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A GAUSS program for computing the Foulkes-Davis tracking index for polynomial growth curves.

We have previously published a GAUSS program for computing the Foulkes-Davis tracking index, gamma, from a one-sample longitudinal data set when no assumptions were made concerning the structure of the individual growth curves (Schneiderman et al., Am J Hum Biol, 4 (1992) 417-420). In this paper we consider the computation of the Foulkes-Davis index assuming that each individual growth curve may be adequately represented by a polynomial function in time and a GAUSS program performing these computations is made available. As with the two other tracking indices we have described, gamma and kappa (Schneiderman et al., Am J Hum Biol, 2 (1990) 475-490), this one can be used to evaluate regularity in patterns of growth or adaptation. An example is presented where statural growth in the same three groups considered in the earlier papers are analyzed. The small disparities between these and the earlier results are discussed in view of the different assumptions of the models and the differences in how they operationalize the concept of tracking.

Adolescent↗

Dual wavelength scanning cytophotometry (Bicoscan).

A computer program has been developed for stage-scanning cytophotometry of double-stained microscopical specimens. The program permits the simultaneous measurement of absorbance values at two wavelengths in each measuring spot. To account for overlap in the absorbance spectra of the two stained endproducts, the program incorporates correction of the measured data to compensate for the contribution of each chromophore to the absorbance measured for the other. The program will compute the corrected local absorbance values at specified wavelengths for each chromophore at each measuring spot and integrate these values over the total object to give separate totals for each stain. It is also possible to have integrated the absorbance values of one chromophore for all those measuring spots where the local corrected absorbance value of the other chromophore exceeds a preset minimum value. When this other chromophore is a nuclear DNA stain, it is possible to obtain an approximate measure of the content of any compound in the nuclear area which can be stained with a chromophore having an absorbance spectrum different from the DNA stain. The validity of the program was investigated on model preparations consisting of two (differently) coloured films of which the absorbance values could be measured either individually or in combination, by partially overlaying one film on the other. The program's potential has been demonstrated by using the combination of either Naphthol Yellow S or dinitrofluorobenzene as protein stains with the Feulgen-pararosaniline(SO2) procedure for DNA in chicken erythrocytes and rat liver cells.

Animals↗

PEANUT: computer graphics program to represent atomic displacement parameters.

PEANUT is an easy to use computer graphics program for the visualization and real-time manipulation of the atomic displacement parameters of small molecules. A flexible, dynamic data structure allows the user to compute complicated, nonspherical atomic surfaces and to handle the point group symmetry of the molecules automatically. Pictures with hidden-line removal may be plotted in publication quality on appropriate output devices.

Azepines↗

An interactive, computer-based program to educate patients about genital herpes.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Education and counseling constitute a substantial portion of management of patients with genital herpes. Innovative methods for education about genital herpes are needed. GOAL: To test the ability of an interactive, computer-based program to educate patients about genital herpes. STUDY DESIGN: Persons seeking care at five urban offices were asked to participate. A knowledge test about genital herpes was administered before and after participation. Participants' satisfaction was assessed with a questionnaire. RESULTS: Four hundred thirty-five participants enrolled, and 428 completed the herpes knowledge test. Of six questions evaluated, a statistically significant increase in the proportion of correct answers was noted on five of six questions. Fifty-one percent of participants answered all the questions correctly after the program, compared with 39% before the program. Satisfaction with the program was very high. CONCLUSIONS: Innovative, computer-based programs can provide education and assist in the management of chronic sexually transmitted infections.

Adolescent↗

Visualization of dipole solutions to the neuromagnetic inverse problem.

We have developed a computer program that computes and displays current-dipole solutions to the neuromagnetic inverse problem. The three-dimensional positions, orientations, and corresponding magnetic field values of the detection coils can be visualized with respect to a realistic representation of the subject's head shape. The topographies of the experimental data, theoretical fit, and residual field are represented without the use of data smoothing or interpolation, allowing more direct comparisons between them. A simple method for displaying dipole source location was implemented.

Brain Mapping↗

Nutritional assessment using a microcomputer. 1. Programme design.

Nutritional assessment is used to determine the nutritional status, metabolic status and nutritional requirements of patients receiving nutritional support. It is also used to identify patients at risk from the effects of malnutrition. Nutritional assessment uses anthropometric and laboratory data and involves reference to standard tables and equations and is therefore time consuming and tedious. When a large battery of tests is used, consistent interpretation of the results is difficult. This paper describes the design of a computer program which computes nutritional and metabolic status of patients and prescribes the nitrogen and calorie requirements.

Journal Article↗

Epidermal growth factor and okadaic acid stimulate Sp1 proteolysis.

Sp1 nuclear levels have been shown to directly correlate with the proliferative state of the cell. We therefore studied changes in the abundance of Sp1 in a rat pituitary cell line GH4 whose growth rate is regulated by epidermal growth factor (EGF). Nuclear extracts from GH4 cells treated with 10 nM EGF for at least 16 h showed a 50% decrease in Sp1 binding to a GC-rich element present in the gastrin promoter. The decrease in binding correlated with a decrease in cell proliferation, a loss of nuclear Sp1 protein and a 50-60% decrease in Sp1-mediated transactivation through an Sp1 enhancer element in transfection assays. Okadaic acid, a phosphatase inhibitor, was synergistic with the effect of EGF on Sp1 protein levels suggesting that the loss of Sp1 was mediated by phosphorylation events. This result was confirmed by showing a 2-fold increase in orthophosphate-labeled Sp1 with EGF and okadaic acid. Cycloheximide prevented the expected loss of Sp1 mediated by EGF and okadaic acid suggesting that the synthesis of a protease may mediate these events. This hypothesis was tested directly by showing that the cysteine protease inhibitor leupeptin prevented Sp1 degradation. Using the PEST-FIND computer program, the computed PEST score for human and rat Sp1 is 10.4 and 13.7, respectively, indicating that Sp1 has a domain with a high concentration of proline, glutamic acid, serine, and threonine residues as reported for a number of proteins with inducible rates of degradation. Collectively, these results indicate that sustained stimulation of GH4 cells by EGF initiates a cascade of phosphorylation events that promotes Sp1 proteolysis, decreased Sp1 nuclear levels and decreased cellular proliferation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

An extended QBASIC program for the normalization and computation of whole-cell protein profiles and the application to clinically important Candida species.

The computer program described enables a rapid calculation of relative molecular masses of proteins from different yeasts and microbial pathogens, by interpolation from a molecular weight calibration curve that comprises stepwise linear regression between the protein bands produced by the internal standards. A similarity matrix can then be produced, taking into account variations between calculated molecular masses caused by small differences in bandwidths and/or positions of specific protein bands. This program has been applied to different Candida species and the similarity data obtained further analysed numerically utilizing CLUSTAN II on a SPERRY 1100 multi-processor.

Bacterial Typing Techniques↗

Early childhood anemia and mild or moderate mental retardation.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies questioned the link between early childhood anemia and detrimental child development. OBJECTIVE: A population-based study was conducted to examine the association between early childhood anemia and mild or moderate metal retardation at 10 y of age. DESIGN: The present study linked early childhood nutrition data collected by the Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and school records. Hemoglobin values were used to determine the relation between anemia in early life and children's placement in special education classes for mild or moderate mental retardation. Subjects were all participants in the WIC program. A computer program was used to link data from birth, WIC, and school records. RESULTS: Logistic regression showed an increased likelihood of mild or moderate mental retardation associated with anemia, independent of birth weight, maternal education, sex, race-ethnicity, the mother's age, or the child's age at entry into the WIC program. CONCLUSION: These findings support the proposition that efforts to prevent mild and moderate mental retardation should include providing children with adequate nutrition during early childhood.

Anemia, Iron-Deficiency↗

Computerized content analysis of writings of Mahatma Gandhi.

Three brief excerpts from the autobiographical writings of Mohandas K. Gandhi were analyzed for neuropsychobiological content using the PCAD 2000 computer program. The computer software produces scores on 13 scales such as anxiety, hostility, cognitive impairment, and depression; compares the assigned scores with norms derived from 5-minute speech samples taken from normal, medically and psychiatrically healthy adults and children; and suggests DSM-IV diagnostic categories for consideration. The results demonstrate an objective, repeatable method for achieving insight into the mental states and traits of historic figures based on their writings.

Adult↗

Periodic intensity distribution (PID) of mica polytypes: symbolism, structural model orientation and axial settings.

Following a preliminary revisitation of the nomenclatures in use for mica polytypes, the properties of the periodic intensity distribution (PID) function, which represents the Fourier transform of the stacking sequence, are analysed. On the basis of the relative rotations of neighbouring layers, mica polytypes are classified into three types; for each type, the PID exists in different subspaces of the reciprocal space. A revised procedure to compute the PID, in which further restrictions on the structural model orientation are introduced, is presented. A unifying terminology based upon the most common symbols used to describe mica polytypes (RTW, Z and TS) is derived; these symbols represent the geometrical basis for the computation of the PID. Results are presented for up to four layer polytypes and are compared with the reflection conditions derived by means of Zvyagin's functions. Both the PID values and the reflection conditions are expressed in suitable axial settings and compared with previous partial reports, revealing some errors in previous analyses. A computer program to compute PID from the stacking symbols is available.

Journal Article↗

EEG monitoring of focal lesions of the blood-brain barrier.

This paper presents a modified method for the EEG detection and monitoring of small focal blood-brain barrier (BBB) lesions. The method uses high dose IV penicillin (1.2 X 10(6) mu/kg) to produce a spike focus at BBB lesions, penicillin encephalopathy. The EEG is recorded and the epileptic spikes are counted by an automatic computer program. The computer produces an objective quantitative results. The method is verified empirically on traumatic and radiation BBB lesions.

Animals↗

Reading and decision aids for improved accuracy and standardization of mammographic diagnosis.

Image-reading and decision aids were designed to improve the accuracy of mammogram interpretation. The reading aid was a list of diagnostic radiographic features and scales for quantification of each feature. The decision aid, a computer program, converted the reader's scaled values, weighted for predictive power, into an advisory estimate of the probability of malignancy. The features were identified and their importance was assigned in four steps: (a) interviews of five expert readers to establish an initial set of features, (b) perceptual tests to refine the feature set, (c) a consensus meeting to refine this set and establish nomenclature and scales, and (d) the expert's scaling of each feature in a set of 150 mammograms. Those scaled judgments were analyzed to provide the final list of features and their relative importance and to program the computer decision aid. To test the enhancement effect, six other radiologists interpreted a different set of mammograms without, and later with, the two aids. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed a gain of approximately 0.05 in sensitivity or specificity when the other value remained at 0.85. In a subset of the more difficult cases, the enhancement effect was approximately 0.15 in either sensitivity or specificity.

Humans↗

Anesthetic implications for patients with rate-responsive pacemakers.

One hundred thousand adults and children in the United States receive pacemakers each year, of which 85% are rate-responsive pacemakers (RRPs). Recent advances in the fields of computer programming and computer chip technology have led to the myriad development of RRPs, which contain sensors that automatically adjust the pacing rate to match the physiologic changes that occur during physical exertion. Because patients with RRPs may experience heart rate changes in the operating room due to ''normal'' sensor function, anesthesiologists must be aware of the new developments in RRP sensor technology to properly manage these patients. Increases in respiratory rate and tidal volume as well as the use of electrocautery have been reported to accelerate the paced rate of pacemakers with minute ventilation sensors. Likewise, patient movement and saws that produce vibrations can accelerate the paced rate of patients with piezoelectric crystal sensors. This paper discusses the history of pacemaker development, reviews the currently used RRP sensors, and recommends procedures for the perioperative management of these patients. Knowledge of sensor type and factors that stimulate them will help the anesthesiologist understand the cause of these changes so that he will be able to manage clinically significant hemodynamic changes due to RRP sensor activation.

Aged, 80 and over↗

[Semi-automatic generation of finite element meshes fo dental preparations].

The mechanical properties and elastic behaviour of periodontal tissue are a decisive factor in understanding initial tooth mobility and bone remodelling processes in orthodontics. An experimental set-up was designed to precisely determine a tooth's elastic response to different loading conditions. Segments of pig's maxilla bearing separated molars were used, and their mechanical response to loading was recorded. Subsequently, finite element analysis (FEA) was performed on the basis of the experimental data. The combination of experimental and numerical methods was used to determine the material properties of the periodontal ligament (PDL). The geometries of the preparations were reconstructed and FE meshes generated semi-automatically with the aid of the special computer program, CAGOG (Computer Aided Generator for Orthodontic Geometries) to optimally match the experimental geometry. Nonlinear material parameters were determined for the PDL and verified by comparing experimental and numerical results obtained in other specimens with an error of about 10%. This good correlation indicates that the selected method of mesh generation is appropriate for creating realistic FE models that can be compared with experimental results.

Animals↗

[Electronic data processing storage and analysis of allergologic data with reference to epidemiologic and occupational dermatologic aspects].

At our contact dermatitis clinic the computer program ALLDAT (Allergy Data System) was developed with the opportunity of storing and analysing different patients data and various kinds of test reactions with regard to epidemiology and occupational dermatology. Because of the internal construction of the data base, high flexibility and optimization of storage (2000 patient/year----1 MB) is achieved. Persons without both program and computer experience are able to enter data, perform analysis and view results after a short period of instruction.

Computer Systems↗

Trimmed logit method for estimating the ED50 in quantal bioassay.

Trimmed nonparametric procedures such as the trimmed Spearman-Karber method have been proposed in the literature for overcoming the deficiencies of the probit and logit models in the analysis of quantal bioassay data. However, there are situations where the median effective dose (ED50) is not calculable with the trimmed Spearman-Karber method, but is estimable with a parametric model. Also, it is helpful to have a parametric model for estimating percentiles of the dose-response curve such as the ED10 and ED25. A trimmed logit method that combines the advantages of a parametric model with that of trimming in dealing with heavy-tailed distributions is presented here. These advantages are substantiated with examples of actual bioassay data. Simulation results are presented to support the validity of the trimmed logit method, which has been found to work well in our experience with over 200 data sets. A computer program for computing the ED50 and associated 95% asymptotic confidence interval, based on the trimmed logit method, can be obtained from the authors.

Animals↗

[The course of the oropharyngeal stage of deglutition in physiological condition. Computer topokinetic analysis of videofluoroscopic images].

The performed analysis covers the physiology of the pharyngeal phase of deglutition in 11 patients aged 45-65 years. The studies were carried out with the aid of roentgenocinematographic examinations (RTGC) and after preparing an adequate computer program, a computer topokinetic analysis was accomplished (CTA). The measurement of parameters established in CTA make it possible to obtain the image of the pathway passed by the anatomical structures, the dynamics, the shape and the relative distances of two anatomical structures, with the duration of the deglutition act being taken into consideration. The use of RTGC images in CTA allows for better understanding of the mechanism acting in the pharyngeal phase of deglutition act in physiological conditions.

Aged↗