Add BrightSurf on Google Email

New study evaluates community response to personally controlled health information

A new study evaluated the community's response to Indivo, a personalized health record system. The two-year study found that issues such as health literacy, accessibility, and privacy were relevant factors in PCHR adoption. Researchers advocate for continued evaluation of PCHRs and discussions on technical and policy approaches to adva...

SourceBoston Children's Hospital·JournalJournal of Medical Internet Research·DateMay 1, 2009

Researchers predict click-through behavior in Web searches

A study by Penn State researchers identified nine factors that can help predict future click-through rates, including number of records in a search and browser type. The positive factors had five effects, while four had negative effects, with user intent having no significant impact on predicting click-throughs.

SourcePenn State·JournalJournal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology·DateMar 11, 2009

Ad click-through rate lower than previously thought

Researchers found ad clicks on Dogpile.com to be only 15% of total interactions, with 35% of queries yielding no clicks. The study challenges previous reports of a 30% ad click-through rate and suggests advertisers can leverage alternative forms of keyword advertising.

SourcePenn State·JournalInternational Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising·DateFeb 25, 2009

Sports technology for para-athletes: Closing the gap

Recent sports technology advancements aim to bridge the gap between able-bodied athletes and para-athletes. Prosthetic innovations like carbon blades have shown significant advantages in sprinting mechanics data, allowing double transtibial amputees to deliver comparable performance levels with lower metabolic costs.

SourceWiley·JournalSports Technology·DateJan 30, 2009

P2P traffic control

Researchers propose a wireless peer-to-peer network to exchange timely information about traffic conditions, incidents, and accidents. The Autonet system uses local-area wireless technology to form an ad hoc network that can handle measurements for approximately 3,500 traffic incidents.

SourceInderscience Publishers·JournalInternational Journal of Vehicle Information and Communication Systems·DateJan 7, 2009

Nanotechnology 'culture war' possible, says Yale study

A Yale study reveals that the public's perception of nanotechnology is highly polarized based on cultural values, with some groups viewing it as safe and others as risky. The study suggests that public education strategies should consider citizens' predispositions to effectively communicate about nanotechnology.

SourceYale University·JournalNature Nanotechnology·DateDec 7, 2008

Queen's secures £25M for UK's cyber safety

Queen's University Belfast is set to become the UK's lead center for developing technology to counter malicious cyber-attacks. The £25M investment will fund a new Innovation and Knowledge Centre, the Center for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT), which will create secure infrastructure to safeguard electronic information.

IT outsourcing could benefit rural hospitals, researchers find

A case study conducted by Penn State researchers found that rural hospitals can benefit financially and operationally by sharing an IT infrastructure with larger hospitals in the same area. The partnership allows smaller hospitals to afford comprehensive IT systems at a lower cost, while also benefiting from shared IT staff and expertise.

SourcePenn State·JournalJournal of the American Medical Informatics Association·DateOct 23, 2008

NIH funds 2 new biotech centers to develop neuroimaging technology and protein analysis software

The NIH is funding two new Biomedical Technology Research Centers to develop innovative imaging techniques for diagnosing and treating neurodegenerative diseases. The centers will also create cutting-edge software for identifying and analyzing sets of interacting proteins that are important in various diseases, including cancer.

A look to the future

Researchers at Indiana University successfully demonstrated secure sharing of health information across the nation during an emergency scenario, leveraging Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN) technologies. This innovation has great potential to improve healthcare in the United States.

Researchers create safer alternative to heparin

Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a fully synthetic heparin alternative that is safer and more pure than traditional heparin. The new version uses a process called chemoenzymatic synthesis to replicate the natural biosynthesis of heparin, resulting in a higher dose and lower risk of contamination.

SourceRensselaer Polytechnic Institute·JournalJournal of the American Chemical Society·DateAug 17, 2008

Creating a new approach to archiving human genetic information

A new approach to archiving human genetic information is introduced through Gene Wiki, an online repository of human genes stored within Wikipedia. This community-annotated system allows for a flexible and organic accumulation of science, enabling all readers to edit and add to the gene wiki pages.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Biology·DateJul 7, 2008