E-Business
A Text Message a Day Keeps the Asthma Attack Away
Simply sending children with asthma a text message each day asking about their symptoms and providing knowledge about their condition can lead to improved health outcomes.
In a study by the Georgia Institute of Technology, pediatric patients who were asked questions about their symptoms and provided information about asthma via SMS text messages showed improved pulmonary function and a better understanding of their condition within four months, compared to other groups.
“It appears that text messages acted as an implicit reminder for patients to take their medicine and by the end of the study, the kids were more in tune with their illness,” said study leader Rosa Arriaga, senior research scientist in the College of Computing’s School of Interactive Computing at Georgia Tech.
T.J. Yun, former Georgia Tech Ph.D. student, and Arriaga will present their research, “A Text Message a Day Keeps the Pulmonologist Away”, today at the ACM SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems 2013 in Paris.The research won a best paper award in the Replichi category, which highlights best practices in study methodology.
It is also a replication study of an SMS health intervention for pediatric asthma patients originally published in early 2012 in the Proceedings of the 2nd ACM SIGHIT International Health Informatics Symposium.
The results of the research hold promise for the future of mHealth studies, a trend based on the idea that mobile devices can be used to improve health and wellness.
Asthma is the most prevalent chronic respiratory disorder in the U.S., affecting about 17.3 million individuals, including more than 5 million children.
Medication is the main way patients manage symptoms, but research shows less than 30 percent of teens use their inhalers regularly.
Texting, on the other hand, is something teens do regularly and enjoy. Nearly 75 percent of American teens have mobile devices.
Georgia Tech researchers were interested in seeing if this ubiquitous, easy-to-use technology could help young patients manage their asthma.
In both studies, the researchers randomly assigned 30 asthmatic children from a private pediatric pulmonology clinic in Atlanta into three groups – a control group that did not receive any SMS messages; a group that received text messages on alternate days and a group that received texts every day.
The children were between 10 and 17 years old, owned a mobile phone and could read at least at a fifth grade level.
Over four months, the intervention groups received and responded to SMS messages 87 percent of the time, and the average response time was within 22 minutes.
After the study, the research team analyzed patients who had follow-up visits with their physician and found that sending at least one text message a day, whether it was a question about symptoms or about asthma in general, improved clinical outcomes.
“The results indicate that both awareness and knowledge are crucial to individuals engaging in proactive behavior to improve their condition,” Arriaga said.
In another mHealth study that highlighted the role that online social networks can have on wellness, Arriaga, Georgia Tech Regents Professor of Interactive Computing Gregory Abowd and graduate student Hwajung Hong investigated whether social networking could help individuals with autism improve their social connectedness.
One of the challenges individuals with autism face is not having a large enough network of people who can provide advice about everyday situations, such as home upkeep, financial planning or relationships. They tend to over-rely on a primary caregiver, which limits their independence and may burden the caregiver.
The study involved three individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome, a diagnosis that reflects average or above average language skills, but impaired social skills and patterns of behaviors and interests.
Individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome can have difficulty using traditional social networking sites such as Facebook because it requires a degree of social nuance. They also may be vulnerable to users trying to take advantage of them.
To address this issue, Georgia Tech researchers set up a specialized social network for participants using the commercial cross-platform service, GroupMe.
Each participant was linked with a small, pre-determined number of family and friends that he or she could reach out to about everyday life issues and questions.
Over four weeks, GroupME motivated each participant to communicate with this trusted circle of members and reduce reliance on his or her primary caregiver.
The circle actively engaged and shared the responsibility for responding to the participant’s queries.
Primary caregivers gave positive reviews of the specialized social network, saying that they were happy with the diversity of feedback that the system provided and that the load felt lighter thanks to the help of the circle members.
Results indicate that positive online interactions lead to real-life interactions between the individuals and their circle members.
Temu is set to enchant the holiday season with its unique blend of green magic, bringing a touch of festive wonder to Christmas celebrations. The initiative, themed “Ride the ‘Wicked’ Wave,” promises to deliver an unforgettable experience, combining technology, entertainment, and commerce to create a magical holiday atmosphere.
Temu’s green magic initiative aims to captivate audiences with a variety of festive offerings, from fashion to home decor, handmade crafts, beauty items, chic clothes, shoes, and more.
The platform’s innovative approach ensures that customers can enjoy a seamless shopping experience, with free shipping on all orders1.
As part of the celebration, Temu has also introduced a magical winter Christmas backdrop, perfect for creating a festive ambiance at home.
This backdrop, made from high-quality polyester, is designed to bring the spirit of the season to life, making it an ideal addition to any holiday decor.
With its commitment to providing exceptional products and services, Temu continues to set new standards in the e-commerce industry, ensuring that customers can enjoy the magic of Christmas in style
With the holiday season here, it’s not only a time for magic and celebration but also a prime opportunity for fraudsters to exploit the festive rush for gifts and bargains.
Amid the sparkle of year-end celebrations, cybersecurity experts at Kaspersky have identified several prominent scams targeting consumers across various regions and languages.
Fake holiday shops
Deceptive online stores mimic the look and feel of legitimate e-commerce sites, offering seasonal items such as decorations, gifts, and even trees at steep discounts.
These sites often appear highly localised, adapting their language and currency based on the user’s geographic location, leveraging data extracted from browsers.
Victims typically encounter these stores by following links in ads or pop-ups.
These sites aim to steal funds. Often, these fraudulent stores exist only for a short period, as they get flagged by the vendors of goods.
Free mobile data offer
This scam plays on the allure of free services, claiming to provide free mobile data valid across all major telecom providers.
In order to receive the free data, victims are required to share the promotion link with 10–15 contacts via WhatsApp, ensuring the scam spreads exponentially.
After sharing, victims are prompted to enter their personal details — name, phone number, and email — into a form.
The collected data is then sold on the Dark Web or used in other fraudulent activities.
In some cases, victims unknowingly download malware that compromises their devices, leading to further exploitation.
Holiday payments on behalf of government agencies
Fraudsters impersonate government authorities, promising fictitious payments in celebration of the holidays.
This scam has been reported in several African countries, including Kenya and Nigeria.
To receive payment, victims are directed to fill out a survey which requires personal details like name and phone number.
Once the survey is completed the user is asked to share the link to the announcement with their connections via WhatsApp.
These details are collected and added to fraudulent databases, then sold to third parties or used for phishing attacks and identity theft.
This scam exploits trust in government systems and the festive spirit of giving.
Christmas recipe scam
This scam begins with a seemingly harmless email promoting a holiday cake recipe.
Victims are encouraged to pay a small fee to access the recipe.
Once payment is made, the victim’s credit card information is stolen. The fraudsters also collect other personal information essential for accessing banking services.
“Holiday scams are not a new phenomenon, but they have evolved to become increasingly sophisticated, leveraging regional traditions and technology to exploit unsuspecting victims.
The rush of the holidays makes people more vulnerable — they’re distracted, eager to grab a deal, or trust promotions that align with festive themes. Cybercriminals are not just stealing money — they’re building massive databases of personal information that fuel future fraudulent schemes.
The holiday season is a time for joy and giving, but users need to remain vigilant to ensure they’re not unknowingly giving fraudsters the tools to exploit them further,” said Olga Svistunova, Senior Web Content Analyst at Kaspersky.
Cybercriminals have persisted in targeting Nigerian government websites, with the most recent attack on the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The NBS confirmed the development in a brief statement posted on its X (formerly Twitter) account
It said that its newly redesigned official website has been hacked.
The NBS disclosed the incident and assured the public that efforts are underway to recover the website.
It urged the public to disregard any messages or reports posted until the full recovery of its website.
The statement on X read: “This is to inform the public that the NBS website has been hacked, and we are working to recover it. Please disregard any message or report posted until the website is fully restored.”
The NBS plays a vital role in Nigeria’s development, serving as the official statistical agency responsible for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating statistical data on the country’s economy, governance, and development
This marks the latest in a series of attacks on Nigerian government websites, a trend that has been ongoing for some years.
From government ministries to officials, cyberattacks in Nigeria have surged to alarming levels, with even financial institutions falling victim.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) frequently issue warnings of cybercriminals targeting individuals, government entities, banks, and telecom companies.
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