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At least 1,495 records · Page 83Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

DNA shape and separation efficiency in polymer media: a computerized method based on electrophoretic mobility data.

The computer program ELPHOFIT for evaluation of the nonlinear plots of log-(mobility) vs. polymer concentration (Ferguson plots) in terms of molecular and polymer properties has been extended to yield a measure of the molecular sieving capacity of the polymer medium. The usefulness of the extended program, version 2.2, was exemplified by the evaluation of DNA shape and separation efficiency in solutions and gels of agarose and polyacrylamide, using previous reports in the literature as a data base. That application of the extended program yields the following results:(i) The size of migrating DNA can be compared with an equivalent sphere having the same free mobility for a particular set of experimental conditions. The decrease in size of the equivalent sphere with polymer concentration previously demonstrated for agarose solutions applies to all of these polymer media; it reveals a steep, hyperbolic decline of that radius in uncrosslinked polyacrylamide solutions in contrast to the shallow decline in the other three media. (ii) The separation efficiency of polyacrylamide gels exceeds that of uncrosslinked polyacrylamide solutions; the separation efficiency of agarose solutions for DNA smaller than 1 kb in length is higher than that of polyacrylamide solutions. Program ELPHOFIT 2.2 is available on request from the first author.

DNA↗
PubMed1991

GENESRCH: a computer program for restriction fragment analysis.

We describe a program GENESRCH which has been written to enable the design of efficient restriction fragment analysis of DNA from patients with hereditary disorders. The program identifies homology of DNA sequences up to 20 base pairs in length, calculates the fragment sizes and indicates the position of enzyme restriction sites within the gene of interest. GENESRCH is written in the BASIC language and will run on any IBM-compatible PC with a parallel printer. A hard disc is recommended for efficient storage and retrieval of data. An example of the use of the program is cited.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Statewide coverage of very low birth-weight infants and young teenage mothers in North Carolina's Child Service Coordination Program.

North Carolina's statewide, interagency Child Service Coordination Program (CSCP) serves children under five years of age with or at-risk for diverse health and developmental conditions. Preliminary assessment of the CSCP linked existing datasets to examine program coverage for two target populations: mothers < 15 year of age and infants < 1,500 g. The expectation that statewide program coverage would be higher for both risk groups in 1993 than in 1991 was true for mothers less than 15 years of age but not for infants < 1,500 g. This efficient method of evaluation can direct program outreach to the areas where it is most needed and provide a focus for more detailed program evaluation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

[Programming of freely written anamnesses for the computer].

The case histories of more than 5000 outpatients with respiratory diseases were stored in free text from 1974 untill 1977. The retrieval efficiency was tested using STAIRS-IBM program product with the syntax operators "or", "and", "not", "with", and "adj". Chronic bronchitis in lung cancer patients was chosen as an example. The first word constellation was compiled as a retrieval argument for chronic bronchitis. The second word constellation was used as a retrieval argument for chronic bronchitis subsisting for more than 5 years before the diagnosis of lung cancer. The third word constellation retrieved documents without clear time relationship between chronic bronchitis and lung cancer. The review of each history of the 473 lung cancer patients issued a first group of 219 cases composed of lung cancer patients with histories of chronic bronchitis for more than 5 years. A second group of 180 patients had no history of preexisting chronic bronchitis. This manual selection of cases (reading of all 473 case histories) took 3 months compared to 4 h by computer dialogue selection. 87% of the first group (preexisting chronic bronchitis for more than 5 years) and 74% of the second group (no history of chronic bronchitis) were correctly obtained by the brief computer dialogue. This efficiency of the computer dialogue was further improved without difficulty by slight modifications of the dialogue strategy, so that only approximately 10% of documents remained falsely classified. It can be seen that free text analysis of case histories is possible by the STAIRS-IBM program and enables a doctor to observe new clinically important correlations in a very short time. Final deductions, however, must be followed by careful checking of all individual histories.

Computers↗
PubMed1992

[Efficiency of prevaccination screening of anti-HBc in the anti-hepatitis B vaccination programs].

BACKGROUND: The convenience of carrying out pre-vaccination screening of VHB markers depends on the relative costs of screening and vaccination and also on the prevalence of susceptible subjects in each group of the population. The aim of the present work was to analyse the efficiency of pre-vaccination screening of antiHBc in Catalonia in 1991. METHODS: The per-unit cost of screening was calculated at 1366 ptas. The formula applied was: cost per-unit of screening + (1-X) x the cost per-unit of vaccination of anti-HBc (-) = cost of vaccinating the group. "X" being the threshold of prevalence of markers below which screening cases to be efficient. This prevalence is compared with those expected in the groups of the population to be vaccinated. RESULTS: By applying the above-mention ned formula and taking into account costs in time and travel of the people to be vaccinated, a prevalence threshold of 23% is obtained. This prevalence is much higher than that found in adolescents and students of medicine and nursing, similar to that found in health professionals and lower than that of other risk groups. CONCLUSIONS: Systematic screening of anti-HBc is only recommended in groups of the population where a prevalence higher than 20-25% can be expected. Below this threshold vaccination without previous study of markers is more efficient. This enormously simplifies the strategies of universal vaccination of children, adolescents or both.

Carrier State↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Evolving beyond perfection: an investigation of the effects of long-term evolution on fractal gene regulatory networks.

This paper continues a theme of exploring algorithms based on principles of biological development for tasks such as pattern generation, machine learning and robot control. Previous work has investigated the use of genes expressed as fractal proteins to enable greater evolvability of gene regulatory networks (GRNs). Here, the evolution of such GRNs is investigated further to determine whether evolution exhibits natural tendencies towards efficiency and graceful degradation of developmental programs. Experiments where "perfect" GRNs are evolved for a further thousand generations without the addition of any further selection pressure, confirm this hypothesis. After further evolution, the perfect GRNs operate in a more efficient manner (using fewer proteins) and show an improved ability to function correctly with missing genes. When the algorithm is applied to applications (e.g. robot control) this equates to efficient and fault-tolerant controllers.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2006

FREALIGN: high-resolution refinement of single particle structures.

The refinement of three-dimensional reconstructions and correction for the contrast transfer function of the microscope are important steps in the determination of macromolecular structures by single particle electron microscopy. The algorithms implemented in the computer program FREALIGN are optimized to perform these tasks efficiently. A general overview and details on how to use FREALIGN are provided. The program is free and available for download on the author's web page.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1996

Practice and Component Submovements: The Roles of Programming and Feedback in Rapid Aimed Limb Movements.

An experiment is reported in which subjects (N = 30) practiced rapid aimed limb movements (wrist rotations), with either full visual feedback, no visual feedback, or delayed visual feedback. Previous research has indicated that, with practice, subjects increase the distance and duration of ballistic primary submovements and decrease the distance and duration of corrective secondary submovements. The design of the present experiment permitted the determination of whether these practice-related changes are results of improved programming of the primary submovement or of more efficient processing involved in the production of secondary submovements. The results suggest that improved programming occurs with practice. Furthermore, it appears that visual feedback is not solely responsible for the production of secondary submovements.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1997

Work sampling. A decision-making tool for determining resources and work redesign.

Efficiency and productivity are important factors in managing programs and human resources and in determining resource allocation. Absence of practice productivity and efficiency data leads to inappropriate decisions and actions resulting in detrimental outcomes. It is critical that nurse executives and managers have effective measures by which to analyze productivity and to evaluate empirically the effects of management actions and decisions for any proposed or implemented change. The authors describe a work sampling methodology that can be used to establish a data base for evaluating programmatic, staff mix, role redesign, or care delivery model changes.

Decision Making, Organizational↗
PubMed1998

[Study of the efficiency of a non-mydriatic retinal camera in the diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy].

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most important causes of blindness. Diabetic patients do not attend outpatient clinics with the necessary regularity for an early diagnosis of the most severe forms of retinopathy. A program was planned to compare the efficiency of a 45 degrees non-mydriatic retinal camera with a Polaroid instant film versus biomicroscopy with a 78D lens and reverse image ophthalmoscope (standard method) in the diagnosis of the presence and evolutive degree of retinopathy. In a cross-sectional epidemiologic study a questionnaire was administered to 258 randomly selected diabetic patients, 129 with and 128 without retinopathy. Information was collected of demographics, visual acuity, diabetes and resources used with each method. The eye fundus with the poorest visual acuity was examined to determine the presence and evolution of retinopathy with the two diagnostic methods. The photographic method had an overall sensitivity of 91.1%, a specificity of 89.7% and a level of agreement of 82% with the standard method. A cost-effective analysis revealed a decrease of 35.7% in the cost per true positive case detected with the photographic methods versus the standard method. The 45 degrees non-mydriatic retinal camera had a similar efficiency to the standard method used in our setting for the diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy, which together with a lower cost per patient renders this method advisable for its use in medical settings that usually control for potential ophthalmologic complications resulting from diabetes mellitus.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Spending controls cited as reasons for decline in health care cost hikes.

Data Insight: Health care spending in the U.S. grew 7.7% in 2003, down from 9.3% in 2002, marking the first decline in costs in seven years, according to a report by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of the Actuary. CMS economists say spending declined because state Medicaid programs cut budgets and became more efficient through the use of managed care.

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMed2006

Efficient schemes for robust IMRT treatment planning.

We use robust optimization techniques to formulate an IMRT treatment planning problem in which the dose matrices are uncertain, due to both dose calculation errors and interfraction positional uncertainty of tumour and organs. When the uncertainty is taken into account, the original linear programming formulation becomes a second-order cone program. We describe a novel and efficient approach for solving this problem, and present results to compare the performance of our scheme with more conventional formulations that assume perfect knowledge of the dose matrix.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1993

Medical oncology and home care in Italy.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: Home care programs are designed to provide care for cancer patients in their homes. Aim of the study is to describe the activities of home care program, to examine the organization and efficiency of this type of care in Italy. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to the regional representatives of the National Society of Medical Oncology and to the regional health departments. RESULTS: a) the home care program is uniformly distributed throughout the country; b) the number of personnel in the different centers varies greatly from one area to another; c) approximately 50% of the centers do not cover emergency situations (at night or on holidays); and d) there is little involvement of the public sector. CONCLUSIONS: In spite of these problems, the home care system is taking on a fundamental role, especially for advanced cancer patients.

Home Care Services↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Efficiency calibration of high volume samples using the GESPECOR software.

In this paper the Monte Carlo simulation program GESPECOR is applied for the computation of the efficiency of an HPGe gamma-spectrometry system used for the measurement of high volume samples. The detector characterization required for Monte Carlo simulation is achieved by a trial and error procedure using the efficiency values measured with point sources placed in several positions. After detector characterization, the efficiency values appropriate for the assessment of 220l waste drums are computed and compared with experimental values.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1982

Applications of a minicomputer to clinical pharmacy services.

The application of a minicomputer system to clinical services and administrative record keeping is described. All applications were designed and implemented by pharmacists. Programs were created to increase the efficiency of collecting workload statistics for clinical services and to perform pharmacokinetic analyses of patient-specific data. The time required to generate quarterly workload reports decreased from 15-18 hours to 20-30 minutes. The use of the minicomputer also permitted a substantial expansion in the scope of the information collected and reported. The pharmacokinetic programs required approximately two minutes to calculate patient-specific peak and trough concentrations. The minicomputer system has increased the pharmacy department's administrative efficiency and encouraged staff pharmacist involvement in clinical services.

Computers↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Applying technology today. A computerized nursing recruitment database.

This article describes the development and implementation of a computerized nursing recruitment program. This system offers a fast, efficient, individualized, item-selectable mechanism for tracking and monitoring recruiting activities. Included in this system are easily accessible functions that provide precise information regarding the activities and costs relating to recruitment transactions. It is user-focused and coded for accurate storage and retrieval of information. This program has multiple implications for improving or revising recruitment activities. Nursing administrators can obtain detailed reports of the operations of the recruiting office, and internal audits can be easily generated to identify areas of efficiency as well as areas needing revision. It is written to be integrated with other management systems, thus providing a rapid and comprehensive network of communication that is cost-effective and precise.

Humans↗
PubMed1985

A cost-effectiveness analysis of prenatal care delivery.

This cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) was conducted to evaluate the relative efficiency of three alternative prenatal care programs in rural, low-income areas of Texas. The study compared both the actual cost per visit and the predicted capacity cost per visit, the latter determining which model type has potential to be most efficient. The same clinic model proved to have the lowest cost per visit when using both actual and adjusted capacity data. After considering specific criteria, cost per visit differences were attributed primarily to the mix of medical personnel. Specifically, the use of certified nurse midwives in conjunction with physician backup proved more cost-effective than salaried MDs. Relative efficiency is quantified and reasons for cost differences are identified.

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗
PubMed2006

[A nationwide survey on current conditions of school health education].

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze and assess the current situation of Korea's school health education program and to establish measures to efficiently carry out school health education in Korea. METHOD: The survey was conducted through the internet with the health educators of elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide to assess the current condition of school health education programs, and 2,459 samples were collected which accounted for 23.4% of the total respondents. RESULTS: According to school health educators on the enforcement of health education, the higher the education became, the less the health education was enforced. The enforcement rate was 96.9% in elementary schools, 76.7% in middle schools, and 67.3% in high schools. The major reasons were found as difficulty in securing class time (54.5%) and other excessive workloads (20.9%). As a result of the health education awareness survey, over 99% answered that health education is needed, over 80% answered that the education requires independent health textbooks, and over 95% answered that health educators are suitable for the person in charge of the education. CONCLUSION: This study will be a useful in establishing a detailed policy on enhancing school health education in the future.

Adolescent↗