding single nucleotide polymorphisms. Major cloud providers offer Hadoop cloud services to their users. However, it remains technically challenging to deploy a Hadoop cloud for those who prefer to run MapReduce programs in a cluster without built-in Hadoop/MapReduce. Results We present CloudDOE, a platform-independent software package implemented in Java. CloudDOE encapsulates technical details behind a user-friendly graphical interface, thus liberating scientists from having to perform complicated operational procedures. Users are guided through the user interface to deploy a Hadoop cloud within in-house computing environments and to run applications specifically targeted for bioinformatics, including CloudBurst, CloudBrush, and CloudRS. One may also use CloudDOE on top of a public cloud. CloudDOE consists of three wizards, i.e., Deploy, Operate, and Extend wizards. Deploy wizard is designed to aid the system administrator to deploy a Hadoop cloud. It installs Java runtime environment version 1.6 and Hadoop version 0.20.203, and initiates the service automatically. Operate wizard allows the user to run a MapReduce application on the dashboard list. To extend the dashboard list, the administrator may install a new MapReduce application using Extend wizard. Conclusions CloudDOE is a user-friendly tool for deploying a Hadoop cloud. Its smart wizards substantially reduce the complexity and costs of deployment, execution, enhancement, and management. Interested users may collaborate to improve the source code of CloudDOE to further incorporate more MapReduce bioinformatics tools into CloudDOE and support next-generation big data open source tools, e.g., Hadoop BigTop and Spark. Availability: CloudDOE is distributed under Apache License 2.0 and is freely available at http://clouddoe.iis.sinica.edu.tw/.
Chung, Wei-Chun; Chen, Chien-Chih; Ho, Jan-Ming; Lin, Chung-Yen; Hsu, Wen-Lian; Wang, Yu-Chun; Lee, D. T.; Lai, Feipei; Huang, Chih-Wei; Chang, Yu-Jung
Back to BaySICS: A User-Friendly Program for Bayesian Statistical Inference from Coalescent Simulations
Inference of population demographic history has vastly improved in recent years due to a number of technological and theoretical advances including the use of ancient DNA. Approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) stands among the most promising methods due to its simple theoretical fundament and exceptional flexibility. However, limited availability of user-friendly programs that perform ABC analysis renders it difficult to implement, and hence programming skills are frequently required. In addition, there is limited availability of programs able to deal with heterochronous data. Here we present the software BaySICS: Bayesian Statistical Inference of Coalescent Simulations. BaySICS provides an integrated and user-friendly platform that performs ABC analyses by means of coalescent simulations from DNA sequence data. It estimates historical demographic population parameters and performs hypothesis testing by means of Bayes factors obtained from model comparisons. Although providing specific features that improve inference from datasets with heterochronous data, BaySICS also has several capabilities making it a suitable tool for analysing contemporary genetic datasets. Those capabilities include joint analysis of independent tables, a graphical interface and the implementation of Markov-chain Monte Carlo without likelihoods.
Sandoval-Castellanos, Edson; Palkopoulou, Eleftheria; Dalen, Love
MASH Suite: A User-Friendly and Versatile Software Interface for High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry Data Interpretation and Visualization
The rapid advancements in mass spectrometry (MS) instrumentation, particularly in Fourier transform (FT) MS, have made the acquisition of high-resolution and high-accuracy mass measurements routine. However, the software tools for the interpretation of high-resolution MS data are underdeveloped. Although several algorithms for the automatic processing of high-resolution MS data are available, there is still an urgent need for a user-friendly interface with functions that allow users to visualize and validate the computational output. Therefore, we have developed MASH Suite, a user-friendly and versatile software interface for processing high-resolution MS data. MASH Suite contains a wide range of features that allow users to easily navigate through data analysis, visualize complex high-resolution MS data, and manually validate automatically processed results. Furthermore, it provides easy, fast, and reliable interpretation of top-down, middle-down, and bottom-up MS data. MASH Suite is convenient, easily operated, and freely available. It can greatly facilitate the comprehensive interpretation and validation of high-resolution MS data with high accuracy and reliability.
Guner, Huseyin; Close, Patrick L.; Cai, Wenxuan; Zhang, Han; Peng, Ying; Gregorich, Zachery R.; Ge, Ying
Integration of pre-aligned liquid metal electrodes for neural stimulation within a user-friendly microfluidic platform.
Electrical stimulation of nervous tissue is used clinically for the treatment of multiple neurological disorders and experimentally for basic research. With the increase of optical probes to record neuronal activity, simple and user-friendly methods are desired to stimulate neurons and their subcellular compartments for biological experimentation. Here we describe the novel integration of liquid metal electrodes with microfluidic culture platforms to accomplish this goal. We integrated electrode and cell channels into a single poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) chip, eliminating entirely the need to align electrodes with microchannels. We designed the electrode channels such that the metal can be injected by hand and when the device is non-covalently bound to glass. We demonstrated the biocompatibility of the electrodes for long-term cultures (12 days) using hippocampal neurons. We demonstrated the use of these electrodes to depolarize neurons and recorded neuronal activity using the calcium indicator dye, Fluo-4. We established optimal stimulation parameters that induce neuronal spiking without inducing damage. We showed that the liquid metal electrode evoked larger calcium responses in somata than bath electrodes using the same stimulus parameters. Lastly we demonstrated the use of these liquid metal electrodes to target and depolarize axons. In summary, the integration of liquid metal electrodes with neuronal culture platforms provides a user-friendly and targeted method to stimulate neurons and their subcellular compartments, thus providing a novel tool for future biological investigations. PMID:23232866
Hallfors, Nicholas; Khan, Asif; Dickey, Michael D; Taylor, Anne Marion
Web-based spatial analysis with the ILWIS open source GIS software and satellite images from GEONETCast
This paper involves easy accessible integrated web-based analysis of satellite images with a plug-in based open source software. The paper is targeted to both users and developers of geospatial software. Guided by a use case scenario, we describe the ILWIS software and its toolbox to access satellite images through the GEONETCast broadcasting system. The last two decades have shown a major shift from stand-alone software systems to networked ones, often client/server applications using distributed geo-(web-)services. This allows organisations to combine without much effort their own data with remotely available data and processing functionality. Key to this integrated spatial data analysis is a low-cost access to data from within a user-friendly and flexible software. Web-based open source software solutions are more often a powerful option for developing countries. The Integrated Land and Water Information System (ILWIS) is a PC-based GIS & Remote Sensing software, comprising a complete package of image processing, spatial analysis and digital mapping and was developed as commercial software from the early nineties onwards. Recent project efforts have migrated ILWIS into a modular, plug-in-based open source software, and provide web-service support for OGC-based web mapping and processing. The core objective of the ILWIS Open source project is to provide a maintainable framework for researchers and software developers to implement training components, scientific toolboxes and (web-) services. The latest plug-ins have been developed for multi-criteria decision making, water resources analysis and spatial statistics analysis. The development of this framework is done since 2007 in the context of 52�North, which is an open initiative that advances the development of cutting edge open source geospatial software, using the GPL license. GEONETCast, as part of the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), puts essential environmental data at the fingertips of users around the globe. This user-friendly and low-cost information dissemination provides global information as a basis for decision-making in a number of critical areas, including public health, energy, agriculture, weather, water, climate, natural disasters and ecosystems. GEONETCast makes available satellite images via Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) technology. An OGC WMS interface and plug-ins which convert GEONETCast data streams allow an ILWIS user to integrate various distributed data sources with data locally stored on his machine. Our paper describes a use case in which ILWIS is used with GEONETCast satellite imagery for decision making processes in Ghana. We also explain how the ILWIS software can be extended with additional functionality by means of building plug-ins and unfold our plans to implement other OGC standards, such as WCS and WPS in the same context. Especially, the latter one can be seen as a major step forward in terms of moving well-proven desktop based processing functionality to the web. This enables the embedding of ILWIS functionality in Spatial Data Infrastructures or even the execution in scalable and on-demand cloud computing environments.
Lemmens, R.; Maathuis, B.; Mannaerts, C.; Foerster, T.; Schaeffer, B.; Wytzisk, A.
Challenges of Web-Based Assessment.
This paper discusses six challenges relevant to Web-based testing. Some of these challenges are not specific to Web-based testing, but generalize to all computer-based testing. The challenges are: (1) security and using test centers for Web-based testing; (2) measuring complex skills and problem-solving tasks on the Web; (3) integrating modern�
Luecht, Richard M.
Web-based distributed image processing system
This paper presents a framework for developing a Web-based distributed image processing application system that is flexible, convenient, and scalable. The system uses the existing Web-based technology and image processing methodologies to implement this capability in a distributed computing environment that may include powerful machines to process complex and large images. The system consists of browser, server, service registry and task scheduler, image data storage and management, and knowledge-based image processing services. A server-side application considers the user"s request from a client side. The server host identifies the request and the necessary resources and schedules the computing resources and image processing services. Based on the instructions of the developer"s side (the service provider) a proper knowledge-based on-line assistance is given to the client to select the right algorithm, set up proper parameter values in order to maximize the usage. Developers can modify and upgrade the services at their own site and publish the workable version, its interface, and required resources to the server. The server enables remote invocation of the algorithm by providing a seamless and efficient linkage mechanism. An application for segmentation operation using deformable contour methods for complex images is provided as an example.
Han, Chia Y.; Chen, Hong; He, Lei; Wee, William G.
Web-based Hierarchical Ordering Mechanism (WHOM) tool for MODIS data from Terra
At the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences (GES) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC), we have substantially enhanced the popular Web-based Hierarchical Ordering Mechanism (WHOM) to include data from the Earth Observing System (EOS). The GES DAAC archives unprecedented volumes of remotely sensed data and large number of geophysical products derived from the MODIS instrument on board Terra satellite, and distributes them to the world scientific and applications user community. These products are currently divided into three groups: Radiometric and Geolocation, Atmosphere, and Ocean data products. The so-called Terra-WHOM (http://acdisx.gsfc.nasa.gov/data/dataset/MODIS/index.html) is a GES DAAC developed search and order user interface which is a smaller segment of the WHOM interface that provides access to all other GES DAAC data holdings. Terra-WHOM specifically provides user access to MODIS data archived at the GES DAAC. It allows users to navigate through all the available data products and submit a data request with minimal effort. The WHOM modular design and hierarchical architecture makes this tool unique, user-friendly, and very efficient to complete the search and order. The main principle of WHOM is that it advertises the available data products, so, users always know what they can get. The WHOM design includes: simple point & click, flexible, web pages generated from templates, consistent look and feel throughout interface, and easy configuration management due to contents being encapsulated and separated from software. Modular search algorithms provide dynamic Spatial and Temporal search capability and return the search results as html pages using CGI scripts. In Terra-WHOM, calendar pages show the actual number of data granules archived for each day for high-resolution local scenes, and from there the user can go to a page showing the geo-coverage for every granule for a given day. This feature significantly optimizes user's effort for selecting data. The ordering mechanism uses shopping cart technology and also provides information about the volume of the selected data products. Knowledgeable customers can bypass the navigational portion of Terra-WHOM and go directly to the so-called "No frills" page that displays a listing of available MODIS products with direct links to the ordering interface.
Sikder, M. S.; Eaton, P.; Leptoukh, G.; McCrimmon, N.; Zhou, B.
Wordom: A User-Friendly Program for the Analysis of Molecular Structures, Trajectories, and Free Energy Surfaces
Wordom is a versatile, user-friendly, and efficient program for manipulation and analysis of molecular structures and dynamics. The following new analysis modules have been added since the publication of the original Wordom paper in 2007: assignment of secondary structure, calculation of solvent accessible surfaces, elastic network model, motion cross correlations, protein structure network, shortest intra-molecular and inter-molecular communication paths, kinetic grouping analysis, and calculation of mincut-based free energy profiles. In addition, an interface with the Python scripting language has been built and the overall performance and user accessibility enhanced. The source code of Wordom (in the C programming language) as well as documentation for usage and further development are available as an open source package under the GNU General Purpose License from http://wordom.sf.net. � 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2011
Seeber, Michele; Felline, Angelo; Raimondi, Francesco; Muff, Stefanie; Friedman, Ran; Rao, Francesco; Caflisch, Amedeo; Fanelli, Francesca
Joyce and Ulysses: integrated and user-friendly tools for the parameterization of intramolecular force fields from quantum mechanical data.
The Joyce program is augmented with several new features, including the user friendly Ulysses GUI, the possibility of complete excited state parameterization and a more flexible treatment of the force field electrostatic terms. A first validation is achieved by successfully comparing results obtained with Joyce2.0 to literature ones, obtained for the same set of benchmark molecules. The parameterization protocol is also applied to two other larger molecules, namely nicotine and a coumarin based dye. In the former case, the parameterized force field is employed in molecular dynamics simulations of solvated nicotine, and the solute conformational distribution at room temperature is discussed. Force fields parameterized with Joyce2.0, for both the dye's ground and first excited electronic states, are validated through the calculation of absorption and emission vertical energies with molecular mechanics optimized structures. Finally, the newly implemented procedure to handle polarizable force fields is discussed and applied to the pyrimidine molecule as a test case. PMID:23389748
Barone, Vincenzo; Cacelli, Ivo; De Mitri, Nicola; Licari, Daniele; Monti, Susanna; Prampolini, Giacomo
Short Communication: TopoToolbox 2 - an efficient and user-friendly tool for Earth surface sciences
TopoToolbox is a MATLAB software for the analysis of digital elevation models (DEMs). With the release of version 2, the software adopts an Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) approach to work with gridded DEMs, and derived data such as flow directions and stream networks. The introduction of a novel technique to store flow directions as topologically ordered vectors of indices allows for easy coding, increased processing speed and reduction in memory overhead. Graphical user interfaces enable visual exploration and interaction with DEMs and derivatives and provide access to tools targeted at fluvial and tectonic geomorphologists. With this new release, TopoToolbox has become a more memory efficient, faster and more user-friendly tool for digital terrain analysis that can be used as a framework for building hydrological and geomorphological models in MATLAB.
Schwanghart, W.; Scherler, D.
GProX, a User-Friendly Platform for Bioinformatics Analysis and Visualization of Quantitative Proteomics Data*
Recent technological advances have made it possible to identify and quantify thousands of proteins in a single proteomics experiment. As a result of these developments, the analysis of data has become the bottleneck of proteomics experiment. To provide the proteomics community with a user-friendly platform for comprehensive analysis, inspection and visualization of quantitative proteomics data we developed the Graphical Proteomics Data Explorer (GProX)1. The program requires no special bioinformatics training, as all functions of GProX are accessible within its graphical user-friendly interface which will be intuitive to most users. Basic features facilitate the uncomplicated management and organization of large data sets and complex experimental setups as well as the inspection and graphical plotting of quantitative data. These are complemented by readily available high-level analysis options such as database querying, clustering based on abundance ratios, feature enrichment tests for e.g. GO terms and pathway analysis tools. A number of plotting options for visualization of quantitative proteomics data is available and most analysis functions in GProX create customizable high quality graphical displays in both vector and bitmap formats. The generic import requirements allow data originating from essentially all mass spectrometry platforms, quantitation strategies and software to be analyzed in the program. GProX represents a powerful approach to proteomics data analysis providing proteomics experimenters with a toolbox for bioinformatics analysis of quantitative proteomics data. The program is released as open-source and can be freely downloaded from the project webpage at http://gprox.sourceforge.net.
Rigbolt, Kristoffer T. G.; Vanselow, Jens T.; Blagoev, Blagoy
Construction of syndromic surveillance using a web-based daily questionnaire for health and its application at the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit meeting.
We constructed a syndromic surveillance system to collect directly information on daily health conditions directly from local residents via the internet [web-based daily questionnaire for health surveillance system (WDQH SS)]. This paper considers the feasibility of the WDQH SS and its ability to detect epidemics. A verification study revealed that our system was an effective surveillance system. We then applied an improved WDQH SS as a measure against public health concerns at the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit meeting in 2008. While in operation at the Summit, our system reported a fever alert that was consistent with a herpangina epidemic. The highly mobile WDQH SS described in this study has three main advantages: the earlier detection of epidemics, compared to other surveillance systems; the ability to collect data even on weekends and holidays; and a rapid system set-up that can be completed within 3 days. PMID:20067657
Sugiura, H; Ohkusa, Y; Akahane, M; Sugahara, T; Okabe, N; Imamura, T
Practical Experience Gained from Passive Testing of Web Based Systems
In recent years Web-based systems have become extremely popular and, nowadays, they are used in critical environments such as financial, medical, and military systems. As the use of Web applications for security-critical services has increased, the number and sophistication of attacks against these applications have grown as well. For this reason it is essential to be able to prove that
Alessandra Bagnato; Fabio Raiteri; Wissam Mallouli; Bachar Wehbi
A Web-Based Architecture for a Medical Vocabulary Server
For health care providers to share computing resources and medical application programs across different sites, those applications must share a common medical vocabulary. To construct a common vocabulary, researchers must have an architecture that supports collaborative, networked devel- opment. In this paper, we present a web-based server archi- tecture for the collaborative development of a medical vocabulary: a system that
John H. Gennari; Diane E. Oliver; Wanda Pratt; James Rice; Mark A. Musen
Is Teacher Assessment Reliable or Valid for High School Students under a Web-Based Portfolio Environment?
This study explored the reliability and validity of teacher assessment under a Web-based portfolio assessment environment (or Web-based teacher portfolio assessment). Participants were 72 eleventh graders taking the "Computer Application" course. The students perform portfolio creation, inspection, self- and peer-assessment using the Web-based�
Chang, Chi-Cheng; Wu, Bing-Hong
CO2calc: A User-Friendly Seawater Carbon Calculator for Windows, Mac OS X, and iOS (iPhone)
A user-friendly, stand-alone application for the calculation of carbonate system parameters was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey Florida Shelf Ecosystems Response to Climate Change Project in response to its Ocean Acidification Task. The application, by Mark Hansen and Lisa Robbins, USGS St. Petersburg, FL, Joanie Kleypas, NCAR, Boulder, CO, and Stephan Meylan, Jacobs Technology, St. Petersburg, FL, is intended as a follow-on to CO2SYS, originally developed by Lewis and Wallace (1998) and later modified for Microsoft Excel? by Denis Pierrot (Pierrot and others, 2006). Besides eliminating the need for using Microsoft Excel on the host system, CO2calc offers several improvements on CO2SYS, including: An improved graphical user interface for data entry and results Additional calculations of air-sea CO2 fluxes (for surface water calculations) The ability to tag data with sample name, comments, date, time, and latitude/longitude The ability to use the system time and date and latitude/ longitude (automatic retrieval of latitude and longitude available on iPhone? 3, 3GS, 4, and Windows? hosts with an attached National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA)-enabled GPS) The ability to process multiple files in a batch processing mode An option to save sample information, data input, and calculated results as a comma-separated value (CSV) file for use with Microsoft Excel, ArcGIS,? or other applications An option to export points with geographic coordinates as a KMZ file for viewing and editing in Google EarthTM
Robbins, L.L.; Hansen, M.E.; Kleypas, J.A.; Meylan, S.C.
Applying Web-Based Survey Design Standards
Web-based surveys are used as research tools in a wide range of disciplines. Web-based surveys present a unique set of challenges concerning survey design, not known in previous survey modes. The flexibility of screen design allows for Web-based surveys to take on many appearances, some having a negative impact on data quality. In this article, we propose and illustrate several
Scott Crawford; Sean Esteban McCabe; Duston Pope
Engineering Analysis Using a Web-Based Protocol
This paper reviews the development of a web-based framework for engineering analysis. A one-dimensional, high-speed analysis code called LAPIN was used in this study, but the approach can be generalized to any engineering analysis tool. The web-based framework enables users to store, retrieve, and execute an engineering analysis from a standard web-browser. We review the encapsulation of the engineering data into the eXtensible Markup Language (XML) and various design considerations in the storage and retrieval of application data.
Schoeffler, James D.; Claus, Russell W.
A Parameterized Web-Based Testing Model for Project Management
This paper proposes a web-based testing model for project management. The model is based on ontology for encoding project management knowledge, so it is able to facilitate resource extraction in the web-based testware environment. It also allows generation of parameterized tests, according to the targeted difficulty level. The authors present the theoretical approaches that led to the model: semantic nets and concept space graphs have an important role in model designing. The development of the ontology model is made with SemanticWorks software. The test ontology has applicability in project management certification, especially in those systems with different levels, as the IPMA four-level certification system.
Bodea, Constanta-Nicoleta; Dascalu, Maria
Web-based encyclopedia on physical effects
Web-based learning applications open new horizons for educators. In this work we present the computer encyclopedia designed to overcome drawbacks of traditional paper information sources such as awkward search, low update rate, limited copies count and high cost. Moreover, we intended to improve access and search functions in comparison with some Internet sources in order to make it more convenient. The system is developed using modern Java technologies (Jave Servlets, Java Server Pages) and contains systemized information about most important and explored physical effects. It also may be used in other fields of science. The system is accessible via Intranet/Internet networks by means of any up-to-date Internet browser. It may be used for general learning purposes and as a study guide or tutorial for performing laboratory works.
Papliatseyeu, Andrey; Repich, Maryna; Ilyushonak, Boris; Hurbo, Aliaksandr; Makarava, Katerina; Lutkovski, Vladimir M.
DEDIP: a user-friendly environment for digital image processing algorithm development
The DEDIP (developmental environment for digital image processing) system is a simple environment for the development of digital image processing applications. It consists of two user interface levels. The low level is compiled software library of digital image processing and system management functions. The high level is a command line interpreter with a set of digital image processing and file
W. A. Keddy; P. Agathoklis
Web -based design and development of community sports service platform
Computer and network technology should be put into application and web-based community sports service platform be well designed and developed in order to perfect community sports services and management systems, to raise the efficiency of community work and sports service levels, and to provide practical, and convenient service systems for the nationwide fitness programs.
Shi Qing
A Web-Based Intelligent Tutoring System for Computer Programming
Web Intelligence is a direction for scientic research that explores practical applications of Articial Intelligence to the next generation of Web-empowered systems. In this paper, we present a Web-based intelligent tutoring system for computer programming. The decision making process conducted in our intelligent system is guided by Bayesian networks, which are a formal framework for uncertainty management in Articial Intelligence
Cory J. Butz; Shan Hua; R. Brien Maguire
Web Intelligence is a direction for scientific research that explores practical applications of Artificial Intelligence to the next generation of Web-empowered systems. In this paper, we present a Web-based intelligent tutoring system for computer programming. The decision making process conducted in our intelligent system is guided by Bayesian networks, which are a formal framework for uncertainty management in Artificial Intelligence
C. J. Butz; S. Hua; R. B. Maguire
CUPTRSS: a Web-based Research Support System
Abstract: Research Support Systems (RSS) provide research organizationsand scientists with information and facility for improvingtheir research capacity, quality and productivity.Application of Web Intelligence technologies in developingthe Web-based Research Support System (WRSS) will makesuch systems more effective and convenient. This paper analyzesresearch support services and proposes a Web-basedintelligent system to provide integrated research support. Aprototype system, CUPTRSS, is...
H. Tang; Y. Wu; J. Yao; G. Wang; Y. Yao
The EQIP GIS, Web-based Decision Program
Working together, NRCS and Purdue University staff developed a GIS, web-based EQIP decision program. Landowners and NRCS personnel enter required EQIP information via a mapping service. Other subroutines store the information for use by NRCS in ranking and funding EQIP applications that receive the highest scores subject to budget constraints.
Richard L. Farnsworth; Bernard Engel; Susan McCloud; Jin-Yong Choi; Kyoung Jae Lim; Lawrence Theller
Blink 'Em All: Scalable, User-Friendly and Secure Initialization of Wireless Sensor Nodes
Wireless sensor networks have several useful applications in commer- cial and defense settings, as well as user-centric personal area networks. To es- tablish secure (point-to-point and\\/or broadcast) communication channels among the nodes of a wireless sensor network is a fundamental security task. To this end, a plethora of so-called key pre-distribution schemes have been proposed in the past, e.g., (25)(9)(19)(8)(5).
Nitesh Saxena
Conducting Web-Based Surveys. ERIC Digest.
Web-based surveying is very attractive for many reasons, including reducing the time and cost of conducting a survey and avoiding the often error prone and tedious task of data entry. At this time, Web-based surveys should still be used with caution. The biggest concern at present is coverage bias or bias resulting from sampled people either not�
Solomon, David J.
Security for Web-Based Tests.
The purpose of this paper is to enumerate a series of security steps that might be taken by those researchers or organizations that are contemplating Web-based tests and performance assessments. From a security viewpoint, much of what goes on with Web-based transactions is similar to other general computer activity, but the recommendations here�
Shermis, Mark D.; Averitt, Jason
Designing a Web-based Reading Course.
Describes a Web-based reading course for college developmental reading classes. Discusses course features, the first week of class, the benefits of Web-based instruction, old media versus new media, designing a successful site, and the benefits of patience. (SR)
Stefl-Mabry, Joette
Trends in Web-based Learning Environments.
Discusses trends in Web-based learning environments. Highlights include common features of existing Web-based learning environments; challenges; the large amount of available online educational material; adaptation and dynamic interaction; real-time interaction; and monitoring online testing. (LRW)
Hong, Hong; Kinshuk; He, Xiaoqin; Patel, Ashok; Jesshope, Chris
Speeding up the screening of steroids in urine: development of a user-friendly library.
This work presents a novel database search engine - MLibrary - designed to assist the user in the detection and identification of androgenic anabolic steroids (AAS) and its metabolites by matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) and mass spectrometry-based strategies. The detection of the AAS in the samples was accomplished by searching (i) the mass spectrometric (MS) spectra against the library developed to identify possible positives and (ii) by comparison of the tandem mass spectrometric (MS/MS) spectra produced after fragmentation of the possible positives with a complete set of spectra that have previously been assigned to the software. The urinary screening for anabolic agents plays a major role in anti-doping laboratories as they represent the most abused drug class in sports. With the help of the MLibrary software application, the use of MALDI techniques for doping control is simplified and the time for evaluation and interpretation of the results is reduced. To do so, the search engine takes as input several MALDI-TOF-MS and MALDI-TOF-MS/MS spectra. It aids the researcher in an automatic mode by identifying possible positives in a single MS analysis and then confirming their presence in tandem MS analysis by comparing the experimental tandem mass spectrometric data with the database. Furthermore, the search engine can, potentially, be further expanded to other compounds in addition to AASs. The applicability of the MLibrary tool is shown through the analysis of spiked urine samples. PMID:24036418
Galesio, M; L�pez-Fdez, H; Reboiro-Jato, M; G�mez-Meire, Silvana; Glez-Pe�a, D; Fdez-Riverola, F; Lodeiro, Carlos; Diniz, M E; Capelo, J L
A user-friendly SSVEP-based brain-computer interface using a time-domain classifier
We introduce a user-friendly steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP)-based brain-computer interface (BCI) system. Single-channel EEG is recorded using a low-noise dry electrode. Compared to traditional gel-based multi-sensor EEG systems, a dry sensor proves to be more convenient, comfortable and cost effective. A hardware system was built that displays four LED light panels flashing at different frequencies and synchronizes with EEG acquisition. The visual stimuli have been carefully designed such that potential risk to photosensitive people is minimized. We describe a novel stimulus-locked inter-trace correlation (SLIC) method for SSVEP classification using EEG time-locked to stimulus onsets. We studied how the performance of the algorithm is affected by different selection of parameters. Using the SLIC method, the average light detection rate is 75.8% with very low error rates (an 8.4% false positive rate and a 1.3% misclassification rate). Compared to a traditional frequency-domain-based method, the SLIC method is more robust (resulting in less annoyance to the users) and is also suitable for irregular stimulus patterns.
Luo, An; Sullivan, Thomas J.
A user-friendly SSVEP-based brain-computer interface using a time-domain classifier.
We introduce a user-friendly steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP)-based brain-computer interface (BCI) system. Single-channel EEG is recorded using a low-noise dry electrode. Compared to traditional gel-based multi-sensor EEG systems, a dry sensor proves to be more convenient, comfortable and cost effective. A hardware system was built that displays four LED light panels flashing at different frequencies and synchronizes with EEG acquisition. The visual stimuli have been carefully designed such that potential risk to photosensitive people is minimized. We describe a novel stimulus-locked inter-trace correlation (SLIC) method for SSVEP classification using EEG time-locked to stimulus onsets. We studied how the performance of the algorithm is affected by different selection of parameters. Using the SLIC method, the average light detection rate is 75.8% with very low error rates (an 8.4% false positive rate and a 1.3% misclassification rate). Compared to a traditional frequency-domain-based method, the SLIC method is more robust (resulting in less annoyance to the users) and is also suitable for irregular stimulus patterns. PMID:20332551
Luo, An; Sullivan, Thomas J
A 'user friendly' geographic information system in a color interactive digital image processing system environment
NASA's Eastern Regional Remote Sensing Applications Center (ERRSAC) has recognized the need to accommodate spatial analysis techniques in its remote sensing technology transfer program. A computerized Geographic Information System to incorporate remotely sensed data, specifically Landsat, with other relevant data was considered a realistic approach to address a given resource problem. Questions arose concerning the selection of a suitable available software system to demonstrate, train, and undertake demonstration projects with ERRSAC's user community. The very specific requirements for such a system are discussed. The solution found involved the addition of geographic information processing functions to the Interactive Digital Image Manipulation System (IDIMS). Details regarding the functions of the new integrated system are examined along with the characteristics of the software.
Campbell, W. J.; Goldberg, M.
Web-Based Education for All: A Tool for Development Adaptive Courseware
Many Web-based educational applications are expected to be used by very different groups of users without the assistance of a human teacher. Accordingly there is a need for systems which can adapt to users with very different backgrounds, prior knowledge of the subject and learning goals. An electronic textbook is one of the most prominent varieties of Web-based educational systems.
Peter Brusilovsky; John Eklund; Elmar W. Schwarz
Web-Based Learning Environment: A Theory-Based Design Process for Development and Evaluation
Web-based courses and programs have increasingly been developed by many academic institutions, organizations, and companies worldwide due to their benefits for both learners and educators. However, many of the developmental approaches lack two important considerations needed for implementing Web-based learning applications: (1) integration of the�
Nam, Chang S.; Smith-Jackson, Tonya L.
Specifying student-patient encounters, web-based case logs, and meeting standards of the liaison committee on medical education.
Standard ED-2 of the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) requires medical schools to specify the types of patients that students should encounter, the student's level of responsibility, and the appropriate setting for the encounter. The authors describe the process at Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York City for meeting this standard through the development of a Web-based case log. The log permits the medical college to specify expectations for patient encounters and allows the students to record their encounters in an efficient, brief, and user-friendly manner. By downloading the student's reports directly into a database, the medical college can track successes and deficiencies in the student's clinical experiences. However, in response to a questionnaire administered in 2005, students generally expressed dissatisfaction with the case logs, which they described as intrusive busywork. PMID:16306286
Bardes, Charles L; Wenderoth, Suzanne; Lemise, Ronald; Orta�ez, Philippe; Storey-Johnson, Carol
CancerEST: a web-based tool for automatic meta-analysis of public EST data
The identification of cancer-restricted biomarkers is fundamental to the development of novel cancer therapies and diagnostic tools. The construction of comprehensive profiles to define tissue- and cancer-specific gene expression has been central to this. To this end, the exploitation of the current wealth of �omic�-scale databases can be facilitated by automated approaches, allowing researchers to directly address specific biological questions. Here we present CancerEST, a user-friendly and intuitive web-based tool for the automated identification of candidate cancer markers/targets, for examining tissue specificity as well as for integrated expression profiling. CancerEST operates by means of constructing and meta-analyzing expressed sequence tag (EST) profiles of user-supplied gene sets across an EST database supporting 36 tissue types. Using a validation data set from the literature, we show the functionality and utility of CancerEST. Database URL: http://www.cancerest.org.uk
Feichtinger, Julia; McFarlane, Ramsay J.; Larcombe, Lee D.
CancerEST: a web-based tool for automatic meta-analysis of public EST data.
The identification of cancer-restricted biomarkers is fundamental to the development of novel cancer therapies and diagnostic tools. The construction of comprehensive profiles to define tissue- and cancer-specific gene expression has been central to this. To this end, the exploitation of the current wealth of 'omic'-scale databases can be facilitated by automated approaches, allowing researchers to directly address specific biological questions. Here we present CancerEST, a user-friendly and intuitive web-based tool for the automated identification of candidate cancer markers/targets, for examining tissue specificity as well as for integrated expression profiling. CancerEST operates by means of constructing and meta-analyzing expressed sequence tag (EST) profiles of user-supplied gene sets across an EST database supporting 36 tissue types. Using a validation data set from the literature, we show the functionality and utility of CancerEST. DATABASE URL: http://www.cancerest.org.uk. PMID:24715218
Feichtinger, Julia; McFarlane, Ramsay J; Larcombe, Lee D
User-friendly, miniature biosensor flow cell for fragile high fundamental frequency quartz crystal resonators.
For the application of high fundamental frequency (HFF) quartz crystal resonators as ultra sensitive acoustic biosensors, a tailor-made quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) flow cell has been fabricated and tested. The cell permits an equally fast and easy installation and replacement of small and fragile HFF sensors. Usability and simple fabrication are two central features of the HFF-QCM flow cell. Mechanical, thermal, electrical and chemical requirements are considered. The design of the cell combines these, partially contradictory, requirements within a simple device. Central design concepts are discussed and a brief description of the fabrication, with a special focus on the preparation of crucial parts, is provided. For test measurements, the cell was equipped with a standard 50 MHz HFF resonator which had been surface-functionalised with a self-assembled monolayer of 1-octadecanethiol. The reliable performance is demonstrated with two types of experiments: the real time monitoring of phospholipid monolayer formation and its removal with detergent, as well as step-wise growth of a protein multilayer system by an alternating immobilisation of streptavidin and biotinylated immunoglobulin G. PMID:19231152
Sagmeister, Brigitte P; Graz, Ingrid M; Schw�diauer, Reinhard; Gruber, Hermann; Bauer, Siegfried
A user-friendly anisotropic flow law for ice-sheet modelling
For accurate ice-sheet flow modelling, the anisotropic behaviour of ice must be taken fully into account. However, physically based micro-macro (?-M) models for the behaviour of an anisotropic ice polycrystal are too complex to be implemented easily in large-scale ice-sheet flow models. An easy and efficient method to remedy this is presented. Polar ice is assumed to behave as a linearly viscous orthotropic material whose general flow law (GOLF) depends on six parameters, and its orthotropic fabric is described by an 'orientation distribution function' (ODF) depending on two parameters. A method to pass from the ODF to a discrete description of the fabric, and vice versa, is presented. Considering any available ?-M model, the parameters of the GOLF that fit the response obtained by running this ?-M model are calculated for any set of ODF parameters. It is thus possible to tabulate the GOLF over a grid in the space of the ODF parameters. This step is performed once and for all. Ice-sheet flow models need the general form of the GOLF to be implemented in the available code (once), then, during each individual run, to retrieve the GOLF parameters from the table by interpolation. As an application example, the GOLF is tabulated using three different ?-M models and used to derive the rheological properties of ice along the Greenland Icecore Project (GRIP) ice core.
Gillet-Chaulet, Fabien; Gagliardini, Olivier; Meyssonnier, Jacques; Montagnat, Maurine; Castelnau, Olivier
TelEMA: a low-cost and user-friendly telephone assessment platform.
Ecological momentary assessment (EMA), or the repeated assessment of individuals' behaviors and experiences over time, is a methodologically advantageous approach to the study of psychological constructs. Recently, advances in computer technology have allowed for EMA research to be conducted in a more convenient, automated, and secure manner by administering surveys on participants' telephones and storing the results directly to a central server. The present article introduces TelEMA, an easy-to-use, low-cost telephone assessment platform for clinical and research applications. A single server running TelEMA can be shared among many experimenters, studies, and participants simultaneously. TelEMA routes telephone calls and text messages through a third-party service, so experimenters may conduct studies with no up-front cost or technical expertise. TelEMA provides a secure Web interface for experimenters or clinicians to design studies, enroll participants, monitor compliance, and collate response data from anywhere. Participants complete surveys using their own telephones. Surveys may contain keypress or voice recording questions, and the timing and content of each survey may be randomized and customized. A pilot study was conducted in which individuals used the TelEMA system to complete four randomly timed surveys per day for one�week; the surveys assessed state affect and social anxiety. Results indicated that participants found TelEMA easy to use and secure, and compliance rates were on par with other EMA methods using mobile devices. Overall, TelEMA is a practical and robust system that enables fast and inexpensive deployment of EMAs. PMID:23239075
Fernandez, Katya C; Johnson, Matthew R; Rodebaugh, Thomas L
Low-Cost, User-Friendly, Rapid Analysis of Dynamic Data System Established
An issue of primary importance to the development of new jet and certain other airbreathing combined-cycle powered aircraft is the advancement of airframe-integrated propulsion technologies. Namely, engine inlets and their systems and subsystems are required to capture, convert, and deliver the atmospheric airflow demanded by such engines across their operating envelope in a form that can be used to provide efficient, stable thrust. This must be done while also minimizing aircraft drag and weight. Revolutionary inlet designs aided by new technologies are needed to enable new missions. An unwanted byproduct of pursuing these inlet technologies is increased time-variant airflow distortion. Such distortions reduce propulsion system stability, performance, operability, and life. To countermand these limitations and fully evaluate the resulting configurations, best practices dictate that this distortion be experimentally measured at large scale and analyzed. The required measurements consist of those made by an array of high-response pressure transducers located in the flow field at the aerodynamic interface plane (AIP) between the inlet and engine. Although the acquisition of the necessary pitot-pressure time histories is relatively straight-forward, until recent years, the analysis has proved to be very time-consuming, tedious, and expensive. To transform the analysis of these data into a tractable and timely proposition, researchers at the NASA Glenn Research Center created and established the Rapid Analysis of Dynamic Data (RADD) system. The system provides complete, near real-time analysis of time-varying inlet airflow distortion datasets with report quality output. This fully digital approach employs Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) binary data file format standardization to establish data-acquisition-system-independent processing on low cost personal computers. Features include invalid instrumentation code-out, logging, and multiple replacement schemes as needed for each channel of instrumentation. The AIP pressure distribution can be interpolated to simulate measurements by alternate AIP probe arrays, if desired. In addition, the RADD system provides for the application of filters that can be used to focus the analysis on the frequency range of interest.
Arend, David J.
Deploying web-based visual exploration tools on the grid
We discuss a web-based portal for the exploration, encapsulation, and dissemination of visualization results over the Grid. This portal integrates three components: an interface client for structured visualization exploration, a visualization web application to manage the generation and capture of the visualization results, and a centralized portal application server to access and manage grid resources. We demonstrate the usefulness of the developed system using an example for Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR) data visualization.
Jankun-Kelly, T.J.; Kreylos, Oliver; Shalf, John; Ma, Kwan-Liu; Hamann, Bernd; Joy, Kenneth; Bethel, E. Wes
A component model for standardized web-based education
We present a layered component model to support Web-based collaborative applications. We show how this model lets programmers focus on the particular logic of their applications, avoiding most of the issues related to collaboration, access control, and network management. The proposed model is organized into three layers on top of a foundation composed of commercial-off-the-shelf services and standard Internet protocols.
L. Anido-Rif�n; M. J. Fern�ndez-Iglesias; M. Llamas-Nistal; M. Caeiro-Rodr�guez; J. Santos-Gago; J. S. Rodr�guez-Est�vez
Towards User-Friendly Spelling with an Auditory Brain-Computer Interface: The CharStreamer Paradigm
Realizing the decoding of brain signals into control commands, brain-computer interfaces (BCI) aim to establish an alternative communication pathway for locked-in patients. In contrast to most visual BCI approaches which use event-related potentials (ERP) of the electroencephalogram, auditory BCI systems are challenged with ERP responses, which are less class-discriminant between attended and unattended stimuli. Furthermore, these auditory approaches have more complex interfaces which imposes a substantial workload on their users. Aiming for a maximally user-friendly spelling interface, this study introduces a novel auditory paradigm: �CharStreamer�. The speller can be used with an instruction as simple as �please attend to what you want to spell�. The stimuli of CharStreamer comprise 30 spoken sounds of letters and actions. As each of them is represented by the sound of itself and not by an artificial substitute, it can be selected in a one-step procedure. The mental mapping effort (sound stimuli to actions) is thus minimized. Usability is further accounted for by an alphabetical stimulus presentation: contrary to random presentation orders, the user can foresee the presentation time of the target letter sound. Healthy, normal hearing users (n?=?10) of the CharStreamer paradigm displayed ERP responses that systematically differed between target and non-target sounds. Class-discriminant features, however, varied individually from the typical N1-P2 complex and P3 ERP components found in control conditions with random sequences. To fully exploit the sequential presentation structure of CharStreamer, novel data analysis approaches and classification methods were introduced. The results of online spelling tests showed that a competitive spelling speed can be achieved with CharStreamer. With respect to user rating, it clearly outperforms a control setup with random presentation sequences.
Hohne, Johannes; Tangermann, Michael
Online user-friendly slant total electron content computation from IRI-Plas: IRI-Plas-STEC
Slant total electron content (STEC), the total number of free electrons on a ray path, is an important space weather observable. STEC is the main input for computerized ionospheric tomography (CIT). STEC can be estimated using the dual-frequency GPS receivers. GPS-STEC contains the space weather variability, yet the estimates are prone to measurement and instrument errors that are not related to the physical structure of the ionosphere. International Reference Ionosphere Extended to Plasmasphere (IRI-Plas) is the international standard climatic model of ionosphere and plasmasphere, providing vertical electron density profiles for a desired date, time, and location. IRI-Plas is used as the background model in CIT. Computation of STEC from IRI-Plas is a tedious task for researchers due to extensive geodetic calculations and IRI-Plas runs. In this study, IONOLAB group introduces a new space weather service to facilitate the computation of STEC from IRI-Plas (IRI-Plas-STEC) at www.ionolab.org. The IRI-Plas-STEC can be computed online for a desired location, date, hour, elevation, and azimuth angle. The user-friendly interface also provides means for computation of IRI-STEC for a desired location and date to indicate the variability in hour of the day, elevation, or azimuth angles. The desired location can be chosen as a GPS receiver in International GNSS Service (IGS) or EUREF Permanent Network (EPN). Also instead of specifying elevation and azimuth angles, the user can directly choose from the GPS satellites and obtain IRI-Plas-STEC for a desired date and/or hour. The computed IRI-Plas-STEC values are presented directly on the screen or via e-mail as both text and plots.
Tuna, Hakan; Arikan, Orhan; Arikan, Feza; Gulyaeva, Tamara L.; Sezen, Umut
Towards User-Friendly Spelling with an Auditory Brain-Computer Interface: The CharStreamer Paradigm.
Realizing the decoding of brain signals into control commands, brain-computer interfaces (BCI) aim to establish an alternative communication pathway for locked-in patients. In contrast to most visual BCI approaches which use event-related potentials (ERP) of the electroencephalogram, auditory BCI systems are challenged with ERP responses, which are less class-discriminant between attended and unattended stimuli. Furthermore, these auditory approaches have more complex interfaces which imposes a substantial workload on their users. Aiming for a maximally user-friendly spelling interface, this study introduces a novel auditory paradigm: "CharStreamer". The speller can be used with an instruction as simple as "please attend to what you want to spell". The stimuli of CharStreamer comprise 30 spoken sounds of letters and actions. As each of them is represented by the sound of itself and not by an artificial substitute, it can be selected in a one-step procedure. The mental mapping effort (sound stimuli to actions) is thus minimized. Usability is further accounted for by an alphabetical stimulus presentation: contrary to random presentation orders, the user can foresee the presentation time of the target letter sound. Healthy, normal hearing users (n?=?10) of the CharStreamer paradigm displayed ERP responses that systematically differed between target and non-target sounds. Class-discriminant features, however, varied individually from the typical N1-P2 complex and P3 ERP components found in control conditions with random sequences. To fully exploit the sequential presentation structure of CharStreamer, novel data analysis approaches and classification methods were introduced. The results of online spelling tests showed that a competitive spelling speed can be achieved with CharStreamer. With respect to user rating, it clearly outperforms a control setup with random presentation sequences. PMID:24886978
H�hne, Johannes; Tangermann, Michael
Development of a new, fast, user friendly, ray tracing program "CSIM" for the simulation of parallelhole collimators.
We have developed a fast, user friendly, ray-tracing program, "CSIM" for low-energy gamma rays (up to ?200keV) to simulate the performance characteristics of parallelhole collimators. We have used a ray-tracing approach to find the sensitivity and resolution of the parallelhole collimator by including the penetration of photons through the collimator due to the finite attenuation of the collimator material. "CSIM" can calculate the sensitivity of the collimator, the geometric and penetrating photon ratios, and the 1D and 2D point source response functions (PSF) with the statistical uncertainty for different hole shapes (e.g. square, hexagonal, and cylindrical). We have used "CSIM" to simulate the collimator of the YAP-(S)PETII small animal scanner. We present the analysis of the YAP-(S)PETII scanner round-hole parallel collimator designed for nuclear medicine imaging at 140keV. For this aim, different designs have been considered for a variety of source-collimator distances (b=5, 10, 15, 20cm). Resolution and sensitivity characteristics have been plotted as a function of the collimator thickness and the diameter of the hole. For each value of the source-collimator distance, and for each collimator thickness investigated, the trade-off between sensitivity and spatial resolution has been given as a series of characteristic curves. Then, we compare our simulated resolution and sensitivity results to the analytically calculated ones and found that the analytically calculated results for the YAP-(S)PETII scanner collimator are not far away the results predicted by CSIM and also with the experimentally measured resolution values. PMID:23347780
Erturk, Sakine Sebnem; Del Guerra, Alberto
CoP Sensing Framework on Web-Based Environment
The Web technologies and Web applications have shown similar high growth rate in terms of daily usages and user acceptance. The Web applications have not only penetrated in the traditional domains such as education and business but have also encroached into areas such as politics, social, lifestyle, and culture. The emergence of Web technologies has enabled Web access even to the person on the move through PDAs or mobile phones that are connected using Wi-Fi, HSDPA, or other communication protocols. These two phenomena are the inducement factors toward the need of building Web-based systems as the supporting tools in fulfilling many mundane activities. In doing this, one of the many focuses in research has been to look at the implementation challenges in building Web-based support systems in different types of environment. This chapter describes the implementation issues in building the community learning framework that can be supported on the Web-based platform. The Community of Practice (CoP) has been chosen as the community learning theory to be the case study and analysis as it challenges the creativity of the architectural design of the Web system in order to capture the presence of learning activities. The details of this chapter describe the characteristics of the CoP to understand the inherent intricacies in modeling in the Web-based environment, the evidences of CoP that need to be traced automatically in a slick manner such that the evidence-capturing process is unobtrusive, and the technologies needed to embrace a full adoption of Web-based support system for the community learning framework.
Mustapha, S. M. F. D. Syed
Prediction of forming limit curves of sheet metals using Hill�s 1993 user-friendly yield criterion of anisotropic materials
A user-friendly yield criterion was proposed by Hill in 1993, which utilizes five independent material parameters in representing the yield locus. In the present investigation, an attempt is made to analyze forming limits in sheet metals based on this yield criterion and the M�K approach. Comparison of the predicted results with experimental data indicates that Hill�s 1993 yield criterion is
Siguang Xu; Klaus J. Weinmann
Principles for Web-Based Instruction.
This thesis presents a set of principles for web-based instruction based on literature from instructional design, usability engineering, and human computer interaction. A questionnaire based on usability and instructional design attempts to show that in o...
E. I. Stefanyshyn
Chapter 12: Web-based Tools - The NOAO NVO Portal
This chapter introduces a web-based application to discover, access, and analyze imaging data within the Virtual Observatory. The tool itself runs within a Firefox browser and is fully web-based. The NOAO NVO Portal provides a static "cached view" of many VO image archive holdings through: 1) footprints of their instrument wire-frames and 2) a time-line view of when those images were taken. The web application allows for live discovery and access via those same NVO compliant image access services, a shopping cart to stage data from different archives at one location, and direct access to VO image analysis services (e.g. WESIX and Aladin). The web application is available at: http://nvo.noao.edu.
Miller, C. J.
A web-based audiometry database system.
To establish a real-time, web-based, customized audiometry database system, we worked in cooperation with the departments of medical records, information technology, and otorhinolaryngology at our hospital. This system includes an audiometry data entry system, retrieval and display system, patient information incorporation system, audiometry data transmission program, and audiometry data integration. Compared with commercial audiometry systems and traditional hand-drawn audiometry data, this web-based system saves time and money and is convenient for statistics research. PMID:24262921
Yeh, Chung-Hui; Wei, Sung-Tai; Chen, Tsung-Wen; Wang, Ching-Yuang; Tsai, Ming-Hsui; Lin, Chia-Der
Web based collaborative decision making in flood risk management
Stakeholder participation in the development of flood risk management (FRM) plans is essential since stakeholders often have a better understanding or knowledge of the potentials and limitation of their local area. Moreover, a participatory approach also creates trust amongst stakeholders, leading to a successful implementation of measures. Stakeholder participation however has its challenges and potential pitfalls that could lead to its premature termination. Such challenges and pitfalls are the limitation of financial resources, stakeholders' spatial distribution and their interest to participate. Different type of participation in FRM may encounter diverse challenges. These types of participation in FRM can be classified into (1) Information and knowledge sharing (IKS), (2) Consultative participation (CP) or (3) Collaborative decision making (CDM)- the most challenging type of participation. An innovative approach to address these challenges and potential pitfalls is a web-based mobile or computer-aided environment for stakeholder participation. This enhances the remote interaction between participating entities such as stakeholders. This paper presents a developed framework and an implementation of CDM web based environment for the Alster catchment (Hamburg, Germany) and Cranbrook catchment (London, UK). The CDM framework consists of two main stages: (1) Collaborative modelling and (2) Participatory decision making. This paper also highlights the stakeholder analyses, modelling approach and application of General Public License (GPL) technologies in developing the web-based environments. Actual test and evaluation of the environments was through series of stakeholders workshops. The overall results based from stakeholders' evaluation shows that web-based environments can address the challenges and potential pitfalls in stakeholder participation and it enhances participation in flood risk management. The web-based environment was developed within the DIANE-CM project (Decentralised Integrated Analysis and Enhancement of Awareness through Collaborative Modelling and Management of Flood Risk) of the 2nd ERANET CRUE funding initiative.
A Web-based repository manager for brain mapping data.
The Web provides a rapid prototyping environment for building platform-independent graphical user interfaces. A Web-based console can be implemented as a suite of CGI scripts that generate HTML code, manipulate files, execute system commands, and invoke external tools. Often these tools share data by reading and writing flat files, which must be explicitly maintained by the CGI programmer. In a repository system, meta-data about each file object are maintained in a database, and access to all data is regulated by a layer of control services. This paper describes the design and implementation of a Web-based Repository Manager (WRM), which provides an application programmer's interface for controlling applications, generating HTML documents, handling Web forms, and managing multi-media data. The WRM is being used to develop a console for the Brain Mapping Framework, a system for visualizing cortical stimulation data obtained during neurosurgery. Images Figure 2
Jakobovits, R. M.; Modayur, B.; Brinkley, J. F.
Web-Based Screeners and Applications: Potential Tools for Improving Benefit Access and Program Efficiency. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Human Services Policy, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
This issue brief draws on findings from eight case studies of web-based benefit access tools and provides a framework for thinking about their design and operation in order to improve efficiencies and increase benefit access.
Emily Sama-Miller; Jacqueline Kauff
CrossSearch, a user-friendly search engine for detecting chemically cross-linked peptides in conjugated proteins.
Chemical cross-linking and high resolution MS have been integrated successfully to capture protein interactions and provide low resolution structural data for proteins that are refractive to analyses by NMR or crystallography. Despite the versatility of these combined techniques, the array of products that is generated from the cross-linking and proteolytic digestion of proteins is immense and generally requires the use of labeling strategies and/or data base search algorithms to distinguish actual cross-linked peptides from the many side products of cross-linking. Most strategies reported to date have focused on the analysis of small cross-linked protein complexes (<60 kDa) because the number of potential forms of covalently modified peptides increases dramatically with the number of peptides generated from the digestion of such complexes. We report herein the development of a user-friendly search engine, CrossSearch, that provides the foundation for an overarching strategy to detect cross-linked peptides from the digests of large (>or=170-kDa) cross-linked proteins, i.e. conjugates. Our strategy combines the use of a low excess of cross-linker, data base searching, and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance MS to experimentally minimize and theoretically cull the side products of cross-linking. Using this strategy, the (alpha beta gamma delta)(4) phosphorylase kinase model complex was cross-linked to form with high specificity a 170-kDa betagamma conjugate in which we identified residues involved in the intramolecular cross-linking of the 125-kDa beta subunit between its regulatory N terminus and its C terminus. This finding provides an explanation for previously published homodimeric two-hybrid interactions of the beta subunit and suggests a dynamic structural role for the regulatory N terminus of that subunit. The results offer proof of concept for the CrossSearch strategy for analyzing conjugates and are the first to reveal a tertiary structural element of either homologous alpha or beta regulatory subunit of phosphorylase kinase. PMID:18281724
Nadeau, Owen W; Wyckoff, Gerald J; Paschall, Justin E; Artigues, Antonio; Sage, Jessica; Villar, Maria T; Carlson, Gerald M
A framework of a Web-based distributed control system
This paper describes a framework of a Web-based distributed control system (WBDCS) and the design and implementation of its software using a multitier client\\/server architecture and distributed object technology. The main issues addressed in this paper are the infrastructure of the system, the functionality of the components, and the real-time scheduling behavior of the application. CORBA is adopted to facilitate
Lian Chen; Armin Eberlein
Web-Based Data Collection
Instruction is increasingly being delivered through distributed multimedia applications. Instruction delivered through these online environments creates robust opportunities for content presentation and learner interaction. These environments give the designer control over every aspect of the instructional experience. With some simple�
Hsiao, E-Ling; Moore, David Richard
Open-Source web-based geographical information system for health exposure assessment
This paper presents the design and development of an open source web-based Geographical Information System allowing users to visualise, customise and interact with spatial data within their web browser. The developed application shows that by using solely Open Source software it was possible to develop a customisable web based GIS application that provides functions necessary to convey health and environmental data to experts and non-experts alike without the requirement of proprietary software.
DTome: a web-based tool for drug-target interactome construction
Background Understanding drug bioactivities is crucial for early-stage drug discovery, toxicology studies and clinical trials. Network pharmacology is a promising approach to better understand the molecular mechanisms of drug bioactivities. With a dramatic increase of rich data sources that document drugs' structural, chemical, and biological activities, it is necessary to develop an automated tool to construct a drug-target network for candidate drugs, thus facilitating the drug discovery process. Results We designed a computational workflow to construct drug-target networks from different knowledge bases including DrugBank, PharmGKB, and the PINA database. To automatically implement the workflow, we created a web-based tool called DTome (Drug-Target interactome tool), which is comprised of a database schema and a user-friendly web interface. The DTome tool utilizes web-based queries to search candidate drugs and then construct a DTome network by extracting and integrating four types of interactions. The four types are adverse drug interactions, drug-target interactions, drug-gene associations, and target-/gene-protein interactions. Additionally, we provided a detailed network analysis and visualization process to illustrate how to analyze and interpret the DTome network. The DTome tool is publicly available at http://bioinfo.mc.vanderbilt.edu/DTome. Conclusions As demonstrated with the antipsychotic drug clozapine, the DTome tool was effective and promising for the investigation of relationships among drugs, adverse interaction drugs, drug primary targets, drug-associated genes, and proteins directly interacting with targets or genes. The resultant DTome network provides researchers with direct insights into their interest drug(s), such as the molecular mechanisms of drug actions. We believe such a tool can facilitate identification of drug targets and drug adverse interactions.
LORIS: a web-based data management system for multi-center studies.
Longitudinal Online Research and Imaging System (LORIS) is a modular and extensible web-based data management system that integrates all aspects of a multi-center study: from heterogeneous data acquisition (imaging, clinical, behavior, and genetics) to storage, processing, and ultimately dissemination. It provides a secure, user-friendly, and streamlined platform to automate the flow of clinical trials and complex multi-center studies. A subject-centric internal organization allows researchers to capture and subsequently extract all information, longitudinal or cross-sectional, from any subset of the study cohort. Extensive error-checking and quality control procedures, security, data management, data querying, and administrative functions provide LORIS with a triple capability (1) continuous project coordination and monitoring of data acquisition (2) data storage/cleaning/querying, (3) interface with arbitrary external data processing "pipelines." LORIS is a complete solution that has been thoroughly tested through a full 10 year life cycle of a multi-center longitudinal project and is now supporting numerous international neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration research projects. PMID:22319489
Das, Samir; Zijdenbos, Alex P; Harlap, Jonathan; Vins, Dario; Evans, Alan C
Boulder ALignment Editor (ALE): a web-based RNA alignment tool
Summary: The explosion of interest in non-coding RNAs, together with improvements in RNA X-ray crystallography, has led to a rapid increase in RNA structures at atomic resolution from 847 in 2005 to 1900 in 2010. The success of whole-genome sequencing has led to an explosive growth of unaligned homologous sequences. Consequently, there is a compelling and urgent need for user-friendly tools for producing structure-informed RNA alignments. Most alignment software considers the primary sequence alone; some specialized alignment software can also include Watson�Crick base pairs, but none adequately addresses the needs introduced by the rapid influx of both sequence and structural data. Therefore, we have developed the Boulder ALignment Editor (ALE), which is a web-based RNA alignment editor, designed for editing and assessing alignments using structural information. Some features of BoulderALE include the annotation and evaluation of an alignment based on isostericity of Watson�Crick and non-Watson�Crick base pairs, along with the collapsing (horizontally and vertically) of the alignment, while maintaining the ability to edit the alignment. Availability: http://www.microbio.me/boulderale. Contact: email@example.com
Stombaugh, Jesse; Widmann, Jeremy; McDonald, Daniel; Knight, Rob
Web-based resources for comparative genomics.
The available web-based genome data and related resources provide great opportunities for biomedical scientists to identify functional elements in a particular genome region or to explore the evolutionary pattern of genome dynamics. Comparative genomics is an indispensable tool for achieving these goals. Because of the broad scope of comparative genomics, it is difficult to address all of its aspects in this short survey. A few currently 'hot' topics have therefore been selected and a brief review of the availability of web-based databases and software is given. PMID:16197736
Gu, Xun; Su, Zhixi
Web-based Service Portal in Healthcare
Information delivery is one the most important task in healthcare. The growing sector of electronic healthcare has an important impact on the information delivery. There are two basic approaches towards information delivering. The first is web portal and second is touch-screen terminal. The aim of this paper is to investigate the web-based service portal. The most important advantage of web-based portal in the field of healthcare is an independent access for patients. This paper deals with the conditions and frameworks for healthcare portals
Silhavy, Petr; Silhavy, Radek; Prokopova, Zdenka
Web-based resources for comparative genomics
The available web-based genome data and related resources provide great opportunities for biomedical scientists to identify functional elements in a particular genome region or to explore the evolutionary pattern of genome dynamics. Comparative genomics is an indispensable tool for achieving these goals. Because of the broad scope of comparative genomics, it is difficult to address all of its aspects in short survey. A few currently 'hot' topics have therefore been selected and a brief review of the availability of web-based databases software is given.
A Web-Based Tutorial for Parents of Young Children with Autism: Results from a Pilot Study
Abstract Objective: Early intervention can significantly improve long-term outcomes for children with autism. Unfortunately, many children do not receive early intervention services due to a critical shortage of trained professionals in this area. To bridge this gap, we evaluated a Web-based parent training tutorial (Enhancing Interactions), based on evidence-based practices and utilizing the Web-based platform to maximize learning. Methods: Twenty-three parents with a child between 18 months and 6 years with an autism spectrum disorder participated. Pre- and posttest scores of parents' knowledge were used to evaluate tutorial effectiveness. The system usability scale (SUS) evaluated technical user-friendliness and the user satisfaction questionnaire (USQ), gauged satisfaction with content. Results: The mean number of correct items on the posttest significantly increased, from 12.6 to 20.4, p<0.001. The mean SUS score was 85 (standard deviation=17), corresponding to a score of �excellent.� All participants found the tutorial user friendly, well integrated, and 96% (all but one participant) thought it was easy to use, felt confident using the technical features, and would use a tutorial like this again. On the USQ, all participants found that the tutorial was well organized, clearly presented, and easy to understand; that it increased their knowledge about communicating with their child; and that they felt capable of applying these techniques with their child. Conclusions: The tutorial appears effective in increasing parents' knowledge with high user satisfaction.
Stone, Wendy L.; Wallace, Elizabeth; Warren, Zachary; Swanson, Amy; Robson, Kraig
MINErosion 3: A user friendly hillslope model for predicting erosion from steep post-mining landscapes in Central Queensland, Australia.
Open-cut coal mining in Central Queensland involves the breaking up of overburden that overlies the coal seams using explosives, followed by removal with draglines which results in the formation of extensive overburden spoil-piles with steep slopes at the angle of repose (approximately 75 % or 37o). These spoil-piles are found in long multiple rows, with heights of up to 60 or 70 m above the original landscapes. They are generally highly saline and dispersive and hence highly erosive. Legislation requires that these spoil-piles be rehabilitated into a stable self sustaining ecosystem with no off-site pollution. The first stage in the rehabilitation of these landscapes is the lowering of slopes to create a landscape that is stable against geotechnical failure and erosion. This is followed by revegetation generally with grasses as pioneer vegetation to further reduce erosion and a mixture of native shrubs and trees. Minimizing erosion and excessive on-site discharges of sediment into the working areas may result in the temporary cessation of mining operation with significant financial consequences, while off site discharges may breach the mining lease conditions. The average cost of rehabilitation is around 22,000 per ha. With more than 50,000 ha of such spoil-piles in Queensland at present, the total cost of rehabilitation facing the industry is very high. Most of this comprised the cost of reshaping the landscape, largely associated with the amount of material movement necessary to achieve the desired landscape. Since soil and spoil-piles vary greatly in their erodibilities, a reliable and accurate method is required to determine a cost effective combination of slope length, slope gradient and vegetation that will result in acceptable rates of erosion. A user friendly hillslope computer package MINErosion 3, was developed to predict potential erosion to select suitable combinations of landscape design parameters (slope gradient, slope length and vegetation cover) that will result in acceptable rates of erosion. Slope length and gradient can then be used by the mining companies as inputs into their landscape design software to cost effectively construct suitable landscapes that will meet the required erosion criteria. MINErosion 3 itself is a cost effective package as it used laboratory derived parameters as inputs and predicts both the field annual average soil loss under the prevailing climatic conditions (using RUSLE) as well as the potential erosion from individual storms with known recurrent intervals (using MUSLE). MINErosion 3 is very simple and easy to use and the data requirements are small. A database of 34 soils and spoils from Central Queensland are imbeded in the model. This paper discusses the approach adopted for this model, its features and validation against data collected using large field rainfall simulators as well as field runoff plots ranging from 20 to 120 m long at different slope gradients from 10 to 75 %. The agreement between predicted (Y1) and measured (X1) annual average soil loss is good with a regression equation of Y1 = 0.8 X1 + 0.005 and an R2 = 0.70; while predicted (Y2) and measured (X2) rainstorm erosion events have a regression of Y2 = 0.867 X2 with an R2 of 0.68.
So, Hwat-Bing; Khalifa, Ashraf; Carroll, Chris; Yu, Bofu
The Allergic Airway Inflammation Repository - a user-friendly, curated resource of mRNA expression levels in studies of allergic airways.
Public microarray databases allow analysis of expression levels of candidate genes in different contexts. However, finding relevant microarray data is complicated by the large number of available studies. We have compiled a user-friendly, open-access database of mRNA microarray experiments relevant to allergic airway inflammation, the Allergic Airway Inflammation Repository (AAIR, http://aair.cimed.ike.liu.se/). The aim is to allow allergy researchers to determine the expression profile of their genes of interest in multiple clinical data sets and several experimental systems quickly and intuitively. AAIR also provides quick links to other relevant information such as experimental protocols, related literature and raw data files. PMID:24888382
Gawel, D R; Rani James, A; Benson, M; Liljenstr�m, R; Muraro, A; Nestor, C E; Zhang, H; Gustafsson, M
Reasoning in Semantic Web-based Systems
In this chapter, we introduce the basics of formal languages and reasoning in a Web context. Denoting information by means of a logical formalism makes it possible to employ established techniques from the field of automated reasoning. However, reasoning in the context of Web-based systems has a distinct set of requirements in terms of quality and quantity of the information
Florian Fischer; Gulay Unel
On Building a Web-Based University
This paper describes some of the principles for building a freely available web-based university with open content. The "tutor-web" is an international project for web-assisted education, including such free and open access. This project was initiated by the University of Iceland in partnership with many universities around the world, among them�
Constantinescu, Dana; Stefansson, Gunnar
Web-Based CALL to Listening Comprehension
This study investigated effectiveness of Web-based CALL on listening comprehension. Both students' academic performance and attitudes were examined. T-tests were used to analyze the results of students' academic performance. Descriptive statistics interpreted students' attitudes toward this learning. Students' participation was also recorded.�
Chen, Li-Mei; Zhang, Ruiming
Adding Interactivity to Web Based Distance Learning.
Web Based Distance Learning (WBDL) is a form of distance learning based on providing instruction mainly on the World Wide Web. This paradigm has limitations, especially the lack of interactivity inherent in the Web. The purpose of this paper is to discuss some of the technologies the authors have used in their courses at Florida Atlantic�
Cafolla, Ralph; Knee, Richard
Web Based Fuzzy Multicriteria Decision Making Tool
In this paper, we developed a web-based decision making tool which utilizes fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP) methodology to solve daily complicated decision making problems. Fuzzy concepts are used to enhance the traditional AHP, which is mainly applied in crisps decision environment. Fuzzy linguistic term approach is applied to capture the fuzziness and subjectiveness of decision makers' judgements. Due to
Lee Hua Jie; Mak Chee Meng; Chin Wen Cheong
Web-Based Learning Design Tool
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to propose a web-based tool that enables the development and provision of learning designs and its reuse and re-contextualization as generative learning objects, aimed at developing educational materials. Design/methodology/approach: The use of learning objects can facilitate the process of production and�
Bruno, F. B.; Silva, T. L. K.; Silva, R. P.; Teixeira, F. G.
Web-based enterprise management architecture
This article is a description of the Web-Based Enterprise Management initiative. It discusses both the substance of the initiative itself, in the form of the overall architectural approach implied by WBEM, and the industry context that gave rise to WBEM. The industry context is the current state of management systems and software, standardization efforts, and the actual systems being managed.
J. P. Thompson
Streaming Media for Web Based Training.
This paper discusses streaming media for World Wide Web-based training (WBT). The first section addresses WBT in the 21st century, including the Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL) standard that allows multimedia content such as text, pictures, sound, and video to be synchronized for a coherent learning experience. The second�
Childers, Chad; Rizzo, Frank; Bangert, Linda
Distributed Web-based simulation optimization
Web technology is having a significant impact on computer simulation. Most of the effort in Web based simulation is aimed at modeling, particularly at building simulation languages and at creating model libraries that can be assembled and executed over the Web. We focus on the efficiency of simulation experimentation for optimization. We introduce a framework for combining the statistical efficiency
Yuh-Chuyn Luo; Chun-Hung Chen; E. Yucesan; Insup Lee
Distributed web-based simulation optimization
Web technology is having a significant impact on computer simulation. Most of the effort in web-based simulation is aimed at modeling, particularly at building simulation languages and at creating model libraries that can be assembled and executed over the web. We focus on the efficiency of simulation experimentation for optimization. We introduce a framework for combining the statistical efficiency of
Yuh-Chuyn Luo; Chun-Hung Chen; Enver Y�cesan; Insup Lee
Visualization of Web-based Workspace Structures
Web-based collaboration is becoming increasingly com- mon. Often such collaboration exhibits emergent character- istics, for which systems based on a notion of workspaces provide suitable support. Virtual teams collaborating in this manner create virtual organizational structures, the capture and retention of which into organizational memory promises to be of benefit, as it can facilitate reuse. Visu- alization of workspace structures
Robert P. Biuk-aghai
Web-Based Family Life Education: Spotlight on User Experience
Family Life Education (FLE) websites can benefit from the field of user experience, which makes technology easy to use. A heuristic evaluation of five FLE sites was performed using Neilson's heuristics, guidelines for making sites user friendly. Greater site complexity resulted in more potential user problems. Sites most frequently had problems�
Doty, Jennifer; Doty, Matthew; Dwrokin, Jodi
Web-Based Training of Metacognitive Strategies for Text Comprehension: Focus on Poor Comprehenders
Metacognitive reading strategies were trained and practiced using interactive Web-based tools. Twenty middle school poor reading\\u000a comprehenders were trained in two metacognitive strategies using a Web-based application called 3D-Readers. The training texts\\u000a were science-oriented and merged the narrative and expository genres. Results from a within-subjects design answered two main\\u000a experimental questions: (1) Were greater comprehension gains demonstrated after reading experimental
Mina C. Johnson-Glenberg; LLC Madison
Development of a web-based laboratory for control experiments on a coupled tank apparatus
The Internet provides a new environment for developing a variety of applications for educational and research purposes. This paper presents the implementation of a web-based laboratory experiment on a coupled tank apparatus, a multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) system. The web-based laboratory has been developed to serve students and staff in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS).
C. C. Ko; Ben M. Chen; Jianping Chen; Yuan Zhuang; Kay Chen Tan
Web-based GIS: the vector-borne disease airline importation risk (VBD-AIR) tool
Background Over the past century, the size and complexity of the air travel network has increased dramatically. Nowadays, there are 29.6 million scheduled flights per year and around 2.7 billion passengers are transported annually. The rapid expansion of the network increasingly connects regions of endemic vector-borne disease with the rest of the world, resulting in challenges to health systems worldwide in terms of vector-borne pathogen importation and disease vector invasion events. Here we describe the development of a user-friendly Web-based GIS tool: the Vector-Borne Disease Airline Importation Risk Tool (VBD-AIR), to help better define the roles of airports and airlines in the transmission and spread of vector-borne diseases. Methods Spatial datasets on modeled global disease and vector distributions, as well as climatic and air network traffic data were assembled. These were combined to derive relative risk metrics via air travel for imported infections, imported vectors and onward transmission, and incorporated into a three-tier server architecture in a Model-View-Controller framework with distributed GIS components. A user-friendly web-portal was built that enables dynamic querying of the spatial databases to provide relevant information. Results The VBD-AIR tool constructed enables the user to explore the interrelationships among modeled global distributions of vector-borne infectious diseases (malaria. dengue, yellow fever and chikungunya) and international air service routes to quantify seasonally changing risks of vector and vector-borne disease importation and spread by air travel, forming an evidence base to help plan mitigation strategies. The VBD-AIR tool is available at http://www.vbd-air.com. Conclusions VBD-AIR supports a data flow that generates analytical results from disparate but complementary datasets into an organized cartographical presentation on a web map for the assessment of vector-borne disease movements on the air travel network. The framework built provides a flexible and robust informatics infrastructure by separating the modules of functionality through an ontological model for vector-borne disease. The VBD?AIR tool is designed as an evidence base for visualizing the risks of vector-borne disease by air travel for a wide range of users, including planners and decisions makers based in state and local government, and in particular, those at international and domestic airports tasked with planning for health risks and allocating limited resources.
New User-Friendly Approach to Obtain an Eisenberg Plot and Its Use as a Practical Tool in Protein Sequence Analysis
The Eisenberg plot or hydrophobic moment plot methodology is one of the most frequently used methods of bioinformatics. Bioinformatics is more and more recognized as a helpful tool in Life Sciences in general, and recent developments in approaches recognizing lipid binding regions in proteins are promising in this respect. In this study a bioinformatics approach specialized in identifying lipid binding helical regions in proteins was used to obtain an Eisenberg plot. The validity of the Heliquest generated hydrophobic moment plot was checked and exemplified. This study indicates that the Eisenberg plot methodology can be transferred to another hydrophobicity scale and renders a user-friendly approach which can be utilized in routine checks in protein�lipid interaction and in protein and peptide lipid binding characterization studies. A combined approach seems to be advantageous and results in a powerful tool in the search of helical lipid-binding regions in proteins and peptides. The strength and limitations of the Eisenberg plot approach itself are discussed as well. The presented approach not only leads to a better understanding of the nature of the protein�lipid interactions but also provides a user-friendly tool for the search of lipid-binding regions in proteins and peptides.
Keller, Rob C.A.
Enable Web-Based Tracking and Guiding by Integrating Location-Awareness with the World Wide Web
Purpose: The aim of this research is to enable web-based tracking and guiding by integrating location-awareness with the Worldwide Web so that the users can use various location-based applications without installing extra software. Design/methodology/approach: The concept of web-based tracking and guiding is introduced and the relevant issues are�
Zhou, Rui
Interface Metaphors and Web-Based Learning
\\u000a In building an effective Web-based learning system, consideration must be given to not only the educational content and learning\\u000a activities but also to the design of the human computer interface (HCI). When the interface is difficult to use it can interfere\\u000a with learning. Whilst this is a critical aspect, the design of this element is often overlooked in the rush
Sarah Guss
KMi Planet: A Web Based News Server
We describe KMi Planet, a web based news server which facilitates communication within a our laboratory and allows the wider community to access lab-related items of interest. Unlike most news-of-the-future projects, which focus on personalised newsfeeds, we have concentrated on replicating some of the functionality provided by newsrooms. Our goal was to reduce the article submission overheads for the members
John Domingue; Peter Scott
Web-Based Program May Help Beginner Drivers
In this chapter, we introduce the basics of formal languages and reasoning in a Web context. Denoting information by means of a logical formalism makes it possible to employ established techniques from the field of automated reasoning. However, reasoning in the context of Web-based systems has a distinct set of requirements in terms of quality and quantity of the information it has to cope with. In turn, this chapter focuses, in a very foundational way, on reasoning on Semantic Web-oriented data. For this purpose, we briefly identify and describe the basic paradigms forming the background for knowledge representation in Web-based Systems. We then examine how these paradigms are reflected in current standards and trends on the Web and what kinds of reasoning they typically facilitate. Based on this, we proceed to focus on concrete reasoning techniques and their particular properties, including optimizations and various other possibilities, e.g., parallelization and approximation, to meet the scalability requirements in Web-based systems.
Fischer, Florian; Unel, Gulay
Web-Based Learning Support System
Web-based learning support system offers many benefits over traditional learning environments and has become very popular. The Web is a powerful environment for distributing information and delivering knowledge to an increasingly wide and diverse audience. Typical Web-based learning environments, such as Web-CT, Blackboard, include course content delivery tools, quiz modules, grade reporting systems, assignment submission components, etc. They are powerful integrated learning management systems (LMS) that support a number of activities performed by teachers and students during the learning process [1]. However, students who study a course on the Internet tend to be more heterogeneously distributed than those found in a traditional classroom situation. In order to achieve optimal efficiency in a learning process, an individual learner needs his or her own personalized assistance. For a web-based open and dynamic learning environment, personalized support for learners becomes more important. This chapter demonstrates how to realize personalized learning support in dynamic and heterogeneous learning environments by utilizing Adaptive Web technologies. It focuses on course personalization in terms of contents and teaching materials that is according to each student's needs and capabilities. An example of using Rough Set to analyze student personal information to assist students with effective learning and predict student performance is presented.
Fan, Lisa
A web-based modular framework for real-time monitoring of large scale sensor networks
The Antelope Real Time System (ARTS) is an integrated combination of protocols, acquisition systems and applications designed for real-time data collection and analysis from an array of deployed field sensors. Historically these were seismic sensors, however the open architecture of the ARTS facilitated development of acquisition protocols for a diverse group of sensors, including data streams from hf radar, meteorological instrumentation and cameras. In parallel with the expansion of data-type ingestion, a web-based interface to the ARTS was developed in PHP, a popular HTML embedded scripting language. The application-driven development of web-based software to Antelope-stored data has risen exponentially over the last four years, from simple database interactions to web-based AJAX applications similar in look and feel to desktop software. As the web-based applications have grown in complexity, the architecture around their development has matured into an extensible framework with "plug'n'play" capabilities. Their modular design has allowed multiple institutions to deploy the same web-based applications, tailored for their specific requirements. Examples include the NSF Earthscope USArray Transportable Array, ROADNet's Realtime Imagebank, the broadband seismic network monitoring of the University of Nevada Reno and University of California San Diego, and monitoring of the downhole arrays maintained by the University of California Santa Barbara. The success of these deployments suggest that such a framework could be applicable to other large scale sensor networks, including the developing Ocean Observatories project.
Newman, R. L.; Lindquist, K. G.; Vernon, F. L.
A Brief Introduction to Web-Based Note Capture
While physical notebooks and locally saved electronic files are certainly helpful, there are a number of web-based solutions that might be useful to someone conducting research online, or looking to hold their notes in a web-based environment. The main advantage of a web-based note capture tool is that one is able to access it from just about�
Ovadia, Steven
Web-CS: Infrastructure for Web-Based Competitions.
This paper presents a World Wide Web-based infrastructure for cooperation between many different parties. The infrastructure is designed for Web-based competitions involving an editorial board, designers of assignments or events, evaluators, different organizational layers, and contestants. Web-CS is entirely Web-based: all the communication�
Aerts, A. T. M.; Bierhoff, P. F. M.; De Bra, P. M. E.
Web-based data collection: detailed methods of a questionnaire and data gathering tool
There have been dramatic advances in the development of web-based data collection instruments. This paper outlines a systematic web-based approach to facilitate this process through locally developed code and to describe the results of using this process after two years of data collection. We provide a detailed example of a web-based method that we developed for a study in Starr County, Texas, assessing high school students' work and health status. This web-based application includes data instrument design, data entry and management, and data tables needed to store the results that attempt to maximize the advantages of this data collection method. The software also efficiently produces a coding manual, web-based statistical summary and crosstab reports, as well as input templates for use by statistical packages. Overall, web-based data entry using a dynamic approach proved to be a very efficient and effective data collection system. This data collection method expedited data processing and analysis and eliminated the need for cumbersome and expensive transfer and tracking of forms, data entry, and verification. The code has been made available for non-profit use only to the public health research community as a free download [1].
Cooper, Charles J; Cooper, Sharon P; del Junco, Deborah J; Shipp, Eva M; Whitworth, Ryan; Cooper, Sara R
Towards Web-based representation and processing of health information
Background There is great concern within health surveillance, on how to grapple with environmental degradation, rapid urbanization, population mobility and growth. The Internet has emerged as an efficient way to share health information, enabling users to access and understand data at their fingertips. Increasingly complex problems in the health field require increasingly sophisticated computer software, distributed computing power, and standardized data sharing. To address this need, Web-based mapping is now emerging as an important tool to enable health practitioners, policy makers, and the public to understand spatial health risks, population health trends and vulnerabilities. Today several web-based health applications generate dynamic maps; however, for people to fully interpret the maps they need data source description and the method used in the data analysis or statistical modeling. For the representation of health information through Web-mapping applications, there still lacks a standard format to accommodate all fixed (such as location) and variable (such as age, gender, health outcome, etc) indicators in the representation of health information. Furthermore, net-centric computing has not been adequately applied to support flexible health data processing and mapping online. Results The authors of this study designed a HEalth Representation XML (HERXML) schema that consists of the semantic (e.g., health activity description, the data sources description, the statistical methodology used for analysis), geometric, and cartographical representations of health data. A case study has been carried on the development of web application and services within the Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure (CGDI) framework for community health programs of the New Brunswick Lung Association. This study facilitated the online processing, mapping and sharing of health information, with the use of HERXML and Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) services. It brought a new solution in better health data representation and initial exploration of the Web-based processing of health information. Conclusion The designed HERXML has been proven to be an appropriate solution in supporting the Web representation of health information. It can be used by health practitioners, policy makers, and the public in disease etiology, health planning, health resource management, health promotion and health education. The utilization of Web-based processing services in this study provides a flexible way for users to select and use certain processing functions for health data processing and mapping via the Web. This research provides easy access to geospatial and health data in understanding the trends of diseases, and promotes the growth and enrichment of the CGDI in the public health sector.
Gao, Sheng; Mioc, Darka; Yi, Xiaolun; Anton, Francois; Oldfield, Eddie; Coleman, David J
The Effects of Different Interaction Types in Web-Based Teaching on the Attitudes of Learners towards Web-Based Teaching and Internet
It might be said that attitudes impact success directly in web-based teaching and timely and appropriate fulfillment of learners' expectations bear utmost significance for their success. From this perspective a properly designed web supported teaching application can provide positive contribution as well to learners' attitudes towards�
Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 2013
Web-Based Science Inquiry Projects
Web-based inquiry (WBI) learning activities support students as active learners. In these activities, students do not wait for a teacher or someone else to provide an answer. They conduct investigations with meaningful questions about everyday experiences, evaluate evidence critically to seek solutions, and ask new questions. Such inquiry-based approaches allow students to learn scientific practices by using those practices realistically. Learners who experience inquiry-based activities and instructional methods develop a broad understanding of science, along with the critical reasoning and problem-solving skills involved in scientific reasoning.
Bodzin, Alec M.
Web-Based Programs Assess Cognitive Fitness
The National Space Biomedical Research Institute, based in Houston and funded by NASA, began funding research for Harvard University researchers to design Palm software to help astronauts monitor and assess their cognitive functioning. The MiniCog Rapid Assessment Battery (MRAB) was licensed by the Criteria Corporation in Los Angeles and adapted for Web-based employment testing. The test battery assesses nine different cognitive functions and can gauge the effect of stress-related deficits, such as fatigue, on various tasks. The MRAB can be used not only for pre-employment testing but also for repeat administrations to measure day-to-day job readiness in professions where alertness is critical.
DNAVaxDB: the first web-based DNA vaccine database and its data analysis
Since the first DNA vaccine studies were done in the 1990s, thousands more studies have followed. Here we report the development and analysis of DNAVaxDB (http://www.violinet.org/dnavaxdb), the first publically available web-based DNA vaccine database that curates, stores, and analyzes experimentally verified DNA vaccines, DNA vaccine plasmid vectors, and protective antigens used in DNA vaccines. All data in DNAVaxDB are annotated from reliable resources, particularly peer-reviewed articles. Among over 140 DNA vaccine plasmids, some plasmids were more frequently used in one type of pathogen than others; for example, pCMVi-UB for G- bacterial DNA vaccines, and pCAGGS for viral DNA vaccines. Presently, over 400 DNA vaccines containing over 370 protective antigens from over 90 infectious and non-infectious diseases have been curated in DNAVaxDB. While extracellular and bacterial cell surface proteins and adhesin proteins were frequently used for DNA vaccine development, the majority of protective antigens used in Chlamydophila DNA vaccines are localized to the inner portion of the cell. The DNA vaccine priming, other vaccine boosting vaccination regimen has been widely used to induce protection against infection of different pathogens such as HIV. Parasitic and cancer DNA vaccines were also systematically analyzed. User-friendly web query and visualization interfaces are available in DNAVaxDB for interactive data search. To support data exchange, the information of DNA vaccines, plasmids, and protective antigens is stored in the Vaccine Ontology (VO). DNAVaxDB is targeted to become a timely and vital source of DNA vaccines and related data and facilitate advanced DNA vaccine research and development.
Adaptive Semantic and Social Web-based learning and assessment environment for the STEM
We are building a cloud- and Semantic Web-based personalized, adaptive learning environment for the STEM fields that integrates and leverages Social Web technologies to allow instructors and authors of learning material to collaborate in semi-automatic development and update of their common domain and task ontologies and building their learning resources. The semi-automatic ontology learning and development minimize issues related to the design and maintenance of domain ontologies by knowledge engineers who do not have any knowledge of the domain. The social web component of the personal adaptive system will allow individual and group learners to interact with each other and discuss their own learning experience and understanding of course material, and resolve issues related to their class assignments. The adaptive system will be capable of representing key knowledge concepts in different ways and difficulty levels based on learners' differences, and lead to different understanding of the same STEM content by different learners. It will adapt specific pedagogical strategies to individual learners based on their characteristics, cognition, and preferences, allow authors to assemble remotely accessed learning material into courses, and provide facilities for instructors to assess (in real time) the perception of students of course material, monitor their progress in the learning process, and generate timely feedback based on their understanding or misconceptions. The system applies a set of ontologies that structure the learning process, with multiple user friendly Web interfaces. These include the learning ontology (models learning objects, educational resources, and learning goal); context ontology (supports adaptive strategy by detecting student situation), domain ontology (structures concepts and context), learner ontology (models student profile, preferences, and behavior), task ontologies, technological ontology (defines devices and places that surround the student), pedagogy ontology, and learner ontology (defines time constraint, comment, profile).
Babaie, Hassan; Atchison, Chris; Sunderraman, Rajshekhar
Key to Freshwater Algae: A Web-based Tool to Enhance Understanding of Microscopic Biodiversity
The Freshwater Ecology Laboratory at Connecticut College has developed an interactive, Web-based identification key to freshwater algal genera using the Lucid Professional and Lucid 3 software developed by the Centre for Biological Information Technology at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. The Key to Freshwater Algae was funded by the National Science Foundation (Award #CCLI-0229531) to encourage awareness of microscopic diversity through a creative, investigative approach to learning. Users may answer questions in any order to quickly and efficiently narrow down the list of taxa to only those that match the characteristics they have chosen. All characters and terms are clearly explained for ease of use by those unfamiliar with the algae. This non-hierarchical, user-friendly key is linked to Web pages containing a wealth of resources, including images, movies, and information about the morphology, ecology, and reproduction of each organism. These materials are especially well suited for classroom use in conjunction with cultures purchased from the Carolina Biological Supply Company, a popular distributor of biological materials. Cultures from the Carolina Biological Supply Company representing nearly 75 freshwater genera from a variety of algal groups were observed and photographed using high resolution digital imaging to fully document cellular structure and highlight distinguishing features. High quality video footage of each taxon incorporating titles, diagrams, and structural terminology was outputted as QuickTime movies, on DVD, and on VHS cassettes. The Key to Freshwater Algae and supplemental materials are available online at http://silicasecchidisk.conncoll.edu to provide an innovative alternative to traditional dichotomous keys that is particularly appropriate for introducing students in undergraduate life science courses to the algal groups and genera.
Shayler, Hannah A.; Siver, Peter A.
BrainIACS: a system for web-based medical image processing
We describe BrainIACS, a web-based medical image processing system that permits and facilitates algorithm developers to quickly create extensible user interfaces for their algorithms. Designed to address the challenges faced by algorithm developers in providing user-friendly graphical interfaces, BrainIACS is completely implemented using freely available, open-source software. The system, which is based on a client-server architecture, utilizes an AJAX front-end written using the Google Web Toolkit (GWT) and Java Servlets running on Apache Tomcat as its back-end. To enable developers to quickly and simply create user interfaces for configuring their algorithms, the interfaces are described using XML and are parsed by our system to create the corresponding user interface elements. Most of the commonly found elements such as check boxes, drop down lists, input boxes, radio buttons, tab panels and group boxes are supported. Some elements such as the input box support input validation. Changes to the user interface such as addition and deletion of elements are performed by editing the XML file or by using the system's user interface creator. In addition to user interface generation, the system also provides its own interfaces for data transfer, previewing of input and output files, and algorithm queuing. As the system is programmed using Java (and finally Java-script after compilation of the front-end code), it is platform independent with the only requirements being that a Servlet implementation be available and that the processing algorithms can execute on the server platform.
Kishore, Bhaskar; Bazin, Pierre-Louis; Pham, Dzung L.
A web-based 3D geological information visualization system
Construction of 3D geological visualization system has attracted much more concern in GIS, computer modeling, simulation and visualization fields. It not only can effectively help geological interpretation and analysis work, but also can it can help leveling up geosciences professional education. In this paper, an applet-based method was introduced for developing a web-based 3D geological information visualization system. The main aims of this paper are to explore a rapid and low-cost development method for constructing a web-based 3D geological system. First, the borehole data stored in Excel spreadsheets was extracted and then stored in SQLSERVER database of a web server. Second, the JDBC data access component was utilized for providing the capability of access the database. Third, the user interface was implemented with applet component embedded in JSP page and the 3D viewing and querying functions were implemented with PickCanvas of Java3D. Last, the borehole data acquired from geological survey were used for test the system, and the test results has shown that related methods of this paper have a certain application values.
Song, Renbo; Jiang, Nan
A Multi-Channel Approach for Collaborative Web-Based Learning
This paper describes an architectural framework and a prototype implementation of a web-based multi-channel e-Learning application that allows students, lecturers and the research communities to collaborate irrespective of the communication device a user is carrying. The application was developed based on the concept of "right once run on any�
Azeta, A. A.
Automatic and continuous landslide monitoring: the Rotolon Web-based platform
Mount Rotolon (Eastern Italian Alps) is affected by a complex landslide that, since 1985, is threatening the nearby village of Recoaro Terme. The first written proof of a landslide occurrence dated back to 1798. After the last re-activation on November 2010 (637 mm of intense rainfall recorded in the 12 days prior the event), a mass of approximately 320.000 m3 detached from the south flank of Mount Rotolon and evolved into a fast debris flow that ran for about 3 km along the stream bed. A real-time monitoring system was required to detect early indication of rapid movements, potentially saving lives and property. A web-based platform for automatic and continuous monitoring was designed as a first step in the implementation of an early-warning system. Measurements collected by the automated geotechnical and topographic instrumentation, deployed over the landslide body, are gathered in a central box station. After the calibration process, they are transmitted by web services on a local server, where graphs, maps, reports and alert announcement are automatically generated and updated. All the processed information are available by web browser with different access rights. The web environment provides the following advantages: 1) data is collected from different data sources and matched on a single server-side frame 2) a remote user-interface allows regular technical maintenance and direct access to the instruments 3) data management system is synchronized and automatically tested 4) a graphical user interface on browser provides a user-friendly tool for decision-makers to interact with a system continuously updated. On this site two monitoring systems are actually on course: 1) GB-InSAR radar interferometer (University of Florence - Department of Earth Science) and 2) Automated Total Station (ATS) combined with extensometers network in a Web-based solution (CNR-IRPI Padova). This work deals with details on methodology, services and techniques adopted for the second monitoring solution. The activity directly interfaces with local Civil Protection agency, Regional Geological Service and local authorities with integrated roles and aims.
Frigerio, Simone; Schenato, Luca; Mantovani, Matteo; Bossi, Giulia; Marcato, Gianluca; Cavalli, Marco; Pasuto, Alessandro
Ontodog: a web-based ontology community view generation tool.
Biomedical ontologies are often very large and complex. Only a subset of the ontology may be needed for a specified application or community. For ontology end users, it is desirable to have community-based labels rather than the labels generated by ontology developers. Ontodog is a web-based system that can generate an ontology subset based on Excel input, and support generation of an ontology community view, which is defined as the whole or a subset of the source ontology with user-specified annotations including user-preferred labels. Ontodog allows users to easily generate community views with minimal ontology knowledge and no programming skills or installation required. Currently >100 ontologies including all OBO Foundry ontologies are available to generate the views based on user needs. We demonstrate the application of Ontodog for the generation of community views using the Ontology for Biomedical Investigations as the source ontology. PMID:24413522
Zheng, Jie; Xiang, Zuoshuang; Stoeckert, Christian J; He, Yongqun
A web-based spatial decision support system for spatial planning and governance in the Guangdong Province
After three decades' rapid economic development, Guangdong province faces to thorny problems related to pollution, resource shortage and environmental deterioration. What is worse, the future accelerated development, urbanization and industrialization also comes at the cost of regional imbalance with economic gaps growing and the quality of life in different regions degrading. Development and Reform Commission of Guangdong Province (GDDRC) started a spatial planning project under the national frame in 2007. The prospective project is expected to enhance the equality of different regions and balance the economic development with environmental protection and improved sustainability. This manuscript presents the results of scientific research aiming to develop a Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) for this spatial planning project. The system composes four modules include the User interface module (UIM), Spatial Analyze module (SAM), Database management module (DMM) and Help module (HM) base on ArcInfo, JSP/Servlet, JavaScript, MapServer, Visual C++ and Visual Basic technologies. The web-based SDSS provides a user-friendly tool for local decision makers, regional planners and other stakeholders in understanding and visualizing the different territorial dimensions of economic development against sustainable environmental and exhausted resources, and in defining, comparing and prioritizing specific territorially-based actions in order to prevent non-sustainable development and implement relevant politics.
Wu, Qitao; Zhang, Hong-ou; Chen, Fengui; Dou, Jie
Design and implementation of a web-based data grid management system for enterprise PACS backup and disaster recovery
A cross-continental Data Grid infrastructure has been developed at the Image Processing and Informatics (IPI) research laboratory as a fault-tolerant image data backup and disaster recovery solution for Enterprise PACS. The Data Grid stores multiple copies of the imaging studies as well as the metadata, such as patient and study information, in geographically distributed computers and storage devices involving three different continents: America, Asia and Europe. This effectively prevents loss of image data and accelerates data recovery in the case of disaster. However, the lack of centralized management system makes the administration of the current Data Grid difficult. Three major challenges exist in current Data Grid management: 1. No single user interface to access and administrate each geographically separate component; 2. No graphical user interface available, resulting in command-line-based administration; 3. No single sign-on access to the Data Grid; administrators have to log into every Grid component with different corresponding user names/passwords. In this paper we are presenting a prototype of a unique web-based access interface for both Data Grid administrators and users. The interface has been designed to be user-friendly; it provides necessary instruments to constantly monitor the current status of the Data Grid components and their contents from any locations, contributing to longer system up-time.
Zhou, Zheng; Ma, Kevin; Talini, Elisa; Documet, Jorge; Lee, Jasper; Liu, Brent
The determinants of web-based corporate reporting in France
Purpose � The purpose of this paper is to consider the determinants of web-based corporate reporting by French-listed firms. Design\\/methodology\\/approach � The paper is based on a literature review of the determinants of web-based corporate disclosures and is both descriptive and explicative. It analyzes the use of the internet to disseminate corporate information and examines the extent of web-based corporate
Sabri Boubaker; Faten Lakhal; Mehdi Nekhili
Information commitments in Web-based learning environments
This paper proposes the idea of �information commitments� for Web-based learning environments. Information commitments are a set of evaluative standards which Web users utilize in order to assess the accuracy and usefulness of Web-based materials. As a result of interviewing two experts who specialize in Web-based instruction and 10 college students, this study proposes a framework for categorizing the information
Chin-Chung Tsai
A web-based melanoma image diagnosis support system using topic map and AJAX technologies.
The design and implementation of a web-based diagnostic support tool for melanoma dermatological images and related diagnostic data is presented. The proposed system is semantic web-based and is driven by exploiting the combination of AJAX framework and topic map technology. A novel client/server architecture was developed that enables several clients to interact online with the topic map-based system. Users have the ability to access the system anywhere and anytime via a simple Internet browser. Additionally, an ABCD application has been developed for automated calculation of ABCD parameters and consequently embedded in the proposed TM-based system. PMID:18604754
Papastergiou, A; Tzekis, P; Hatzigaidas, A; Tryfon, G; Ioannidis, D; Zaharis, Z; Kampitaki, D; Lazaridis, P
Reliability, compliance, and security in web-based course assessments
Pre- and postcourse assessment has become a very important tool for education research in physics and other areas. The web offers an attractive alternative to in-class paper administration, but concerns about web-based administration include reliability due to changes in medium, student compliance rates, and test security, both question leakage and utilization of web resources. An investigation was carried out in introductory astronomy courses comparing pre- and postcourse administration of assessments using the web and on paper. Overall no difference was seen in performance due to the medium. Compliance rates fluctuated greatly, and factors that seemed to produce higher rates are identified. Notably, email reminders increased compliance by 20%. Most of the 559 students complied with requests to not copy, print, or save questions nor use web resources; about 1% did copy some question text and around 2% frequently used other windows or applications while completing the assessment.
Bonham, Scott W.
A user-friendly Matlab program and GUI for the pseudorotation analysis of saturated five-membered ring systems based on scalar coupling constants
Background The advent of combinatorial chemistry has revived the interest in five-membered heterocyclic rings as scaffolds in pharmaceutical research. They are also the target of modifications in nucleic acid chemistry. Hence, the characterization of their conformational features is of considerable interest. This can be accomplished from the analysis of the 3JHH scalar coupling constants. Results A freely available program including an easy-to-use graphical user interface (GUI) has been developed for the calculation of five-membered ring conformations from scalar coupling constant data. A variety of operational modes and parameterizations can be selected by the user, and the coupling constants and electronegativity parameters can be defined interactively. Furthermore, the possibility of generating high-quality graphical output of the conformational space accessible to the molecule under study facilitates the interpretation of the results. These features are illustrated via the conformational analysis of two 4'-thio-2'-deoxynucleoside analogs. Results are discussed and compared with those obtained using the original PSEUROT program. Conclusion A user-friendly Matlab interface has been developed and tested. This should considerably improve the accessibility of this kind of calculations to the chemical community.
Hendrickx, Pieter MS; Martins, Jose C
Web-based remote sensing of building energy performance
The present paper describes the design and the deployment of an instrumentation system enabling the energy monitoring of a building in a smart-grid context. The system is based on a network of wireless low power IPv6 sensors. Ambient temperature and electrical power for heating are measured. The management, storage, visualisation and treatment of the data is done through a web-based application that can be deployed as an online web service. The same web-based framework enables the acquisition of distant measured data such as those coming from a nearby weather station. On-site sensor and weather station data are then adequately treated based on inverse identification methods. The algorithms aim at determining the parameters of a numerical model suitable for a short-time horizon prediction of indoor climate. The model is based on standard multi-zone modelling assumptions and takes into account solar, airflow and conductive transfers. It was specially designed to render accurately inertia effects that are used in a demand-response strategy. All the hardware or software technologies that are used in the system are open and low cost so that they comply with the constraints of on-site deployment in buildings. The measured data as well as the model predictions can be accessed ubiquously through the web. This feature enables to consider a wide range of energy management applications at the disctrict, city or national level. The entire system has been deployed and tested in an experimental office building in Angers, France. It demonstrates the potential of ICT technologies to enable remotely controlled monitoring and surveillance in real time.
Martin, William; Nassiopoulos, Alexandre; Le Cam, Vincent; Kuate, Rapha�l; Bourquin, Fr�d�ric
Combining audio-based similarity with web-based data to accelerate automatic music playlist generation
We present a technique for combining audio signal-based music similarity with web-based musical artist similarity to accelerate the task of automatic playlist generation. We demonstrate the applicability of our proposed method by extending a recently published interface for music players that benefits from intelligent structuring of audio collections. While the original approach involves the calculation of sim- ilarities between every
Peter Knees; Tim Pohle; Markus Schedl; Gerhard Widmer
TELE-Web: Developing a Web-Based Literacy Learning Environment.
This paper describes the development of a Web-based literacy learning software application, Technology Enhanced Learning Environment on the Web (TELE-Web). TELE-Web was developed based on the curriculum of the Early Literacy Project (ELP), an existing lit...
C. S. Englert J. Chen R. Ferdig S. C. Jones Y. Zhao
A web-based group decision support system for the selection and evaluation of educational multimedia
Multimedia is now a relatively mature field, having advanced over more than two decades. The combination of text, images, videos, animations, etc. in both presentational and conversational form is now a standard part of most computer applications, web-based and stand-alone alike. As such, Educational Multimedia (EMM) can be a great tool to improve teaching and learning. However, EMM selection and
Mohammed N. A. Abdelhakim; Shervin Shirmohammadi
Applying Web Usage Mining for Personalizing Hyperlinks in Web-Based Adaptive Educational Systems
Nowadays, the application of Web mining techniques in e-learning and Web-based adaptive educational systems is increasing exponentially. In this paper, we propose an advanced architecture for a personalization system to facilitate Web mining. A specific Web mining tool is developed and a recommender engine is integrated into the AHA! system in�
Romero, Cristobal; Ventura, Sebastian; Zafra, Amelia; de Bra, Paul
Learning with Web-Based Interactive Objects: An Investigation into Student Perceptions of Effectiveness
In its efforts to continue the modernization of its curriculum, the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Toronto has developed a series of web-based interactive learning applications. This article presents the production cycle of these new interactive learning objects and the preliminary study conducted to measure the students' perception of�
Salajan, Florin D.; Perschbacher, Susanne; Cash, Mindy; Talwar, Reena; El-Badrawy, Wafa; Mount, Greg J.
Enabling Meaningful Learning through Web-Based Instruction with Occupational Therapy Students
This paper explores the design of a Web-based tutorial for Activity Analysis offered within an undergraduate course of occupational therapy and how its design features influenced meaningful learning from the students' perspective. This tutorial, using a case-based format, offers a learner-directed approach to students and the application of�
Perlman, Cynthia; Weston, Cynthia; Gisel, Erika
Development of a Web-Based, Student-Centered Stereochemistry Tutorial
A Web-based stereochemistry tutorial is described that details the core definitions and structural representations of stereochemistry in an organic chemistry course. The Cahn-Ingold-Prelog rules and their application for assigning "R" and "S" orientations to stereocenters and "E" and "Z" orientations to�
Burrmann, Nicola J.; Moore, John W.
User-friendly solutions for microarray quality control and pre-processing on ArrayAnalysis.org.
Quality control (QC) is crucial for any scientific method producing data. Applying adequate QC introduces new challenges in the genomics field where large amounts of data are produced with complex technologies. For DNA microarrays, specific algorithms for QC and pre-processing including normalization have been developed by the scientific community, especially for expression chips of the Affymetrix platform. Many of these have been implemented in the statistical scripting language R and are available from the Bioconductor repository. However, application is hampered by lack of integrative tools that can be used by users of any experience level. To fill this gap, we developed a freely available tool for QC and pre-processing of Affymetrix gene expression results, extending, integrating and harmonizing functionality of Bioconductor packages. The tool can be easily accessed through a wizard-like web portal at http://www.arrayanalysis.org or downloaded for local use in R. The portal provides extensive documentation, including user guides, interpretation help with real output illustrations and detailed technical documentation. It assists newcomers to the field in performing state-of-the-art QC and pre-processing while offering data analysts an integral open-source package. Providing the scientific community with this easily accessible tool will allow improving data quality and reuse and adoption of standards. PMID:23620278
Eijssen, Lars M T; Jaillard, Magali; Adriaens, Michiel E; Gaj, Stan; de Groot, Philip J; M�ller, Michael; Evelo, Chris T
Web based water quality monitoring with sensor network: Employing ZigBee and WiMax technologies
This paper presents the development of a web-based wireless sensor network application for monitoring water pollution using Zigbee and WiMax technologies. The developed system consists of a local Zigbee network, capable of acquiring various water quality parameters, a WiMax network and a host computer for web based monitoring. The system is designed to collect and process information, thus making decisions
Steven Silva; Hoang Nghia Nguyen; Valentina Tiporlini; Kamal Alameh
Feedback adaptation in web-based learning systems
Feedback provided by a learning system to its users plays an important role in web-based education. This paper presents an overview of feedback studies and then concentrates on the problem of feedback adaptation in web-based learning systems. We introduce our taxonomy of feedback concept with regard to its functions, complexity, intention, time of occurrence, way of presentation, and level and
Ekaterina Vasilyeva; Seppo Puuronen; Mykola Pechenizkiy; P R�s�nen
Evaluation of User Acceptance for Web-based Aptitude Tests
Web-based aptitude tests, which are a special category of aptitude tests, can be used for rather standardized test methods and for a large amount of users. The characteristics of web-based aptitude tests can have an impact on the test results and the user acceptance. The aim of our research is to develop a method for the evaluation of the user
Michael Amberg; Sonja Fischer; Manuela Schr�der
Secondary Students' Perceptions of Web-Based Learning
This article presents the results of a survey study of secondary students' perceptions of useful and challenging characteristics of Web-based learning environments. Data were collected using a modified version of a questionnaire from earlier studies. More specifically, the author focuses on what Web-based learning looks like for secondary�
Barbour, Michael K.
Web-Based Course Delivery and Administration Using Scheme.
This paper discusses the use at the University of Windsor (Ontario) of a small World Wide Web-based tool for course delivery and administration called HAL (HTML-based Administrative Lackey), written in the Scheme programming language. This tool was developed by the author to provide Web-based services for a large first-year undergraduate course in�
Salustri, Filippo A.
Web-Based Instruction: A Guide for Libraries, Third Edition
Expanding on the popular, practical how-to guide for public, academic, school, and special libraries, technology expert Susan Sharpless Smith offers library instructors the confidence to take Web-based instruction into their own hands. Smith has thoroughly updated "Web-Based Instruction: A Guide for Libraries" to include new tools and trends,�
Smith, Susan Sharpless
A Web-Based Learning System for Software Test Professionals
Fierce competition, globalization, and technology innovation have forced software companies to search for new ways to improve competitive advantage. Web-based learning is increasingly being used by software companies as an emergent approach for enhancing the skills of knowledge workers. However, the current practice of Web-based learning is�
Wang, Minhong; Jia, Haiyang; Sugumaran, V.; Ran, Weijia; Liao, Jian
What's So Different About Developing Web-based Information Systems?
This paper considers the suitability of traditional IS development methods to Web-based information systems. A two year e-commerce development project is used to explore Web-based IS development using action research. To distinguish the project from consultancy a framework of ideas - Multiview - is declared and tested in the research process. Multiview was defined in 1985 and has been since
Richard T. Vidgen
Web-Based Surveys: Not Your Basic Survey Anymore
Web-based surveys are not new to the library environment. Although such surveys began as extensions of print surveys, the Web-based environment offers a number of approaches to conducting a survey that the print environment cannot duplicate easily. Since 1994, the author and others have conducted national surveys of public library Internet�
Bertot, John Carlo
Research and Development of Web-Based Virtual Online Classroom
To build a web-based virtual learning environment depends on information technologies, concerns technology supporting learning methods and theories. A web-based virtual online classroom is designed and developed based on learning theories and streaming media technologies. And it is composed of two parts: instructional communicating environment�
Yang, Zongkai; Liu, Qingtang
Web-based visitor data management for China's trade fairs
Exhibition organizers around the world strive to make their fairs more competitive domestically and globally. Countries with mature exhibition industries, such as Germany, USA, and the UK, have focused greater attention in recent years on the use of web-based technologies for managing fair visitors' data. Similarly, many of China's fairs are increasingly using web-based technologies, although at a slower and
Huang Bin; Daniel W. Lund
Web-Based Learning Environments: Developing a Framework for Evaluation
With the widespread use of web-based learning environments in the tertiary sector it is important to establish the usability of such environments for the target audience and their effectiveness in terms of meeting the educational objectives. However, a search of the literature has shown a scarcity of systematic evaluative studies of web-based�
Sheard, Judy; Markham, Selby
Web-based design and manufacturing support systems: implementation perspectives
With the great progress of web technology in the past few years, many approaches have been proposed to implementing web-based systems for design and manufacturing. However, the implementation of the approaches and associated systems is not an easy task because design and manufacturing are normally sophisticated engineering operations. In this paper the authors present an engineering approach for implementing web-based
K. Cheng; P. Y. Pan; David K. Harrison
Faculty Perceptions of Web-Based Distance Education in Agriculture.
A survey of 42 agronomy faculty showed their perceptions of Web-based distance education were higher when they were familiar with the master of science in agronomy program or had viewed a lesson. Their concerns included the value and rigor of Web-based degree programs and the effectiveness of online student-teacher interaction. (SK)
Born, Kevin A.; Miller, Greg
Analysis of Recognized Web-Based Educational Resources
In 2000-2001, the authors derived a 13-category classification system for Web-based educational resources, based on analysis of 199 educational resources recognized as "exemplary" by four national entities. In 2004, we re-examined that classification system, analyzing a stratified random sample of 40 exemplary Web-based resources from the same�
Martindale, Trey; Cates, Ward Mitchell; Qian, Yufeng
Web-Based Triage in a College Health Setting
The authors describe the initiation and use of a Web-based triage system in a college health setting. During the first 4 months of implementation, the system recorded 1,290 encounters. More women accessed the system (70%); the average age was 21.8 years. The Web-based triage system advised the majority of students to seek care within 24 hours;�
Sole, Mary Lou; Stuart, Patricia L.; Deichen, Michael
Chapter 14: Web-based Tools - WESIX
We present here the design and features of the Web Enabled Source Identifier with X-Matching (WESIX). With the proliferation of large imaging surveys, it has become increasingly apparent that tasks performed frequently by astronomers need to be made available in a web-aware manner. The reasons for this are twofold: First, it is no longer feasible to work with the complete data sets. Calculations are much more efficient if they can be carried out at the data center where large files can be transferred quickly. Second, exploratory science can be greatly facilitated by combining common tasks into integrated web services. WESIX addresses both of these issues. It is deployable to large data centers where source identification can be carried out at the data source. In addition, WESIX can transparently leverage the capabilities of Open SkyQuery to crossmatch with large catalogs. The result is a web-based service that integrates object detection with the ability to crossmatch against published catalog data. In this chapter we will discuss how WESIX is constructed, its functionality and some example usage. Section 1 will give a brief overview of the architecture of the service. Section 2 will introduce the features of the service through both the web browser and SOAP web service interfaces. Section 3 gives a detailed overview of the web service methods. Section 4 walks through the example client distributed with the software package.
Krughoff, K. S.; Connolly, A. J.
A User-Friendly Forecast.
The use of the Accu-Weather database system in a junior high school classroom is described. Costs, equipment, and information received are discussed. Two software packages designed for use with meteorological data and Accu-Weather are highlighted. Availability information and a description of the services provided are included. (CW)
Knorr, Thomas, Sr.; Levin, James
The User-Friendly Fallacy.
Claims that computer programs are needed that operate on commonly available microcomputers and provide guidance in the generation and interrogation of a writer's ideas. Discusses Hugh Burns' program "TOPOI" as an example. Describes ways in which a computer and operator can interact. Criticizes those who view open-response software merely by citing�
Kemp, Fred
Scalable quality for web-based games
As the Web has grown in popularity, web applications have started to rival their desktop counterparts. An important class of such applications is interactive multimedia: games, animations, and interactive visualizations. Unlike many early web applications, these applications are latency sensitive and processing (CPU and graphics) intensive. As web applications execute on a wide range of hardware from phones to powerful
Aiman M. Erbad; Norman C. Hutchinson; Charles Krasic
QoS Management in Web-based Real-Time Data Services
The demand for real-time data services has been increasing recently. Many e-commerce applications and web-based information services are becoming very sophisticated in their data needs that span the spectrum from low level status data, typically acquired from sensors, to high lev el aggregated data. A real-time database, a core component of many information services for such applications, can be a
Sang Hyuk Son; Kyoung-don Kang
Web-based Toolkit for Dynamic Generation of Data Processors
All computation-intensive scientific research uses structured datasets, including hydrology and all other types of climate-related research. When it comes to testing their hypotheses, researchers might use the same dataset differently, and modify, transform, or convert it to meet their research needs. Currently, many researchers spend a good amount of time performing data processing and building tools to speed up this process. They might routinely repeat the same process activities for new research projects, spending precious time that otherwise could be dedicated to analyzing and interpreting the data. Numerous tools are available to run tests on prepared datasets and many of them work with datasets in different formats. However, there is still a significant need for applications that can comprehensively handle data transformation and conversion activities and help prepare the various processed datasets required by the researchers. We propose a web-based application (a software toolkit) that dynamically generates data processors capable of performing data conversions, transformations, and customizations based on user-defined mappings and selections. As a first step, the proposed solution allows the users to define various data structures and, in the next step, can select various file formats and data conversions for their datasets of interest. In a simple scenario, the core of the proposed web-based toolkit allows the users to define direct mappings between input and output data structures. The toolkit will also support defining complex mappings involving the use of pre-defined sets of mathematical, statistical, date/time, and text manipulation functions. Furthermore, the users will be allowed to define logical cases for input data filtering and sampling. At the end of the process, the toolkit is designed to generate reusable source code and executable binary files for download and use by the scientists. The application is also designed to store all data structures and mappings defined by a user (an author), and allow the original author to modify them using standard authoring techniques. The users can change or define new mappings to create new data processors for download and use. In essence, when executed, the generated data processor binary file can take an input data file in a given format and output this data, possibly transformed, in a different file format. If they so desire, the users will be able modify directly the source code in order to define more complex mappings and transformations that are not currently supported by the toolkit. Initially aimed at supporting research in hydrology, the toolkit's functions and features can be either directly used or easily extended to other areas of climate-related research. The proposed web-based data processing toolkit will be able to generate various custom software processors for data conversion and transformation in a matter of seconds or minutes, saving a significant amount of researchers' time and allowing them to focus on core research issues.
Patel, J.; Dascalu, S.; Harris, F. C.; Benedict, K. K.; Gollberg, G.; Sheneman, L.
A web-based tool for ranking landslide mitigation measures
As part of the research done in the European project SafeLand "Living with landslide risk in Europe: Assessment, effects of global change, and risk management strategies", a compendium of structural and non-structural mitigation measures for different landslide types in Europe was prepared, and the measures were assembled into a web-based "toolbox". Emphasis was placed on providing a rational and flexible framework applicable to existing and future mitigation measures. The purpose of web-based toolbox is to assist decision-making and to guide the user in the choice of the most appropriate mitigation measures. The mitigation measures were classified into three categories, describing whether the mitigation measures addressed the landslide hazard, the vulnerability or the elements at risk themselves. The measures considered include structural measures reducing hazard and non-structural mitigation measures, reducing either the hazard or the consequences (or vulnerability and exposure of elements at risk). The structural measures include surface protection and control of surface erosion; measures modifying the slope geometry and/or mass distribution; measures modifying surface water regime - surface drainage; measures mo�difying groundwater regime - deep drainage; measured modifying the mechanical charac�teristics of unstable mass; transfer of loads to more competent strata; retaining structures (to modify slope geometry and/or to transfer stress to compe�tent layer); deviating the path of landslide debris; dissipating the energy of debris flows; and arresting and containing landslide debris or rock fall. The non-structural mitigation measures, reducing either the hazard or the consequences: early warning systems; restricting or discouraging construction activities; increasing resistance or coping capacity of elements at risk; relocation of elements at risk; sharing of risk through insurance. The measures are described in the toolbox with fact sheets providing a brief description, guidance on design, schematic details, practical examples and references for each mitigation measure. Each of the measures was given a score on its ability and applicability for different types of landslides and boundary conditions, and a decision support matrix was established. The web-based toolbox organizes the information in the compendium and provides an algorithm to rank the measures on the basis of the decision support matrix, and on the basis of the risk level estimated at the site. The toolbox includes a description of the case under study and offers a simplified option for estimating the hazard and risk levels of the slide at hand. The user selects the mitigation measures to be included in the assessment. The toolbox then ranks, with built-in assessment factors and weights and/or with user-defined ranking values and criteria, the mitigation measures included in the analysis. The toolbox includes data management, e.g. saving data half-way in an analysis, returning to an earlier case, looking up prepared examples or looking up information on mitigation measures. The toolbox also generates a report and has user-forum and help features. The presentation will give an overview of the mitigation measures considered and examples of the use of the toolbox, and will take the attendees through the application of the toolbox.
Lacasse, S.; Vaciago, G.; Choi, Y. J.; Kalsnes, B.
78 FR 17226 - Trinity Adaptive Management Working Group; Public Meeting, Teleconference and Web-Based Meeting
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
...Group; Public Meeting, Teleconference and Web-Based Meeting AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife...announce a public meeting, teleconference and web-based meeting of the Trinity Adaptive...Public meeting, Teleconference, and web-based meeting: Monday April 1,...
78 FR 35312 - Trinity Adaptive Management Working Group; Public Meeting, Teleconference and Web-Based Meeting
...Group; Public Meeting, Teleconference and Web-Based Meeting AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife...announce a public meeting, teleconference and web-based meeting of the Trinity Adaptive...Public meeting, Teleconference, and web-based meeting: Tuesday June 25,...
78 FR 49281 - Trinity Adaptive Management Working Group; Public Meeting, Teleconference and Web-Based Meeting
...Group; Public Meeting, Teleconference and Web-Based Meeting AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife...a public meeting, teleconference, and web-based meeting of the Trinity Adaptive...Public meeting, Teleconference, and web-based meeting: Tuesday, September...
A Web-based course of lectures in respiratory physiology
This article describes a set of available web-based lectures in respiratory physiology for medical and graduate students. These online lectures are based on the course taught to medical and graduate students at the University of California, San Diego.
John B. West (University of California, San Diego)
Project Plan: Web-Based Assessment of Screener Competency.
This project plan describes the development of a web-based On-the-Job Training test and Screener Multi-faceted Assessment Recurrent Test to assess checkpoint screener X-ray image interpretation skills.
S. B. Morgan
An Interprofessional Web-Based Resource for Health Professions Preceptors
Objective. To develop a Web-based preceptor education resource for healthcare professionals and evaluate its usefulness. Methods. Using an open source platform, 8 online modules called �E-tips for Practice Education� (E-tips) were developed that focused on topics identified relevant across healthcare disciplines. A cross-sectional survey design was used to evaluate the online resource. Ninety preceptors from 10 health disciplines affiliated with the University of British Columbia evaluated the E-tips. Results. The modules were well received by preceptors, with all participants indicating that they would recommend these modules to their colleagues, over 80% indicating the modules were very to extremely applicable, and over 60% indicating that E-tips had increased their confidence in their ability to teach. Conclusion. Participants reported E-tips to be highly applicable to their teaching role as preceptors. Given their multidisciplinary focus, these modules address a shared language and ideas about clinical teaching among those working in multi-disciplinary settings.
McLeod, Elizabeth; Kwong, Mona; Tidball, Glynnis; Collins, John; Neufeld, Lois; Drynan, Donna
A Web-Based Development Environment for Collaborative Data Analysis
Visual Physics Analysis (VISPA) is a web-based development environment addressing high energy and astroparticle physics. It covers the entire analysis spectrum from the design and validation phase to the execution of analyses and the visualization of results. VISPA provides a graphical steering of the analysis flow, which consists of self-written, re-usable Python and C++ modules for more demanding tasks. All common operating systems are supported since a standard internet browser is the only software requirement for users. Even access via mobile and touch-compatible devices is possible. In this contribution, we present the most recent developments of our web application concerning technical, state-of-the-art approaches as well as practical experiences. One of the key features is the use of workspaces, i.e. user-configurable connections to remote machines supplying resources and local file access. Thereby, workspaces enable the management of data, computing resources (e.g. remote clusters or computing grids), and additional software either centralized or individually. We further report on the results of an application with more than 100 third-year students using VISPA for their regular particle physics exercises during the winter term 2012/13. Besides the ambition to support and simplify the development cycle of physics analyses, new use cases such as fast, location-independent status queries, the validation of results, and the ability to share analyses within worldwide collaborations with a single click become conceivable.
Erdmann, M.; Fischer, R.; Glaser, C.; Klingebiel, D.; Komm, M.; M�ller, G.; Rieger, M.; Steggemann, J.; Urban, M.; Winchen, T.
Web-Based Requesting and Scheduling Use of Facilities
Automated User's Training Operations Facility Utilization Request (AutoFUR) is prototype software that administers a Web-based system for requesting and allocating facilities and equipment for astronaut-training classes in conjunction with scheduling the classes. AutoFUR also has potential for similar use in such applications as scheduling flight-simulation equipment and instructors in commercial airplane-pilot training, managing preventive- maintenance facilities, and scheduling operating rooms, doctors, nurses, and medical equipment for surgery. Whereas requesting and allocation of facilities was previously a manual process that entailed examination of documents (including paper drawings) from different sources, AutoFUR partly automates the process and makes all of the relevant information available via the requester s computer. By use of AutoFUR, an instructor can fill out a facility-utilization request (FUR) form on line, consult the applicable flight manifest(s) to determine what equipment is needed and where it should be placed in the training facility, reserve the corresponding hardware listed in a training-hardware inventory database, search for alternative hardware if necessary, submit the FUR for processing, and cause paper forms to be printed. Auto-FUR also maintains a searchable archive of prior FURs.
Yeager, Carolyn M.
Logical Systems: Towards Protocols for Web-Based Meaning Negotiation
Our thesis is that before Web-based agents can negotiate meanings, they need to agree on high-level protocols based on logical systems. The Semantic Web community is setting the stage for semantic interoperability among Web-based software agents by developing standard languages with well-defined semantics. But exactly how these languages might be used to negotiate meanings is an open question. The agent-oriented
James Farrugia
Web-based models for natural language processing
Previous work demonstrated that Web counts can be used to approximate bigram counts, suggesting that Web-based frequencies should be useful for a wide variety of Natural Language Processing (NLP) tasks. However, only a limited number of tasks have so far been tested using Web-scale data sets. The present article overcomes this limitation by systematically investigating the performance of Web-based models
Mirella Lapata; Frank Keller
Providing Personalised Recommendations in a Web-Based Education System
\\u000a Given the changing profile of learners, the continual need to enhance employee skills and the flexibility offered by online\\u000a learning, web-based education has been afforded much attention in the past number of years. It is imperative that web-based\\u000a education provides personalised learning (right information to the right people) and also addresses the feelings of isolation\\u000a reported by many students who
Colm O�Riordan; Josephine Griffith
This article aims to investigate the web-based disclosure choices andpractices among Romanian companies listed on Bucharest Stock Exchange. Web-based disclosure offers advantages that are absent in paper-based voluntarydisclosure: it can be accessed globally at much lower costs and it can be updatedmuch more timely also at much lower costs. Another goal of the paper is to establishthe criteria in order
Victoria Bogdan; Cosmina Madalina Pop
Attrition in Web-Based Treatment for Problem Drinkers
Background: Web-based interventions for problem drinking are effective but characterized by high rates of attrition. There is a need to better understand attrition rates in order to improve the completion rates and the success of Web-based treatment programs.\\u000a\\u000aObjective: The objectives of our study were to (1) examine attrition prevalence and pretreatment predictors of attrition in a sample of open-access
Marloes G. Postel; Haan de Hein A; Huurne ter Elke D; Palen van der Job; Eni S. Becker; Jong de Cor A. J
A Web-based Collaborative Workspace Using Java 3D
The paper presents a framework for building Web-based collaborative workspaces using the latest Java technologies-Java 3D, JavaServer Page (JSP), and Java Servlet. This Web-based approach allows designers, engineers and production managers to share a common workspace that can be used for design review, production monitoring, remote control, and troubleshooting, based on a set of interactive Java 3D models that represent
Lihui Wang; Brian Wong; Weiming Shen; Sherman Y. T. Lang
Web-Based Geospatial Resource Sharing Through GeoPW
As Web-related technologies have matured in recent years, an increasing amount of geospatial resources (e.g. geospatial services, workflows, and geospatial data) are available in the distributed Web environment. Consequently, effective and efficient sharing and management of geospatial resources on the Web are necessary for better utilizing these resources for education and scientific research. This matches the vision of Geoprocessing Web, which emphasizes the sharing and access of geoprocessing utilities from the perspectives of communication, collaboration, and participation. Previous work on GeoPW has provided a large number of geoprocessing services over the Web. In this paper, GeoPW goes further to offer a Web platform for sharing geospatial resources. The paper presents the design, implementation, and functions of the platform, which offers a user-friendly environment for publication, discovery, and communication of geospatial data, services, and workflows.
Zhai, X.; Jiang, L.; Yue, P.
Evaluation of Hearing Handicaps and Presbyacusis Using World Wide Web-Based Calculators
This article is a clinical report on the applicability of computer software in determining hearing handicaps and presbyacusis. The software is now World Wide Web based and can be implemented in a clinical setting by using JavaScript calculators housed on the World Wide Web at . Added features consist of calculating the maximum recommended allowable noise exposure using the National
Kevin T. Kavanagh
A Web-based Computer-Aided Material-Selection System for Aircraft Design
A web-based computer-aided material-selection system for aircraft design, together with its architecture and implementation details, is put forward. Furthermore, a prototype of this system is developed and the prototype's effectiveness is demonstrated by an aircraft-design material-selection case in actual applications. This system can help designer select suitable materials for airframe, provide knowledge for inexperienced engineer and accumulate enterprise-level material-selection expertise.
Yuanpei Lan; Zhidong Guan; Qixiang Jiao; Guangxing Xu
NASA-Langley Web-Based Operational Real-time Cloud Retrieval Products from Geostationary Satellites
At NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC), radiances from multiple satellites are analyzed in near real-time to produce cloud products over many regions on the globe. These data are valuable for many applications such as diagnosing aircraft icing conditions and model validation and assimilation. This paper presents an overview of the multiple products available, summarizes the content of the online database, and details web-based satellite browsers and tools to access satellite imagery and products.
Palikonda, Rabindra; Minnis, Patrick; Spangenberg, Douglas A.; Khaiyer, Mandana M.; Nordeen, Michele L.; Ayers, Jeffrey K.; Nguyen, Louis; Yi, Yuhong; Chan, P. K.; Trepte, Qing Z.; Chang, Fu-Lung; Smith, William L, Jr.
Web based intelligent product configurator for thermal insulation and decoration of buildings
This paper presents the Web based intelligent product configurator for thermal insulation and decoration of buildings. Configurator is a three-tier client server application which was developed with modern Internet technologies\\/techniques: XHTML, CSS, PHP, MYSQL, JavaScript, XML and Flash. The functionality and architecture of the configurator are described. Web forms are secured with CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell
Z. Covic; I. Furstner; Z. Anisic; R. Freund
Automated Medical Citation Records Creation for Web-Based On-Line Journals
With the rapid expansion and utilization of the Internet and Web technologies, there is an increasing number of on-line medical journals. On-line journals pose new challenges in the areas of automated document analysis and content extraction, database citation records creation, data mining, and other document related applications. New techniques are needed to capture, classify, analyze, extract, modify, and reformat Web-based
Daniel X. Le; Loc Q. Tran; Joseph Chow; Jongwoo Kim; Susan E. Hauser; Chan W. Moon; George R. Thoma
Design and evaluation of web-based image transmission and display with different protocols
There are many Web-based image accessing technologies used in medical imaging area, such as component-based (ActiveX Control) thick client Web display, Zerofootprint thin client Web viewer (or called server side processing Web viewer), Flash Rich Internet Application(RIA) ,or HTML5 based Web display. Different Web display methods have different peformance in different network environment. In this presenation, we give an evaluation
Bin Tan; Kuangyi Chen; Xichuan Zheng; Jianguo Zhang
WebGRMS: Prototype software for web-based mapping of biological collections
Biological collections are gaining recognition as priceless sources of information about the historic distribution and diversity\\u000a of life. The Internet is emerging as the major venue for sharing biodiversity information since it supports globalization\\u000a and broad-scale interoperability. This research demonstrates how a Web-based mapping application for biological collections\\u000a was developed using WebGD, an open-source software development tool, and illustrates how
Stephanie L. Greene; Toshimi Minoura; Jeffrey J. Steiner; Gwen Pentacost
A Web-based spatial decision support system for accessibility analysis�concepts and methods
The main aim of this paper is to describe the concept of the spatial decision support system (SDSS), which combines network\\u000a analysis and spatial analysis of accessibility with an interactive Web-based map application. There are two main objectives\\u000a of this research: (1) to assess the spatial variation of accessibility to certain services within the city area, based on\\u000a the network
Jan Burdziej
Individual Effects of a Web-Based Accountability System in a Teacher Education Program
This paper describes the results of teacher education candidates' use of a Web-based assessment system including electronic portfolios. A teacher education program adopted a novel Web-based Accountability Model for assessment and learning. The Web-based Education Accountability System (EAS) was based on the Web-based Accountability Model, and�
Ma, Xueguang; Rada, Roy
A web-based interactive framework to assist in the prioritization of disease candidate genes in whole-exome sequencing studies.
Whole-exome sequencing has become a fundamental tool for the discovery of disease-related genes of familial diseases and the identification of somatic driver variants in cancer. However, finding the causal mutation among the enormous background of individual variability in a small number of samples is still a big challenge. Here we describe a web-based tool, BiERapp, which efficiently helps in the identification of causative variants in family and sporadic genetic diseases. The program reads lists of predicted variants (nucleotide substitutions and indels) in affected individuals or tumor samples and controls. In family studies, different modes of inheritance can easily be defined to filter out variants that do not segregate with the disease along the family. Moreover, BiERapp integrates additional information such as allelic frequencies in the general population and the most popular damaging scores to further narrow down the number of putative variants in successive filtering steps. BiERapp provides an interactive and user-friendly interface that implements the filtering strategy used in the context of a large-scale genomic project carried out by the Spanish Network for Research in Rare Diseases (CIBERER) in which more than 800 exomes have been analyzed. BiERapp is freely available at: http://bierapp.babelomics.org/ PMID:24803668
Alem�n, Alejandro; Garcia-Garcia, Francisco; Salavert, Francisco; Medina, Ignacio; Dopazo, Joaqu�n
State-of-the-art Hydrology Education: Development of Windows-based and Web-based Interactive Teaching-Learning Software
This study, funded by the NSF CAREER program, focuses on developing new methods to quantify microtopography-controlled overland flow processes and integrating the cutting-edge hydrologic research with all-level education and outreach activities. To achieve the educational goal, an interactive teaching-learning software package has been developed. This software, with enhanced visualization capabilities, integrates the new modeling techniques, computer-guided learning processes, and education-oriented tools in a user-friendly interface. Both Windows-based and web-based versions have been developed. The software is specially designed for three major user levels: elementary level (Level 1: K-12 and outreach education), medium level (Level 2: undergraduate education), and advanced level (Level 3: graduate education). Depending on the levels, users are guided to different educational systems. Each system consists of a series of mini "libraries" featured with movies, pictures, and documentation that cover fundamental theories, varying scale experiments, and computer modeling of overland flow generation, surface runoff, and infiltration processes. Testing and practical use of this educational software in undergraduate and graduate teaching demonstrate its effectiveness to promote students' learning and interest in hydrologic sciences. This educational software also has been used as a hydrologic demonstration tool for K-12 students and Native American students through the Nurturing American Tribal Undergraduate Research Education (NATURE) program and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) outreach activities.
Chu, X.
There are many Web-based image accessing technologies used in medical imaging area, such as component-based (ActiveX Control) thick client Web display, Zerofootprint thin client Web viewer (or called server side processing Web viewer), Flash Rich Internet Application(RIA) ,or HTML5 based Web display. Different Web display methods have different peformance in different network environment. In this presenation, we give an evaluation on two developed Web based image display systems. The first one is used for thin client Web display. It works between a PACS Web server with WADO interface and thin client. The PACS Web server provides JPEG format images to HTML pages. The second one is for thick client Web display. It works between a PACS Web server with WADO interface and thick client running in browsers containing ActiveX control, Flash RIA program or HTML5 scripts. The PACS Web server provides native DICOM format images or JPIP stream for theses clients.
Tan, Bin; Chen, Kuangyi; Zheng, Xichuan; Zhang, Jianguo
A web-based 3D medical image collaborative processing system with videoconference
Three dimension medical images have been playing an irreplaceable role in realms of medical treatment, teaching, and research. However, collaborative processing and visualization of 3D medical images on Internet is still one of the biggest challenges to support these activities. Consequently, we present a new application approach for web-based synchronized collaborative processing and visualization of 3D medical Images. Meanwhile, a web-based videoconference function is provided to enhance the performance of the whole system. All the functions of the system can be available with common Web-browsers conveniently, without any extra requirement of client installation. In the end, this paper evaluates the prototype system using 3D medical data sets, which demonstrates the good performance of our system.
Luo, Sanbi; Han, Jun; Huang, Yonggang
Methodological Issues in Research on Web-Based Behavioral Interventions
Background��Web-based behavioral intervention research is rapidly growing.\\u000a \\u000a \\u000a \\u000a Purpose��We review methodological issues shared across Web-based intervention research to help inform future research in this area.\\u000a \\u000a \\u000a \\u000a Methods��We examine measures and their interpretation using exemplar studies and our research.\\u000a \\u000a \\u000a \\u000a Results��We report on research designs used to evaluate Web-based interventions and recommend newer, blended designs. We review and\\u000a critique methodological issues associated with recruitment,
Brian G. Danaher; John R. Seeley
Enhancing Icing Training for Pilots Through Web-Based Multimedia
The Aircraft Icing Project of the NASA Aviation Safety Program has developed a number of in-flight icing education and training aids designed to increase pilot awareness about the hazards associated with various icing conditions. The challenges and advantages of transitioning these icing training materials to a Web-based delivery are discussed. Innovative Web-based delivery devices increased course availability to pilots and dispatchers while increasing course flexibility and utility. These courses are customizable for both self-directed and instructor-led learning. Part of our goal was to create training materials with enough flexibility to enable Web-based delivery and downloadable portability while maintaining a rich visual multimedia-based learning experience. Studies suggest that using visually based multimedia techniques increases the effectiveness of icing training materials. This paper describes these concepts, gives examples, and discusses the transitional challenges.
Fletcher, William; Nolan, Gary; Adanich, Emery; Bond, Thomas H.
Web-based general examination system development
With the increasing of Internet application scope, computer net-assisted teaching is becoming a focus of current educational reform, online examination system because of its easy to use, time-intensive, forms and other features has more attention. This paper describes the development of a common examination system, including the design of the several major functional modules such as system management, test question
Chen Xiangjun; Wu Fangsheng
Person-centred web-based support - development through a Swedish multi-case study
Background Departing from the widespread use of the internet in modern society and the emerging use of web applications in healthcare this project captures persons� needs and expectations in order to develop highly usable web recourses. The purpose of this paper is to outline a multi-case research project focused on the development and evaluation of person-centred web-based support for people with long-term illness. To support the underlying idea to move beyond the illness, we approach the development of web support from the perspective of the emergent area of person-centred care. The project aims to contribute to the ongoing development of web-based supports in health care and to the emerging field of person-centred care. Methods/Design The research design uses a meta-analytical approach through its focus on synthesizing experiences from four Swedish regional and national cases of design and use of web-based support in long-term illness. The cases include children (bladder dysfunction and urogenital malformation), young adults (living close to persons with mental illness), and two different cases of adults (women with breast cancer and childbearing women with type 1 diabetes). All of the cases are ongoing, though in different stages of design, implementation, and analysis. This, we argue, will lead to a synthesis of results on a meta-level not yet described. Discussion To allow valid comparisons between the four cases we explore and problematize them in relation to four main aspects: 1) The use of people�s experiences and needs; 2) The role of use of theories in the design of person-centred web-based supports; 3) The evaluation of the effects of health outcomes for the informants involved and 4) The development of a generic person-centred model for learning and social support for people with long-term illness and their significant others. Person-centred web-based support is a new area and few studies focus on how web-based interventions can contribute to the development of person-centred care. In summary, the main intention of the project outlined here is to contribute with both a synthesis of results on meta-level from four cases and a substantial contribution to the field person-centred care.
Licensing web-based nursing programs, courses, and course materials.
With the advent of the digital information age, schools of nursing are developing and using web-based programs, courses, and course materials to meet students' needs for access and high-quality learning experiences. In an attempt to maximize scant resources, including faculty, many schools are seeking grant funding, joining consortia, or forming partnerships that require sharing of web-based course materials. Entering such collaborative arrangements usually requires licensing agreements to transfer intellectual capital. This article explains licensing and the related concepts of intellectual property, copyright, and technology transfer. It also identifies the advantages and disadvantages of licensing and describes a licensing process. PMID:16179240
Billings, Diane M; Hoke, Mary M; Waldhuetter, Kurt
Computer-based and web-based radiation safety training
The traditional approach to delivering radiation safety training has been to provide a stand-up lecture of the topic, with the possible aid of video, and to repeat the same material periodically. New approaches to meeting training requirements are needed to address the advent of flexible work hours and telecommuting, and to better accommodate individuals learning at their own pace. Computer- based and web-based radiation safety training can provide this alternative. Computer-based and web- based training is an interactive form of learning that the student controls, resulting in enhanced and focused learning at a time most often chosen by the student.
Owen, C., LLNL
Evaluating Implementation of Web-Based Teaching in Political Science
Published in the online journal of the American Political Science Association, this article compares instructional results from a traditional course in American government at North Carolina State University to the same course offered in a completely Web-based format. The article reviews the methodology and structure of the Web-based introductory course in American government and evaluates the results of such instruction. While the author states the comparison was "exploratory" rather than rigorously scientific, lacking, for example, the randomization of subjects, the findings offer a useful contribution to the ongoing discussion of the benefits and drawbacks of online instruction and distance learning.
Garson, G. D.
Web-Based Software for Managing Research
aeroCOMPASS is a software system, originally designed to aid in the management of wind tunnels at Langley Research Center, that could be adapted to provide similar aid to other enterprises in which research is performed in common laboratory facilities by users who may be geographically dispersed. Included in aeroCOMPASS is Web-interface software that provides a single, convenient portal to a set of project- and test-related software tools and other application programs. The heart of aeroCOMPASS is a user-oriented document-management software subsystem that enables geographically dispersed users to easily share and manage a variety of documents. A principle of "write once, read many" is implemented throughout aeroCOMPASS to eliminate the need for multiple entry of the same information. The Web framework of aeroCOMPASS provides links to client-side application programs that are fully integrated with databases and server-side application programs. Other subsystems of aeroCOMPASS include ones for reserving hardware, tracking of requests and feedback from users, generating interactive notes, administration of a customer-satisfaction questionnaire, managing execution of tests, managing archives of metadata about tests, planning tests, and providing online help and instruction for users.
Hoadley, Sherwood T.; Ingraldi, Anthony M.; Gough, Kerry M.; Fox, Charles; Cronin, Catherine K.; Hagemann, Andrew G.; Kemmerly, Guy T.; Goodman, Wesley L.
A web-based protein interaction network visualizer
Background Interaction between proteins is one of the most important mechanisms in the execution of cellular functions. The study of these interactions has provided insight into the functioning of an organism�s processes. As of October 2013, Homo sapiens had over 170000 Protein-Protein interactions (PPI) registered in the Interologous Interaction Database, which is only one of the many public resources where protein interactions can be accessed. These numbers exemplify the volume of data that research on the topic has generated. Visualization of large data sets is a well known strategy to make sense of information, and protein interaction data is no exception. There are several tools that allow the exploration of this data, providing different methods to visualize protein network interactions. However, there is still no native web tool that allows this data to be explored interactively online. Results Given the advances that web technologies have made recently it is time to bring these interactive views to the web to provide an easily accessible forum to visualize PPI. We have created a Web-based Protein Interaction Network Visualizer: PINV, an open source, native web application that facilitates the visualization of protein interactions (http://biosual.cbio.uct.ac.za/pinv.html). We developed PINV as a set of components that follow the protocol defined in BioJS and use the D3 library to create the graphic layouts. We demonstrate the use of PINV with multi-organism interaction networks for a predicted target from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, its interacting partners and its orthologs. Conclusions The resultant tool provides an attractive view of complex, fully interactive networks with components that allow the querying, filtering and manipulation of the visible subset. Moreover, as a web resource, PINV simplifies sharing and publishing, activities which are vital in today�s research collaborative environments. The source code is freely available for download at https://github.com/4ndr01d3/biosual.
SIP: A Web-Based Astronomical Image Processing Program
I have written an astronomical image processing and analysis program designed to run over the internet in a Java-compatible web browser. The program, Sky Image Processor (SIP), is accessible at the SIP webpage (http://www.phys.vt.edu/SIP). Since nothing is installed on the user's machine, there is no need to download upgrades; the latest version of the program is always instantly available. Furthermore, the Java programming language is designed to work on any computer platform (any machine and operating system). The program could be used with students in web-based instruction or in a computer laboratory setting; it may also be of use in some research or outreach applications. While SIP is similar to other image processing programs, it is unique in some important respects. For example, SIP can load images from the user's machine or from the Web. An instructor can put images on a web server for students to load and analyze on their own personal computer. Or, the instructor can inform the students of images to load from any other web server. Furthermore, since SIP was written with students in mind, the philosophy is to present the user with the most basic tools necessary to process and analyze astronomical images. Images can be combined (by addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division), multiplied by a constant, smoothed, cropped, flipped, rotated, and so on. Statistics can be gathered for pixels within a box drawn by the user. Basic tools are available for gathering data from an image which can be used for performing simple differential photometry, or astrometry. Therefore, students can learn how astronomical image processing works. Since SIP is not part of a commercial CCD camera package, the program is written to handle the most common denominator image file, the FITS format.
Simonetti, J. H.
An efficient and user-friendly method for the synthesis of hexagonal-phase NaYF4:Yb, Er/Tm nanocrystals with controllable shape and upconversion fluorescence
Hexagonal-phase NaYF4:Yb, Er/Tm nanocrystals are the best IR-to-visible upconverting materials to date, but user-friendly methods for making pure hexagonal-phase NaYF4:Yb, Er/Tm nanocrystals with upconversion fluorescence are still lacking. Most of the methods reported so far require excess fluoride reactants in a high-temperature reaction which are very unfriendly to users and raise safety concerns. In this work, an efficient and user-friendly method was developed for the synthesis of uniform hexagonal-phase NaYF4:Yb, Er/Tm nanocrystals with upconversion fluorescence, by forming small solid-state crystal nuclei and further growth and ripening of the nuclei. NaYF4:Yb, Er/Tm nanoplates, nanospheres and nanoellipses were also selectively produced by varying the concentration of the surfactant. All the nanocrystals showed strong upconversion fluorescence, and fluorescence from the nanoplates was observed even when the laser power density was reduced to about 50 mW cm-2. These nanocrystals have great potential for use in biology and medicine as fluorescent labels or imaging probes.
Li, Zhengquan; Zhang, Yong
An efficient and user-friendly method for the synthesis of hexagonal-phase NaYF(4):Yb, Er/Tm nanocrystals with controllable shape and upconversion fluorescence.
Hexagonal-phase NaYF(4):Yb, Er/Tm nanocrystals are the best IR-to-visible upconverting materials to date, but user-friendly methods for making pure hexagonal-phase NaYF(4):Yb, Er/Tm nanocrystals with upconversion fluorescence are still lacking. Most of the methods reported so far require excess fluoride reactants in a high-temperature reaction which are very unfriendly to users and raise safety concerns. In this work, an efficient and user-friendly method was developed for the synthesis of uniform hexagonal-phase NaYF(4):Yb, Er/Tm nanocrystals with upconversion fluorescence, by forming small solid-state crystal nuclei and further growth and ripening of the nuclei. NaYF(4):Yb, Er/Tm nanoplates, nanospheres and nanoellipses were also selectively produced by varying the concentration of the surfactant. All the nanocrystals showed strong upconversion fluorescence, and fluorescence from the nanoplates was observed even when the laser power density was reduced to about 50�mW�cm(-2). These nanocrystals have great potential for use in biology and medicine as fluorescent labels or imaging probes. PMID:21730655
Web-based services for technology education management and planning
Higher education institutions of Lithuania are seeking for improvement of academic studies and management structures. The process proceeds intensively through development of university information systems using web-based interfaces for databases, as a strategic tool for information, management and planning services. The paper focuses on the approach taken by Kaunas University of Technology to make an open study administration system implementing
K. Pocius; V. Reklaitis
A Web-based Host Platform for Pedagogical Virtual Machines
Difficulties in the multi platform deployment and use of pedagogical Virtual Machines can have an annoying impact in the success of a compilers construction course. This paper introduces a compilers construction course support platform that tackles this issue. The proposed platform is web-based, where the virtual machines are remotely accessed through a browser and by the adequate use of web
Nuno Gaspar; Sim�o Melo de Sousa
Web-Based Delivery of Instruction: Prospects and Challenges.
This paper reports outcomes from a development and evaluation effort focused on a specific World Wide Web-based learning environment (WBLE) for school library media specialists (SLMS). Background information is provided explaining how the decision to create a WBLE for the SLMS course was derived. The three main groups contributing to the WBLE�
Hill, Janette R.; Rezabek, Landra L.; Murry, Brandon
Setting Quality Standards for Web-Based Continuing Medical Education
Continuing medical education (CME) on the Internet has grown steadily over the past several years. However, the quality of Web-based CME has received limited attention in the medical literature, and there have been few attempts to articulate quality standards. This article describes five sets of standards published in the distance education�
Olson, Curtis A.; Shershneva, Marianna B.
QUEST: An Assessment Tool for Web-Based Learning.
In 1997, the Software Engineering Laboratory at Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) implemented the first version of AulaNet (TM) a World Wide Web-based educational environment. Some of the teaching staff will use this environment in 1998 to offer regular term disciplines through the Web. This paper introduces Quest, a tool�
Choren, Ricardo; Blois, Marcelo; Fuks, Hugo
Science Education Research Using Web-based Video
The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory in collaboration with teachers and students has developed a variety of educational outreach activities to demonstrate basic physical science principles using a variety of instructive and entertaining science demonstrations at elementary, middle and high school levels. A new effort has been initiated to demonstrate this material using web based videos. This can be a resource
Lisa Tarman; Pamella Ferris; Dan Bruder; Nick Gilligan; James Morgan; John Delooper
Teaching Students about Plagiarism Using a Web-Based Module
The following research delivered a web-based module about plagiarism and paraphrasing to avoid plagiarism in both a blended method, with live instruction paired with web presentation for 105 students, and a separate web-only method for 22 other students. Participants were graduates and undergraduates preparing to become teachers, the majority of�
Stetter, Maria Earman
SMILE Maker: A Web-Based Tool for Problem Solving.
This paper focuses on the purposes, theoretical model, and functionality of the SMILE (Solution Mapping Intelligent Learning Environment) Maker--a World Wide Web-based problem-solving tool. From an instructional design point of view, an attempt to establish a balance between constructivism/instructivism, content-treatment�
Stoyanov, Svetoslav; Aroyo, Lora; Kommers, Piet; Kurtev, Ivan
Web-based Health Educational Program in Saudi Arabia.
The purpose of this exploratory study is to provide an overview of a web-based health educational site created by the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSH&RC) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Sources of data included two interviews with Saudi IT personnel, three health educators, and two medical consultants working at KFSH&RC. The interviews ranged between 45 minutes and 120 minutes. The KFSH&RC website was also searched for the type of health information content posted. Results show that the KFSH&RC web-based health educational site provides health information through a medical encyclopedia, a social networking platform, health educational links, and targeted health information for children, which includes tools such as games and coloring books. Further research is needed on the effectiveness of the KFSH&RC web-based health education site in terms of improving knowledge and changing behavior of Saudi patients. The study recommends that targeted web-based health education strategies should be developed to reach large rural populations which have inadequate computer skills and limited access to the internet. PMID:25000016
Bahkali, Salwa; Almaiman, Ahmad; Alsaleh, Mahassen; Elmetwally, Ashraf; Househ, Mowafa
Design and Development of Web-Based Information Literacy Tutorials
The current study conducts a thorough content analysis of recently built or up-to-date high-quality web-based information literacy tutorials contributed by academic libraries in a peer-reviewed database, PRIMO. This research analyzes the topics/skills PRIMO tutorials consider essential and the teaching strategies they consider effective. The�
Su, Shiao-Feng; Kuo, Jane
Web-Based Administrative Supports for University Students.
Evaluates development and effectiveness of a Web-based administration support for business students at Liverpool John Moores University. Considers whether the strategic planning and individual school developments have influenced the development and usefulness of the campus-wide information system. Discusses action research findings on student�
McClelland, Robert J.
Using Web-Based GIS in Introductory Human Geography
Advocates for using a geographic information system (GIS) in education assert that GIS improves student learning. However, studies to clarify the relationship between learning and using GIS are still needed. This study examines the effects of using Web-based GIS maps in place of paper maps on students' geography content knowledge and motivation�
Songer, Lynn C.
Reliability, Compliance, and Security in Web-Based Course Assessments
Pre- and postcourse assessment has become a very important tool for education research in physics and other areas. The web offers an attractive alternative to in-class paper administration, but concerns about web-based administration include reliability due to changes in medium, student compliance rates, and test security, both question leakage�
Bonham, Scott
Validation of a Web-Based Test of ESL Pragmalinguistics
Despite increasing interest in interlanguage pragmatics research, research on assessment of this crucial area of second language competence still lags behind assessment of other aspects of learners' developing second language (L2) competence. This study describes the development and validation of a 36-item web-based test of ESL pragmalinguistics,�
Roever, Carsten
Teaching Information Management via a Web-Based Course.
Discussion of distance learning courses offered via the World Wide Web focuses on the Postgraduate Diploma in Information Management implemented by Rand Afrikaans University (South Africa). Highlights include requirements of a successful Web-based distance learning course; interrelated modules; electronic information sources; easy updating�
Van Brakel, Pieter
WISQARS (Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System, pronounced "whiskers") Fatal is an interactive database system that provides injury-related mortality data useful for research and for making informed public health decisions. WISQARS offers three types of fatal rep...
Web-based Education in Family Medicine Predoctoral Programs.
Surveyed directors of predoctoral family medicine programs (n=78; response rate of 61%) about the inclusion of Web-based educational methods in their programs, the level of interest in such programs, and barriers to program development. Results show nearly universal use of e-mail and Web pages. Identified faculty time and funding as common�
Leong, Shou Ling; Baldwin, Constance D.; Usatine, Richard P.; Adelman, Alan M.; Gjerde, Craig L.
A Navigation Path Planning Assistant for Web-Based Learning.
This paper addresses how to help learners navigate in existing Web-based learning resources. In order to resolve this issue, a learner-centered navigation path-planning model is proposed. The main objective is to provide learners with a path planning space in which they can see through hyperspace to plan a navigation path. This paper describes an�
Suzuki, Ryoichi; Hasegawa, Shinobu; Kashihara, Akihiro; Toyoda, Jun'ichi
MISESS: Web-Based Examination, Evaluation, and Guidance
Many universities are reevaluating their traditional educational methods and providing pedagogical material through the Internet. Some Web-based systems offer a constructionist learning environment, for example, where students can learn by designing their own objects. Providing effective, convenient technology to support learning is important, and�
Tanrikulu, Zuhal
The Human Touch: Synchronous Communication in Web-Based Learning.
Discusses synchronous communication in learning via the World Wide Web and considers arguments for advantages of asynchronous approaches. Describes a synchronous Web-based professional development program for mathematics teachers in North Carolina and discusses the nature of online communication. (LRW)
Shotsberger, Paul G.
Towards a Distributed Web-Based Learning Community.
Describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of a distributed Web-based learning community (DisWBLC) based on knowledge sharing for college students. Highlights include virtual learning communities; Web site resource searching; databases; screen design; user interface; feedback from teachers and students; and future possibilities.�
Chang, Chi-Cheng
Building Web Based Communities: Factors Supporting Collaborative Knowledge-Building
Web based training is utilized by many organizations, yet trainers rate this method of training comparatively low in meeting training objectives. Many trainers indicate that collaboration and communities of practice are key elements in transferring learning to improved productivity. This study examined the role of the development, maintenance and�
Calvin, Jennifer; Stein, David S.; Wheaton, Joe E.
Web-based Access to Locally Developed Databases.
Describes the Web-based technologies employed by the Grainger Engineering Library Information Center at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in implementing access to local information resources. Discusses Microsoft Active Server Pages (ASP) technologies and the associated local database structure and format, as well as the general�
Mischo, William H.; Schlembach, Mary C.
Implementing Complex Web-Based Training Strategies with Virtual Classrooms.
Current training strategies implemented in online Web-based training (WBT) sessions are rather simple strategies. They lack a number of typical classroom training strategies, such as: composite training strategies, the possibility to customize and adapt training strategy, and collaborative training strategies. This paper presents a novel WBT tool�
Helic, Denis; Maurer, Hermann; Scerbakov, Nick
Educational Assessment via a Web-Based Intelligent System
Effective assessment is vital in educational activities. We propose IWAS (intelligent Web-based assessment system), an intelligent, generalized and real-time system to assess both learning and teaching. IWAS provides a foundation for more efficiency in instructional activities and, ultimately, students' performances. Our contributions are�
Huang, Jingshan; He, Lei; Davidson-Shivers, Gayle V.
Advancing Your Library's Web-Based Services. ERIC Digest.
This digest discusses the development of World Wide Web-based services for libraries and provides examples from the Cleveland Public Library (CPL). The first section highlights the importance of developing such services, steps to be followed for a successful project, and the importance of having the goal of replicating and enhancing traditional�
Feldman, Sari; Strobel, Tracy
Web-based failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA)
This paper presents a prototype computer system that supports FMEA on the Internet. The general procedure of applying the web-based FMEA is as follows. The user, whether in Hong Kong or Mainland China or other parts of the world, uses the web browser to connect the client machine to the FMEA web server which may be located in Hong Kong
G. Q. Huang; M. Nie; K. L. Mak
The Direction of Web-based Training: A Practitioner's View.
Web-based training has had achievements and disappointments as online learning has matured. Best practices include user-centered design, knowledge object structures, usability engineering, and formal evaluation. Knowledge management, peer-to-peer learning, and personal learning appliances will continue to alter the online learning landscape. (SK)
Kilby, Tim
Automated Document Labeling for Web-based Online Medical Journals
An increasing number of publishers are using the Internet and the World Wide Web to provide their subscribers with access to online journals. New techniques are needed to capture, classify, analyze, extract, modify, and reformat Web-based document information for computer storage, access, and processing. An R&D division of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) is developing an automated system, temporarily
George R. Thoma
A framework for collaborative and distributed web-based design
The increasing complexity and geographical separation of design data, tools and teams has created a need for a collaborative and distributed design environment. In this paper we present a framework that enables collaborative and distributed Web-based CAD, in which the designers can collaborate on a design and efficiently utilize existing design tools on the Internet. The framework includes a Java-based
Gangadhar Konduri; Anantha Chandrakasan
Applying Motivational Analysis in a Web-Based Course
An important facet of effective Web-based instructional design is the consideration of learning activities to stimulate students' learning motivation. In order to create a motivating interaction environment, the design of motivational strategies to foster student interest in learning is essential. The study employed Keller's ARCS Motivational�
ChanLin, Lih-Juan
A Web-based Collaborative Design Modeling Environment
The paper presents an open product development environment for distributed, collaborative, and integrated design. The Web based framework, called DOME, allows designers to build integrated models using both local and distributed resources, and to collaborate by exchanging services in a network centric environment. An integrated model can be created while each participant focuses on their own area of expertise. A
Gun-dong F. Pahng; Seockhoon Bae; David Wallace
MES - a web-based design tool for microwave engineering
Microwave engineering often involves extensive circuit analysis and design, typically requiring precise calculations. To expedite the handling of complicated design calculations, a Web-based design tool named Microwave Engineering Solutions (MES) was developed as a graduate student project in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at North Dakota State University (NDSU), Fargo, and is described in this paper. JavaScript, PHP, and
Robert M. Nelson; A. N. M. S. Islam
Decision Making in the Development of Web-Based Instruction.
Discusses Web-based instruction (WBI)and presents a decision making model based on a set of questions relating to the use of WBI. Topics include motivation for WBI; content and pedagogy, including instructional design; the target audience, including characteristics of successful online students; time factors; resources needed, including costs,�
Case, Deborah; Bauder, Debra K.; Simmons, Thomas J.
Quality of Web-Based Information on Cannabis Addiction
This study evaluated the quality of Web-based information on cannabis use and addiction and investigated particular content quality indicators. Three keywords ("cannabis addiction," "cannabis dependence," and "cannabis abuse") were entered into two popular World Wide Web search engines. Websites were assessed with a standardized proforma designed�
Khazaal, Yasser; Chatton, Anne; Cochand, Sophie; Zullino, Daniele
Web-Based Interactive Visualization of Data Cubes
Data Cube is an effective technique for data mining. Because of the complex relationships among aggregation values of a data cube, designing an efficient method or tool to visualize the complex relationships becomes a challenging work in the data cube technique. Information visualization with computer graphics can help improving this process. Recently, we developed a Web-based interactive data cube visualization
Xusheng Wang; Ping Chen; Wei Ding
Web-based expert system for food dryer selection
This paper describes an integrated web-based fuzzy expert system for food dryer selection. A modular approach to designing the system was employed. It consists of a number of knowledge sources controlled by a scheduler, which communicate through a common blackboard. The system has been fully implemented to run on the web and provides an excellent example of how a number
Haitham M. S. Lababidi; Christopher G. J. Baker
Web-Based Courses on Basic Astronomical Concepts
We've been working on a series of web-based courses (www.polaris.iastate.edu) on gasic astronomical concepts, such as coordinate systems and the diurnal motion of the sky. I will discuss the philosopy (sic) behind this project and show one or two examples of what we have developed so far.
Willson, Lee Anne; Bennett, Doug; Engelhaupt, Travis
A Web-Based Remote Access Laboratory Using SCADA
The Internet provides an opportunity for students to access laboratories from outside the campus. This paper presents a Web-based remote access real-time laboratory using SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) control. The control of an induction motor is used as an example to demonstrate the effectiveness of this remote laboratory,�
Aydogmus, Z.; Aydogmus, O.
Distance Education, Web-Based Instruction, and Today's Educator.
Explores what a move to Web-based education means for today's educators as they reinvent their professional practice in a distance learning environment. Presents traditional views of teachers and teaching and contrasts them with new paradigms for teaching and learning. Offers critical knowledge, skills, and other supports needed to shift from�
Brill, Jennifer M.
Web-Based Interactive Writing Environment: Development and Evaluation
This study reports the development and evaluation of a web-based interactive writing environment designed for elementary school students. The environment includes three writing themes, "story pass on", "story chameleon" and "thousand ideas", to encourage reading comprehension, creativity and problem-solving skills of students. Three assessment�
Yang, Jie Chi; Ko, Hwa Wei; Chung, I. Ling
Assessing the Cost of Web-Based Training Programs
Investments in web-based training (WBT) have increased presumably to attain cost savings and performance improvement. However, it has been difficult to assess the cost of WBT. In order to conduct an accurate cost analysis of WBT, three primary issues remain as follows: 1) identifying the missing cost components of WBT, 2) assessing the costs of�
Kong, Young Hee; Park, In-Jo; Jacobs, Ronald L.
Using Web-Based Conferencing in Post-Secondary Instruction.
This paper highlights features, uses, and training issues related to AltaVista Forums, a World Wide Web-based conferencing tool. An overview of the features of AltaVista Forums is provided; highlights include asynchronous online discussions, chats, document attachments, URL posting, a calendar feature, and mail-to listings. Pricing and system�
Bichelmeyer, B. A.; Kiggins, Elizabeth A.
Web Based Pattern Mining and Matching Approach to Question Answering
We describe herein a Web based pattern mining and matching approach to question answering. For each type of questions, a lot of textual patterns can be learned from the Web automatically, using the TREC QA track data as training examples. These textual patterns are assessed by the concepts of support and confidence, which are borrowed from the data mining community.
Dell Zhang; Wee Sun Lee
Designing Metacognitive Maps for Web-Based Learning
This paper provides guidelines for designing metacognitive maps in web-based learning environments. A metacognitive map is a visual interface-based tool that supports metacognition throughout the entire learning process. Inspired by the four key metacognitive skills of planning, monitoring, evaluating, and revising, the metacognitive map is�
Lee, Miyoung; Baylor, Amy L.
An Assessment of Streaming Video In Web-based Instruction.
Streaming video used as an augmentation in Web-based instruction was investigated to: (1) determine if demographic characteristics would lead to significantly different beliefs about the use and perceived effectiveness of streaming video, and (2) whether or not there are characteristics of streaming video that would lead to beliefs about the�
Cofield, Jay L.
Web Based Parallel Programming Workshop for Undergraduate Education.
Central State University (Ohio), under a contract with Nichols Research Corporation, has developed a World Wide web based workshop on high performance computing entitled "IBN SP2 Parallel Programming Workshop." The research is part of the DoD (Department of Defense) High Performance Computing Modernization Program. The research activities included�
Marcus, Robert L.; Robertson, Douglass
Today's organizations have become so dependant on information resources that even the effects of a single information security incident could be devastating. Increasing Information Security awareness is the most cost- effective control that an organization can implement. However, most organizations do not have the necessary financial or knowledge resources needed for a comprehensive awareness education program. A web-based portal acting
Web-Based Assessment of Physical Education Standards
Why would a school district consider implementing a district-wide, web-based assessment of student achievement of physical education standards? Why should any school or school district assume the expense, both in terms of time and money, of adopting an online assessment tool for physical education to assess students' cognitive and motor skills?�
Avery, Marybell
Web-Based Learning Interaction and Learning Styles.
Reports a study exploring the learning styles and perceptions of undergraduate and postgraduate students at Brunel University (United Kingdom) in relation to using the Web for learning. Explores the sequential/global learning style dimension in relation to three categories of Web-based interaction: learner-tutor, learner-leaner, and�
Sabry, Khaled; Baldwin, Lynne
Popular Web-Based Reference Sources for United States History
Obstacles to the efficient, effective discovery of Web-based reference sources for United States history include the vastness of the Web, researchers' unfamiliarity with sophisticated searching techniques, and the tendency of search engines to list results by �relevancy� based on a site's popularity. Reference librarians can facilitate research by offering a list of categorized Web sites which includes meta sites, directories,
Paul A. Frisch
Utilizing Learning Styles for Effective Web-Based Learning
We present a model of web-based learning for teaching Visual Programming in Delphi, by adopting in- dividual learning styles. A software system was developed for this purpose where two learning models (namely; 4MAT system and PBL system) are implemented. The goal of this research is to examine the inuence of the two selected models on students of different learning styles
Mohamed M. BOUKER; Mohamed A. ARTEIMI
A Framework for Web-based Research Support Systems
The objective of research support systems (RSS) is to support and improve research, which may be viewed as a counterpart of decision support systems (DSS) for scientists. Web-based RSS (WRSS) assist scientists in the research process on the Web platform. WRSS are based on the assembling, integration, and adaptation of existing computer technology and information systems for the purpose of
Yiyu Yao
Web-Based Training in Corporations: Organizational Considerations
Advances in technology offer the possibility of new methods for delivering instruction. Learning via the Internet is being heralded by many as the new pedagogical model for training. Recent issues of training, computer, and management magazines all suggest that web-based training (WBT) is the best way to reach geographically dispersed employees�
Chamers, Terri; Lee, Doris
Research and commercial opportunities in Web-Based Simulation
In a few short years, Web-Based Simulation, has exhibited explosive growth in the simulation research community. This paper which grew out of a panel discussion at the 2000 WEBSIM Con- ference, briefly reviews the development of this research area and considers future opportunities, both on the research and commercial sides. On the research side, the area is maturing, but still
John A. Miller; Paul A. Fishwick; Simon J. E. Taylor; Perakath C. Benjamin; Boleslaw K. Szymanski
Instructional Design Attributes of Web-Based Courses.
In an effort to apply traditional instructional design theories to World Wide Web course development, this qualitative research study examined experiences in Web course design and delivery and explored what components affected Web-based course design. The purpose of the study was to identify and document instructional design attributes of the Web�
Bi, Xiaoshi
Web-Based Trainer for Electrical Circuit Analysis
A Web-based system for training electric circuit analysis is presented in this paper. It is centered on symbolic analysis techniques and it not only verifies the student's final answer, but it also tracks and coaches him/her through all steps of his/her reasoning path. The system mimics homework assignments, enhanced by immediate personalized�
Weyten, L.; Rombouts, P.; De Maeyer, J.
Background Web-based behavioral intervention research is rapidly growing. Purpose We review methodological issues shared across Web-based intervention research to help inform future research in this area. Methods We examine measures and their interpretation using exemplar studies and our research. Results We report on research designs used to evaluate Web-based interventions and recommend newer, blended designs. We review and critique methodological issues associated with recruitment, engagement, and social validity. Conclusions We suggest that there is value to viewing this burgeoning realm of research from the broader context of behavior change research. We conclude that many studies use blended research designs, that innovative mantling designs such as the Multiphase Optimization Strategy and Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial methods hold considerable promise and should be used more widely, and that Web-based controls should be used instead of usual care or no-treatment controls in public health research. We recommend topics for future research that address participant recruitment, engagement, and social validity.
Danaher, Brian G; Seeley, John R
The Hebrewer: A Web-Based Inflection Generator
This paper reports on the grammatical and programmatical production aspects of the "Hebrewer," a cross-platform web-based reference work in the form of a Hebrew inflection generator. The Hebrewer, a Java applet/servlet combination, is currently capable of generating 2,500 nouns in full declension and 500 verbs in full conjugation, displaying the�
Foster, James Q.; Harrell, Lane Foster; Raizen, Esther
Efficient Web-based Open and Distance Learning Services.
Presents data management issues faced during the design and development of an open distance learning (ODL) system for the University of Patras, Greece. Outlines the architecture, design, and services of a network-based information system that supports ODL activities. The Web-based open and distance learning information system offers synchronous�
Bouras, Ch.; Destounis, P.; Garofalakis, J.; Gkamas, A.; Sakalis, G.; Sakkopoulos, E.; Tsaknakis, J.; Tsiatsos, Th.
Web-based programmable logic controller learning system
A web-based learning system is being developed to teach students about programmable logic controllers (PLCs). This system will ultimately incorporate intelligent tutoring system, simulation, animation, and hardware emulation technologies. This article describes the development and evaluation of a prototype lesson on PLC timer instructions. The lesson was developed using an intelligent tutoring system authoring tool, animations, and presentation software. The
Sheng-Jen Hsieh; P. Y. Hsieh
Sharing and Constructing Perspectives in Web-Based Conferencing
This study investigates the quality and nature of virtual interaction in a higher education context. The study aims to find out variables that mediate virtual interaction, particularly the emerging processes of sharing and constructing perspectives in web-based conferencing. The purpose of this paper is to report the results on different levels of�
Hakkinen, Paivi; Jarvela, Sanna
Price Bubbles with Discounting: A Web-Based Classroom Experiment
The authors describe a Web-based classroom experiment with two assets: cash and a stock that pays a random dividend. The interest rate on cash, coupled with a well-chosen final redemption value for the stock, induces a flat trajectory for the fundamental value of the stock. However, prices typically rise above this value during a session. The�
Bostian, AJ A.; Holt, Charles A.
The Development of a Web-Based College Awareness Program
The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a web-based college awareness program that would aid college-bound students in their search for a college or university that fit their interests. Since there is an increase in computer usage among high school aged students, and there are a very few college awareness programs included in the�
Roberson, Keith W.
The Public Electronic Library: Web-based subject guides
Considers the way electronic information can be accessed by the adaptation and use of guides. Highlights the current interest in creating and implementing such a value-added support when technical accessibility via the web is common. Outlines the creation of a web based subject guide at the University of Wisconsin. Profiles the structure of this and looks at the benefits and
Charles W. Dean
Web-based recruitment in the Millennial generation: Work�life balance, website usability, and organizational attraction
In this digital era, traditional recruitment efforts have increasingly been supplemented with or replaced by recruiting applicants on the Web. Concurrently, organizations are increasingly adapting to younger individuals from the Millennial generation as they enter the workforce. We combine these salient issues to examine Web-based recruitment of the Millennial generation by assessing predictors of organizational attraction. Using a sample of
Karen Holcombe Ehrhart; David M. Mayer; Jonathan C. Ziegert
What really makes students like a web site? What are the implications for designing web-based language learning sites?
Faced with reduced numbers choosing to study foreign languages (as in England and Wales), strate- gies to create and maintain student interest need to be explored. One such strategy is to create 'taster' courses in languages, for potential university applicants. The findings presented arise from exploratory research, undertaken to inform the design of a selection of web-based taster courses for
A Web-Based Software Package for Clinical Cardiac Autonomic Tests
We developed a software package for management and evaluation of non-invasive cardiac autonomic tests. These tests aim to investigate the human cardiovascular function and its autonomic nervous control. Our system offers user-friendly features for managing patients and autonomic tests; for uploading measured cardiovascular signals and performing statistical evaluation. An additional modeling and simulation component includes basic mathematical models and offers
Michel Kana; Vladim�r Rogalewicz; Zolt�n Szab�; Jir� Holc�k
WEB-BASED CBR (CASE-BASED REASONING) AS A TOOL WITH THE APPLICATION TO TOOLING SELECTION The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, Volume 29, Numbers 1-2 \\/ May, 2006
Over the past few years, manufacturing companies have had to deal with an increasing demand for feature-rich products at low costs. The pressures exerted on their existing manufacturing processes have lead manufacturers to investigate Internet-based solutions, in order to cope with growing competition. The decentralisation phenomenon also came up as a reason to implement networked- application, which has been the
J. Toussaint; K. Cheng
Architecture for web-based image processing
A computer systems architecture for processing medical images and other data coming over the Web is proposed. The architecture comprises a Java engine for communicating images over the Internet, storing data in local memory, doing floating point calculations, and a coprocessor MIMD parallel DSP for doing fine-grained operations found in video, graphics, and image processing applications. The local memory is shared between the Java engine and the parallel DSP. Data coming from the Web is stored in the local memory. This approach avoids the frequent movement of image data between a host processor's memory and an image processor's memory, found in many image processing systems. A low-power and high performance parallel DSP architecture containing lots of processors interconnected by a segmented hierarchical network has been developed. The instruction set of the 16-bit processor supports video, graphics, and image processing calculations. Two's complement arithmetic, saturation arithmetic, and packed instructions are supported. Higher data precision such as 32-bit and 64-bit can be achieved by cascading processors. A VLSI chip implementation of the architecture containing 64 processors organized in 16 clusters and interconnected by a statically programmable hierarchical bus is in progress. The buses are segmentable by programming switches on the bus. The instruction memory of each processor has sixteen 40-bit words. Data streaming through the processor is manipulated by the instructions. Multiple operations can be performed in a single cycle in a processor. A low-power handshake protocol is used for synchronization between the sender and the receiver of data. Temporary storage for data and filter coefficients is provided in each chip. A 256 by 16 memory unit is included in each of the 16 clusters. The memory unit can be used as a delay line, FIFO, lookup table or random access memory. The architecture is scalable with technology. Portable multimedia terminals like U.C. Berkeley's InfoPad can be developed using the proposed parallel DSP architecture, color display, pen interface, and wireless network communication for use in clinics, hospitals, homes, offices, and factories.
Srini, Vason P.; Pini, David; Armstrong, Matt D.; Alalusi, Sayf H.; Thendean, John; Ueng, Sain-Zee; Bushong, David P.; Borowski, Erek S.; Chao, Elaine; Rabaey, Jan M.
Exploring face-to-face and Web-based pedagogy in undergraduate natural resource sciences
Little has been published about Internet instruction compared to traditional classroom teaching in undergraduate natural resource science (NRS) education. This study hypothesized associations between teaching environments (face-to-face only (FF), Web only (WE), mixed mode (MI)); and teaching philosophy, practices, and perceived course outcomes. A questionnaire was sent to 142 faculty members with experience teaching in these environments in Western US. Sixty percent responded. Data were analyzed using factor analysis and multivariate statistics. Only statistically significant differences are presented. Most respondents were male (68%) 50-59 years old (80%) and tenured (74%). Overall, Web-based instruction was not seen as equivalent to face to face instruction. Adoption of the Internet for teaching was beyond critical mass. Most faculty members ranked their ability to use the Internet as average (27%) or expert (22%). Faculty rarely perceived students' learning experience in a WE course as "better" than FF. Web-based courses were not usually required of majors in the offering department. Faculty age, gender and experience are significant variables in use of some teaching practices. Faculty members who used the Internet favored a constructivist teaching philosophy, while FF and MI instruction tended towards a behaviorist philosophy. Respondents' most frequent teaching practices addressed connections, collaboration, meaning making, and learner autonomy. Collaborative teaching strategies were seldom used in Web-based instruction relative to FF. Learning assessments focused on learner interactions, efforts (individual or groups), and recall. The latter assessment was used less on the Web. Respondents viewed effective teaching in all teaching environments as achieving competency and application of knowledge. Personal experience, resource availability, and feedback were the most important influences on teaching. Resource availability constrained Internet instruction most. Instructional goals emphasized broad understanding of natural resources, information technology competence and effective communication in all learning environments. There was doubt that Web instruction adequately achieved critical thinking objectives. Key results should be verified independent of self reports. Overall, Web-based instruction was not seen as equivalent to face to face instruction, indicating a need to assure that Web-based instruction is used optimally.
Mbabaliye, Theogene
Web-Based Urban Metabolic Mapping for Bangalore, India
Mehta, V. K.; Kemp-Benedict, E.; Wang, G.; Malghan, D.
Web-based tools from AHRQ's National Resource Center.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has made an investment of over $216 million in research around health information technology (health IT). As part of their investment, AHRQ has developed the National Resource Center for Health IT (NRC) which includes a public domain Web site. New content for the web site, such as white papers, toolkits, lessons from the health IT portfolio and web-based tools, is developed as needs are identified. Among the tools developed by the NRC are the Compendium of Surveys and the Clinical Decision Support (CDS) Resources. The Compendium of Surveys is a searchable repository of health IT evaluation surveys made available for public use. The CDS Resources contains content which may be used to develop clinical decision support tools, such as rules, reminders and templates. This live demonstration will show the access, use, and content of both