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At least 235 records · Page 13Linked to original sources

Analysis of the cardiac rhythm preceding episodes of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

AIMS: This study seeks to elucidate whether there was a common mode of initiation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) episodes that might suggest new therapies. METHODS: A library of 177 digitized and analyzed 24-hour Holter recordings from PAF pharmacotherapy trials was studied. All noise-free PAF episodes > or =0.5 minutes were identified. PAF episodes and the preceding 2 minutes of sinus rhythm were printed as tachograms and visually inspected. Heart rate and ectopic beat behavior were used to characterize modes of PAF onset by comparing half-minute segments of the final 2 minutes of sinus rhythm. RESULTS: Thirty-four recordings (from 19 patients, aged 61.7 +/- 11.5 years) provided 231 PAF episodes suitable for analysis. No patients had a consistent mode of PAF onset. This was confirmed by systematic analysis of the five patients with the most episodes. Overall, a highly significant increase in ectopic beats, from 1.34 to 6.52 min(-1) (p < 0.001) was found, but heart rate did not significantly change (mean heart rate at onset = 64 beats/min). PAF was initiated by a solitary ectopic beat in more than half of the cases. No consistent evidence for short-long-short sequences, seen in ventricular arrhythmias, was found. CONCLUSION: The mode of onset of atrial fibrillation is inconsistent, both across a population with PAF and within individuals. This has implications for understanding the mechanisms of atrial fibrillation onset in human beings and for the treatment of the disorder.

Atrial Fibrillation↗

Image restoration of arbitrarily warped documents.

We present a framework for acquiring and restoring images of warped documents. The purpose of our restoration is to create a planar representation of a once planar document that has undergone an arbitrary and unknown rigid deformation. To accomplish this restoration, our framework acquires and flattens the 3D shape of a warped document to determine a nonlinear image transform that can correct for image distortion caused by the document's shape. Our framework is designed for use in library and museum digitization efforts where very old and badly damaged manuscripts are imaged.

Algorithms↗

Veterinary education in the era of information technology.

A major innovation in the delivery of the veterinary curriculum is being implemented at The University of Melbourne using the subject of systematic bacteriology and mycology as a pilot project. Students receive course information as interactive, multimedia databases. These consist of text and an associated library of catalogued digital images, movies and sounds. The databases employ a hypermedia information system to achieve efficient integration within and between subjects. The new delivery method encourages greater autonomy and more active learning roles for students than occurs in traditionally taught courses. Students will use their databases as the principal resource of information for undergraduate studies. A unique feature of this system for delivering the curriculum is that students will modify and expand their databases during the course. The ultimate aim is for students at graduation to receive, on disc, a copy of their own databases, adapted by themselves to their particular future professional needs. As graduate veterinarians they will continue to use their databases as a major resource for information and learning, thus providing continuity from undergraduate to continuing postgraduate education.

Animals↗

Realizing the promise: delivering pulmonary continuing medical education over the Internet.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Continuing medical education (CME) is meant to bridge the gap between new scientific observations and clinical practice. However, traditional CME has not been effective at altering the behaviors of physicians. One reason for this failure of traditional CME programs may be their inflexibility. In traditional CME, the clinician does not choose the topic, the pace of the program, or the place of learning, and the CME material cannot be easily delivered to the point of care where the clinician needs the information. Computers and computer networks have the potential to accomplish these goals. CME has begun to appear on the Internet; however, there have been few evaluations of its usefulness, acceptance, and effectiveness. Over the last 18 months, we have developed three on-line pulmonary CME programs, and we have delivered them on the Virtual Hospital, the University of Iowa's digital health sciences library on the Internet. We report our initial experience with this CME material. DESIGN: We measured the frequency with which the Internet-delivered CME is accessed by monitoring page accessions and by using a log file analysis program (Analog 1.2.3; University of Cambridge Statistical Laboratory; Cambridge, UK). In addition, we collected all completed CME examinations and evaluation forms submitted by registered users. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: We have found that the frequency with which the Internet-delivered CME is accessed has continued to increase with time (2.3-fold increase over 18 months), that evaluations of technical and content issues are strongly favorable, and that some clinicians have been willing to pay to receive CME through the medium of the Internet. CONCLUSIONS: We feel that with adequate peer review and quality control, physicians will use the Internet-delivered CME. However, several obstacles to wide use remain. These obstacles include issues regarding training in using the Internet for physicians, reluctance of physicians to participate in on-line commerce, and the current unavailability of CME to be delivered in small-grained quantities to the point of care. As these issues are addressed, we feel that on-line CME will represent an increasingly important CME medium for clinicians.

Education, Medical, Continuing↗

I2Cnet medical image annotation service.

I2Cnet (Image Indexing by Content network) aims to provide services related to the content-based management of images in healthcare over the World-Wide Web. Each I2Cnet server maintains an autonomous repository of medical images and related information. The annotation service of I2Cnet allows specialists to interact with the contents of the repository, adding comments or illustrations to medical images of interest. I2Cnet annotations may be communicated to other users via e-mail or posted to I2Cnet for inclusion in its local repositories. This paper discusses the annotation service of I2Cnet and argues that such services pave the way towards the evolution of active digital medical image libraries.

Computer Communication Networks↗

Construction and analysis of SSH cDNA library of human vascular endothelial cells related to gastrocarcinoma.

AIM: To construct subtracted cDNA libraries of human vascular endothelial cells (VECs) related to gastrocarcinoma using suppression substractive hybridization (SSH) and to analyze cDNA libraries of gastrocarcinoma and VECs in Cancer Gene Anatomy Project (CGAP) database. METHODS: Human VECs related to gastric adenocarcinoma and corresponding normal tissue were separated by magnetic beads coupled with antibody CD31 (Dynabeads CD31). A few amount of total RNA were synthesized and amplified by SMART PCR cDNA Synthesis Kit. Then, using SSH and T/A cloning techniques, cDNA fragments of differentially expressed genes in human VECs of gastric adenocarcinoma were inserted into JM109 bacteria. One hundred positive bacteria clones were randomly picked and identified by colony PCR method. To analyze cDNA libraries of gastrocarcinoma and VECs in CGAP database, the tools of Library Finder, cDNA xProfiler, Digital GENE Expression Displayer (DGED), and Digital Differential Display (DDD) were used. RESULTS: Forward and reverse subtraction cDNA libraries of human VECs related to gastrocarcinoma were constructed successfully with SSH and T/A cloning techniques. Analysis of CGAP database indicated that no appropriate library of VECs related to carcinoma was constructed. CONCLUSION: Construction of subtraction cDNA libraries of human VECs related to gastrocarcinoma was successful and necessary, which laid a foundation for screening and cloning new and specific genes of VECs related to gastrocarcinoma.

DNA, Complementary↗

Information needs of naval primary care providers and patients at sea.

OBJECTIVE: To optimally practice medicine, and to live healthy lives, providers and patients need convenient access to authoritative information. The goal of this study was to determine the information needs of naval primary care providers and patients at sea to aid development of a digital health sciences library for naval primary care providers and patients. METHOD: A literature-based needs assessment was conducted from articles identified using MEDLINE searching and U.S. Navy health care information sources. Recurring medical problems/diseases/topics were identified and categorized. RESULTS: Eighty-one articles and books were reviewed and abstracted, representing a broad base of naval medicine. Twenty-one medical and surgical theme areas and 125 medical problems/diseases/topics were recurrently identified. CONCLUSIONS: The common naval medical problems identified are nearly identical to the common medical problems in the general population, have changed little from the 18th century, and were consistent with first-hand information from naval primary care providers.

Databases, Factual↗

Vaidurya--a concept-based, context-sensitive search engine for clinical guidelines.

A major problem in the effective use of clinical guidelines is fast and accurate access at the point of care. Thus, we are developing a digital electronic guideline library (DeGeL) and a set of tools for incremental conversion of free-text guide-lines into increasingly machine-comprehensible representations, which support automated application. Even if guidelines are represented in electronic fashion, care providers need to be able to quickly retrieve the guidelines that best fit the clinical situation at hand. We describe Vaidurya, a search and retrieval engine that exploits the hybrid nature of guideline representation in the DeGeL architecture. Vaidurya can use not only free-text keywords, but also multiple semantic indices along which the guidelines are classified, and the mark up of guidelines in DeGeL, using the semantic roles of one or more guideline-representation languages. Preliminary evaluation of Vaidurya in a standard information task and a large guide-line repository is encouraging; formal evaluation is under way.

Algorithms↗

A multiple-ontology customizable search interface for retrieval of clinical guidelines.

A major problem in the effective use of clinical guidelines is fast and accurate access at the point of care. Thus, we are developing a digital electronic guideline library (DeGeL) and a set of tools for incremental conversion of free-text guidelines into increasingly machine-comprehensible representations, which support automated application. Even if guidelines are represented in electronic fashion, care providers need to be able to quickly retrieve the guidelines that best fit the clinical situation at hand. We describe Vaidurya, a search and retrieval engine that exploits the hybrid nature of guideline representation in the DeGeL architecture. Vaidurya can use not only free-text keywords, but also multiple semantic indices along which the guidelines are classified, and the mark up of guidelines in DeGeL, using the semantic roles of one or more guideline-representation languages (ontologies). Vaidurya offers a wide variety of querying options, in order to enable different types of users to query the guideline library in a manner that is both efficient and user friendly. We describe the customizable query interface, in which each user can create their own personal query interface.

Expert Systems↗

Molecular cloning of MSRG-11 gene related to apoptosis of mouse spermatogenic cells.

Beginning with a new contig of the expressed sequence tags (Mm.63892) obtained by comparing testis libraries with other tissue and cell line libraries using the digital differential display program, we cloned a new gene which is related to the apoptosis of mouse spermatogenic cells using the Genscan program and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology. The sequence data have been submitted to the GenBank database under accession number AY747687. The full cDNA length is 1074 bp, and the gene with 7 exons and 6 introns is located in mouse chromosome 1 H5. The protein is recognized as a new member of calmodulin (CaM) binding protein family because the sequence contains three short calmodulin-binding motifs containing conserved Ile and Gln residues (IQ motif) and is considered to play a critical role in interactions of IQ motif-containing proteins with CaM proteins. The putative protein encoded by this gene has 192 amino acid residues with a theoretical molecular mass of 23.7 kDa and a calculated isoelectric point of 9.71. The sequence shares no significant homology with any known protein in databases. RT-PCR and Northern blot analyses revealed that 1.3 kb MSRG-11 transcript was strongly expressed in adult mouse testis but weakly expressed in the spleen and thymus. The MSRG-11 gene was expressed at various levels, faintly at two weeks postpartum and strongly from three weeks postpartum in adult testes. The green fluorescence produced by pEGFP-C2/MSRG-11 was detected in the cytoplasm of COS7 cells 24 h post-transfection. The pcDNA3.1(?-)/MSRG-11 plasmid was constructed and introduced into COS7 cells using Lipofectamine 2000 transfection reagent (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, USA). MSRG-11 can accelerate COS7 cell apoptosis, which suggests that this gene may play an important role in the development of mouse testes and is a candidate gene of testis-specific apoptosis. Based on these observations, it was considered that we cloned a new gene which probably accelerates spermatogenetic cell apoptosis in mouse.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The virtual hospital. Providing multimedia decision support tools via the Internet.

Physicians in the clinical setting remain isolated from important sources of medical information. The authors have created a multimedia database known as The Virtual Hospital that improves access to current medical data, which is used to improve patient care decisions. The Virtual Hospital is a digital health sciences library stored on a server (computer) at The University of Iowa and delivered via the Internet to inexpensive personal computers in the workplace. The emerging standard of the World Wide Web is used to provide cross-platform distribution.

Computer Communication Networks↗

Differential screening of murine ascites cDNA libraries by means of in vitro transcripts of cell-cycle-phase-specific cDNA and digital image processing.

Cell-cycle-phase-specific cDNA libraries were prepared in the lambda gt10 vector and in the in vitro transcription vector, pBluescript. Plaques of the cDNA libraries prepared in the lambda gt10 vector were differentially screened with (a) in vitro transcripts of the cell-cycle-phase-specific cDNAs cloned in the transcription vector and (b) with first-strand cDNA of mRNA from phase-synchronous cells. The results suggest that first-strand cDNA can be replaced, at least in prescreening experiments, by in vitro transcripts of representative cDNA libraries prepared in in vitro transcription vectors. The fractions of differential clones detected with in vitro transcripts (1.2%) and with first-strand cDNA (1%) were in the same order. Individual clones selected by differential hybridization with in vitro transcripts could be verified by differential hybridization with cell-cycle-phase-specific first-strand cDNA. This indicates that the pattern of stage-specific prevalences of cDNA clones is essentially retained during careful amplifications of large cDNA libraries. The application of in vitro transcripts of stage-specific cDNA for differential screening experiments is of interest in cases where the amount of biological material is either limited or difficult to prepare. It also allows standardization of the probes in repeated screening experiments. Three clones reflecting cell-cycle-phase-specific mRNA prevalences were chosen and analyzed on the sequence level. Two sequences with S-phase prevalences were identified. They code for elongation factor EF1 alpha and for glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, respectively. The third sequence reflects the first cDNA of a mRNA with significant prevalence in G2-phase cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Collection policy management for the Kuopio University and Kuopio University Hospital, Finland: detecting the needs of users and developing high-quality collections.

BACKGROUND: This article discusses the collection policies of a university library in a modern digital environment. A brief description of national collection policy decisions in Finland is provided. The rapid evolution and growth of scientific publication places new demands on building a collection in a health and bioscience orientated university, and it requires an evidence-based approach to support effective service processes. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to identify the needs of the university's students and staff. METHODS: Usage statistics were surveyed and analysed. RESULTS: Both usage statistics and user surveys indicate that the library use is divided half-and-half between the traditional use of printed material and library premises and the modern use of digital materials via the Web. The former is mainly the way that the students and hospital staff use the library, and the latter can be viewed as the researchers' way of using the library. Librarians and information specialists act in this as service providers and/or guides and tutors to the end-users. These results, however, must be validated with a longer timescale data collation and analysis, both of which are an ongoing process within the library. CONCLUSIONS: It is important that requirements and needs of the library's users are monitored regularly and acquisition policies are updated frequently. It also seems that the needs have changed quite dramatically in response to modern ways of disseminating publications, but this supposition will require further study.

Finland↗

OligoSeq: Rapid nanopore-sequencing of single-stranded oligonucleotides.

Nanopore-based DNA sequencing technology has achieved remarkable success in sequencing increasingly long DNA strands (e.g., over a million nucleotides long) for genomics research and biotechnology applications. However, the same level of progress has not been achieved for DNA oligonucleotides (usually &#x2264; 300 nucleotides long). Oligonucleotides play a crucial role in genome engineering efforts through oligo library generation and in DNA data storage, where they are used to encode computer information, such as binary (digital) data in DNA libraries. To enable these applications, accurate sequencing of oligonucleotides in a way that allows to assess for sequence variability, quality and length is essential. But sequencing solutions for oligonucleotides - particularly DNA primers for PCR, oligo DNA libraries used for mutagenesis or cDNA libraries used in gene expression analysis - remain inadequate. To address this gap, OligoSeq is presented as an innovative approach that integrates two complementary techniques: AmpliSeq (based on PCR) and RevSeq (based on reverse complementation with sequence-specific or random primers) to facilitate sequencing of single-stranded oligonucleotides using reference sequence anchor matches of more than &#x2265; 90% identity spanning from about 70% to 10% with AmpliSeq or RevSeq with random nonamers, respectively, and resolving the final reference sequence based on the most likely candidate from basecall frequencies, regardless of length and double-stranding method. OligoSeq can be integrated with nanopore sequencing technology pipelines and can be used as a reference for other sequencing platforms requiring double-stranded adapters, offering a practical and scalable alternative for standard quality control in single-stranded oligonucleotide synthesis. The use of nanopore technology, compatible with the double-stranding methods showcased, is shown to be the most cost-effective method for resolving original DNA sequences of different length and quality, and to assess its sequence variability, compared to other methods such as Illumina, PacBio or HPLC/MS.

Sequence Analysis, DNA↗

Angel: post-implementation evaluation at the Indiana University School of Medicine.

With continued adoption of course management systems, librarians are assuming new roles and challenges with regard to providing information resources and library services in a digital environment. For approximately five years, the Indiana University School of Medicine has employed Angel as its online teaching environment, and the Ruth Lilly Medical Library has been actively involved in the adoption of Angel. As the implementation phase was completed, a post-implementation evaluation was due. The authors conducted an evaluation of the Angel system to evaluate utilization level, content types, and library resources/services integration. This article provides the findings of the post-implementation Angel Courses Evaluation.

Competency-Based Education↗

Video endoscopic database on WWW linking with ISDN.

We report here on a study of creating medical an image library comprised of simple but digitized gastrointestinal video-scope images, which were digitally compressed using MPEG-1 compression, and on the use of this library for clinical and educational applications. We have designed and installed a test-bed database (WWW) for gastrointestinal video-scope images linking with ISDN at 128 Kbps enables Internet access. This paper discusses its development, operation, problems, and educational and clinical use. A test-bed operation of the database was conducted by going on-line on the Internet and through an ISDN circuit (point-to-point connection) at a speed of 128 Kbps. This dynamic image database proved to be effective in diagnostic imaging for endoscopic diagnosis and treatment. It also proved to be useful for improving the clinical levels of geographically isolated physicians.

Computer Graphics↗

The commerce of ideas: copyright in the digital era.

Copyright law concerns the rights of an individual to make copies of published works. Changes in technology, be they the introduction of the printing press or the proliferation of photocopy machines, affect how these "copy rights" are interpreted. The transmission of published works over digital networks and the introduction of new and relatively inexpensive ways to conduct commerce over the same networks will have a profound effect on how medical school faculty protect their own published works and how they make use of the published works of others. When copyright law moves from tangible objects such as books and journals to intangible bits carried over a network, many historic notions about the nature of publications and libraries will be called into question. The authors review the history of copyright law and some basic concepts of copyright, particularly "first sale" and "fair use." They also discuss the effects past technological changes have had on the law and on the often-competing concerns of authors, publishers, and readers/users. Finally, they discuss the implications for medical schools of digital publications, digital libraries, and the proposed changes to copyright law.

Commerce↗

PC software library for the production of auditory stimuli in cognitive event-related potential experiments.

Software which provides an interface to the features of the Sound Blaster Pro card for the IBM PC using MS-DOS is described. The library may be called from a Turbo Pascal version 6 program. It permits tones of specified frequency (500 Hz-8 kHz in increments of 500Hz) and aversive noise to be turned on and off by a controlling program, during cognitive event-related potential paradigms. Tones are synthesized by hardware and noise is replayed from memory using the digital sound processor. The library provides the appropriate level of abstraction for the programmer designing such paradigms, by hiding the detail of the register level. It provides a model for programming the card in other high level languages and may be augmented to provide more complex stimuli, such as short segments of speech or music. The card when controlled by the library provides a versatile and cost effective alternative to an audiometer in the electrophysiological laboratory.

Cognition↗