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We propose a method allowing the automatic determination of equilibrium constants and binding site concentrations for an immune serum composed of a series of homogeneous antibody subpopulations. It is then possible to decompose the 'Scatchard plot' in its straight components corresponding to each antibody subpopulation.
A FORTRAN program is described for interactive maintenance of a personal library of journal references and reprints. The program queries the user for category (author, journal, year, title, and keyword) information during entry of new documents. Retrieval of documents in the set is accomplished by entering as many search words as desired, in any order, and in any category. The program returns documents that match for all entered words. Other functions include terminal display of the information stored for a given document and the ability to generate an alphabetized bibliographic listing from among the document set. A correction routine and a routine for listing the contents of the search word files are also included.
MolPot is a fast program for producing reactivity diagrams of molecular compounds, particularly for drugs. These diagrams are characteristic of the molecule envelope and the Molecular Electrostatic Potential (MEP) of the molecule surface (van der Waals surface or the portion of this surface that is solvent accessible). The input data includes only the atom names and their Cartesian coordinates.
This paper presents an extension of the program developed by Varón, Havsteen, García, García-Cánovas & Tudela [(1990) Biochem. J. 270, 825-828] for the expression of the transient-phase and steady-state kinetic equations of a general enzyme system in which the only enzyme species present at the onset of the reaction is the free enzyme. The program has been extended to situations in which more than one enzyme species may be present at the onset of the reaction. The program is given in Supplementary Publication SUP50165 (5 pages), which has been deposited at the British Library Document Supply Centre, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7BQ, U.K., from whom copies can be obtained on the terms indicated in Biochem. J. (1991) 273, 5.
The standard method for selecting experimental animals for control and experimental groups is by a randomization process in which each animal is placed into one of the groups without looking at any of its individual differences. An alternative, active matching process is proposed by which three to five animals are chosen to form 'experimental units' that are closely matched with respect to average weight and with respect to distribution of weights (standard distribution values). Several such units are then randomly assigned to each control or treatment group and, at the end of the experiment, the animals within each unit are pooled prior to analysis. The merits of this approach and a computer algorithm for making the selections are described.
The authors have examined frequency of dysmorphological signs by POSSUM at the Home for developmentally handicapped children and adults in Vetemik--Novi Sad. The aim was to establish possible different hereditary and congenital skin diseases and genetic syndromes in this population. The study was based on the following methods: method of family history including genealogy; dermatoglyphic methods; screening tests methodology in medical genetics; method of cytogenetic analysis; histo-pathological analysis; method of dermatovenerologic, genetic and dysmorphologic examinations of skin diseases by analysis of dysmorphological signs on the skin using a special computer programme. The study included 504 wards with 269 males and 235 females, and sex ratio of 1:1.14 in favour to males. Non-parametric statistics and Log-linear analysis revealed a statistically significant difference between the incidence of dysmorphological signs in the studied group and the Vojvodina population. The obtained incidence of dysmorphological signs in the examined group is presented in tables. Our results regarding the incidence of dysmorphological signs in the examined group showed significantly increased values in comparison to the population of Vojvodina.
An interactive suite of chained programs is described for recording, measuring, and analysing a large number of longitudinal cephalometric records. The programs are arranged in a logical sequence, and integrated with the hardware, to ensure a smooth and automatic running of the system from data collection to data analysis. The results of the analysis can be presented in suitable numerical and/or graphical forms to show individual as well as mean growth profiles.
OBJECTIVE: To study the long-term prescriptions at our health centre, using information supplied by the data base of the long-term treatment programme (LTP). Secondly, to evaluate the programme's efficiency as regards the best use of available time at our Health Centre. DESIGN: Descriptive study. SETTING: Zumaia Health Centre (Guipúzcoa). PATIENTS: The 533 patients at present included in the long-term treatment programme. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: 7.9% of the adult population were included in the LTP. There was a significant increase, greater than expected, in the 65-74 age group. On average, the patients received 8.2 jars of medicine at each check-up, which on average took place every 54 days. 60% of patients needed three or less different drugs. On average, the programme printed 560 prescriptions per week, thus avoiding a manual filling of prescriptions calculated at 4 hours and 40 minutes. CONCLUSIONS: The transferral to computers of the filling and control of repeat prescriptions is an alternative of sufficient importance to justify its general use. Modification of the present form authorizing repeat prescriptions would greatly increase efficiency. Further studies are required in order to look deeper into the origin and adequacy of prescriptions.
3,300 women were delivered between January 1986 and July 1990 inclusive. 1,267 of them had no pathology and 341 were induced for a pathological reason. Our attitude is to suggest systematically to every pregnant woman that her labour can be programmed to the time that she reaches the middle of the 39th week of amenorrhea providing she is sure of her dates and that the cervix is favourable. Labour is induced by using the electric pump to administer Syntocinon and by rupturing the membranes early. If an epidural anaesthetic is anticipated this is carried out during the first hour after induction. This policy does not bring about premature labours (the mean duration of amenorrhoea was 39.73 weeks) and it does not involve long labours (the mean total duration of labour was 5.68 hours and 7 hours for primipara) 1 UI Oxytocin was delivered per hour. In the group where labours were induced the Caesarean section rate at 6.35% was lower than those who went into labour spontaneously. There were fewer Cesareans for acute fetal distress. Five children had to be transferred to the Paediatric unit and one died after major fetal distress at 9 cms, 48 hours after delivery. The series shows that it is possible to have a policy for programming labour and increasing the comfort of the parturient and controlling her labour. Furthermore, the work of the staff in the labour ward and its staff are helped.
We describe a MUMPS program to facilitate the evaluation of the diagnostic effectiveness and efficiency of laboratory tests using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and likelihood ratios (LR). Test results from a population with and without a disease are stored into retrievable, editable data bases. Either single or a combination (less than or equal to 9) of different test data files can be accessed to generate tables of calculated frequency distribution, sensitivity, l-specificity and LR at variable decision thresholds. The program also calculates the area under the ROC curve, confidence intervals and SE. The selection of the optimum cut-off value is assisted by graphical plots of frequency distribution, ROC and decision level curves as illustrated by using some 'cardiac' enzyme tests.
The exponential model for a regulatory enzyme describes the relationship between the initial velocity of the catalysed reaction and the concentration of two ligands. A program, entitled 'INDEXP' has been designed to analyse rate data in terms of the model (Kinderlerer et at., 1981) and, in this report, its performance is examined when presented with artificial data generated from known constants and random, normally distributed error. It is shown that 'INDEXP' is able to recover good estimates of the constants.
Comparison of incidence and mortality data between areas is useful for monitoring the health status of a population, for exploring quality of health care, and for planning studies on determinant(s) of heterogeneous patterns. Common statistical indicators involved, together with their confidence intervals, are age-specific and cumulative rates, age-standardized rates and ratios, and expected numbers. The data required for calculations include information of event distribution according to age and residence, and corresponding population at risk. The calculations of these indicators, although conceptually simple, can be a cumbersome task to carry out with available statistical packages; lack of flexibility to suit the need of specific researches represents another problem. In order to facilitate descriptive epidemiological studies, we developed a set of Statistical Analysis System macros to compute indicators but, also, to read and write data from/to some standard file formats. Important features of these macros are their flexibility, expandability, and ability to be transferred to various computer platforms. Moreover, macros give an added value to raw data. The method is illustrated using published incidence data from Italy.
A program for automatic and periodic determination of respiratory mechanics in artificially ventilated patients is described. Airway pressure and flow signals are obtained from the ventilator in the controlled ventilation mode with constant flow inflation and end-inspiratory pause. Periodically, the program records both signals for a given time and it delimits a ventilatory cycle and its components out of this record. Then, four mechanical parameters of the respiratory system are calculated: (1) Rinit, the resistance obtained with the end-inflation occlusion technique; (2) Ers, the elastance (inspiratory) calculated from the slope of the airway pressure profile during inflation; (3) tau, the expiratory time constant; (4) PEEP, the global positive end expiratory pressure. All parameter measurements have been evaluated in experimental conditions, and are in good agreement with reference values. The complete software includes the display of the signals and of the trends together with automatic disk file backups. An additional program allows one to display the trends again and to create table text files containing all the recorded data for further analysis. The system proved to work in ICU and anaesthesia patients with various ventilators.
BACKGROUND: During long experimental set ups, a protocol book usually guides cosmonauts. This is not very easy to work with in microgravity conditions and is not very efficient. For the cardiovascular physiology experiment CARDIOCOG during the Belgian Soyuz Mission (Odissea, November 2002) we developed a software program that guided the cosmonauts through the experiment. The software was developed in LabVIEW, thoroughly tested by CNES and the Russian space authorities and transported to the ISS as a stand-alone application. An adapted version was used during the Spanish Cervantes Mission in October 2003. RESULTS: This program provided several advantages: (1) error procedures could be easily dealt with in using the program's incorporated error structure; (2) the experimental sequences were easy to follow for the cosmonauts; (3) the experimental duration was exactly the same for all repetitions of the experiment, since the program imposed the timing; (4) after the flight, we were able to reconstruct all sequences of the experiment using a log-file that was automatically created during the different steps of the experiment; and (5) we were able to impose exact breathing frequencies to the cosmonauts using a visual aid. CONCLUSION: Less training was necessary for the cosmonauts to learn the experiment. Reconstruction of the experiment timing was easy. Exact breathing frequencies were obtained at each repetition. The program HICOPS worked to the overall satisfaction of the cosmonauts and they preferred working with HICOPS instead of with paper flow sheets. Data for the cardiovascular experiment during both missions were obtained in a standardised way.
This paper describes a package of three programs which used together aid in selecting the best possible sequence to be used as a DNA hybridization probe. This system searches an amino acid sequence for four adjacent amino acids with the fewest possible corresponding mRNA sequences, calculates their probability of occurrence, and locates the positions of wobbles and mismatches between the DNA hybridization probe and the possible mRNA sequences.
A new exponential stripping program, CSTRIP, has been developed. This program overcomes the problems associated with the use of previously published techniques and enables the rapid economical calculation of initial polyexponential parameter estimates. Values for the coefficients and exponents of the exponential terms are calculated as well as estimates of lag times. An exhaustive search procedure ensures that the results are comparable to, or better than, those obtained by manual residual methods.
Over the last decade substantial advances have been made in the use of causal pathophysiological knowledge in artificial intelligence-based programs for medical diagnosis. Various forms of causal representations have been used. They include probabilistic models, quantitative models, qualitative models, and models that describe causal relations at multiple levels of detail. This paper briefly analyses these methods using three representative systems. Outstanding problems and possible direction in further exploitation of causal reasoning for medical decision-support systems are also discussed.
An innovative research program was devised to investigate the interactive effect of instructional strategies enhanced with text-plus-textual metaphors or text-plus-graphical metaphors, and cognitive style on the acquisition of programming concepts. The Cognitive Styles Analysis (CSA) program (Riding,1991) was used to establish the participants' cognitive style. The QUEST Interactive Test Analysis System (Adams and Khoo,1996) provided the cognitive performance measuring tool, which ensured an absence of error measurement in the programming knowledge testing instruments. Therefore, reliability of the instrumentation was assured through the calibration techniques utilized by the QUEST estimate; providing predictability of the research design. A means analysis of the QUEST data, using the Cohen (1977) approach to size effect and statistical power further quantified the significance of the findings. The experimental methodology adopted for this research links the disciplines of instructional science, cognitive psychology, and objective measurement to provide reliable mechanisms for beneficial use in the evaluation of cognitive performance by the education, training and development sectors. Furthermore, the research outcomes will be of interest to educators, cognitive psychologists, communications engineers, and computer scientists specializing in computer-human interactions.