Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Program Efficiency”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

An Internet-based evaluation system for a surgical residency program.

BACKGROUND: Efficient and meaningful evaluation of performance is critical to the professional development of trainees in surgical residency programs. Current paper-based evaluation instruments have numerous limitations. We developed an Internet-based evaluation system to more rapidly and efficiently assess the experience of residents, faculty, and rotations. STUDY DESIGN: An on-line evaluation system was designed and implemented in October 1999. Custom evaluations were created for residents, faculty, and rotations. Evaluations were completed via the Internet site from remote locations with standard computers and standard Web browser software. Completed evaluations were automatically available on-line for review and data analysis. Data were analyzed by chi-square analysis with a probability value of less than 0.05 considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Compliance in completion of evaluations improved from 50% to 80% in the initial 6 months of implementation (p < 0.01) with the Web-based system. There was no significant difference between faculty and resident compliance. In evaluation of "ease of use," a total of 612 responses were received over this period with a total average score of 3.5 (5 point scale, 5 = strongly agree). Residents' opinions (average score, 3.69) were slightly more positive than those of faculty (average score, 3.31). Confidentiality was improved over paper-based systems by a detailed security network. CONCLUSIONS: This Internet-based evaluation system is a potentially powerful instrument for evaluating our surgical residency program and making changes to improve the educational experience in a timely and efficient manner.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2004

Prediction of retention times and efficiency in linear gradient programmed pressure analysis on capillary columns.

A method for the prediction of the retention time and the resolution of chromatographic peaks in different experimental conditions by starting from few experimental data measured in isothermal and isobaric analyses was published previously. In this paper, the same mathematical model was implemented for calculating the retention times and the column efficiency in programmed pressure runs. Some models originated from the Golay equation and reported in the literature are compared, and a new modified equation for the calculation of the peak width at half height is proposed. The procedure for the prediction of the retention time and the peak width at half height at programmed pressure of the carrier gas and different column temperature and linear gradient by using retention data of different compounds obtained in few isobaric runs is described. The prediction of the retention time and the separation efficiency of compounds with different polarity gave good results for the programmed pressure runs with linear gradient. The effect of the variation of the initial parameters of the experimental analyses and of the mathematical model on the accuracy of the prediction has been evaluated.

Chromatography, Gas↗
PubMed2005

Efficiency of a schoolchildren program for oral care.

The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the efficiency of an oral school program, applied during 3 years. DMFT index, the component D and CTNI of a sample of 590 children (Group I, aged 12.0 +/- 1.1 years) which received regular oral treatment during 3 consecutive years were compared with the same indicators of 586 children (Group II, aged 12.6 +/- 1.0 years) without treatment. The cost-benefit ratio of the current required treatments in both groups was calculated. Results revealed: (a) in Group I the component D of DMFT was 0.9 +/- SEM = 0.3, and in Group II, 5.5 +/- SEM = 1.5; and (b) the cost-benefit ratio of the required treatment for Group I ranged from 1.5 to 7.5 times lower than that required for cumulative pathology resolution in groups lacking preventive coverage. It seems advisable to introduce management strategies to change spontaneous demand into programmed care with a strong preventive component. The accomplishment of this regular school program appears to contribute to strengthen equity and could reduce the differences in oral health care among schoolchildren at different social risk.

Child↗
PubMed1981

A linear programming model for determining efficient combinations of 8-, 10-, and 12-hour shifts.

I have formulated a linear programming model to determine changes in efficiency and productivity that would result from scheduling personnel to work combinations of 8-, 10-, and 12-hour shifts in a section of our pulmonary medicine department. My objective was to minimize the number of staff hours worked each day, subject to the constraints imposed by the levels of staffing required during each hour of the day. I found that a combination of 8-, 10- and 12-hour shifts could increase productivity 8.1% and reduce personnel requirements by one full-time equivalent. Salary expenses would decrease 7.5% if overtime were not paid for the extended hours of the 10- and 12-hour shifts. Two considerations in implementing the proposed schedule are the willingness of staff to work extended hours and the necessity of developing a format for communication between therapists who work discontinuous shifts.

Hospital Bed Capacity, 100 to 299↗
PubMed2005

Fast unambiguous stereo matching using reliability-based dynamic programming.

An efficient unambiguous stereo matching technique is presented in this paper. Our main contribution is to introduce a new reliability measure to dynamic programming approaches in general. For stereo vision application, the reliability of a proposed match on a scanline is defined as the cost difference between the globally best disparity assignment that includes the match and the globally best assignment that does not include the match. A reliability-based dynamic programming algorithm is derived accordingly, which can selectively assign disparities to pixels when the corresponding reliabilities exceed a given threshold. The experimental results show that the new approach can produce dense (> 70 percent of the unoccluded pixels) and reliable (error rate < 0.5 percent) matches efficiently (< 0.2 sec on a 2GHz P4) for the four Middlebury stereo data sets.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2003

Delayed rRNA processing results in significant ribosome biogenesis and functional defects.

mof6-1 was originally isolated as a recessive mutation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae which promoted increased efficiencies of programmed -1 ribosomal frameshifting and rendered cells unable to maintain the killer virus. Here, we demonstrate that mof6-1 is a unique allele of the histone deacetylase RPD3, that the deacetylase function of Rpd3p is required for controlling wild-type levels of frameshifting and virus maintenance, and that the closest human homolog can fully complement these defects. Loss of the Rpd3p-associated histone deacetylase function, either by mutants of rpd3 or loss of the associated gene product Sin3p or Sap30p, results in a delay in rRNA processing rather than in an rRNA transcriptional defect. This results in production of ribosomes having lower affinities for aminoacyl-tRNA and diminished peptidyltransferase activities. We hypothesize that decreased rates of peptidyl transfer allow ribosomes with both A and P sites occupied by tRNAs to pause for longer periods of time at -1 frameshift signals, promoting increased programmed -1 ribosomal frameshifting efficiencies and subsequent loss of the killer virus. The frameshifting defect is accentuated when the demand for ribosomes is highest, suggesting that rRNA posttranscriptional modification is the bottleneck in ribosome biogenesis.

Alleles↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Impact of a daily 10-minute strength and flexibility program in a manufacturing plant.

In summary, employees' flexibility and mood showed modest improvements following the implementation of a plant-wide, 10-minute, daily flexibility and strength program. The initial six-week pilot study, administered prior to the plant-wide program implementation, successfully assessed program feasibility, assessed the efficiency of program implementation, identified administrative and logistical concerns, and generated pilot data needed to secure managerial support. Despite the noted significant increases in grip strength in the pilot study, no increases were observed following the six months of plant-wide implementation. This may be related to the differences in low average pretest grip strength for the pilot study compared to the higher scores for the main study population. The pilot study subjects may have received a sufficient exercise stimulus to increase grip strength over the course of six weeks. In contrast, this may not have been the case for the main study subjects due to their higher initial mean grip strength. An increased number of exercises designed to directly impact grip strength may be needed to improve this parameter.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗
PubMed1992

Dynamic programming algorithms for biological sequence comparison.

Efficient dynamic programming algorithms are available for a broad class of protein and DNA sequence comparison problems. These algorithms require computer time proportional to the product of the lengths of the two sequences being compared [O(N2)] but require memory space proportional only to the sum of these lengths [O(N)]. Although the requirement for O(N2) time limits use of the algorithms to the largest computers when searching protein and DNA sequence databases, many other applications of these algorithms, such as calculation of distances for evolutionary trees and comparison of a new sequence to a library of sequence profiles, are well within the capabilities of desktop computers. In particular, the results of library searches with rapid searching programs, such as FASTA or BLAST, should be confirmed by performing a rigorous optimal alignment. Whereas rapid methods do not overlook significant sequence similarities, FASTA limits the number of gaps that can be inserted into an alignment, so that a rigorous alignment may extend the alignment substantially in some cases. BLAST does not allow gaps in the local regions that it reports; a calculation that allows gaps is very likely to extend the alignment substantially. Although a Monte Carlo evaluation of the statistical significance of a similarity score with a rigorous algorithm is much slower than the heuristic approach used by the RDF2 program, the dynamic programming approach should take less than 1 hr on a 386-based PC or desktop Unix workstation. For descriptive purposes, we have limited our discussion to methods for calculating similarity scores and distances that use gap penalties of the form g = rk. Nevertheless, programs for the more general case (g = q+rk) are readily available. Versions of these programs that run either on Unix workstations, IBM-PC class computers, or the Macintosh can be obtained from either of the authors.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2006

High-protein nutrition during pregnancy and lactation programs blood pressure, food efficiency, and body weight of the offspring in a sex-dependent manner.

Maternal low-protein diet during pregnancy is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease of the offspring in later life. The impact of high-protein diet during pregnancy on the cardiovascular phenotype of the offspring, however, is still unknown. We examined the influence of a high-protein diet during pregnancy and lactation on the renal, hemodynamic, and metabolic phenotype of the F1 generation. Female Wistar rats were either fed a normal protein diet (20% protein: NP) or an isocaloric high-protein diet (40% protein: HP) throughout pregnancy and lactation. At weaning, the offspring were fed with standard diet, and they were allocated according to sex and maternal diet to four groups: normal-protein male (NPm, n = 25), normal-protein female (NPf, n = 19), high-protein male (HPm, n = 24), high-protein female (HPf, n = 29). During the experiment (22 wk), the animals were characterized by repeated measurement of body weight, food intake, blood pressure, glucose tolerance, energy expenditure, and kidney function. At the end of the study period histomorphological analyses of the kidneys and weight measurement of reproductive fat pads were conducted. There were no differences in birth weight between the study groups. No influence of maternal diet on energy expenditure, glucose tolerance, and plasma lipid levels was detected. Blood pressure and glomerulosclerosis were elevated in male offspring only, whereas female offspring were characterized by an increased food efficiency, higher body weight, and increased fat pads. Our study demonstrates that a high-protein diet during pregnancy and lactation in rats programs blood pressure, food efficiency, and body weight of the offspring in a sex-dependent manner.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1998

The upf3 protein is a component of the surveillance complex that monitors both translation and mRNA turnover and affects viral propagation.

The nonsense-mediated mRNA decay pathway functions to degrade aberrant mRNAs that contain premature translation termination codons. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the Upf1, Upf2, and Upf3 proteins have been identified as trans-acting factors involved in this pathway. Recent results have demonstrated that the Upf proteins may also be involved in maintaining the fidelity of several aspects of the translation process. Certain mutations in the UPF1 gene have been shown to affect the efficiency of translation termination at nonsense codons and/or the process of programmed -1 ribosomal frameshifting used by viruses to control their gene expression. Alteration of programmed frameshift efficiencies can affect virus assembly leading to reduced viral titers or elimination of the virus. Here we present evidence that the Upf3 protein also functions to regulate programmed -1 frameshift efficiency. A upf3-Delta strain demonstrates increased sensitivity to the antibiotic paromomycin and increased programmed -1 ribosomal frameshift efficiency resulting in loss of the M1 virus. Based on these observations, we hypothesize that the Upf proteins are part of a surveillance complex that functions to monitor translational fidelity and mRNA turnover.

Alleles↗
PubMed1986

[Comparison of several protein sequences by recognition of conserved regions].

The sequences of related proteins show the alternance of conserved and variable regions. This fact is generally seen as a reverberation of 3 D constraints onto 1 D structures. Although the exact meaning of such constraints remains elusive, conserved regions can be extracted from protein chains and used to align them. We developed a program that efficiently performs this task. The program constructs symbolic motifs fitting a target subsequence present in every chain without requiring any insertion or deletion. However, a motif can be obliterated by substitutions when it is found in a sequence. The motifs formally consist in aminoacid symbols separated (and virtually preceded and followed) by a variable number of wild-card symbols. A wild-card, which can match any aminoacid of the chains (with no increment of score), represents a variable site within conserved regions. Different motifs are progressively built by substituting a wild-card with an aminoacid symbol within or beside preexisting motifs. Only those motifs showing an outstanding association of high matching score over all chains, and of low deviation between extreme scores over individual chains are selected for making the next generation. Starting with a null motif, the construction ends when no new aminoacid can be introduced into the current motifs. A surviving motif is then considered valid if it maps without ambiguity a unique region in every sequence, and the motif with highest score is finally selected. The construction of new motifs is then reinitated for the left and right parts of the sequences, after these have been split by the previously selected motif.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Health promotion in a shrinking military: the call for structural integration and a conceptual systems approach.

The evolution of health promotion in the military is reviewed and contrasted with developments in private sector activities. Programs in both arenas generally take a mechanistic, mortality and risk factor-based approach which targets lifestyle and behavioral change. In the military, that has resulted in a fragmentation of function and perception in the line and medical communities about health promotion. A "world view" model and a conceptual systems approach to health promotion are presented in which human resources, occupational health, life-style, and health benefits programs are integrated to achieve efficiencies in program management, decreased mortality, and reduced medical care costs.

Health Promotion↗
PubMed1977

Breeding record analysis in pig herds and its veterinary applications--1: Development of a program to monitor reproductive efficiency and weaner production.

Analyses of breeding records and herd efficiency factors are important for veterinary surgeons supervising reproductive efficiency and piglet performance in breeding herds. These data include: the number of litters produced per sow per year; the distribution of weaning to service intervals; the number of sows returning to service by 30, 60, 90 and 120 days; the percentage of sows farrowing to first service; the percentage of sows found to be not pregnant; and the percentage of sows aborting. Boar performance data, piglet mortality percentages, piglet growth rates, feed efficiency factors and the percentage of sows culled from the herd are also analysed. A computer program was developed to produce these and other data from simple breeding records.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Organizational determinants of efficiency and effectiveness in mental health partial care programs.

The use of partial care as a treatment modality for mentally ill patients, particularly the chronically mentally ill, has greatly increased. However, research into what constitutes a "good" program has been scant. This article reports on an evaluation study of staff productivity, cost efficiency, and service effectiveness of adult partial care programs carried out in New Jersey in fiscal year 1984/1985. Five program performance indexes are developed based on comparisons of multiple measures of resources, service activities, and client outcomes. These are used to test various hypotheses regarding the effect of organizational and fiscal variables on partial care program efficiency and effectiveness. The four issues explored are: auspices, organizational complexity, service mix, and fiscal control by the state. These were found to explain about half of the variance in program performance. In addition, partial care programs demonstrating midlevel performance with regard to productivity and efficiency were observed to be the most effective, implying a possible optimal level of efficiency at which effectiveness is maximized.

Adolescent↗