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\"Have you ever wanted to build your own mobile apps? App Inventor, a free and revolutionary online program from MIT, lets you do just that. With the help of this companion guide chock-full of colorful graphics and easy-to-follow instructions, readers can learn how to create six different apps, including a working piano, a maze game, and even their own chat app to communicate with friends-then use what they've learned to build apps of their own imagination. User-friendly code blocks that snap together allow even beginners to quickly create working apps. Readers will also learn about young inventors already using their own apps to make a difference in their communities, such as the girls from Mumbai, India, whose app lets their neighbors know when it's their turn to collect water from the communal tap, saving them hours waiting in line. Or the boys from Malden, Massachusetts, whose app lets residents geotag potholes to alert city hall when repairs are needed. With this inspiring guide, curious young dreamers can become real inventors with real-world impact\"-- Provided by publisher.

This book provides a balanced and nuanced study of how the super-sticky WeChat platform interweaves into the fabric of Chinese social, cultural, and political life. It keeps the wider global and national social media landscape in view and compares and contrasts WeChat with Weibo, QQ and other Western social media platforms.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a chronic and complex condition, requiring consistent management and education. The widespread use of smartphones has opened possibilities for mobile health apps to support both patients and health care professionals in monitoring and managing PH more effectively. This study aimed to identify and assess the quality of free smartphone apps for PH targeted at either patients or health care professionals. A systematic search was conducted on freely available apps for patients with PH and health care professionals, accessed from a Spanish IP address, on Android (Google Play) and iOS (App Store) platforms. Searches were performed in October 2022 and 2023. Apps were independently analyzed by two reviewers, focusing on general characteristics. Quality assessment was based on the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) framework, and Mann-Whitney U tests compared mean MARS scores against specific variables. In the overall study, 21 apps were identified. In the 2022 search, 19 apps were listed (9 iOS, 7 Android, 3 available on both platforms). In the subsequent 2023 search, 16 apps were identified (6 Android, 7 iOS, 3 available on both platforms). Of those identified in 2022, 14 remained available in 2023, with only 7 updated since 2022. In addition, 12 apps targeted patients or the general population, while 9 targeted health care professionals; none involved patients in the development or design. Conversely, 13 apps involving health care professionals were identified. There were 10 apps that received pharmaceutical industry funding. The primary goal for 81% (17/21) of the apps was to disseminate general information about PH. The overall mean MARS quality was acceptable in 2022 and 2023, with mean ratings of 3.1 (SD 0.6) and 3.3 (SD 0.5), respectively. The functionality category achieved the highest scores in both years, indicating ease of use and intuitive navigation. In contrast, the subjective quality domain consistently received the lowest ratings in the MARS assessment across both years. None of the apps underwent clinical testing themselves; however, 2 incorporated tools or algorithms derived from trials. The overall quality of iOS apps statistically outperformed that of Android apps in both years (P<.05). Furthermore, the involvement of health care professionals in app development was associated with enhanced quality, a trend observed in both years (P=.003 for both years). This review of mobile health apps for PH reveals their emergent development stage, with generally acceptable quality but lacking refinement. It highlights the critical role of health care professionals in app development, as they contribute significantly to quality and reliability. Despite this, a notable stagnation in app quality and functionality improvement over 2 years points to a need for continuous innovation and clinical validation for effective clinical integration. This research advocates for future app developers to actively engage with health care professionals, integrate patient insights, and mandate rigorous clinical validation for PH management.

Digital health interventions, especially mobile apps, have become instrumental in helping women at risk of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), increasing their understanding of the condition, improving self-care, and fostering empowerment. However, their rapid proliferation has brought about significant challenges regarding quality assessment and evidence-based determination. Therefore, establishing reliable quality assessment methods is essential to assist patients with PCOS in identifying effective and trustworthy mobile health tools. This study was designed to assess the content and quality of mobile apps developed for patients with PCOS using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) to provide insights into their strengths, limitations, and areas needing improvement. In this descriptive-analytical study conducted in June 2024, a comprehensive search was performed to identify English and Persian mobile apps related to PCOS through the Café Bazaar and Google Play Store platforms, using both direct search methods and auxiliary tools such as AppAgg and AppBrain. Two trained reviewers (AR and NN) independently reviewed the apps using the MARS tool. The interrater reliability was measured using the intraclass correlation coefficient test. The quality of each app was scored across 4 dimensions: engagement, functionality, aesthetics, and information quality. Of the initial 199 apps identified, 15 met the inclusion criteria after screening and updates. The interrater agreement rate was 85%, which is considered acceptable. The apps' overall quality was sufficient, as assessed using the MARS, with a mean score of 3.6 (SD 0.52) of 5. Functionality and aesthetics emerged as the highest-scoring dimensions, highlighting user-friendliness and visual appeal (n=10). In contrast, engagement following information quality received the lowest average score, indicating limited interactivity and gaps in providing evidence-based information. The Ask PCOS app achieved the highest overall score, performing exceptionally well in subjective quality (4.75) and app-specific quality (4.33), reflecting its strong capacity to positively impact users' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to PCOS. Uvi Health and Ask PCOS scored highest in engagement (4.2), while PCOS & PCOD Diet & Remedies led in functionality (5), and Uvi Health topped aesthetics (5). The findings revealed that even though many available PCOS-related apps demonstrate strengths in technical performance and design, critical limitations persist regarding user engagement and the credibility of the information provided. The predominance of commercially affiliated apps without academic or clinical oversight was identified as a key contributing factor to these shortcomings. These results underscore the need for future app development to incorporate more user-engaging features, reliable evidence-based content, and personalization strategies to enhance user engagement and support effective PCOS self-management. Addressing these limitations and leveraging the capabilities of existing mobile devices are essential steps toward improving the overall quality and impact of mobile health interventions for individuals with PCOS.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by painful nodules, abscesses, and fistulas in intertriginous sites. It significantly impacts patients' quality of life. Early diagnosis and timely treatment are essential for disease control. Recurrent flares, suboptimal therapies, and prolonged misdiagnosis place a significant burden on both patients and health care systems. We aimed to identify mobile health apps (MHAs) for patients with HS and evaluate their quality through assessments by both patients and physicians. Two reviewers searched for mobile and web apps for HS, including those only available in German or English. Apps with advertising or non-patient-centered content and apps related to trials or conferences were excluded. Two apps met the criteria and were evaluated by 20 physicians and 27 patients using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS), user version of the MARS (uMARS), German Mobile App Usability Questionnaire, and technology affinity tools (Affinity for Technology Interaction Scale and Mobile Device Proficiency Questionnaire). We identified 2 apps for managing HS that met the inclusion criteria-the HSR-Patients app and the EHSF-Hidradenitis Suppurativa app-from an initial pool of 29 proposed apps that included many nonmedical, non-HS-specific, and non-patient-centered apps. Patients rated the quality of the HSR-Patients app significantly higher than physicians (MARS: mean 3.01, SD 0.60 vs. uMARS: mean 3.53, SD 0.69; P=.009). In contrast, ratings for the EHSF-Hidradenitis Suppurativa app did not differ significantly (physicians: mean 2.81, SD 0.55; patients: mean 2.72, SD 0.79; P=.69). Usability, assessed with the German Mobile App Usability Questionnaire, showed no significant difference between physicians and patients for either app. For the HSR-Patients app, physicians and patients rated usability at 4.37 (SD 0.86) and 4.72 (SD 1.21; P=.27), respectively. For the EHSF-Hidradenitis Suppurativa app, physicians and patients rated usability at 3.88 (SD 0.77) and 3.38 (SD 1.35; P=.11), respectively. Patients showed a significantly higher general affinity for technology than physicians, as measured by the Affinity for Technology Interaction Scale (physicians: mean 3.62, SD 0.61; patients: mean 4.38, SD 1.30; P=.01). However, there was no significant difference in affinity for technology specifically when using mobile devices, as assessed by the Mobile Device Proficiency Questionnaire (physicians: mean 4.83, SD 0.25; patients: mean 4.69, SD 0.72; P=.41). This evaluation highlights the limited availability of high-quality, HS management-specific MHAs and underscores the need for more targeted digital tools. Differences in evaluations between patients and physicians were evident, with patients focusing on usability and practical guidance, while physicians prioritized content and usability. Neither the HSR-Patients app or the EHSF-Hidradenitis Suppurativa app demonstrated sufficient potential for long-term use, indicating the need for participatory development that includes all stakeholders.

Discover how to use React Native in the real world, from scratch. This book shows you what React Native has to offer, where it came from, and where it's going. You'll begin with a solid foundation of practical knowledge, and then build on it immediately by constructing three different apps. You'll learn how to use each feature of React Native by working on two full projects and one full game. These aren't just simple React Native Hello World examples (although you'll naturally start there!) but are apps that you can, if you so choose, install on your mobile devices and use for real. Throughout this book, you'll gain rea-world familiarity with React Native as well as supporting components from Expo, NativeBase, React Navigation and the Redux and Lodash libraries. You'll also build server-side code for a mobile React Native app to talk to using the popular Node.js and Socket.io library, providing you a holistic view of things even beyond React Native. And, you'll see many helpful tips, tricks and gotchas to watch out for along the way! \"Practical React Native\" offers practical exercises that will give you a solid grasp of building apps with React Native, allowing you to springboard into creating more advanced apps on your own. Creating a game with React will allow you to see a whole other perspective on what React Native can do.

The number of mobile health apps (MHAs), which are developed to promote healthy behaviors, prevent disease onset, manage and cure diseases, or assist with rehabilitation measures, has exploded. App store star ratings and descriptions usually provide insufficient or even false information about app quality, although they are popular among end users. A rigorous systematic approach to establish and evaluate the quality of MHAs is urgently needed. The Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) is an assessment tool that facilitates the objective and systematic evaluation of the quality of MHAs. However, a German MARS is currently not available. The aim of this study was to translate and validate a German version of the MARS (MARS-G). The original 19-item MARS was forward and backward translated twice, and the MARS-G was created. App description items were extended, and 104 MHAs were rated twice by eight independent bilingual researchers, using the MARS-G and MARS. The internal consistency, validity, and reliability of both scales were assessed. Mokken scale analysis was used to investigate the scalability of the overall scores. The retranslated scale showed excellent alignment with the original MARS. Additionally, the properties of the MARS-G were comparable to those of the original MARS. The internal consistency was good for all subscales (ie, omega ranged from 0.72 to 0.91). The correlation coefficients (r) between the dimensions of the MARS-G and MARS ranged from 0.93 to 0.98. The scalability of the MARS (H=0.50) and MARS-G (H=0.48) were good. The MARS-G is a reliable and valid tool for experts and stakeholders to assess the quality of health apps in German-speaking populations. The overall score is a reliable quality indicator. However, further studies are needed to assess the factorial structure of the MARS and MARS-G.