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Formatting scripts with computers and Extended BASIC.

A computer program, written in the language of Extended BASIC, is presented which enables scripts, for educational media, to be quickly written in a nearly unformatted style. From the resulting script file, stored on magnetic tape or disk, the computer program formats the script into either a storyboard , a presentation, or a narrator 's script. Script headings and page and paragraph numbers are automatic features in the word processing. Suggestions are given for making personal modifications to the computer program.

Computer-Assisted Instruction↗

Pediatric parenteral nutrition mixtures design program: validity and stability study.

The formulation and elaboration of a correct parenteral nutrition (PN) in infancy requires the use of many parameters, the realization of complicated mathematical calculations, and repeated and individualized adjustments of the final constituents. The use of computer programs in the confection of PN has simplified the whole process, but, to our understanding, the programs being used at the moment lack the flexibility needed to generalize its use in the pediatric age. The aim of this work is to present a new computer program able to make up complete pediatric units of PN by itself, which follow the nutritional requirements and the marketed preparations established for each clinical situation. The program provides, automatically, standard amounts for each nutrient, according to age, water needs, and route of administration. The program turns these amounts, which can be modified before or after knowing the final composition, into milliliters of each commercial product and provides a complete analysis of the PN solution. It is also possible to adapt the basic configuration of the program to the needs of each patient, modifying the nutritional requirements and the products that the program will use. In order to assess the validity of the program, we made up a series of PN solutions, for a simulated sample of patients, which represented different clinical situations and age groups. We analyzed the composition of the mixtures and its physical-chemical stability. No problems in the PN solutions generated by the program when using our standard configuration were found. A study of reproducibility was carried out and no difficulties of execution, errors, or differences in the composition of the PN solutions designed by the different physicians were found. Average time needed for the design of a PN was less than 5 min. The use of computer programs in the design of mixtures of PN reduces errors and time, allowing a better use of this technique of nutritional support.

Adolescent↗

Comparison of three computer methods of sperm head analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Analysis of sperm heads using three different computer morphometrical tools and experimental conditions to find a more reliable and secure strategy among them. DESIGN: Controlled experiments on sperm morphology analysis from volunteers. SETTING: Laboratory of microscopy and imaging processing. PATIENT(S): Ten human semen samples donated by different zoospermic men. INTERVENTION(S): Semen samples were collected by masturbation after > or =72 hours of abstinence. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Spermatozoon head morphology was compared by the use of different video-microscopy systems, three computer programs, and various staining conditions and manipulation by different operators. Nonbiological material in the form of latex beads was also used. RESULT(S): The data obtained suggest that the semiautomatic computer program is the most reliable and secure method for performing sperm analysis, besides the fact that it is a fast process compared with manual methods. CONCLUSION(S): Computer systems of sperm analysis should incorporate a step of interactive object identification to work properly, allowing the operator to confirm or correct possible computer misidentification. The latex beads were used to confirm the capability of all three computer programs to correctly evaluate nonbiological material.

Automation↗

The development and evaluation of a computer-based program to test and to teach the recognition of facial affect.

Autism is a chronic pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by the early onset of social and communicative impairments as well as restricted, ritualized, stereotypic behavior. The endophenotype of autism includes neuropsychological deficits, for instance a lack of "Theory of Mind" and problems recognizing facial affect. In this study, we report the development and evaluation of a computer-based program to teach and test the ability to identify basic facially expressed emotions. 10 adolescent or adult subjects with high-functioning autism or Asperger-syndrome were included in the investigation. A priori the facial affect recognition test had shown good psychometric properties in a normative sample (internal consistency: rtt=.91-.95; retest reliability: rtt=.89-.92). In a prepost design, one half of the sample was randomly assigned to receive computer treatment while the other half of the sample served as control group. The training was conducted for five weeks, consisting of two hours training a week. The trained individuals improved significantly on the affect recognition task, but not on any other measure. Results support the usefulness of the program to teach the detection of facial affect. However, the improvement found is limited to a circumscribed area of social-communicative function and generalization is not ensured.

Adolescent↗

Amikacin serum concentrations: prediction of levels and dosage guidelines.

Amikacin is a new aminoglycoside antibiotic that behaves pharmacokinetically similar to kanamycin, gentamicin, and tobramycin. Our study was designed to test whether a digital computer program could correctly predict amikacin serum concentrations in the clinical setting. A significant relation (P less than 0.0001) was found between 153 measured (bioassayed) and computer-predicted levels from 26 patients. The computer program reliably estimated amikacin serum levels after either intravenous or intramuscular doses. Prediction accuracy was not significantly affected by patient sex, hematocrit, or periods of unstable renal function. Predicted levels were most accurate when based on creatinine clearance corrected to 70 kg body weight or corrected to body surface area. The pharmacokinetic parameters in the computer program were used to generate a new aminoglycoside dosing chart. Ten patients were given amikacin according to this guideline, and the mean peak serum level for the group was 25.6 microgram/ml.

Adult↗

Evaluation of CaDet, a computer-based clinical decision support system for early cancer detection: a comparison with the performance of clinicians.

Based on an analysis of the epidemiologic and clinical attributes of individual patients, the CaDet computer program presents physicians with data patterns that may require clinical attention with regard to early cancer detection. This study evaluated the performance of the program as a possible tool to aid clinicians in the latter. Patient data were obtained by a questionnaire from 160 healthy volunteers. Scored cancer alerts generated by the computer program in response to this data were evaluated in comparison to similar alerts provided by five expert internists who reviewed the same information in blinded fashion. The alert profiles generated by the computer for each of the patients examined were highly correlated to those provided by the clinicians. The computer's alert rate increased with the number of physicians who raised corresponding alerts (20%, 32%, 54%, 73% and 91%, respectively, for 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 physicians, p < 0.0001) and with the overall weight assigned by the physicians to these alerts (22%, 56%, 84% and 90% for cumulative scores of 1-4, 5-8, 9-12 and 13 or more points, respectively, p < 0.0001). It is concluded that the CaDet computer program may have a role in improving early detection, pending the results of further clinical research.

Decision Support Systems, Clinical↗

Clinical evaluation of automated processing of electrocardiograms by the Veterans Administration program (AVA 3.4).

Automated processing of electrocardiograms by the Veterans Administration program was evaluated for both agreement with physician interpretation and interpretative accuracy as assessed with nonelectrocardiographic criteria. One thousand unselected electrocardiograms were analyzed by two reviewer groups, one familiar and the other unfamiliar with the computer program. A significant number of measurement errors involving repolarization changes and left axis deviation occurred; however, interpretative disagreements related to statistical decision were largely language-related. Use of a printout with a more traditional format resulted in agreement with physician interpretation by both reviewer groups in more than 80 percent of cases. Overall sensitivity based on agreement with nonelectrocardiographic criteria was significantly greater with use of the computer program than with use of the conventional criteria utilized by the reviewers. This difference was particularly evident in the subgroup analysis of myocardial infarction and left ventricular hypertrophy. The degree of overdiagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy and posteroinferior infarction was initially unacceptable, but this difficulty was corrected by adjustment of probabilities. Clinical acceptability of the Veterans Administration program appears to require greater physician education than that needed for other computer programs of electrocardiographic analysis; the flexibility of interpretation by statistical decision offers the potential for better diagnostic accuracy.

Cardiomegaly↗

A system model for closed-circuit inhalation anesthesia. I. Computer study.

Developing a custom computer program to simulate the uptake, distribution, and elimination of inhalational anesthetics allows the anesthesiologist to address specific problems, but extensive skills are required to translate the involved processes first into a set of mathematical equations and then into a satisfactory computer program. The first step is often facilitated by solutions offered in the literature. The second step demands computer proficiency that is often not available, but this problem can be obviated by means of a special-purpose simulation language (SPSL). We therefore constructed a model for closed-circuit inhalation anesthesia with the aid of the block-structured SPSL TUTSIM. Noticeable differences with previous models are that the linear, 14-compartment basic model does not assume a constant alveolar concentration and mimics circulation times through the use of blood pools. Advanced features of the SPSL were used to develop variants of the basic model to simulate feedback-controlled isoflurane administration, nitrous oxide uptake, and the impact of a nonlinearity by incorporating the effect of enflurane on cardiac output. Two variants were concatenated to form a multiple model showing the concentration and second-gas effects. The model was capable of reproducing the anesthetic uptake from previous experimental studies for nitrous oxide. After its validation for other anesthetic agents, the model can be used for clinical, teaching, and research purposes. The SPSL freed the authors from the problems associated with computer programming and allowed them to concentrate on the structure of the model.

Anesthesia, Closed-Circuit↗

Saturnism caused by hand-made plates: partial diagnosis by a computer-aided program.

A man, aged 41 years, suffering from anaemia and abdominal pains was admitted to the Department of Medicine. Over the previous 2 years he had had several periods in hospital for these symptoms. There was, apparently, no occupational or accidental exposure to toxic substances and a correct diagnosis of the condition had not been possible. The computer-aided program AIDEDIAG II was therefore used to attempt a diagnosis. This approach indicated possible saturnism which was confirmed by metabolic and lead analyses. The lead source was identified as the hand-made food-plates used by the patient for his meals.

Adult↗

Teaching drug dosages by computer.

In the semester before using the computer program, 11 students out of 28 failed the final mastery exam in calculation of drug dosages and had to repeat it. Many hours of counseling were required. In the following fall semester, the computer program was not complete but was used partially by students who failed the math skills pretest. That semester there were two failures out of 32 on the final exam. The next semester, when the computer program was fully implemented, 32 students out of the 32 passed the final exam; 26 passed with 100 percent, five passed with 95 percent, and one passed with 90 percent. Thus while computer-assisted teaching may not be the answer for all areas in nursing education, it is very effective for some.

Computer-Assisted Instruction↗

[Validity of computer simulation in closed circuit anesthesia].

Developing a computer program to simulate the uptake, distribution, and elimination of inhalational anesthetics allow the anesthesiologist to address specific problems, but intense skills are required to translate the involved process first into a set of mathematical equations and then into a satisfactory computer program. The first step is facilitated by solutions offered in the literature. The second step by personal computer program now currently available as Gus, this program simulates anesthetic uptake and distribution using a numerical model with 12 compartments. Transport of anesthetic agents among the compartment occurs via convection of gas and blood during discrete iteration of the simulation. As initial clinical validation of the linear 12 compartment basic model the current study examined the predictive performance in 20 patients by comparing quantitatively the predicted and the measured alveolar concentration-time profiles after achievement of end tidal concentration of isoflurane (C-alv%) injected into a heated chamber (75 degrees) and then transported in closed circuit system during mechanical ventilation. With regard to the use of isoflurane 20 patients were adequately anesthetized with only 88 ml of liquid isoflurane and that is the same in simulation achieved by computer.

Adult↗

Use of a computer-assisted program to improve metacognition in persons with severe intellectual disabilities.

Metacognition and self-regulation are processes extremely relevant to education of persons with intellectual disabilities. They play a central role in specific limitations, such as outer-directedness and lack of strategy transfer, and are related to desirable educational objectives such as self-determination. Although computer-assisted training has shown to be successful in training specific abilities and general cognitive processes, interventions of this nature centering on metacognitive development are rare. A computer-assisted program aimed in this direction is presented. It was applied to 21 adolescents and young adults with a mean IQ of 36. Metacognitive scores improved for this group at posttest relative to pretest to a degree significantly different from gains found in an equivalent control group. Improvement was clear from the first sessions of the intervention and was maintained at a 6-month follow-up.

Adult↗

Computers as teachers: learning from animations.

The effectiveness of an interactive multimedia computer program, the "Electronic Textbook in Human Physiology," in improving the knowledge of students studying cardiovascular physiology was determined from scores on tests given before and immediately after completion of a two-hour animation program on the Cardiac Cycle and Introduction to Electrocardiography and by comparison of performance on a final examination taken later with their unexposed (control) classmates. Unsigned comments on the use of the program were obtained from all participants and were universally laudatory. A marked and significant improvement in the immediate posttest compared with the pretest scores was found. More importantly, the students who had used the computer program achieved a significantly higher grade in the cardiovascular section of the final exam than their (control) classmates. Several possible explanations of the results are offered; the most likely one is that the use of the computer program facilitated learning. The implications of this, especially for curriculum planning, are discussed.

Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena↗

Play it again with feeling: computer feedback in musical communication of emotions.

Communication of emotions is of crucial importance in music performance. Yet research has suggested that this skill is neglected in music education. This article presents and evaluates a computer program that automatically analyzes music performances and provides feedback to musicians in order to enhance their communication of emotions. Thirty-six semi-professional jazz /rock guitar players were randomly assigned to one of 3 conditions: (1) feedback from the computer program, (2) feedback from music teachers, and (3) repetition without feedback. Performance measures revealed the greatest improvement in communication accuracy for the computer program, but usability measures indicated that certain aspects of the program could be improved. Implications for music education are discussed.

Adult↗

A PC program for computing confidence bands for average and individual growth curves.

Dawson et al. (Am. J. Med. Genet. 7, 529-536, 1980) developed a procedure for constructing confidence bands for both average and individual growth curves which may be of considerable value in the study of growth and development. This paper describes their method for constructing, and provides a menu-driven GAUSS386i program for computing these confidence bands. It is demonstrated how these bands are useful for both the diagnosis and prognostication of growth patterns with known levels of confidence. It is assumed that the study is planned so that individuals will be measured at the same times, but missing data are allowed.

Confidence Intervals↗

Computer description of colours in dermoscopic melanocytic lesion images reproducing clinical assessment.

BACKGROUND: The assessment of colours is essential for the diagnosis of malignant melanoma (MM), both for pattern analysis on dermoscopic images, and when employing semiquantitative methods. OBJECTIVES: To develop a computer program for colour assessment in MM images mimicking the human perception of lesion colours, and to compare the automatic colour evaluation with one performed by human observers. METHODS: A colour palette comprising six colour groups (black, dark brown, light brown, blue-grey, red and white) was created by selecting single colour components inside melanocytic lesion images acquired by means of a digital videomicroscope, and was implemented in the image analysis program. Subsequently, colours were assessed by the computer program on 331 melanocytic lesion images composing our image database, and the results were compared with the evaluation of lesion colours performed by the clinician. RESULTS: The black, white and blue-grey colours were more frequently found in MMs than in naevi, both by the clinicians and by the computer. In MM images we observed 4.27 +/- 1.14 colours (mean + or - SD) per lesion, as opposed to 3.22 +/- 0.68 in naevi. The correlation between clinical and computer evaluation of the colours was very good, with a value of 0.781 for overall assessment. CONCLUSIONS: This innovative method for automatic colour evaluation, reproducing clinical assessment of melanocytic lesion colours, may provide numerical parameters to be employed for computer-aided diagnosis of MM.

Color↗