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Three types of digitising device are described which may be used with a microcomputer for the measurement of such parameters as length, distance, area, angles and point counts. Some applications in plastic surgery research are considered.
The advent of cheap, powerful microcomputer systems makes the analysis of data via sophisticated techniques available to the personnel who are non-specialists in computing systems. The DAMP package described here is intended for use on personal computers and has therefore been written in BASIC for portability. The analysis techniques are powerful, comprising algorithms to perform sample-data generation, plotting displays, digital data filtering, auto-correlation functions, fast Fourier transforms and autoregressive modelling. The last technique contains a number of options including the display of z-plane plots, frequency response of the model, residual plotting and auto-correlation of the residuals. Illustrative results are shown from psychological mood data and rat locomotor activity. The package is designed both to instruct a user in the techniques of spectral analysis, and also to provide a range of methods for investigating time and frequency behaviour of biomedical data.
Data Acquisition and Display (DAD) language was designed to facilitate the application of 8080- and Z80-based microcomputers to problems involving signal acquisition, processing and display. DAD supports instructions that are similar to those BASIC but also has instructions found in the structured programming languages. Implemented as an interactive compiler and designed around a hardware arithmetic processing unit interfaced to the S100 bus, DAD executes its instructions considerably faster than most high-level languages. DAD supports floating point, double-precision integer and an additional single-byte-integer data structure for the acquisition and processing of 8-bit resolution data. DAD interfaces with peripherals that use the unsigned-magnitude or 2'-s-complement data format. A hardware programmable interval timer supplies accurate timing for many of DAD's instructions. DAD operates under and relies upon the CP/M operating system for its console and disk file input/output.
We have developed a conversational microcomputer-based health risk appraisal program. This appraisal has been tested on over 200 users at 3 locations in urban and suburban Minneapolis. It was considered helpful by 92% of its users, and 25% stated that they would probably or definitely change a living habit based on its use. All 3 populations considered it comparably helpful, irrespective of their different age and sex distributions. A complex health appraisal, which was formerly assumed to require batch processing on a large computer, can be carried out on a small personal system in an interactive mode. Such a program is acceptable to users and has the potential to motivate change in risky behavior.
This paper presents details of a computer program, BP, designed for use with an outpatient clinic. The program is implemented on a PET4000, microcomputer and is intended principally for a hypertension follow-up clinic, although it could be easily adapted for other clinics. It allows for initial patient data entry, the entry of data acquired at subsequent visits, the alteration of data, list of all data or a pre-determined subset, and a data sort and tabulation facility. The program is intended to be run by staff who have little experience with computers.
Weighted least-squares regression has been programmed in Pascal for a microcomputer. A double precision Pascal compiler and the Motorola 6809 assembler produce a fast machine-code program occupying 22,000 bytes of memory when appended to the Pascal run-time module. Large data sets fit in the remaining memory. A regression with 72 observations and 24 parameters runs in 7 min, excluding optional print out of large matrices. The maximum dimensions of the design matrix, X, can be altered by modifying two Pascal constants. Minor changes to the Pascal source program will make it compatible with other Pascal compilers. The program optionally orthogonalises the X matrix to detect linearly-dependent columns in X, and/or generate orthogonal parameter estimates. After orthogonalizing X and fitting the model, the parameter estimates for the original X can be retrieved by the program. Regressions on a repeatedly reduced model are performed through elimination of columns in X until the minimum adequate model is obtained.
A package of microcomputer based pharmacokinetic programs for evaluating in vivo absorption rate has been developed. The following programs are included in the package: TEXT FILE (program to create a data file which can be accessed by all pharmacokinetic programs), WN12GT (Wagner-Nelson method), LOO (modified Loo-Riegelman method), DECON (deconvolution method), and MODMOMT (method of statistical moments). All programs were tested with data obtained from standard texts or original articles. This package of programs designed to be interactive, flexible, and easily used by a novice. The modular design facilitates modification, upkeep and accommodation of new methods of calculation.
A program for a microcomputer (HP 85) has been written using BASIC language. Given the analytical form of a model y: R leads to R the program computes the optimal parameters for non-linear least-squares fitting and gives information for its statistical evaluation. The program uses the Gauss-Newton algorithm with Marquardt's modification and other tricks. During the run a message is displayed if there is a high correlation between one or more couples of parameters to establish an interactive dialogue with the user on critical problems. The authors' aim was to make the program sufficiently quick and easy to use, efficient for a wide class of models and robust enough to deal with bad starting parameters.
A program for handling of bibliographic references on a microcomputer is described. The program offers full capabilities of searching, editing and rearranging reference lists. Also, the program has the feature of a fully formatted output when printing hardcopies, i.e. the user may exactly describe the format of the output in order to get a proof-quality hardcopy of references which may be used when writing manuscripts.
A new programming language SORCA has been defined and a compiler has been written for Z80-based microcomputer systems with CP/M operating system. The language was developed to control behavioral experiments by external stimuli and by time schedule in real-time. Eight binary hardware input lines are sampled cyclically by the computer and can be used to sense switches, level detectors and other binary information, while 8 binary hardware output lines, that are cyclically updated, can be used to control relays, lamps, generate tones or for other purposes. The typical reaction time (cycle time) of a SORCA-program is 500 microseconds to 1 ms. All functions can be programmed as often as necessary. Included are the basic logic functions, counters, timers, majority gates and other complex functions. Parameters can be given as constants or as a result of a step function or of a random process (with Gaussian or equal distribution). Several tasks can be performed simultaneously. In addition, results of an experiment (e.g., number of reactions or latencies) can be measured and printed out on request or automatically. The language is easy to learn and can also be used for many other control purposes.
A microcomputer program for the analysis of complex action spectra is described. This program can take data gathered in a series of spectral ranges and fit them to a model consisting of multiple pigments, varying pigment concentrations, and absorption before the photosensitive pigment. Chi square and correlation analysis are performed on the final fit.
We have developed a computer program for the calculation of the sedimentation coefficient of a macromolecule from the raw data collected from an analytical ultracentrifuge run. The program is written for the Apple II microcomputer and is capable of calculating the sedimentation coefficient at an infinite dilution from the data collected at varying concentrations.
This paper presents two programs implemented on a microcomputer for analog-to-digital (A-to-D) conversion of neurophysiological signals. The first program, TIMET, sets flexible pulse trains for the timing of the A-to-D conversions, executed by the second program, ADC8. TIMET contains options for a continuous or a triggered pulse train with variable onset delay. ADC8 allows sampling up to 30 kHz for one channel and 9 kHz for the maximum of 7 channels, with about 8 microseconds lag between channels. The digitized data are displayed with interactive gain control from keyboard input, and selected sweeps can be stored on disk files.
The program described analyses DNA histograms obtained in flow cytometry using the Gaussians method. The program is written in BASIC to run on a low-cost microcomputer. It utilizes a simple strategy to obtain good estimates of the parameters required for reducing the problem to a task solvable with linear least-squares methods. Features of the program are flexibility, since it is possible to choose different options for parametrization and spacing of Gaussians, and the fact that the operator is not required to provide interactive inspection or inputting parameter values. The capability and velocity of the program, in all its options, are tested and compared on a series of different (not computer-simulated) histograms obtained in our flow cytometry laboratory. Our results suggest that a fresh approach to parametrization may be useful.
A simple program written in Microsoft BASIC for the analysis of radioimmunoassay data is presented. The program was designed for use by unexperienced operators on a TRS-80 Model III microcomputer. Standard curve data are fitted by linear regression after a logit response/loge dose transformation. Standard errors of individual observations are computed, and confidence intervals are obtained for a critical t of 0.1. Standard observations are eliminated when they lie outside the confidence interval from the calculated response on the fitted curve, and this is accomplished until no datum can be eliminated or until the coefficient of determination reaches an operator defined value. The program then prints the regression parameters and the retained standard values. Unknown sample data can then be entered, and the values are computed relative to the final regression parameters of the standard curve. The values can be modified by operator defined correction/dilution factors. The mean value of the slope for 28 assays is -0.99, while the predicted theoretical slope with a loge transformation is -1. This program finds its greatest use in research laboratories where a number of different RIA are performed and where it is of value to have some control over the computation process.
A microcomputer program is presented which stores and retrieves qualitative patient information, such as diagnosis and physical findings. Users can design and enter a key word list and modify it as needed. Using those key words, up to 5000 patient entries can be made on a single floppy disk. Application of the program to CT scan study results is discussed.
The use of multivariate confidence regions is proposed for the classification of clinical laboratory profiles into diagnostic classes. For this purpose, a multivariate confidence region is developed for each diagnostic class. Three methods (UNEQ, EQ, and SIMCA) are evaluated and compared with classical linear discriminant analysis. As an example, a small data set concerning the differentiation of the thyroid functional states on the basis of five laboratory tests is used. It is shown that related procedures can produce results of very different quality and that the multivariate region approach is attractive for the clinician's daily practice since the methods are easily implemented on a microcomputer.
A system, controlled by a microcomputer (LSI-11/23 with appropriate peripherals) for conducting evoked potential (EP) experiments, is described. In each experimental trial, a stimulus is applied and multichannel EEG is sampled, displayed, and stored in an output file. Any required length of pre- and poststimulus sampling periods is available. Stimuli are triggered by a human operator, aided by an on-line graphic display of sampled data. Automatic artifact monitoring is used for rejecting bad trials. Various stimulators may be used (simultaneously) and stimulus features (duration, power, number of pulses) may be changed in each trial. Lists of trial parameters, such as stimulus features and subject's response, are incorporated in the output file to facilitate cross-section analysis. The system was designed for the needs of pain EP research, but its flexibility and modularity make it useful in other areas of EP research.