Research

Section I: Topic- Lupus-Stalker of Women

          Lupus is a chronic, auto-immune disease, which causes inflammation in parts of the body, especially the skin, joints, blood and kidneys. In an autoimmune disease like lupus, the immune system loses its ability to tell the difference between foreign substances and its own cells and tissues. Lupus affects one out of every 185 Americans. Although lupus can occur at any age, and in either sex, 90% of people diagnosed with lupus are women. Only 10% of people with lupus have a close relative who already has or may develop the disease. Yet, because the origin of lupus is unknown researchers are still unsure as to whether the disease is hereditary.
Lupus is very difficult to diagnose because the symptoms come and go, often mimicking the symptoms of other diseases. Symptoms reported with the disease can be transient joint and muscle pain, fatigue, a rash, low-grade fevers, appetite loss, and sores in the nose or mouth.
          I chose this topic to research because my mother was diagnosed with the disease several years ago, so it has directly affected my life. My mom saw at least nine doctors before the disease was ever mentioned as the possible cause of her swollen joints and blistered fingers and mouth. Some mornings, she was unable to get out of bed because her joints were so swollen. Even after she was diagnosed, we saw very little improvement. Medication for the disease is still a guessing game. Because the cause is unknown, the treatment cannot be exact. Thousands of Americans with lupus die each year.
         I can see two facets of research on this topic. The first deals with finding out how much or little people (especially women) know of the disease. Surveys, questionaires, focus groups, etc. would be helpful in determining exactly what, if anything, is known by the general public about the disease. I suspect there are many more cases of individuals who have lupus but have not been diagnosed. By researching what people know about the disease, one could determine the best way to educate and disseminate information like signs and symptoms. In addition to researching public knowledge of the disease, I would propose an actual study of the disease and those diagnosed. Because lupus symptoms relate so closely to the symptoms of other diseases, I think with enough time devoted to research, definitive symptoms could be established. Thus, diagnosing lupus would become easier and more certain, perhps even resulting in the development of adequate treatment. In researching the disease, it would be helpful to compare it to others closely associated with it. As for the victims, it might be helpful to know the demographics of those who have been diagnosed with the disease to determine if there are enviromental factors which infuence the progression of the disease.
          The intended audience of this research would be others whose lives have been affected by the disease and also those wishing to know more about the disease, minus the medical jargon. The focus would definitely be women since it is they who are most often stricken with the disease.

UNC-CH Libraries

Print Sources:
Mechanisms of lymphocyte activation and immune regulation VIII:
autoimmunity 2000 and beyond. New York: Kluwer Academic/ Plenum, 2001. Health Sciences Library Call Number: Advances in experimental medicine and biology; v490
Werbach, Melvyn R. Textbook of nutritional medicine. Tarzana: Third line Press, 1999. Health Sciences Library Call Number - WB 400 W484t 1999.

Non-print Source:
Health Sciences Library. Lupus: insights, emotions, encouragements. Media, P.A., Media Inc., 1993. Call Number: WR 152 VC1 1993

Academic Universe Lexis-Nexis Sources

Brower, Vicki. Scientists probing possible link between lupus, arthritis drug. Biotechnology Newswatch; The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2002. Accessed May 25, 2002. Available from http://eresource.lib.unc.edu/cgibin/external_database_auth? A=PIF=YIURL=http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe; Internet.

Forshaw, Joanne. Not just bendy joints. The Lancet Ltd., 2001. Accessed May 25 2002. Available from http://eresource.lib.unc.edu/cgibin/external_database_auth? A=PIF=YIURL=http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe; Internet.

Motta, Mario. Antimalarial agents in pregnancy. 359 (9305) p 524-525. Lancet Ltd. 2002. Available from http://eresource.lib.unc.edu/cgibin/external_database_auth? A=PIF=YIURL=http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe; Internet

Tsokos, George C. A disease with a complex pathogenesis. The Lancet Ltd; 358;s65, 2001. Available from http://eresource.lib.unc.edu/cgibin/external_database_auth? A=PIF=YIURL=http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe; Internet.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Researchers Determine the Structure of Antibody for Autoimmune Disease. Gene Therapy Weekly, 2002. Available from http://eresource.lib.unc.edu/cgibin/external_database_auth? A=PIF=YIURL=http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe; Internet

Web Sources

Title of Web page: Office of Women's Health; Lupus and Women
Web Address: http://www.4woman.gov/owh/pub/factsheets/fslupus.htm
Brief Description: This page provides scholarly definitions and explanations as to the particulars of Lupus. The page is full of thorough and extensive research about what the disease is, who has it, what the different types of Lupus are, and how Lupus is treated. The page has no links but does provide contact information at the top of the page.
Source of Web site: Office of women's Health, Washington, D.C.

Title of Web page: Lupus Foundation: Lupus Facts
Web Address: http://www.lupusct.org/lupus_fact.html
Brief Description: This site is provided by the Lupus Foundation of America. It is very informative and would be of significant value in quoting statistics in a research paper. The site is well maintained and up to date. There are no links on the page. The information is listed in a manner that is compatible with even the most inexperienced Internet user.
Source of Web site: The Lupus Foundation of America

Title of Web page: Lupus affects women much more commonly than men
Web Address: http://wildcat.arizona.edu/papers/94/78/01_6_m.html
Brief Description: This site is an article that appeared in the Arizona Daily in January of 2001. The page describes the different types of Lupus that have been diagnosed thus far. The symptoms and causes of each are not listed because they are not known, or at least have yet to be agreed upon. This page is an excellent source for those more skilled in Internet navigation. There are many links throughout the body of the information as well as to he side of the article.
Source of Web site: Lupus Foundation of America, Lupus Mutiplex registry and Repository

Title of Web page: MEDLINEplus: LUPUS
Web Address: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/lupus.html
Brief Description: This page is perhaps the best site I located in my research. It is extensive and complex, to say the least. At the top of the page is the latest news on Lupus followed by definitions and articles from the National Institute of Health. The site offers an interactive tutorial as part of patient education on the disease. There are links for coping and diagnosis, as well as management, organizations and statistics. The site would be an asset in any type of research about the disease.
Source of Web site: National Library of Medicine, National Institute of Arthritis and Muscloskeletal and Skin Diseases.

Title of Web page: Lupus Foundation of America, Inc.
Web Address:http:// www.lupus.org/
Brief Description: This site is a compilation of organizations and contact information. The site does give information on the disease, but seems to be tailored toward medical personnel or people who have been diagnosed with the disease and would therefore, be familiar with the medical jargon used. The site lists upcoming fundraisers to raise money for the Lupus Foundation of America. There are links to education, support, LFA Research, and News to help navigate the site. The site would be very helpful in identifying the leading researchers and hospitals.
Source of Web site: The Lupus Foundation of America.

Internet Mini-Essay
Title: Explosion of E-Banking
(Topic Area: Net trends and Trivia)

          Rarely do Americans take the time to remember what life was like before they were connected to the World Wide Web. Some are not even sure that such a time existed. The last decade of the 20th century will be remembered for putting the personal in PC. The Internet first gained widespread media attention when the White House went on-line, in 1993. Just three years later, Internet became a household name. Businesses, individuals and families across the nation were investing in IT for the first time in 1996. Even though it has been with us for only a decade, the proliferation of applications on the Web has made being connected the standard for both private and public sector. Two thousand and two is shaping up to be a year in which usage activation and frequency of interaction will be of prime importance. One of the primary causes is the explosion of e-banking over the last two years.
          Many, if not most, banks now provide customers with multi-channel access to checking, savings, CD, money market, credit card and loan accounts. Banks provide a consolidated view of these statements, giving customers convenient and easy access to perform any number of tasks including viewing balances and statements, verifying cleared transactions, transferring funds and paying bills electronically. (1) Though most Americans agree that online banking offers advantages over traditional modes, U.S. households remain multi-channel in their approach to banking using two, three or as many as four delivery channels to conduct their financial business. However, as more and more consumers continue to incorporate online banking into their daily routines, we are sure to see significant growth of e-banking in the coming years.
          TowerGroup's e-Banking service reported that at the end of 2001, 44% of U.S. households with PCs were using them for financial transactions or management.(2) The growth in usage can be seen in the statistics reported by banks worldwide. Many report having passed the threshold of 3 million online accounts in 2001.(2) With a volume this size, banks are provided with sufficient returns to compensate for the maintenance of and investment in, Web- based offerings.

Notes
(1) Vivian Wagoner, "Regions moves online banking in-house," Bank Systems and Technology, February 2002, v 39 p.16(2) Also Available [Online]: General Business File ASAP [Accessed 25 May, 2002].
(2) Author Not Listed "Consumers satisfaction key to e-banking development," Australian banking and Finance, 15 Nov. 2002, v10 p. 18(1) Also Available [Online]: General Business File ASAP [Accessed 25 May 2002].

Web Sites
Title of Web Page: E-banking Reality
Web address: www.sbm.com.sa/base/news/e-banking_reality/e-banking_reality.html
Brief Description: New e-banking infrastructure developed by IBM.
Source of Web site: IBM

Title of Web Page: E-commerce
Web address: http://www.ris.org/ecommerce.html
Brief Description: Role of e-commerce in economic growth, examples include e-banking
Source of Web site: Government

Title of Web Page: BEA SYSTEMS -2001 Press releases: CITIBANK Information Systems.
Web address: www.bea.com/press/releases/2001/0102_Citibank_Spain.shtml
Brief Description: 2001 Press release: How to handle the high number of e-banking transactions
Source of Web site: BEA Systems

Email me at aguy@email.unc.edu. This site was last updated June 17, 2002.

This web site was created by Agatha Guy as part of an assignment for Journalism 050 - Electronic Information Sources at the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.