The effects of portal website attitude and e-services on branding of e-stores

Purpose –Increasingly the company websites, along with the intermediary websites such as portal sites have become an integral component of the firms brand strategy. This study emphasises the importance of website service elements within portal sites and the impact on e-retailer brand attitudes and brand identity in an ever more competitive digital market-space. Design/methodology/approach– The research employs structural equation modeling technique to capture the relationship among website attitude, e-service quality, brand attitude and brand identity. Findings–The results from the study indicate consumer attitude perceptions toward portal website and e-service elements combine to increase brand attitude and also brand identity for e-retailers. Originality/value –Although there has been a plethora of studies evaluating corporate websites and branding interactions there is limited comprehension of the impact of intermediary portal sites. Moreover, the literature is limited in validating the link between e-services with brand attitude and brand identity within a portal website context. This study develops a framework that highlights the important influence of e-services within portal websites and the impact on the firm’s brand.

Estudio diagnóstico de la influencia de los programas de cultura ciudadana de la alcaldía mayor sobre algunos indicadores de movilidad en Bogotá, periodo 1995-2004

El interés por desarrollar el tema de cultura ciudadana y su influencia sobre los indicadores de movilidad referidos a la accidentalidad, surge a partir de una percepción de éxito de tres alcaldías que lograron transformaciones culturales y físicas en Bogotá. El propósito era comprobar a partir de un análisis cuantitativo que la cultura ciudadana funcionó como herramienta de gestión y que había logrado afectar positivamente las crecientes tasas de accidentalidad vial en Bogotá, durante dichas alcaldías (1995-2004). Sin embargo, la caracterización de la cultura ciudadana referida a la accidentalidad vial, tenía un alto componente cualitativo que permitió comprender que las estadísticas no se podían asociar directamente a las estrategias de cultura ciudadana y que por lo tanto, la investigación debía concentrarse en dimensionar la capacidad real que tenían las acciones de cultura ciudadana sobre el problema urbano, desagregando las dos variables.

Indexação e taxonomia em sites de webjornalismo : um estudo para aprimorar a recuperação de informação no Portal Câmara Notícias

Monografia (especialização) -- Curso de Arquitetura e Organização da Informação, Câmara dos Deputados, Centro de Formação, Treinamento e Aperfeiçoamento (Cefor) e Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Escola de Ciência da Informação (ECI), 2013.

Assessment of function and clinical utility of alcohol and other drug web sites : an observational, qualitative study

Background The increasing popularity and use of the internet makes it an attractive option for providing health information and treatment, including alcohol/other drug use. There is limited research examining how people identify and access information about alcohol or other drug (AOD) use online, or how they assess the usefulness of the information presented. This study examined the strategies that individuals used to identify and navigate a range of AOD websites, along with the attitudes concerning presentation and content. Methods Members of the general community in Brisbane and Roma (Queensland, Australia) were invited to participate in a 30-minute search of the internet for sites related to AOD use, followed by a focus group discussion. Fifty one subjects participated in the study across nine focus groups. Results Participants spent a maximum of 6.5 minutes on any one website, and less if the user was under 25 years of age. Time spent was as little as 2 minutes if the website was not the first accessed. Participants recommended that AOD-related websites should have an engaging home or index page, which quickly and accurately portrayed the site’s objectives, and provided clear site navigation options. Website content should clearly match the title and description of the site that is used by internet search engines. Participants supported the development of a portal for AOD websites, suggesting that it would greatly facilitate access and navigation. Treatment programs delivered online were initially viewed with caution. This appeared to be due to limited understanding of what constituted online treatment, including its potential efficacy. Conclusions A range of recommendations arise from this study regarding the design and development of websites, particularly those related to AOD use. These include prudent use of text and information on any one webpage, the use of graphics and colours, and clear, uncluttered navigation options. Implications for future website development are discussed.

Democracia eletrônica para quem? : Quem são, o que querem e como os cidadãos avaliam o portal da Câmara dos Deputados

A dissertação busca responder em que medida todas as possibilidades de interação ofertadas pelo Portal da Câmara dos Deputados atendem às necessidades de interação política dos cidadãos que utilizam estes novos canais. Quem são os usuários destas novas ferramentas? Qual a avaliação que eles fazem destes novos canais? Qual é a opinião deles sobre as possibilidades de participação eletrônica? O principal aspecto teórico abordado nesta dissertação é a seguinte discussão: a internet replica formas de participação tradicionais ou é realmente capaz de fazer com que mais cidadãos, incluindo aqueles que estão alheios e desinteressados, participem? Essas questões foram direcionadas ao Portal da Câmara dos Deputados do Brasil, que, ao longo dos últimos anos, soube adaptar-se e promover um espaço de amplo acesso a informações legislativas, com capacidade de contato e interação entre o cidadão e o seu representante e é considerado, atualmente, o melhor portal legislativo da América do Sul. A dissertação utilizou duas metodologias distintas. A primeira consistiu em analisar as estatísticas de acesso ao Portal, identificando assim os padrões de acesso: os sites de referência e os caminhos de busca através dos quais se chega ao Portal. A segunda consistiu na condução de um Web Survey para coletar a opinião dos usuários. O questionário aplicado teve como objetivo coletar avaliações das ferramentas disponibilizadas pelo Portal, identificar o perfil dos usuários e compreender-lhes o comportamento político no mundo off-line. Um dos principais achados é o de que a Democracia Eletrônica desenvolvida pelo Portal da Câmara dos Deputados tem servido mais aos profissionais da política que ao cidadão comum. Mas, mesmo assim, o cidadão comum, interessado em buscar participação, contato e interação com os atores políticos, está procurando essas ferramentas on-line. Palavras chaves: Democracia Eletrônica, Câmara dos Deputados, pesquisa on-line, estatísticas de acesso.

Sites of protonation and unimolecular fragmentation of protonated N-hydroxyphthalimide in the gas phase

The low energy collision-induced dissociation, linked scan techniques and isotopic labeling experiment were used to investigate the unimolecular fragmentation of protonated N-hydroxyphthalimide under electron impact and chemical ionization conditions. It was found that this compound shows an unusual reactivity towards protonation. Two possible sites of protonation have been proposed to explain the corresponding fragmentation processes, one is that the protonation takes place on the oxygen atom of hydroxyl group, resulting in the loss of water and the other is the formation of an intermediary proton-bound complex in the fragmentation process, giving rise to the fragment ions of m/z 133 and m/z 135. The results show both cases are coexistence in the fragmentations of protonated N-hydroxyphthalimide, and the unimolecular fragmentation pathways are available.

NHS Wales e-library portal evaluation (For Informing Healthcare Strategy implementation programme)

Thomas, R. & Urquhart, C. NHS Wales e-library portal evaluation. (For Informing Healthcare Strategy implementation programme). Aberystwyth: Department of Information Studies, University of Wales Aberystwyth Follow-on to NHS Wales User Needs study Sponsorship: Informing Healthcare, NHS Wales

Do diabetic veterans use the Internet? Self-reported usage, skills, and interest in using My HealtheVet Web portal.

OBJECTIVE: The Veterans Health Administration has developed My HealtheVet (MHV), a Web-based portal that links veterans to their care in the veteran affairs (VA) system. The objective of this study was to measure diabetic veterans' access to and use of the Internet, and their interest in using MHV to help manage their diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional mailed survey of 201 patients with type 2 diabetes and hemoglobin A(1c) > 8.0% receiving primary care at any of five primary care clinic sites affiliated with a VA tertiary care facility. Main measures included Internet usage, access, and attitudes; computer skills; interest in using the Internet; awareness of and attitudes toward MHV; demographics; and socioeconomic status. RESULTS: A majority of respondents reported having access to the Internet at home. Nearly half of all respondents had searched online for information about diabetes, including some who did not have home Internet access. More than a third obtained "some" or "a lot" of their health-related information online. Forty-one percent reported being "very interested" in using MHV to help track their home blood glucose readings, a third of whom did not have home Internet access. Factors associated with being "very interested" were as follows: having access to the Internet at home (p < 0.001), "a lot/some" trust in the Internet as a source of health information (p = 0.002), lower age (p = 0.03), and some college (p = 0.04). Neither race (p = 0.44) nor income (p = 0.25) was significantly associated with interest in MHV. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that a diverse sample of older VA patients with sub-optimally controlled diabetes had a level of familiarity with and access to the Internet comparable to an age-matched national sample. In addition, there was a high degree of interest in using the Internet to help manage their diabetes.

Xanthoria parietina as a biomonitor of airborne heavy metal pollution in forest sites in the North East of Morocco

Xanthoria parietina, common foliose lichen, growing in its natural habitat, was analysed for the concentration of five heavy metals (Fe, Cr, Zn, Pb and Cu) from different forest sites of North East of Morocco (Kenitra, Sidi Boughaba, Mkhinza, Ceinture Verte near Temara city, Skhirate, Bouznika and Mohammedia). The quantification was carried out by inductively coupled plasma - atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Results were highly significant p<0,001. The concentration of metals is correlated with the vehicular activity and urbanization. The total metal concentration is highest at the Kenitra area, followed by Ceinture Verte site near Temara city, which experience heavy traffic throughout the year. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of particulate matter on lichen of Xanthoria parietina was assessed as a complementary technique to wet chemical analysis for source apportionment of airborne contaminant. Analysis revealed high level of Cu, Cr, Zn and Pb in samples near roads.