977 resultados para Web testing
Resumo:
Background: Exercise and adequate self-management capacity may be important strategies in the management of venous leg ulcers. However, it remains unclear if exercise improves the healing rates of venous leg ulcers and if a self-management exercise program based on self-efficacy theory is well adhered to. Method/Design: This is a randomised controlled in adults with venous leg ulcers to determine the effectiveness of a self-efficacy based exercise intervention. Participants with venous leg ulcers are recruited from 3 clinical sites in Australia. After collection of baseline data, participants are randomised to either an intervention group or control group. The control group receive usual care, as recommended by evidence based guidelines. The intervention group receive an individualised program of calf muscle exercises and walking. The twelve week exercise program integrates multiple elements, including up to six telephone delivered behavioural coaching and goal setting sessions, supported by written materials, a pedometer and two follow-up booster calls if required. Participants are encouraged to seek social support among their friends, self-monitor their weekly steps and lower limb exercises. The control group are supported by a generic information sheet that the intervention group also receive encouraging lower limb exercises, a pedometer for self-management and phone calls at the same time points as the intervention group. The primary outcome is the healing rates of venous leg ulcers which are assessed at fortnightly clinic appointments. Secondary outcomes, assessed at baseline and 12 weeks: functional ability (range of ankle motion and Tinetti gait and balance score), quality of life and self-management scores. Discussion: This study seeks to address a significant gap in current wound management practice by providing evidence for the effectiveness of a home-based exercise program for adults with venous leg ulcers. Theory-driven, evidence-based strategies that can improve an individual’s exercise self-efficacy and self-management capacity could have a significant impact in improving the management of people with venous leg ulcers. Information gained from this study will provide much needed information on management of this chronic disease to promote health and independence in this population. Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12612000475842 Trial status: Current follow up
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In a pilot application based on web search engine calledWeb-based Relation Completion (WebRC), we propose to join two columns of entities linked by a predefined relation by mining knowledge from the web through a web search engine. To achieve this, a novel retrieval task Relation Query Expansion (RelQE) is modelled: given an entity (query), the task is to retrieve documents containing entities in predefined relation to the given one. Solving this problem entails expanding the query before submitting it to a web search engine to ensure that mostly documents containing the linked entity are returned in the top K search results. In this paper, we propose a novel Learning-based Relevance Feedback (LRF) approach to solve this retrieval task. Expansion terms are learned from training pairs of entities linked by the predefined relation and applied to new entity-queries to find entities linked by the same relation. After describing the approach, we present experimental results on real-world web data collections, which show that the LRF approach always improves the precision of top-ranked search results to up to 8.6 times the baseline. Using LRF, WebRC also shows performances way above the baseline.
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Fire resistance rating of light gauge steel frame (LSF) wall systems is obtained from fire tests based on the standard fire time-temperature curve. However, fire severity has increased in modern buildings due to higher fuel loads as a result of modern furniture and light weight constructions that make use of thermoplastics materials, synthetic foams and fabrics. Some of these materials are high in calorific values and increase both the spread of fire growth and heat release rate, thus increasing the fire severity beyond that of the standard fire curve. Further, the standard fire curve does not include a decay phase that is present in natural fires. Despite the increasing usage of LSF walls, their behaviour in real building fires is not fully understood. This paper presents the details of a research study aimed at developing realistic design fire curves for use in the fire tests of LSF walls. It includes a review of the characteristics of building fires, previously developed fire time-temperature curves, computer models and available parametric equations. The paper highlights that real building fire time-temperature curves depend on the fuel load representing the combustible building contents, ventilation openings and thermal properties of wall lining materials, and provides suitable values of many required parameters including fuel loads in residential buildings. Finally, realistic design fire time-temperature curves simulating the fire conditions in modern residential buildings are proposed for the testing of LSF walls.
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This phenomenographic research investigated variation in web professionals' understanding of information literacy. The outcome is of value for the education of practitioners both in the areas of information literacy, and web design and development. Analysis of 23 in-depth interviews with web workers from different stages of web design and development process revealed that they experience information literacy as staying informed, building a successful website, solving a problem or participating in a community of practice. The present research advances the existing understanding of the concept of information literacy, especially in an occupational context. Additionally, using the web professionals' world as the context of the study, the research also contributes to the field of website design and development by shedding light on less-researched experiences of people involved in this industry.
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This paper reports on a current initiative at Queensland University of Technology to provide timely, flexible and sustainable training and support to academic staff in blended learning and associated techno-pedagogies via a web-conferencing classroom and collaboration tool, Elluminate Live!. This technology was first introduced to QUT in 2008 as part of the university‘s ongoing commitment to meeting the learning needs of diverse student cohorts. The centralised Learning Design team, in collaboration with the university‘s department of eLearning Services, was given the task of providing training and support to academic staff in the effective use of the technology for teaching and learning, as part of the team‘s ongoing brief to support and enhance the provision of blended learning throughout the university. The resulting program, ―Learning Design Live‖ (LDL) is informed by Rogers‘ theory of innovation and diffusion (2003) and structured according to Wilson‘s framework for faculty development (2007). This paper discusses the program‘s design and structure, considers the program‘s impact on academic capacity in blended learning within the institution, and reflects on future directions for the program and emerging insights into blended learning and participant engagement for both staff and students.
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The estimated one million Australians with type 2 diabetes face significant risks of morbidity and premature mortality. Inadequate diabetes self-management is associated with poor glycaemic control, which is further impaired by comorbid dysphoria. Regular access to ongoing self-management and psychological support is limited, especially in rural and regional locations. Web-based interventions can provide complementary support to patients’ usual care. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with two samples that comprised (a) 13 people with type 2 diabetes and (b) 12 general practitioners (GPs). Interviews explored enablers and barriers to self-care, emotional challenges, needs for support, and potential web-based programme components. Patients were asked about the potential utility of a web-based support programme, and GPs were asked about likely circumstances of patient referral to it. Thematic analysis was used to summarise responses. Most perceived facilitators and barriers to self-management were similar across the groups. Both groups highlighted the centrality of dietary self-management, valued shared decision-making with health professionals, and endorsed the idea of web-based support. Some emotional issues commonly identified by patients varied to those perceived by GPs, resulting in different attributions for impaired self-care. A web-based programme that supported self-management and psychological/emotional needs appears likely to hold promise in yielding high acceptability and perceived utility.
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Background: The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is rising with the majority of patients practicing inadequate disease self-management. Depression, anxiety, and diabetes-specific distress present motivational challenges to adequate self-care. Health systems globally struggle to deliver routine services that are accessible to the entire population, in particular in rural areas. Web-based diabetes self-management interventions can provide frequent, accessible support regardless of time and location Objective: This paper describes the protocol of an Australian national randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the OnTrack Diabetes program, an automated, interactive, self-guided Web program aimed to improve glycemic control, diabetes self-care, and dysphoria symptoms in type 2 diabetes patients. Methods: A small pilot trial is conducted that primarily tests program functionality, efficacy, and user acceptability and satisfaction. This is followed by the main RCT, which compares 3 treatments: (1) delayed program access: usual diabetes care for 3 months postbaseline followed by access to the full OnTrack Diabetes program; (2) immediate program: full access to the self-guided program from baseline onward; and (3) immediate program plus therapist support via Functional Imagery Training (FIT). Measures are administered at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months postbaseline. Primary outcomes are diabetes self-care behaviors (physical activity participation, diet, medication adherence, and blood glucose monitoring), glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level, and diabetes-specific distress. Secondary outcomes are depression, anxiety, self-efficacy and adherence, and quality of life. Exposure data in terms of program uptake, use, time on each page, and program completion, as well as implementation feasibility will be conducted. Results: This trial is currently underway with funding support from the Wesley Research Institute in Brisbane, Australia. Conclusions: This is the first known trial of an automated, self-guided, Web-based support program that uses a holistic approach in targeting both type 2 diabetes self-management and dysphoria. Findings will inform the feasibility of implementing such a program on an ongoing basis, including in rural and regional locations.
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Background: Type 2 diabetes affects an estimated 347 million people worldwide and often leads to serious complications including blindness, kidney disease, and limb amputation. Comorbid dysphoria is common and is an independent risk factor for poor glycaemic control. Professional support for diabetes self-management and dysphoria has limited availability and involves high costs, especially after regular hours, and in rural and remote areas. Web-based cognitive behavior therapy offers highly accessible, acceptable, and cost-effective support for people with diabetes. This paper describes the development of OnTrack Diabetes, a self-guided, Web-based program to promote improved physical and emotional self-management in people with Type 2 diabetes. Objective: The objective of the study is to describe the development of the OnTrack Diabetes program, which is a self-guided, Web-based program aimed to promote euthymia and improved disease self-management in people with Type 2 diabetes. Methods: Semistructured interviews with 12 general practitioners and 13 patients with Type 2 diabetes identified enablers of and barriers to effective diabetes self-management, requirements for additional support, and potential program elements. Existing resources and research data informed the development of content, and consultants from relevant disciplines provided feedback on draft segments and reviewed the program before release. Using a self-guided delivery format contained costs, in addition to adapting program features and modules from an existing OnTrack program. Results: A separate paper describes the protocol for a randomized controlled trial to provide this required evaluation. Conclusions: Development of the OnTrack Diabetes program demonstrates strategies that help ensure that a program is acceptable to users. The next stages involve testing users’ experiences and examining the program’s effectiveness and cost-effectiveness in randomized controlled trials.
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This paper presents a new approach to web browsing in situ- ations where the user can only provide the device with a sin- gle input command device (switch). Switches have been de- veloped for example for people with locked-in syndrome and are used in combination with scanning to navigate virtual keyboards and desktop interfaces. Our proposed approach leverages the hierarchical structure of webpages to operate a multi-level scan of actionable elements of webpages (links or form elements). As there are a few methods already exist- ing to facilitate browsing under these conditions, we present a theoretical usability evaluation of our approach in com- parison to the existing ones, which takes into account the average time taken to reach any part of a web page (such as a link or a form) but also the number of clicks necessary to reach the goal. We argue that these factors contribute together to usability. In addition, we propose that our ap- proach presents additional usability benefits.
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This thesis reports on a multiple case study of the actions of three Queensland secondary schools in the context of Year 9 NAPLAN numeracy testing, focusing on their administrative practices, curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. It was established that schools have found it both challenging and costly to operate in an environment of educational reform generally, and NAPLAN testing in particular. The lack of a common understanding of numeracy and the substantial demands of implementing the Australian Curriculum have impacted on schools' ability to prepare students appropriately for NAPLAN numeracy tests. It was concluded that there is scope for schools to improve their approaches to NAPLAN numeracy testing in a way that maximises learning as well as test outcomes.
Resumo:
Due to the availability of huge number of web services, finding an appropriate Web service according to the requirements of a service consumer is still a challenge. Moreover, sometimes a single web service is unable to fully satisfy the requirements of the service consumer. In such cases, combinations of multiple inter-related web services can be utilised. This paper proposes a method that first utilises a semantic kernel model to find related services and then models these related Web services as nodes of a graph. An all-pair shortest-path algorithm is applied to find the best compositions of Web services that are semantically related to the service consumer requirement. The recommendation of individual and composite Web services composition for a service request is finally made. Empirical evaluation confirms that the proposed method significantly improves the accuracy of service discovery in comparison to traditional keyword-based discovery methods.
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Clustering is an important technique in organising and categorising web scale documents. The main challenges faced in clustering the billions of documents available on the web are the processing power required and the sheer size of the datasets available. More importantly, it is nigh impossible to generate the labels for a general web document collection containing billions of documents and a vast taxonomy of topics. However, document clusters are most commonly evaluated by comparison to a ground truth set of labels for documents. This paper presents a clustering and labeling solution where the Wikipedia is clustered and hundreds of millions of web documents in ClueWeb12 are mapped on to those clusters. This solution is based on the assumption that the Wikipedia contains such a wide range of diverse topics that it represents a small scale web. We found that it was possible to perform the web scale document clustering and labeling process on one desktop computer under a couple of days for the Wikipedia clustering solution containing about 1000 clusters. It takes longer to execute a solution with finer granularity clusters such as 10,000 or 50,000. These results were evaluated using a set of external data.
Resumo:
Objective Research into youth caregiving in families where a parent experiences a significant medical condition has been hampered by a lack of contextually sensitive measures of the nature and breadth of young caregiving experiences. This study examined the factor structure and measurement invariance of such a measure called the Young Carer of Parents Inventory (YCOPI; Pakenham et al., 2006) using confirmatory factor analysis across 3 groups of youth. The YCOPI has 2 parts: YCOPI-A with 5 factors assessing caregiving experiences that are applicable to all caregiving contexts; YCOPI-B with 4 factors that tap dimensions related to youth caregiving in the context of parent illness. Design Two samples (ages 9–20 years) were recruited: a community sample of 2,429 youth from which 2 groups were derived (“healthy” family [HF], n = 1760; parental illness [PI], n = 446), and a sample of 130 youth of a parent with multiple sclerosis). Results With some modification, the YCOPI-A demonstrated a replicable factor structure across 3 groups, and exhibited only partial measurement invariance across the HF and PI groups. The impact of assuming full measurement invariance on latent mean differences appeared small, supporting use of the measure in research and applied settings when estimated using latent factors and controlling for measurement invariance. PI youth reported significantly higher scores than did HF youth on all YCOPI-A subscales. The YCOPI-B requires some modifications, and further development work is recommended. Conclusion The factor structure that emerged and the addition of new items constitutes the YCOPI-Revised. Findings support the use of the YCOPI-Revised in research and applied settings.