American Websites Research Articles

Quality of information on weight loss drugs from South American websites

In the face of digital technologies that help search for health information, an assessment of the quality of available information is necessary. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of information on weight loss drugs on websites available in South America. Websites from five countries in South America, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Uruguay, were selected using the Google search tool in Portuguese and Spanish, with content about weight loss drugs. The quality of the information was analyzed using a specific health tool, while the pharmacological content was analyzed using a tool specifically created by the Delphi method. Seventy-six websites from Argentina, Brazil and Chile (20 websites each) and Colombia and Uruguay each with eight evaluated websites, were analyzed. Uruguay presented low-quality information on all websites for all the dimensions analyzed, while Brazil and Colombia presented low-quality information in the pharmacological dimension. In the final data, 92% (p = 0.9934) of the websites were considered low quality and the rest were of moderate quality. We observed low-quality information on South American websites regarding weight loss drugs where there is a risk that the user's understanding and ultimately their quality of life may be adversely affected. • Weight loss drugs websites in South America have a low quality of information. • Internet information on obesity pharmacology presented the worst quality. • The lack of regulation on the internet spreads fake news.

Readability of Patient Educational Materials in Sports Medicine.

Background:The internet has become an increasingly popular resource among sports medicine patients seeking injury-related information. Numerous organizations recommend that patient educational materials (PEMs) should not exceed sixth-grade reading level. Despite this, studies have consistently shown the reading grade level (RGL) of PEMs to be too demanding across a range of surgical specialties.Purpose:To determine the readability of online sports medicine PEMs.Study Design:Cross-sectional study.Methods:The readability of 363 articles pertaining to sports medicine from 5 leading North American websites was assessed using 8 readability formulas: Flesch-Kincaid Reading Grade Level, Flesch Reading Ease Score, Raygor Estimate, Fry Readability Formula, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook, Coleman-Liau Index, FORCAST Readability Formula, and Gunning Fog Index. The mean RGL of each article was compared with the sixth- and eighth-grade reading level in the United States. The cumulative mean website RGL was also compared among individual websites.Results:The overall cumulative mean RGL was 12.2 (range, 7.0-17.7). No article (0%) was written at a sixth-grade reading level, and only 3 articles (0.8%) were written at or below the eighth-grade reading level. The overall cumulative mean RGL was significantly higher than the sixth-grade [95% CI for the difference, 6.0-6.5; P < .001] and eighth-grade (95% CI, 4.0-4.5; P < .001) reading levels. There was a significant difference among the cumulative mean RGLs of the 5 websites assessed.Conclusion:Sports medicine PEMs produced by leading North American specialty websites have readability scores that are above the recommended levels. Given the increasing preference of patients for online health care materials, the imperative role of health literacy in patient outcomes, and the growing body of online resources, significant work needs to be undertaken to improve the readability of these materials.

A socio-ecological approach to relationship goals and self-presentation strategies in American and Chinese online dating websites

We investigate the cross-cultural differences in relationship goals and self-presentation strategies by users of American dating websites (n = 300) and Hong Kong Chinese dating websites (n = 300). Results showed that users of American dating websites were more likely to maximize their relationship chances and had a greater preference for less committed relationships (e.g., friends, sexual interest); while users of Chinese dating websites were more likely to initiate more committed relationships (e.g., romantic partners, soulmates). Moreover, American website users adopted a self-enhancing presentation strategy (e.g., stating positive, superior self-attributes and emphasizing self-uniqueness in their personal advertisements), while Chinese website users adopted a self-effacement presentation strategy (e.g., disclosing also negative, inferior self-attributes and expressing feeling of loneliness in their personal advertisements). The observed findings are discussed in the framework of relational mobility.

North American urogynecology fellowship programs: value of program website content.

Introduction and hypothesisUrogynecology fellowship program websites are an important source of information to potential applicants, especially given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and resulting travel restrictions. Our study evaluated the publicly available information on American and Canadian urogynecology fellowship websites and present recommendations for website content development to promote the subspecialty of urogynecology.MethodsData were collected from all active American and Canadian urogynecology fellowship program websites between May and June 2020 against 72 criteria developed from previously published studies. The criteria included the following sections: Recruitment, Faculty Information, Current Fellows, Research and Education, Surgical Program, Clinical Work, Benefits and Career Planning, Wellness, and Environment.Results54 American urogynecology program websites and 11 Canadian urogynecology program websites were analyzed. The mean score of American and Canadian websites was 46.46% (n = 33.45 ± 7.20 out of 72) and 27.40% (n = 19.73 ± 3.77 out of 72), respectively. American program websites scored significantly higher on available information than Canadian websites. The highest prevalence section across American websites was Wellness (64%, n = 1.92 ± 0.85 out of 3 criteria) while the lowest prevalence section was Clinical Work (15.17%, n = 0.91 ± 1.02 out of 6 criteria). Comparatively, Canadian websites scored highest in the Faculty Information section (43.12%, 3.45 ± 2.02) and lowest in the Clinical Work section (6%, n = 0.36 ± 0.67 out of 6 criteria).ConclusionsAmerican and Canadian websites thoroughly covered the Wellness and Faculty Information sections, respectively. Program websites should consider adding details about Benefits and Career Planning and Clinical Work.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00192-021-04808-9.

International Deaf Contributions for Scientific Research: Giving Access to Brazilian Deaf and Hearing Communities

Brazilian deaf students choose careers mainly from the areas of social sciences. Apparently this is associated with the lack of content in Brazilian Sign Language about scientific and technological areas or even due to the lack of knowledge about deaf professionals and/or scientists working in these areas. Thus, this work aimed to translate to Portuguese and evaluate an American website called “Deaf Scientist Corner” dedicated to publicizing deaf scientists and their achievements, followed by evaluation. The translated site in Portuguese is “O Canto do Cientista Surdo” that was evaluated by 35 people including deaf ones. The results showed great acceptance, and potential to motivate so that the deaf can be inspired by scientific and technological careers. This site can also strength and disseminates these workplaces to the deaf in the society. Therefore, this website translation analysis reinforced that the knowledge about deaf scientists has great potential to encourage deaf people to continue in technological and scientific areas.

Genética recreativa: os testes genéticos direct-to-consumer em Portugal

Objetivo: o escopo do artigo é trazer a reflexão sobre o uso de testes genéticos direct-to-consumer, sobretudo em Portugal, que apesar da vedação pela legislação local, podem ser adquiridos pela internet. Metodologia: foi utilizado método dedutivo a partir da análise da literatura científica existente em revistas da especialidade e em legislações internacionais e portuguesa, com maior atenção aos desenvolvimentos nos Estados Unidos, por ser o país que sedia o maior número de empresas e laboratórios que comercializam testes genéticos direitos ao consumidor. Resultados: apesar de vedado pela lei nacional, qualquer pessoa consegue hoje requerer um kit DNA pela internet, sobretudo em sites americanos, em que viabilizam os testes genéticos a preços módicos. Qualquer pessoa pode remeter uma amostra feita por autocoleta de esfregaço oral pelo correio, e após um breve cadastro no site da empresa, passará a receber notificações com informações relativas a sua constituição genética. Em outros países, a pesquisa sobre testes genéticos diretos ao consumidor já é exaustiva, encontrando várias deficiências na sua prática, sobretudo quanto ao consentimento informado e à fiabilidade dos resultados, já que muitos estudos demonstram a disparidade de resultados para uma mesma amostra quando submetida a diferentes laboratórios. Em Portugal, o tema ainda é bastante escasso, e apesar de proibido, esses testes são de fácil acesso. Conclusão: é imprescindível refletirmos sobre a submissão a testes genéticos e as implicações que os mesmo têm, não só na vida de quem se submete ao teste, mas também daqueles que compartilham o material genético, sobretudo em situações de testes genéticos diretos ao consumidor em que não há prévio aconselhamento.

Complementary and alternative medicine in cancer — A qualitative study on the Internet offer in Spanish-speaking South America

BackgroundThe number of people with cancer using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasing. However, CAM may have interactions with conventional cancer therapies. In addition, alternative medicine procedures may result in significant health risks. Because of the Internet, regional CAM methods easily spread globally. This study aims at evaluating CAM procedures offered on Spanish-speaking South American websites and assessing the quality of these websites. MethodsAn Internet search was carried out in nine Spanish-speaking countries in South America. Websites were analysed using a standardized tool. ResultsIn total, 85 websites, with a wide range of 158 different CAM procedures were evaluated. The vast majority of websites had poor content and formal quality. Overall, no website was rated as very good and only two websites could be rated as good. Among the most commonly mentioned South American methods were an Aloe- mixture called “Fray Romano”, graviola, uncaria tomentosa (Cat’s claw), the "Método HANSI" and components of the lapacho tree. ConclusionsThere is an urgent need for quality-assured, easy-to-find sites with high quality for Spanish speaking persons in South America. Several of the methods have already spread to Europe as graviola or uncaria.

Comparing the Content of Medical Tourism Facilitator Websites in Iran And Other Countries: A Correspondence Analysis

Introduction: Medical tourism is the most important aspect of health tourism. The responsibilities of this industry are mostly undertaken by agencies and facilitators acting as intermediaries between patients and service providers. As a key factor, websites provide extensive services to patients for a better presence in medical tourism market. The present study aimed to compare medical tourism websites and facilitators in Iran and other countries using correspondence analysis.Method: Websites were selected based on the specified criteria such as content of websites which were examined using content analysis technique. The data belonging to website content were classified into two groups including medical and tourism services and information and communication issues. Correspondence analysis was done using two R packages (FactoMineR for analysis and fact extra for data visualization).Results: Of 42 selected websites, 19 was belonged to Iran, 11 to North America, 7 to South and Central America, and 5 to Asia. Medical tourism facilitators in North America and Asia tend to provide modern contact and legal information. Against Iranians' facilitators tend to show traditional contact and general information. South American websites provide more information about hospital accreditation. Iranian websites emphasized tourism-related information. Whereas, North American’s are emphasized on cost-comparison lists.Conclusion: Results of the present study provide a snapshot of status of data provided on websites in terms of medical, tourist and communication services available in the studied websites and clearly showed that Iranian medical tourism facilitator websites act differently from those of other countries. Websites play important roles for guiding customers to make decisions regarding the medical journey. Therefore, Iranian medical tourism facilitator websites must reduce their differences with those of other countries in order to be more actively participate and earn more profit in this competitive market.

Still ‘Fashionably Laid’? Costume and contemporary moving-image pornography

Abstract This article analyses the role of costume in contemporary heterosexual hard-core moving-image pornography. Building upon a previous study (Church Gibson and Kirkham 2012), it focuses on the representation of youth in a sub-site of the American website Reality Kings (2000–present). By drawing on an emergent yet fragmented body of work in this field, it situates the importance of costume and dress in communicating aspects of gendered identity and debates pornography’s use of ‘authentic’ visual strategies. In addition, it problematizes the much-discussed concept of ‘pornification’, arguing for the recognition of an inverse effect in pornographic texts.

Out of the ashes: Sikh American institution building and the promise of equality for Sikh women

ABSTRACTThis paper examines Sikh American institution building in the post-9/11 period, and the impact of these institutions on Sikh women’s status and empowerment within the community. I examine the social and historical context of Sikh American politics and activism. I present the views of Sikh Americans who are directly involved with institution building and I describe their perspectives on women’s empowerment within the new institutions and in the broader Sikh American community. My discussion is based on ethnographic research, including open-ended interviews, participant-observation at conferences and community events, and analyses of public discourses about faith, ethics, politics, gender, and women on Sikh American websites and blogs.

Interview with Bebo White

Bebo White is a Departmental Associate (Emeritus) at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, the U.S. national laboratory for high-energy physics and basic energy science at Stanford University. Working as a computational physicist, he first became involved with the emerging Web technology while on sabbatical at CERN in 1989. Upon his return he was part of the team that established the first American Web site at SLAC (the fifth site in the world). Ever since, his academic research interests have evolved in parallel with Web technology. He is often considered to be the "first American Webmaster" and one of the founders of the discipline of Web Engineering. In addition to his work at SLAC, he also holds faculty appointments at several other institutions, is involved with a number of major conferences series, and is a frequent conference speaker. He is the author (or co-author) of nine books, and over 100 papers and journal articles. His current research interests are Web Science, Social Media in Education, and Cloud Computing. However, given the opportunity, he will talk mercilessly about high-energy physics, jug band music and wine. Additional information can be found at www.bebowhite.com

Muslimhiphop.com: Constructing Muslim Hip Hop Identities on the Internet

AbstractAlthough music is not clearly permissible (halal) nor prohibited (haram) in Islam, many young Muslims today make hip hop music and also portray Muslim identities in their lyrics. The article discusses a case study of how Muslim identity and Muslim hip hop are constructed discursively on an American web site entitled Muslimhiphop.com. The site features Muslim artists from multicultural backgrounds from several different countries. The theoretical framework of social constructivism along with discourse analysis guide the study: identity is seen as contextually and socially constructed.According to the web site's official stance, if the lyrics and the artists follow the principles of Islam, then the music is permissible. Islamic hip hop is argued to be a positive alternative to mainstream hip hop, to strengthen a positive Muslim identity especially among Muslim youth by teaching Islam and to enhance a positive social change for example by fighting stereotypes. However, it becomes evident that many Muslim artists struggle to integrate Islam with artistic creativity as well as commercial success with religious beliefs. Muslims who make and listen to Islamic hip hop have to continuously defend the music to Muslims who shun it as forbidden and to non-Muslims who feel estranged by its religiousness. Muslim identity is constantly negotiated, multidimensional and situational.

Entre fatos e hipóteses: análise crítica do discurso de notícias de popularização da ciência

Este artigo apresenta uma análise crítica do discurso (FAIRCLOUGH, 1992) de notícias de popularização da ciência (PC), enfocando os graus de assertividade e autoridade dos atores sociais representados no relato e discussão de descobertas científicas. A análise compreendeu trinta notícias de PC publicadas nos sites BBC News e Scientific American. Os resultados confirmam a posição de "insegurança discursiva" do jornalista na PC (MOIRAND, 2003), que utiliza diferentes estratégias discursivas para manter a aparente objetividade do discurso jornalístico. Em contraste, o pesquisador-autor do estudo (e seus colegas) ocupa um papel privilegiado nas notícias, oferecendo explicações "coerentes" e apontando limitações nos estudos reportados. A ciência na mídia, desse modo, é uma autoridade epistêmica que reafirma uma lógica tradicional de produção do conhecimento baseada na (re)construção contínua de hipóteses e teorias.

치과 웹사이트의 질 평가에 관한 연구

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to make a comparative analysis of the websites of dental office from different countries to provide some information for the quality evaluation of the websites of dental office. Methods : Two hundred twenty-four dental websites were selected by using Yahoo, one of the international portal sites, which included 59 from the United States, 50 from the United Kingdom, 54 from Canada, and 61 from Korea. Results : 1. As results of the credibility of the websites, the Canadian websites were most reliable, followed by the American websites, the English websites and the Korean ones(p<0.005). 2. As results of the complementarity of the websites, the Korean websites were most interactive, followed by the American websites, the English websites, and the Canadian ones(p<0.001). 3. As results of the accessibility of use of the websites, the Korean websites were easiest to use, followed by the American websites, the Canadian websites, and the English ones(p<0.001). 4. As results of the update of the websites from the nations, the Korean websites were most sustainable, followed by the English websites, the Canadian websites and the American ones(p<0.05). 5. When the overall quality of the dental office websites was assessed, the Korean websites were the best, followed by the Canadian websites, the American websites and the English ones(p<0.001). Conclusions : In order to make accurate oral health information more accessible to people in general, prolonged research efforts should be continued for the evaluation of the quality of dental office websites, and the development of standard international evaluation criteria is required as well.

Science Denial and the Science Classroom

Biology teachers are accustomed to engaging individuals who do not accept biological evolution. Denial of evolution ranges from ignorance of the evidence to outright denial or distortion of data. The list of science denial topics has grown alarmingly over the years to include: HIV as the cause of AIDS, exaggeration of the health and environmental risks of genetically modified organisms, existence of holes in the ozone layer, the rise in antibiotic resistance, health risks caused by cigarette smoking, exaggeration and denial of harmful side effects of pesticides, water and environmental damage caused by hydraulic fracturing, the fear that vaccines do more harm than good, and, of course, global warming and climate change. Teaching climate science has become so perilous in some school districts that the National Center for Science Education, long known for activism in the arena of evolution education, has greatly expanded efforts in the arena of climate (http://ncse.com/climate).

Greed, lies and negotiable justice: Stereotyped lawyer in American lawyer jokes

In the early 1980s, a new joke cycle appeared in the USA, and has continued to fl ourish ever since. This is a lawyer joke cycle. Lawyer jokes have been published in book form, and have also been displayed on various American websites. Why is it the lawyer, and not the representative of any other profession or occupation, who is permanently made fun of in so many American jokes? What are the dominant stereotypical traits of a lawyer? What negative features is he hated for? Does the lawyer’s stereotype in American lawyer jokes contain any truth? These and many other questions could be asked in regard to American lawyer jokes. The present study focuses on stereotypical traits of lawyers. All the jokes quoted and discussed in the study can be found with references to their Internet sources. The vast majority of jokes were collected from hundreds of websites in spring 2009.

The playful is political: The metapragmatics of internet rape-joke arguments

AbstractRape jokes are a contentious topic on the internet; arguments over whether “rape is funny” unfold in a diverse range of forums, but they generally take the same predictable form. In this article, I analyze the text of a variety of disputes on American websites over the funniness of rape jokes. I show not only that both sides of these arguments are premised on the same underlying assumptions about the ways that humor and language function, but more importantly that these shared assumptions make it possible for rape humor (and humor more generally) to carry social and political valence—and that in order to understand the significance of the debate over rape jokes, we need to understand the identity work that people are doing when they tell rape jokes, laugh at them, or frown and shake their heads. (Humor, language ideologies, rape, joking)*

Digital Technology and Teaching American Culture

Popular Culture is the voice of this world, spoken in a thousand languages. Popular Culture Studies are therefore the New Humanities, intended to take up all the subjects singly and collectively and bring some order and understanding to the seeming chaos . . . we must of course study the Humanities internationally and comparatively. No longer is American scholarship defensibly a continent mentality. It is a world mentality. (Ray B. Browne, Theory-Methodology Complex 149) We are global. We are digital. These forces feed and grow off one another. In the twenty-first century it seems almost old-fashioned to think anything less. The statistical evidence supporting the ubiquity of digital technology is staggering. One group calculates that total worldwide Internet growth has increased some 445 percent from 2000 to 2010, encompassing nearly two billion users globally (Miniwatts). Another popular indicator of the digital present and future is the seemingly ever-increasing size of Facebook's population, which reportedly exceeds five hundred million active users, who spend seven hundred billion minutes per month on the site (Statistics). There is no doubt that digital technology is a critical component of popular culture, weaving its way through virtually every aspect of society. Indeed, no aspect of mass communications is left unaffected by the rush toward digitalization. What is less clear, however, is the cumulative outcome that all-pervasive digital culture is having on teaching American culture studies. Much of the evidence is anecdotal, whether one stands for or against the Web and electronic technology as it pertains to how think and learn (Johnson 9-14). This essay combines a broad array of electronic threads to reveal a new way of looking at teaching American culture in the digital age. What quickly becomes apparent is that the US role as the world's innovation hub fuels much of its continuing leadership in digital technology, thus propelling a vision of America worldwide. In other words, the nation's culture (both real and imagined) seeps into the products of its technology exporters, such as Apple, Microsoft, and Google. In addition, America serves as the epicenter of mass media globally, whether streaming from the film and television studios in Hollywood or the countless journalists who dominate the multitude of channels that feed the nation's seemingly insatiable appetite for news and entertainment. In this instance, one could point to Disney's ability to export both its traditional animated characters and teen stars globally (such as Miley Cyrus) as a model for how a particular view of America is presented overseas. From a historic viewpoint, American culture has dominated global popular culture based on its technological leadership of Web-based and consumer technology (Ashby 512-17). As these innovations are adopted outside the United States, they actually become less American and more global. Technologist James W. Cortada explains, Collaborative behavior, rather than just adversarial actions, has been increasing thanks to the nature of IT; indeed, the technology itself has conversely been molded in service to make collaboration more possible than in any time in human history, to the extent that today it involves billions of people (252). In other words, as American Web sites, applications, high-tech gadgets, and consumer goods disperse globally and gain market share, they simultaneously become less US-centric, even as they remain influenced by American culture. Specifically analyzing Facebook and Apple (in terms of iPod, iPhone, and iPad ubiquity), for example, one sees these technologies as distinctly part of American culture, but worldwide adoption causes them to be simultaneously less American. In one sense, then, they are casting a wider net for American culture, while also watering down their Americanness. Scholar Joachim K. Rennstich finds the global environment increasingly complex, explaining individuals and organizations [are] sponsoring and advancing innovation that results in the strengthening of the global layers of interactions (199). …

The Genesis of Fiction: Modern Novelists as Biblical Interpreters. By Terry R. Wright.

Maria Matilda Penstone's children's hymn still sung in nonconformist Sunday Schools in the 1960s – God has given us a book full of stories that was made for his people of old. It begins with the tale of a garden and ends with the city of gold. – was intended to point us to the ‘best’ and ‘most beautiful story of all’, that of Jesus. Its effect was sometimes less specifically Christocentric: a lasting appreciation of the bible as a book of stories worth reading. That the bible remains a book worth reading is the simplest and most important conclusion of this study of six novelists who have retold narratives from the Book of Genesis. Its primary purpose is to assess the influence of midrash on these novels; it also names them as contemporary secular midrash opening the bible to new audiences. Wright acknowledges the selectivity of his study: these are only six of many from Henry Fielding to David Maine who have written Genesis fictions and, although of special interest as itself a book of fictions, the Book of Genesis is only one of many biblical books to host novelistic treatment. Wright's introductory chapter, giving due credit to Harold Bloom, contextualises this study within a genre of biblical criticism following Gunkel, Von Rad and Westerman that permits the reader to interpret the text at the time of reading. Fortunately for modern-day readers of the bible, especially those whose work is to interpret it in preaching, trends in biblical criticism stand on the shoulders of their predecessors; contemporary response to a bible passage is informed not only by the most recent theory but by the history of development in biblical scholarship. Although, since Fielding's Joseph Andrews, we have always had biblical fictions, they seem to be a current publishing vogue, with American web sites cataloguing them separately as a ready guide for the large religious market in the States. Wright indicates that this follows critical interest in midrash in the 1980s which, I note, came hot on the heels of narrative theology in the 1970s. Perhaps it is no accident of timing that it also coincides with decline in organised religion. Are these novelists fearful of losing the stories entirely? As we no longer hear the stories in preaching, are these novelists their popular interpreters for the twenty-first century?

Cultural differences between Korean and American apparel web sites

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine whether cultural differences could explain differences between Korean and American apparel web sites.Design/methodology/approachThe contents of American and Korean apparel web sites are compared. The chi‐square test of independence is used to determine significant differences between the contents of the two countries apparel web sites.FindingsThe paper finds that American web sites provide specific information related to products and online purchase of products, while Korean web sites provide information related to consumers' relationships to the larger community. This difference could be due to cultural differences: the Korean culture tends to reflect collectivism while the American culture tends to reflect individualism.Research limitations/implicationsThe fundamental limitation of this research is that it is descriptive.Practical implicationsThis research suggests that transcultural web sites may not be appropriate and that e‐tailers need to be sensitive to cultural differences.Originality/valueThe primary contribution of this paper is the identification of clear differences between Korean and American apparel web sites and that Hofstede's collectivism/individualism cultural value is a possible explanation of the difference between the two countries.