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Simulation studies of biomagnetic computed tomography.

The reconstruction of planar and three-dimensional current distributions from measured biomagnetic signals is a new field of research, known as biomagnetic computed tomography. This noninvasive imaging technique promises to provide precise, millimeter-sized resolution images of the electrical currents in tissues or organs. We performed simulation studies on phantom models of electrical sources. As a first step towards the development of an imaging algorithm, we addressed a simplified problem to identify the shape and direction of current flow in a planar surface. The problem was formulated by identifying a space in which the image was to be reconstructed. The space was segmented into a grid. Each grid space represented a current element. The magnetic field at a sampling point due to the current elements was computed using the Biot-Savart law. Since there were many more current elements than sample points, the problem was undetermined and had an uncountable number of solutions. The projection theorem was used to define an analytic solution for the magnitude and orientation of the current elements in the grid space. The solution required the inversion of large matrices in double precision. Such arrays were preprocessed on a mainframe computer, which permitted them to be rendered on any workstation. The accuracy of the image was determined by comparing it with the known location of the sources. Our results show that shape of the filamentary current flow can be imaged with our techniques. The resolution of images based on the sampling of the field, number of voxels in the reconstruction space, and noise is also analyzed.

Computer Simulation↗

Program in BASIC for Ferguson plot analysis, using a personal computer: application to gel electrophoresis in a continuous buffer.

A program in BASIC suitable for personal computers is described which is applicable to gel electrophoresis conducted in a single (continuous) buffer. The curve fitting is to a polynomial function, allowing for an objective selection of the most appropriate curve type and order--linear, convex or concave--in the particular application. Results do not differ significantly from previous programs for evaluation of linear Ferguson plots or of curve fitting to an exponential function for evaluating convex plots, executed on mainframe computers such as the DEC-10 (Digital) and IBM 370 computers. Thus, the program combines original versatility with, for the first time, the possibility for widespread application of Ferguson plot analysis on personal computers.

Blood Protein Electrophoresis↗

Microcomputer analysis of hyperbolic and non-hyperbolic steady-state kinetics.

A BASIC computer program has been developed which has been used to show that bovine lens aldose reductase with NADPH as substrate follows a 1:1 function, while rabbit lens hexokinase has a rate equation of minimum degree 2:2, and bovine lens polyol dehydrogenase has a rate equation of minimum degree 1:2 with xylitol as substrate. The parameter estimates obtained are very close to those from the BMDP3R curvefitting program on an ICL 2980 mainframe computer, with identical conclusions as to the minimum degree of the rate equation. The computer program can be run on any microcomputer with high resolution graphics in less than 48 K of random access memory.

Aldehyde Reductase↗

[Establishing a clinical information system for surgical ophthalmology and orthopedics specialties with reference to GSG '93].

BACKGROUND: As a result of new health care guidelines (Gesundheitsstrukturgesetz) and the federal hospital and nursing ordinance, there has been a large increase in the documentation required for diagnoses (ICD-9) and service ("Operationenschlüssel nach section 301 SGB V" = ICPM), all of which is done in the form of a numeric code. The method of coding diagnoses is supposed to make possible data entry and statistical evaluation of plausibility controls, as well as conspicuous and random testing of economic feasibility. Our data processing system is designed to assist in the planning and organization of clinical activities, while at the same time making documentation in accordance with health care guidelines easier and providing scientific documentation and evaluation. METHOD: The application MedAccess was developed by clinicians on the basis of a relational client-server database. The application has been in use since June 1992 and has been further developed during operation according to the requirements and wishes of clinic and administrative staff. In cooperation with the Institute for Medical Information Technology, a computer interface with the patient check-in system was created, making possible the importing of patient data. The application is continuously updated according to the current needs of the clinic and administration. The primary functions of MedAccess include managing patient data, planning of in-patient admissions, surgical planning, organization, documentation (surgery book, reports with follow-up treatment records), administration of the tissue bank, clinic communications, clinic work processing, and management of the staff duty roster. RESULTS: Clinical data are entered into a computer and processed on site, and the user is assisted by practical applications which do not require special knowledge of data processing or encoding systems. The data is entered only once, but can be further used for other purposes, such as evaluations or selective transfer, for example, to clinical documents. Through an integrated flow of data, information entered one time remains readily available, while, at the same time, preventing duplicate entries. The integration of hardware and software via a mainframe computer (clinic system WING) has proven to be well-suited for the exchange of data. CONCLUSION: The use of this thesaurus-supported and graphics-oriented system required no special knowledge of the ICD code and makes documentation much easier to produce. The advantages of computer-supported encoding not only include a savings in time, but also an improvement in the quality of the encoding from which clinical and scientific reports can be derived. The relational client-server, operating in a graphics-supported programming environment, makes it possible for the clinic's doctors to further develop and improve the system. Through the installation and support of a Macintosh network, and training of doctors, medical personnel and clerical staff, cost as well as investment of time have been kept to a minimum in comparison to other LAN servers.

Data Collection↗

GEECAT and GEEGOR: computer programs for the analysis of correlated categorical response data.

GEECAT and GEEGOR are two user-friendly SAS macros for the analysis of clustered, correlated categorical response data. Both programs implement methodology which extend the generalized estimating equation (GEE) approach of Liang and Zeger (Biometrika 73 (1986) 13-22). GEECAT and GEEGOR both use a first set of estimating equations to model the marginal response. With GEECAT, either correlated nominal or ordered categorical response data can be analyzed. The program GEEGOR employs a second set of estimating equations to model the association of ordered categorical responses within a cluster using the global odds ratio as a measure of association. The programs run on both mainframe computers and microcomputers. Examples are provided to illustrate the features of both programs.

Antirheumatic Agents↗

Computer-assisted investigational drug information and testing mechanism for nurses.

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and the American Society of Hospital Pharmacists state that nurses should not administer investigational drugs to patients unless they can prove knowledge about the medication. Traditionally this obligation was met when the pharmacy provided nurses with investigational drug data sheets or access to computer files containing similar information. Our department of pharmacy was cited at a recent JCAHO inspection as being unable to show that nurses were knowledgeable about the investigational medications they were administering. The reviewer requested testing documents prepared by the pharmacy and completed by nursing staff showing the nurses' proficiency with investigational drug information. In response to the JCAHO inspection, the department of pharmacy proposed a quality assurance mechanism to provide investigational drug information and to determine nurses' comprehension and application of these data before they administer any investigational drug. Use of a hospital mainframe computer system to disseminate investigational drug information and test nurses is described.

Clinical Pharmacy Information Systems↗

Automated measurement of transplantable solid tumors using digital electronic calipers interfaced to a microcomputer.

Data collection for transplantable solid tumors has been automated with electronic digital calipers and a balance which have been coupled through an RS-232 interface to a microcomputer. BASIC programs handle data entry, calculations and data storage. A "PROTOCOL" program accepts keyboard input of sample name, notebook number, submitter and dose along with necessary information on tumor system, and then initial animal weights for treatment groups are sent from balance to computer. Data is stored as an ASCII file on floppy disks, and protocol reports are printed. When the test is to be measured, a "MEASURE" program prompts the user for keyboard entry of toxic deaths in each group. Then the computer requests input of width and length of tumors for each animal. These tumor dimensions are sent to microcomputer by pressing a button on the calipers. When a group is completed, final animal weights are sent from balance to microcomputer. Then tumor weights and percent inhibition as compared to appropriate control groups are calculated, and the data is appended to the file for that test. A hard copy is generated as tumors are measured, and reports including percent inhibition can be printed immediately after a test is measured. The data as an ASCII file is transferred via modem to mainframe computer, where another program transfers the information to a database management program. These automated procedures for tumor measurement save time and lessen the chance for error by eliminating manual recording of solid tumor dimensions and subsequent reentry of this data for calculation.

Animals↗

A computer program for regression analysis of repeated measures using generalized estimating equations.

RMGEE is an easy-to-use FORTRAN program for the analysis of repeated binary, count, and normally-distributed response variables using the generalized estimating equations approach of Liang and Zeger [1]. The program can be used when measurements are obtained at multiple time points from each subject or experimental unit, and also when the basic sampling unit is a group or cluster of subjects, and the response variable of interest is obtained from each subject within the cluster. It is not necessary for the number of repeated measurements to be the same for every experimental unit and missing data are easily accommodated. Both time-independent (cluster-specific) and time-dependent (occasion- or subject-specific) covariates are permitted. The program can be run on microcomputers, workstations, and mainframe computers. Three examples illustrating the usage and features of RMGEE are provided.

Algorithms↗

A computer program for regression analysis of ordered categorical repeated measurements.

RMORD is an easy-to-use FORTRAN program for the analysis of clustered ordinal data using the method of Stram, Wei, and Ware. This method constitutes an extension of the proportional-odds model to the situation in which groups of responses are correlated. At each measurement occasion, a proportional-odds regression model is fit to the data by maximizing the occasion-specific likelihood function. The joint asymptotic distribution of the occasion-specific regression parameter estimators is obtained along with a consistent estimator of their asymptotic covariance matrix. RMORD may be used when ordinal measurements are obtained at a common set of observation times for multiple subjects or clusters. Both missing data and covariates which vary within clusters can be accommodated. The program can be run on microcomputers, workstations, and mainframe computers. Two examples illustrating the usage and features of RMORD are provided.

Age Distribution↗

The SEQANAL and SEQTALK programs: a new method of access to high-resolution nucleotide sequence comparison and analysis programs from a remote laboratory mini- or microcomputer.

A new method of access has been devised for biologists requiring the use of computer programs offering high-resolution analysis and comparison of nucleotide sequence data. The strategy involves the development of a pair of computer programs, called SEQANAL and SEQTALK, designed to operate in tandem. SEQANAL is a large and complex program intended to be used to discover regions of internal repeats and dyad symmetries within one sequence, or regions of homology, complementarity or optimal alignment between two sequences. Three algorithms are supported: those of Staden (1977, 1978); of Korn et al. (1977); Queen and Korn (1980); and the newly-described exhaustive tree-searching algorithm of Burnett et al. (1985, 1986). The SEQTALK program is a small, portable, interactive, front-end program with which the user can specify the instructions to control the SEQANAL program. Together, the SEQANAL and SEQTALK programs permit analyses to be performed at a remote facility on a mainframe computer under the complete control of a distant user equipped with minimal computing facilities, and without needing networking facilities.

Algorithms↗

Computer-selected exchange lists approximations for recipes.

A computer program has been developed to aid dietitians and patients in determining the best Exchange Lists for Meal Planning representation for a serving of a recipe. Applying an optimization program to information obtained from a nutrient data base and a recipe file results in a printout of the five best Exchange Lists representations and the macronutrient and caloric content of the recipe serving compared with the Exchange Lists approximate nutrient values for each of the "best fit" solutions. The nutritional analysis of one serving of the recipe (including 26 nutrients), as well as a breakdown by recipe ingredients, is also provided. Analysis of a 10-item recipe takes about 17 minutes of coding, entry, and evaluation time and 6 seconds of mainframe computer time. This program has been used to compute Exchange Lists representations for the recipes in Vol. II of The American Diabetes Association/The American Dietetic Association Family Cookbook.

Computers↗

Intelligent buildings.

The maturing of technologies in computer capabilities, particularly direct digital signals, has provided an exciting variety of new communication and facility control opportunities. These include telecommunications, energy management systems, security systems, office automation systems, local area networks, and video conferencing. New applications are developing continuously. The so-called "intelligent" or "smart" building concept evolves from the development of this advanced technology in building environments. Automation has had a dramatic effect on facility planning. For decades, communications were limited to the telephone, the typewritten message, and copy machines. The office itself and its functions had been essentially unchanged for decades. Office automation systems began to surface during the energy crisis and, although their newer technology was timely, they were, for the most part, designed separately from other new building systems. For example, most mainframe computer systems were originally stand-alone, as were word processing installations. In the last five years, the advances in distributive systems, networking, and personal computer capabilities have provided opportunities to make such dramatic improvements in productivity that the Selectric typewriter has gone from being the most advanced piece of office equipment to nearly total obsolescence.

Efficiency↗

A computer program for non-parametric analysis of incomplete repeated measures from two samples.

RMNP2 is an easy-to-use FORTRAN program for the analysis of repeated measures using the non-parametric two-sample tests of Wei and Lachin (J. Am. Stat. Assoc. 79 (1984) 653-661) and Wei and Johnson (Biometrika 72 (1985) 359-364). The program compares two groups of subjects or experimental units when measurements are obtained at multiple time points, or under multiple conditions, from each subject. A strength of the methodology is that subjects with missing responses at one or more time points can be included in the analysis, under the assumption that the missing value mechanism is independent of the response. In contrast to other methods that require parametric assumptions concerning the distribution of the outcome variable, RMNP2 is applicable when the response variable is continuous but not normally distributed. The program is also useful in the analysis of ordered categorical outcomes when the number of possible responses is too large to permit application of general categorical data methodology. The program can be run on microcomputers, workstations and mainframe computers. Two examples illustrating the use and features of RMNP2 are provided.

Analgesia, Obstetrical↗

Interactive electronic computing of the mortality odds ratio.

An interactive computer program which computes the standardized mortality odds ratio and the standardized proportional mortality ratio has been developed for use in the analysis of occupational mortality studies. The program provides flexibility in the selection of the comparison (unexposed) population, permitting both internal and external comparison, including comparison with the United States general population. Considerable control for potential confounding factors and for differences in information collection procedures can be exercised through careful choice of the comparison population. The user must select the reference cause(s) of death among 55 categories (59 for women). The condition for equivalence of the standardized mortality odds ratio and the standardized mortality ratio will be met when the selected reference cause(s) is unrelated to the exposure. The program reduces the loss of information due to sparse data during stratification by allowing the user to define the length of the age and time intervals. The program is written in Fortran IV and is designed to produce rapid, cost-efficient interactive results on any mainframe computer system.

Adult↗

Office-based system for voice analysis.

There has been recent growing interest in the analysis of various electronically recorded signals as potential tools for objective assessment of vocal dysfunction. In the past, analysis of such signals required an expensive multitrack FM recorder, mainframe computer system, customized software, and significant time commitment. This report describes an adaptation of commercially available components that allow digital recording of multiple electronic signals, storage of data, and subsequent signal analysis using an inexpensive personal microcomputer system. Commercially available software for manipulation and examination signals is discussed as adapted for examination of glottographic and acoustic signals. The relatively inexpensive availability of similar computer systems will, hopefully, encourage assessment of the clinical applications of objective techniques of voice quality.

Analog-Digital Conversion↗

Atypical adenomatous hyperplasia of the lung and its differentiation from adenocarcinoma. Characterization of atypical cells by morphometry and multivariate cluster analysis.

BACKGROUND: Atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH) of the human lung is considered to be an important lesion preceding adenocarcinoma, but its difference from well-differentiated adenocarcinomas is so subtle as to cause diagnostic uncertainty. In view of this, the authors undertook to establish reproducible microscopic criteria for AAH, Type II pneumocyte type, and Clara cell type adenocarcinomas. METHODS: Twelve-parameter morphometry of atypical cells was performed on 97 lesions selected from 303 surgical specimens of lung by routine microscopic examination: all were considered by premorphometry examination to correspond to one of the above three diseases. Measurements were performed on photomicrographs using a digital image analyzer. The data of morphometry were subjected to 12-variate cluster analysis using a mainframe computer. RESULTS: It was demonstrated that the lesions were classifiable into three groups: Cluster 1 (Type II cell adenocarcinoma and AAH), Cluster 2 (AAH), and Cluster 3 (Clara cell adenocarcinoma). Whereas the latter two were created as homogeneous clusters, Cluster 1 was a mixture of Type II tumors and AAH. CONCLUSIONS: AAH in the strict sense of the word is definable by the features of those classified into Cluster 2, with atypia milder than overt adenocarcinomas. These AAH are likely to correspond to one of the steps of carcinogenesis forgoing the final one. The lesions, diagnosed as AAH before morphometry and being assigned to Cluster 1 and therefore not separable from Type II carcinoma, are considered to have been Type II carcinoma from the very beginning, which were however underdiagnosed in routine microscopic examination.

Adenocarcinoma↗

ReCAP: the Registry of Cytogenetic Abnormalities and Phenylketonuria.

The Registry of Cytogenetic Abnormalities and Phenylketonuria (ReCAP) is a multicenter collaborative registry of information on patients with constitutional cytogenetic abnormalities or hyperphenylalaninemia (HPA). Data are entered by microcomputer at four contributing centers. Records are then electronically transmitted to the coordinating center, where the composite cytogenetic and hyperphenylalaninemia databases are maintained on a mainframe computer. A set of programs, known as the ReCAP ISCN Translator, is used to create additional database records describing in detail the chromosome abnormalities present in each patient. The ReCAP computer system permits rapid and flexible retrieval of cases on the basis of any combination of laboratory, clinical, psychometric, or genetic characteristics contained within the databases. Special procedures protect patient confidentiality and assure that ReCAP data are of consistently high quality. Qualified investigators may use ReCAP as a resource for a variety of scientific studies.

Chromosome Aberrations↗

Diagnostic and treatment support for the NASA space program astronauts.

For over 9 years our research unit has been investigating medical databases that would be required to support astronauts on long-term missions. The configuration that has been developed will allow complete separation from earth-based experts and the capability of an on-board stand-alone system for knowledge engineering and medical decision support. Our data processing base of operation has advanced from the early stages on mainframe computers to the now ubiquitous microcomputer. Over this nine-year period we have seen several generations of improvements in every level of technology to the point where we can now package and deliver for space travel a rather broad-based decision support tool for astronauts that can provide the basic needs of medical treatment and diagnostic support which is vital for the proper execution of manned space missions.

Aerospace Medicine↗