Web-based Approach Research Articles

Moving towards a core measures set for patient safety in perioperative care: An e-Delphi consensus study.

A Core Measures Set (CMS) is an agreed standardized group of measures that should be assessed and reported in research for a specific condition or clinical area. This study undertook the development of a CMS for Patient Safety through a two-round, web-based Delphi consensus approach, in the context of the "Improving quality and patient SAFEty in surgical care through STandardisation and harmonization of perioperative care in Europe" (SAFEST) project-a collaborative, patient-centered and evidence-based European Union-funded project that aims to generate action-oriented evidence in perioperative care. We developed an Initial List of Measures via an umbrella review following the deployment of an e-Delphi method with an inclusive panel of experts to prioritize measures towards a consensualized Final List of Measures. All measures were rigorously assessed for both importance and feasibility. After the two rounds of the e-Delphi consensus method we observed 13 preoperative measures (40.6% of the initial number), 24 intraoperative measures (66.7%), 25 postoperative measures (20.3%) and 23 mixed period measures (41.1%) met consensus criteria for both importance and feasibility. Higher scores were detected in importance ratings compared to feasibility across all groups of measures. Importantly, numeric averages regarding pain-related measures differed in the assessment of patients when compared to that of Healthcare Professionals (HCPs). This work not only informs future SAFEST iterations but also sets a precedent for research into valid, patient-centered, and action-oriented perioperative safety measures.

Expert System For Diagnosis of Mental Health Disorders in Students Using Case-Based Reasoning Method With a Web-Based Positive Psychology Approach

Mental health issues among students have become a significant concern affecting their quality of life and academic performance. An effective expert system is needed to diagnose and provide appropriate interventions. This research develops a web-based expert system that utilizes the Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) method combined with a positive psychology approach to diagnose mental health disorders in students. The CBR method identifies similarities between new and previous cases, while the positive psychology approach focuses on individual strengths and potential for growth. The system integrates a database of student mental health cases and CBR algorithms to produce relevant diagnoses. This study investigates four types of mental health disorders: panic, anxiety, stress, and depression. The method used for data analysis is Case-Based Reasoning. The diagnosis results are based on calculations from symptom choices within the system, where each symptom has a weight. The highest similarity calculation obtained from past cases is used as a solution to address the problem. System testing, based on expert knowledge with 15 test data samples categorized by mental health disorders and 38 symptoms, achieved an accuracy rate of 85%.

Comparative Analysis of Augmented Reality in Engineering Drawing Course: Assessing Spatial Visualization and Cognitive Load with Marker-Based, Markerless, and Web-Based Approaches

This study investigates the integration of augmented reality (AR) into engineering education, with a specific focus on its impact on spatial visualization abilities and the cognitive load in the context of an engineering drawing course. The research employs a structured approach, involving three experimental groups utilizing marker-based (MBAR), markerless (MLAR), and web-based AR (WBAR) applications, in comparison to a control group receiving traditional instruction. The primary objective is to rigorously assess the comparative effectiveness of these instructional approaches in enhancing spatial visualization skills and reducing the cognitive load of undergraduate engineering students. Spatial visualization, a vital cognitive skill for engineering disciplines, is evaluated using the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test: Rotations (PSVT-R) questionnaire. The cognitive load of students is assessed with the help of a questionnaire comprising items related to mental load and effort. This study not only quantifies the impact of AR applications but also highlights subtle differences among the various AR modalities. The findings suggested that the group that used marker-based AR had better improvement in their spatial ability and felt less cognitive load compared to those who utilized markerless AR and web-based AR.

Evaluation of a Web-Based Surgical Training Approach and Insights from Distal Bypass Competition 2021 Using a Simulator Kit

ObjectiveThe study aimed to assess a novel web-based surgical training approach among young vascular surgeons and validate web-based evaluation methods for assessing anastomosis skills through the online Distal Bypass Competition (DBC). MethodsThe Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skill (OSATS) was utilized to assess anastomosis proficiency using a simulator among 42 participants (17 junior and 25 senior surgeons) in the DBC 2021. Initial evaluation of basic anastomosis skills was conducted via recorded videos, comparing OSATS scores with instructor-derived impression-based scores (Comprehensive Evaluation Score: CES) during the nomination round. Real-time evaluations conducted over Zoom focused on assessing technical and composition scores of the anastomoses to determine finalists. The ice-skating method addresses potential variability among judges by excluding the highest and lowest scores for each procedural element from the final evaluation. This method, demonstrated in real-time, provides trainees with valuable feedback on which movements are highly rated, enhancing the educational impact. Evaluation criteria included precision in needlework, external appearance, handling of the intima, and internal morphology of the anastomosis. Furthermore, voluntary survey questionnaires were administered to gather participant feedback on their experience with DBC 2021. ResultsThe OSATS was associated with a lower coefficient of variation (CV) than was the CES (0.19 ± 0.07 vs. 0.24 ± 0.09, P=0.01) with regard to the evaluation of basic anastomotic skills in the nomination round. Interestingly, there was no significant difference in CV between PES based on OSATS and CES in the senior class (0.16 ± 0.06 vs. 0.22 ± 0.09, P=0.13), but a significant difference was particularly evident in the junior class (0.12 ± 0.07 vs. 0.27 ± 09, P=0.03). Lower scores were associated with higher CVs in both classes, but the OSATS improved the CV among participants who had inadequate anastomosis skills. In real-time evaluation, composition scores exhibited higher CVs compared to technical scores, even among high-scoring participants. Notably, the internal morphology of the anastomosis had the largest CV in the composition scores. The ice-skating method reduced the CV as compared to the original data evaluated using the OSATS (0.15 ± 0.04 vs. 0.09 ± 0.02 for the technical score, P<0.01 and 0.18 ± 1.00 vs. 0.07 ± 0.05 for the composition score, P=0.03); accordingly, the ice-skating method was more conducive to objective, real-time evaluation. The results of the post-DBC survey indicated that 89% of participants reported increased training time, and half of these participants indicated that their confidence in their clinical skills related to this procedure increased due to the process of training for the DBC. ConclusionsThe OSATS yielded more detailed evaluations of anastomosis skill with lower variability compared to the instructor’s impression-based evaluation in this web-based training. Real-time evaluation methods, such as the ice-skating method, have proven to be valuable tools for standardized assessment of web-based surgical education.

A Novel Web-Based Approach for Monitoring Biodiversity.

Understanding complexities in biodiversity is one of the fundamental goals of ecology and its monitoring is significant for ecosystem sustainability, maintenance, and conservation. However, biodiversity monitoring needs improvement to handle complex datasets and their analyses. This study attempts to understand these ecological complexities quickly, efficiently, and easily. The aim is to provide an alternative to ecologists, researchers, instructors, and stakeholders for biodiversity monitoring with the flexibility to visualize and customize outputs without software knowledge. A novel web-based technique is applied to monitor the biodiversity of a complex mountain ecosystem using a national database. The species-environment relationships of different vegetation types across a mountain ecosystem's elevation gradient are investigated using open-source climatic, physiographic, and socioeconomic variables. The proposed interactive tool to monitor biodiversity and understand its complexities is designed to visualize the data structure, summary, correlations, and sampling effectiveness quickly and easily. Plant species richness patterns and life forms (herb, shrub, and tree) across elevational gradients are investigated. We highlight the preliminary investigation of the data structure and their spatial distribution and apply the multicollinearity test to select variables for modeling. The drop-down menu helps users browse different datasets and select those datasets for instant visualization. Preliminary investigations on interactions between variables and species richness of vegetation types along elevation gradient interactively displayed with options to select variables, plant richness, and an elevational range. Species-environment relationships are investigated using multiple modeling protocols, and results are interactively displayed with options to download in different file formats and colors at the click of a button. This visualization tool helps to understand ecosystem structure, species richness patterns and species-environment relationships easily and efficiently. The R-codes used in this tool are reproducible and can be implemented with multiple datasets to monitor ecosystems.

Assessing the impact of teacher characteristics, learner methods, and self-guided learning on technology adoption in mathematics instruction

This study explores the complex interplay between teacher attributes, learner instructional approaches, and the integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in mathematics education, highlighting their collective impact on educational outcomes. Through a comprehensive survey of 196 teachers and 315 learners, the research delves into the relationships between teacher experience, educational qualifications, and the frequency and manner of technology use in the classroom. The analysis reveals that younger educators and those possessing advanced academic credentials are more inclined to actively incorporate ICTs into their teaching practices, demonstrating a higher level of comfort and enthusiasm for leveraging these tools to enhance student learning. Conversely, the study finds that more experienced teachers, particularly those with lower qualifications, tend to utilize technology less frequently, possibly due to a preference for traditional teaching methods or a lack of confidence in their ability to effectively integrate new technologies. Additionally, the study investigates the strategies employed by learners, with a particular focus on web-based self-learning approaches, such as the use of online educational videos and interactive platforms. The data indicates a significant positive correlation between these strategies and improved academic performance in mathematics, suggesting that learner-centered approaches that emphasize self-directed, technology-mediated learning can lead to better educational outcomes. These findings underscore the critical importance of considering both teacher characteristics and learner-centered instructional methods when developing strategies for the effective integration of technology in mathematics education. By tailoring these strategies to meet the diverse needs and preferences of educators, while simultaneously promoting effective self-learning techniques among students, educational institutions can better harness the potential of ICTs to improve learning outcomes in mathematics and beyond.

Telehealth Utilization to Address Health Care Disparities Among Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders: A Scoping Review.

Research has reported health care disparities, including low rates of health care utilization, among racial and ethnic minority groups compared to Whites. Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) have experienced these disparities, attributed to various barriers such as limited access to linguistically and culturally concordant health care services. Telehealth may offer a viable mode of health service delivery for AANHPIs. The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic sparked the adoption of technology for receiving health services. However, the literature on telehealth utilization before and during the COVID-19 pandemic among AANHPIs is limited. To address this gap, we conducted a scoping review of telehealth intervention empirical studies serving AANHPIs published between January 2010 and February 2024, using five databases. Twenty-four articles met our inclusion criteria, which required the use of a telehealth intervention program, provision of disaggregated AANHPIs, and targeting of physical and/or mental health outcomes. Our review revealed positive findings of telehealth interventions in helping AANHPIs access health care, with a primary focus on education and consultation for self-management. The review highlighted a range of technological platforms used in AANHPIs telehealth interventions, including web-based, mobile, and blended approaches. Additionally, the review emphasized the need for improved access to technology and reduction in digital exclusion. The findings affirm the usefulness and potential of telehealth interventions, providing implications for how health professionals can serve AANHPIs. Telehealth technology offers the ability for greater accessibility and individualization to address health care disparities in AANHPIs.

Development of a Web-Based Interactive Multimedia Problem-Based Learning Approach on Algorithms and Programming Material

This research and development aims to produce interactive multimedia based on problem-based learning (PBL) using the Web to improve student learning outcomes in algorithms and programming material that is feasible, practical, and effective. This type of development research uses the ADDIE model. This research was carried out at SMK Negeri 6 Mukomuko, the material on algorithms and programming in the informatics class X Phase E. The results of the research show: (1) Expert validation test on product material in the very feasible category, namely 88.14%. (2) The Instructional Design Expert validation test is in the very feasible category, namely 95.56%. (3) The Media Expert validation test is in the very feasible category, namely 91.46%. (4) Individual trials in the very good category, namely 87.55%. (5) The small group trial was in the very feasible category, namely 89.65%. And (6) field trials in the very feasible category, namely 89.15%. The practicality test was very practical, namely 96.67%, while the practicality test results for students were 95.59% in the very practical category. The results of the experiment using PBL-based interactive multimedia in the experimental class gave an average learning outcome of 84, while students who were taught without using PBL-based interactive multimedia got an average score of 60.9. Hypothesis testing uses an independent t-test with significant results. (2-tailed) of 0.00, where the result is &lt;0.05, it is concluded that there is a significant difference between classes taught using PBL-based interactive multimedia and classes taught without using PBL-based interactive multimedia

Smart Slot Assignment for Urban EV Charging Using Folium API Integration

Abstract: Efficient management of electric vehicle (EV) charging distribution in urban areas is crucial amid increasing demand and varying traffic conditions. This study proposes a novel web-based solution that integrates Folium Map API for realtime location tracking and Python Flask backend with MySQL database storage to allocate charging demands. By leveraging real-time traffic information from the Folium Map API, the proposed model optimizes charging resource allocation across multiple stations and road networks. The web interface, built using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, allows users to interact with the system seamlessly. Charging allocation is dynamically adjusted based on real-time data, prioritizing maxi- mum returns. Additionally, an emergency charge counter facility is introduced to cater to unforeseen charging needs, enhancing user flexibility. The system offers two interfaces and a dashboard for both station administrators and users, en- abling pre-booking services for travelers during their journey, facilitating access to nearby charging stations, and providing a facility for prebooking. These features contribute to improved station revenue and pile utilization, highlighting the efficacy of the proposed web-based approach. By leveraging advanced web technologies and APIs, this comprehensive strategy enhances charging infrastructure efficiency, fosters the widespread adoption of electric vehicles, and contributes to sustainable urban mobility management.

START NOW WebApp—promoting emotion regulation and resilience in residential youth care and correctional institutions: study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial

BackgroundAdolescents and young adults in residential care and correctional institutions face various challenges, leading to negative life outcomes. Implementation barriers within these institutions, such as limited financial and spatial resources, pose significant hurdles to providing necessary support. Web-based approaches address these challenges by offering cost-effective, accessible solutions. This study aims to assess the efficacy of a newly developed web-based version of the existing evidence-based START NOW skills training in fostering emotion regulation and resilience among institutionalized adolescents and young adults. We present the study protocol (Version 5, August 2023) of the trial titled “Implementation of an e-version of the skills training START NOW for promoting emotion regulation and resilience in residential youth care and correctional institutions”.MethodsThe study is a monocentric, prospective, confirmatory randomized controlled trial with 150 institutionalized adolescents and young adults with a need to improve resilience (predefined cut-offs). Participating institutions will be randomized to one of three conditions: (i) 9-week web-based group training guided by a facilitator, (ii) 9-week web-based self-help training, (iii) and treatment as usual. The primary endpoint is the change in psychological flexibility, assessed by the Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth score, from baseline to follow-up 12 weeks post skills training. Secondary objectives encompass assessing pre-post changes in psychological flexibility and other psychological health-related outcome measures in participating adolescents, young adults, and caretakers from baseline, to post training, and to 12- and 24-week follow-ups.DiscussionThis study evaluates the efficacy of START NOW as web-based training for institutionalized adolescents and young adults, providing valuable insights into web-based interventions and aiming to optimize support levels.Trial registration {2a and 2b}ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05313581. Registered on 6 April 2022.

Interactive Malaysian Childhood Healthy Lifestyle (i-MaCHeL) programme: a single-arm pilot study

BackgroundThe growing obesity epidemic in Malaysia presents a public health challenge that requires innovative intervention strategies. In an effort to address this problem, an Interactive Malaysian Childhood Healthy Lifestyle (i-MaCHeL) programme, which is a web-based initiative designed for preschool child–parent dyads offers a novel approach. Nevertheless, the success of such a web-based intervention depends on several interrelated factors. This research aims to examine the feasibility of i-MaCHeL in the Malaysian context, its usability for preschool child–parent dyads, and the acceptability of the programme among these user groups.MethodsThis was a single-arm pilot study involving 46 child–parent dyads recruited from six government preschools in Terengganu, Malaysia. The preschools were selected using a cluster random sampling technique at the preschool level. The intervention feasibility was determined based on the retention rate of participants in the pilot study. The System Usability Scale (SUS) and intervention process evaluation were used to assess the usability and acceptability of the web-based i-MaCHeL programme.ResultsThe retention data demonstrated that 42 out of 46 participants completed the 13-week intervention programme, which showed that the overall retention rate was 91.3%. A mean (SD) SUS score of 84.70 (13.82) was obtained from parents, indicating that the web-based i-MaCHeL had an acceptable usability level. The mean scores of the process evaluation items ranged from 4.52 (0.63) to 4.83 (0.38), demonstrating that the web-based i-MaCHeL was highly accepted by the parents. The acceptability data also indicated that at least 92.9% (39/42) of the parents agreed/strongly agreed that the web content, programme duration, intervention dose, WhatsApp group, and delivery mode were appropriate.ConclusionsAccording to these findings, the i-MaCHeL intervention using a web-based approach was feasible, usable, and acceptable as part of a weight-related behaviour change intervention for preschool child–parent dyads. This pilot study demonstrated that the web-based i-MaCHeL was feasible and promising for delivering weight-related behavioural intervention to child–parent dyads.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04711525. Registered on January 15, 2021.

Веб-ориентированный подход к трансформации систем координат геоцентрического типа

Recently in modern geoinformatics, the task of transforming coordinate systems has been one of the most significant. In this case, coordinate processing is performed for various projections, supported by many geographic information systems and the corresponding software libraries. At the same time, problems associated with transformation into specialized coordinate systems for example geomagnetic ones remain practically unsolved. Moreover, such a conversion is necessary to describe various geophysical processes, the occurrence and course of which largely depend on the parameters of the main magnetic poles of the Earth. In the paper, the authors proposed a web-based approach to transforming a geographic coordinate system into a geomagnetic one and ensuring prompt results based on the original spatiotemporal parameters. The architecture of the web solution was modernized by combining various web patterns; it provides support for a plug-in structure and loose coupling of program modules. It is shown that the proposed solution does not depend on the type of the consumer and can be used with interfaces of various kinds, provided that the appropriate interaction protocol is used. The performed computational experiments showed that calculations of geomagnetic coordinates based on the mentioned algorithm match to the known expressions and models

The Role of Mental Health Stigma in University Students' Satisfaction With Web-Based Stress Management Resources: Intervention Study.

University students frequently report elevated levels of stress and mental health difficulties. Thus, the need to build coping capacity on university campuses has been highlighted as critical to mitigating the negative effects of prolonged stress and distress among students. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, web-based stress management resources such as infographics and web-based workshops have been central to supporting university students' mental health and well-being. However, there is a lack of research on students' satisfaction with and uptake of these approaches. Furthermore, mental health stigma has been suggested to have not only fueled the emergence of these web-based approaches to stress management but may also influence students' help-seeking behaviors and their satisfaction with and uptake of these resources. This study explored potential differences in students' satisfaction and strategy use in response to an interactive infographic (an emerging resource delivery modality) presenting stress management strategies and a web-based workshop (a more common modality) presenting identical strategies. This study also examined the relative contribution of students' strategy use and family-based mental health stigma in predicting their sustained satisfaction with the 2 web-based stress management approaches. University students (N=113; mean age 20.93, SD 1.53 years; 100/113, 88.5% women) completed our web-based self-report measure of family-based mental health stigma at baseline and were randomly assigned to either independently review an interactive infographic (n=60) or attend a synchronous web-based workshop (n=53). All participants reported their satisfaction with their assigned modality at postintervention (T1) and follow-up (T2) and their strategy use at T2. Interestingly, a 2-way mixed ANOVA revealed no significant group × time interaction or main effect of group on satisfaction. However, there was a significant decrease in satisfaction from T1 to T2, despite relatively high levels of satisfaction being reported at both time points. In addition, a 1-way ANOVA revealed no significant difference in strategy use between groups. Results from a hierarchical multiple regression revealed that students' strategy use positively predicted T2 satisfaction in both groups. However, only in the web-based workshop group did family-based mental health stigma predict T2 satisfaction over and above strategy use. While both approaches were highly satisfactory over time, findings highlight the potential utility of interactive infographics since they are less resource-intensive than web-based workshops and students' satisfaction with them is not impacted by family-based mental health stigma. Moreover, although numerous intervention studies measure satisfaction at a single time point, this study highlights the need for tracking satisfaction over time following intervention delivery. These findings have implications for student service units in the higher education context, emphasizing the need to consider student perceptions of family-based mental health stigma and preferences regarding delivery format when designing programming aimed at bolstering students' coping capacity.

Web-Based Development of Standard Operating Procedures and Midwifery Trainings at Ugandan Birth Clinic in the Framework of Implementing a Quality Improvement System for the MEWU-Midwife Exchange with Uganda.

High maternal and newborn mortality rates in Sub-Saharan Africa indicate the need for global action interventions. Thus, the clinic cooperation midwife exchange with Uganda (MEWU) between Hannover Medical School and Mutolere Hospital, Uganda, was founded. This study, as the first intervention within the MEWU framework, explored whether a web-based approach is suitable for developing, training, and establishing standard operating procedures (SOPs) at Mutolere Hospital. We focused on assessing midwives' confidence in midwifery core competencies. The study was conducted in a prospective, non-controlled intervention design. As a quality improvement tool, the Plan, Do, Check, Act cycle was implemented. SOPs for standard obstetric care were developed and trained in online meetings. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected through a questionnaire completed pre- and post-intervention by participating midwives, evaluations, minutes and video recordings of each case training, and annual analytical reports from Mutolere Hospital containing morbidity and mortality data. The online intervention was successfully implemented. Nine SOPs on basic obstetric care were developed, trained in online case training, and integrated into clinical practice at Mutolere Hospital. An increase in midwives' confidence regarding all surveyed core competencies was observed. There were no significant changes in the hospital's morbidity and mortality rates. The quality management system was implemented to optimize the follow-up projects further. This pilot study shows the potential of web-based interventions as a quality improvement tool in developing countries. The developed SOPs and video database are being used in subsequent studies and extended to further health centers in the Kisoro region.

Status of Sustainability Management Education in African MBA Programmes: A Web-based Research Approach

Abstract Emerging evidence suggests that business schools in Africa are lagging behind in promoting sustainability education. Grand challenges that point to a limited focus on transformative sustainability education such as environmental pollution, conflicts, inequalities and unemployment still persist in African economies, with the profit motive remaining central to businesses’ operating philosophy. Informed by the clarion call for business schools to be key drivers of sustainability education, this study reviews the African master of business administration (MBA) curricula with the objective of assessing the status of sustainability management education. The content of the MBA curricula of 42 African business schools accredited with the Association of African Business Schools was analysed using a web-based research approach. The findings indicate that the concept of sustainability has not been sufficiently embedded into the African MBA curricula. The values and mission statements of the majority of business schools were found not to be aligned with the principles of sustainability education. It was also found that shareholder value oriented modules constitute the core curriculum of the majority of MBA programmes reviewed. An incremental elective approach was found to be the most dominant strategy used by African business schools to incorporate sustainability education in the MBA curricula. An integrative approach of embedding sustainability education focusing on re-orientation of the business schools’ values, mission, curriculum, systems, operations and governance is recommended. The increased use of experiential learning is also recommended as an effective teaching pedagogy for equipping MBA students with practical aspects of sustainability education.

Insights into the emotional grounds of diverse parenting experiences: risk and protective factors of psychological distress in mothers of children with autism, Down syndrome, and typical development

Objectives The present study aimed to investigate the role of parental self-efficacy, parental stress, perceived child performance, perceived medical support, and perceived social support in predicting psychological distress among mothers of typical children, children diagnosed with ASD, and children diagnosed with Down syndrome. Methods The sample consisted of 375 Romanian mothers (age range: 22 to 67, M = 40.35, SD = 7.64) of children with autism (N = 134), Down syndrome (N = 78), or no diagnosis, i.e. typical children (N = 163). Participants completed self-reporting scales measuring the variables of interest using a web-based approach. Results The findings indicated that, regardless of the mother’s status (child with autism/Down syndrome/no diagnosis), psychological distress was significantly predicted by parental stress. Also, the mothers of children with ASD reported significantly higher psychological distress than those of children diagnosed with Down syndrome. Conclusions Mothers of children diagnosed with ASD might be particularly vulnerable to experiencing significant levels of psychological distress. In this regard, the development of parental self-efficacy and reduction of parental stress through interventions might contribute to improving the mental well-being of parents of children with special needs.

The Flipped-based WebQuest Model (FWQ): An Innovative Approach for Teaching Grammar and Alleviating Students’ Anxiety

Digital learning tools and web-based approaches have been widely used among educators to cope with learners’ needs and demands in the era of the technological revolution, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigates how using the FWQ (Flipped-based WebQuest) model and WQ (WebQuest) with EFL preparatory students could influence their grammar proficiency and reduce their anxiety in language learning. The sample comprised 106 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students in the preparatory stage. They were divided into two experimental groups (FWQ, WQ) and one control group. The first experimental group (n=35) studied through the FWQ model, the second (N=34) used WQ, and the control group (n=37) learned using traditional learning. A pre/post grammar test, a pre/post grammar anxiety scale and an FWQ questionnaire were used to assess the effect of the independent variables on EFL grammar proficiency. A paired sample T-test and ANOVA were run to calculate the improvement. The outcomes revealed that both FWQ and WQ are effective strategies, but the results are significant in the FWQ model due to the combination of Flipped and WebQuest learning.

YARWEB: WEB-BASED GENERIC YARA RULE GENERATOR

In the modern 21st century, surfing the internet has become difficult due to the rise of malware and adware. Sensitive information is often a risk to be stored without encryption. If malware does infiltrate, devising a solution to mitigate the risks is difficult and tiresome. The proposed framework presents a web-based approach to automatically generate a YARA rule for a malicious file uploaded by the user. Since it is a search engine-based model, it becomes extremely portable and useful. The testing of this prototype depicts that it is fully capable of detecting malicious samples with an average accuracy of 0.80. KEYWORDS—Malware Analysis, YARA Rules, Generic Rules, Malicious Strings, Fully Automated.

Effects on visual basic programming instructional delivery using web-based tools for students’ interest and academic achievement in universities, Nigeria

AbstractThis research work ascertained the effect of Visual Basic (VBasic) Programming Instructional Delivery using Web-Based Tools on Students’ Interest and Academic Achievement in Universities in Nigeria. The purpose of the study is to determine the effect of Visual Basic (VBasic) Programming Instructional Delivery using Web-Based Tools on Students’ Interest and Academic Achievement in Universities in Nigeria. The study embraced a quasi-experimental research design. The respondent for this study comprised 74 students in year two of Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndu-ufu Alike and Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki. For the fact that the population is small and manageable, the entire population were studied. Researchers used VBasic Programming Achievement Test (VBPAT) instrument developed to collect data. Visual Basic Achievement Test contained 50-item questions with letter A to D options for each interest scale were used for data collection. The reliability was tested using Cronbach’s Alpha. To ensure consistency and integrity, lecturers in the study area. The researchers trained the lecturers on how to distribute the instrument for both the experiment and control groups in order to ensure homogeneous instruction. The lecturers taught the experimental group using the utilization of a web-based approach and the control group using the conventional approach. Scores generated from the experimental test using Visual Basic programming Achievement Test (V + B + PAT), were analysed using mean and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) for answering research questions and to test hypotheses respectively at 0.5 level of significance with the aid of statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 20. The outcome of this study on research question on influence of location on the students’ academic achievement mean gain in Vbasic programming language when taught using web-based tool, showed that with the use of web-based tool in the instructional delivery of VBasic programming language brought about better improvement in students’ academic achievement. Furthermore, the outcomes of hypothesis tested showed that location is significant source of different in mean achievement scores for students taught with Visual Basic Programming language using web-based approach and visual basic programming using conventional approach. This study has implications for facilitators, learners, curriculum planners, ministries in Education among others. This study found out among others that the facilitators use web-based tools in distance education for quiz, assessment, examinations, and instructional delivery of Vbasic programming language to a less extent in Nigerian Universities. It was concluded therefore, that conventional method is less effective than web-based approach in improving student’s achievement in Visual Basic Programming. Hence Nigerian Universities should adopt the use of web-based approach in computer programming lecturers.

Caffeic acid, a dietary polyphenol, pre-sensitizes pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma to chemotherapeutic drug

Resistance to chemotherapeutics is an eminent cause that leads to search for options that help in diminution of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) by overcoming resistance issues. Caffeic acid (CFA), a polyphenol occurring in many dietary foods, is known to show antidiabetic and anticancer properties potential. To unveil the effect of CFA on PDAC, we carried out this research in PDAC cells, following which we checked the combination effect of CFA and chemotherapeutics and pre-sensitization effects of CFA. Multitudinous web-based approaches were applied for identifying CFA targets in PDAC and then getting their interconnections. Subsequently, we manifested CFA effects by in-vitro analysis showing IC50 concentrations of 37.37 and 15.06 µM on Panc-1 and Mia-PaCa-2, respectively. The combination index of CFA with different drugs was explored which showed the antagonistic effects of combination treatment leading to further investigation of the pre-sensitizing effects. CFA pre-sensitization reduced IC50 concentration of doxorubicin in both PDAC cell lines which also triggered ROS generation determined by 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescin diacetate assay. The differential gene expression analysis after CFA treatment showed discrete genes affected in both cells, i.e. N-Cad and Cas9 in Panc-1 and Pi3K/AkT/mTOR along with p53 in Mia-PaCa-2. Collectively, this study investigated the role of CFA as PDAC therapeutics and explored the mechanism in mitigating resistance of PDAC by sensitizing to chemotherapeutics. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma