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Sample records for computerized provider order

  1. Computerized provider order entry systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2001-01-01

    Computerized provider order entry (CPOE) systems are designed to replace a hospital's paper-based ordering system. They allow users to electronically write the full range of orders, maintain an online medication administration record, and review changes made to an order by successive personnel. They also offer safety alerts that are triggered when an unsafe order (such as for a duplicate drug therapy) is entered, as well as clinical decision support to guide caregivers to less expensive alternatives or to choices that better fit established hospital protocols. CPOE systems can, when correctly configured, markedly increase efficiency and improve patient safety and patient care. However, facilities need to recognize that currently available CPOE systems require a tremendous amount of time and effort to be spent in customization before their safety and clinical support features can be effectively implemented. What's more, even after they've been customized, the systems may still allow certain unsafe orders to be entered. Thus, CPOE systems are not currently a quick or easy remedy for medical errors. ECRI's Evaluation of CPOE systems--conducted in collaboration with the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP)--discusses these and other related issues. It also examines and compares CPOE systems from three suppliers: Eclipsys Corp., IDX Systems Corp., and Siemens Medical Solutions Health Services Corp. Our testing focuses primarily on the systems' interfacing capabilities, patient safeguards, and ease of use.

  2. Computerized provider order entry in the clinical laboratory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baron, Jason M.; Dighe, Anand S.

    2011-01-01

    Clinicians have traditionally ordered laboratory tests using paper-based orders and requisitions. However, paper orders are becoming increasingly incompatible with the complexities, challenges, and resource constraints of our modern healthcare systems and are being replaced by electronic order entry systems. Electronic systems that allow direct provider input of diagnostic testing or medication orders into a computer system are known as Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) systems. Adoption of laboratory CPOE systems may offer institutions many benefits, including reduced test turnaround time, improved test utilization, and better adherence to practice guidelines. In this review, we outline the functionality of various CPOE implementations, review the reported benefits, and discuss strategies for using CPOE to improve the test ordering process. Further, we discuss barriers to the implementation of CPOE systems that have prevented their more widespread adoption. PMID:21886891

  3. Computerized provider order entry in the clinical laboratory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jason M Baron

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Clinicians have traditionally ordered laboratory tests using paper-based orders and requisitions. However, paper orders are becoming increasingly incompatible with the complexities, challenges, and resource constraints of our modern healthcare systems and are being replaced by electronic order entry systems. Electronic systems that allow direct provider input of diagnostic testing or medication orders into a computer system are known as Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE systems. Adoption of laboratory CPOE systems may offer institutions many benefits, including reduced test turnaround time, improved test utilization, and better adherence to practice guidelines. In this review, we outline the functionality of various CPOE implementations, review the reported benefits, and discuss strategies for using CPOE to improve the test ordering process. Further, we discuss barriers to the implementation of CPOE systems that have prevented their more widespread adoption.

  4. The Impact of Order Source Misattribution on Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) Performance Metrics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gellert, George A; Catzoela, Linda; Patel, Lajja; Bruner, Kylynn; Friedman, Felix; Ramirez, Ricardo; Saucedo, Lilliana; Webster, S Luke; Gillean, John A

    2017-01-01

    One strategy to foster adoption of computerized provider order entry (CPOE) by physicians is the monthly distribution of a list identifying the number and use rate percentage of orders entered electronically versus on paper by each physician in the facility. Physicians care about CPOE use rate reports because they support the patient safety and quality improvement objectives of CPOE implementation. Certain physician groups are also motivated because they participate in contracted financial and performance arrangements that include incentive payments or financial penalties for meeting (or failing to meet) a specified CPOE use rate target. Misattribution of order sources can hinder accurate measurement of individual physician CPOE use and can thereby undermine providers' confidence in their reported performance, as well as their motivation to utilize CPOE. Misattribution of order sources also has significant patient safety, quality, and medicolegal implications. This analysis sought to evaluate the magnitude and sources of misattribution among hospitalists with high CPOE use and, if misattribution was found, to formulate strategies to prevent and reduce its recurrence, thereby ensuring the integrity and credibility of individual and facility CPOE use rate reporting. A detailed manual order source review and validation of all orders issued by one hospitalist group at a midsize community hospital was conducted for a one-month study period. We found that a small but not dismissible percentage of orders issued by hospitalists-up to 4.18 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 3.84-4.56 percent) per month-were attributed inaccurately. Sources of misattribution by department or function were as follows: nursing, 42 percent; pharmacy, 38 percent; laboratory, 15 percent; unit clerk, 3 percent; and radiology, 2 percent. Order management and protocol were the most common correct order sources that were incorrectly attributed. Order source misattribution can negatively affect

  5. The Impact of Order Source Misattribution on Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) Performance Metrics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gellert, George A.; Catzoela, Linda; Patel, Lajja; Bruner, Kylynn; Friedman, Felix; Ramirez, Ricardo; Saucedo, Lilliana; Webster, S. Luke; Gillean, John A.

    2017-01-01

    Background One strategy to foster adoption of computerized provider order entry (CPOE) by physicians is the monthly distribution of a list identifying the number and use rate percentage of orders entered electronically versus on paper by each physician in the facility. Physicians care about CPOE use rate reports because they support the patient safety and quality improvement objectives of CPOE implementation. Certain physician groups are also motivated because they participate in contracted financial and performance arrangements that include incentive payments or financial penalties for meeting (or failing to meet) a specified CPOE use rate target. Misattribution of order sources can hinder accurate measurement of individual physician CPOE use and can thereby undermine providers’ confidence in their reported performance, as well as their motivation to utilize CPOE. Misattribution of order sources also has significant patient safety, quality, and medicolegal implications. Objective This analysis sought to evaluate the magnitude and sources of misattribution among hospitalists with high CPOE use and, if misattribution was found, to formulate strategies to prevent and reduce its recurrence, thereby ensuring the integrity and credibility of individual and facility CPOE use rate reporting. Methods A detailed manual order source review and validation of all orders issued by one hospitalist group at a midsize community hospital was conducted for a one-month study period. Results We found that a small but not dismissible percentage of orders issued by hospitalists—up to 4.18 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 3.84–4.56 percent) per month—were attributed inaccurately. Sources of misattribution by department or function were as follows: nursing, 42 percent; pharmacy, 38 percent; laboratory, 15 percent; unit clerk, 3 percent; and radiology, 2 percent. Order management and protocol were the most common correct order sources that were incorrectly attributed

  6. Using computerized provider order entry to enforce documentation of tests with pending results at hospital discharge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cadwallader, J; Asirwa, C; Li, X; Kesterson, J; Tierney, W M; Were, M C

    2012-01-01

    Small numbers of tests with pending results are documented in hospital discharge summaries leading to breakdown in communication and medical errors due to inadequate followup. Evaluate effect of using a computerized provider order entry (CPOE) system to enforce documentation of tests with pending results into hospital discharge summaries. We assessed the percent of all tests with pending results and those with actionable results that were documented before (n = 182 discharges) and after (n = 203 discharges) implementing the CPOE-enforcement tool. We also surveyed providers (n = 52) about the enforcement functionality. Documentation of all tests with pending results improved from 12% (87/701 tests) before to 22% (178/812 tests) (p = 0.02) after implementation. Documentation of tests with eventual actionable results increased from 0% (0/24) to 50% (14/28)(ppending results into discharge summaries significantly increased documentation rates, especially of actionable tests. However, gaps in documentation still exist.

  7. Mixed results in the safety performance of computerized physician order entry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Metzger, Jane; Welebob, Emily; Bates, David W; Lipsitz, Stuart; Classen, David C

    2010-04-01

    Computerized physician order entry is a required feature for hospitals seeking to demonstrate meaningful use of electronic medical record systems and qualify for federal financial incentives. A national sample of sixty-two hospitals voluntarily used a simulation tool designed to assess how well safety decision support worked when applied to medication orders in computerized order entry. The simulation detected only 53 percent of the medication orders that would have resulted in fatalities and 10-82 percent of the test orders that would have caused serious adverse drug events. It is important to ascertain whether actual implementations of computerized physician order entry are achieving goals such as improved patient safety.

  8. Computerized Provider Order Entry and Health Care Quality on Hospital Level among Pediatric Patients during 2006-2009

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Liya

    2016-01-01

    This study examined the association between Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) application and healthcare quality in pediatric patients at hospital level. This was a retrospective study among 1,428 hospitals with pediatric setting in Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Kid's Inpatient Database (KID) and Health Information and…

  9. Use of Order Sets in Inpatient Computerized Provider Order Entry Systems: A Comparative Analysis of Usage Patterns at Seven Sites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, Adam; Feblowitz, Joshua C.; Pang, Justine E.; Carpenter, James D.; Krall, Michael A.; Middleton, Blackford; Sittig, Dean F.

    2012-01-01

    Background Many computerized provider order entry (CPOE) systems include the ability to create electronic order sets: collections of clinically-related orders grouped by purpose. Order sets promise to make CPOE systems more efficient, improve care quality and increase adherence to evidence-based guidelines. However, the development and implementation of order sets can be expensive and time-consuming and limited literature exists about their utilization. Methods Based on analysis of order set usage logs from a diverse purposive sample of seven sites with commercially- and internally-developed inpatient CPOE systems, we developed an original order set classification system. Order sets were categorized across seven non-mutually exclusive axes: admission/discharge/transfer (ADT), perioperative, condition-specific, task-specific, service-specific, convenience, and personal. In addition, 731 unique subtypes were identified within five axes: four in ADT (S=4), three in perioperative, 144 in condition-specific, 513 in task-specific, and 67 in service-specific. Results Order sets (n=1,914) were used a total of 676,142 times at the participating sites during a one-year period. ADT and perioperative order sets accounted for 27.6% and 24.2% of usage respectively. Peripartum/labor, chest pain/Acute Coronary Syndrome/Myocardial Infarction and diabetes order sets accounted for 51.6% of condition-specific usage. Insulin, angiography/angioplasty and arthroplasty order sets accounted for 19.4% of task-specific usage. Emergency/trauma, Obstetrics/Gynecology/Labor Delivery and anesthesia accounted for 32.4% of service-specific usage. Overall, the top 20% of order sets accounted for 90.1% of all usage. Additional salient patterns are identified and described. Conclusion We observed recurrent patterns in order set usage across multiple sites as well as meaningful variations between sites. Vendors and institutional developers should identify high-value order set types through concrete

  10. [Is the ICU staff satisfied with the computerized physician order entry? A cross-sectional survey study].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fumis, Renata Rego Lins; Costa, Eduardo Leite Vieira; Martins, Paulo Sergio; Pizzo, Vladimir; Souza, Ivens Augusto; Schettino, Guilherme de Paula Pinto

    2014-01-01

    To evaluate the satisfaction of the intensive care unit staff with a computerized physician order entry and to compare the concept of the computerized physician order entry relevance among intensive care unit healthcare workers. We performed a cross-sectional survey to assess the satisfaction of the intensive care unit staff with the computerized physician order entry in a 30-bed medical/surgical adult intensive care unit using a self-administered questionnaire. The questions used for grading satisfaction levels were answered according to a numerical scale that ranged from 1 point (low satisfaction) to 10 points (high satisfaction). The majority of the respondents (n=250) were female (66%) between the ages of 30 and 35 years of age (69%). The overall satisfaction with the computerized physician order entry scored 5.74±2.14 points. The satisfaction was lower among physicians (n=42) than among nurses, nurse technicians, respiratory therapists, clinical pharmacists and diet specialists (4.62±1.79 versus 5.97±2.14, phealthcare workers were satisfied, albeit not entirely, with the computerized physician order entry. The overall users' satisfaction with computerized physician order entry was lower among physicians compared to other healthcare professionals. The factors associated with satisfaction included the belief that digitalization decreased the workload and contributed to the intensive care unit quality with a user-friendly and accurate system and that digitalization provided concise information within a reasonable time frame.

  11. Quality Assessment of Process Measures in Antimicrobial Stewardship: Concordance of Valacyclovir Indication and Automatic Prospective Approval in Computerized Provider Order Entry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Tiffany; McCoy, Christopher; Mahoney, Monica V

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Background The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) recommend computerized decision support at the time of prescribing as an antimicrobial stewardship (AST) tool. Providing antimicrobial indications during prescribing can optimize infection-specific therapy through appropriate antimicrobial selection, dosing, and frequency. The Leapfrog group identifies this as a quality measure for their report card system. At Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), indication-based dosing has been incorporated in the computerized provider order entry (CPOE) system since 2006. At BIDMC, valacyclovir is only approved for the treatment of varicella zoster (VZV) infection or prophylaxis of solid organ transplant (SOT) patients at low risk for cytomegalovirus. These indications bypass the need for AST approval. Accuracy validation of the selected indications has not been formally performed. Methods A retrospective chart review was performed in patients prescribed valacyclovir during an 8-month period in 2016. Electronic medical records, laboratory reports, and pharmacy records were reviewed to identify the suspected/confirmed infection. The primary outcome was the concordance rate of selected CPOE valacyclovir indication compared with suspected/confirmed infection at the time of ordering. The secondary outcome was the proportion of valacyclovir use per institutional protocol. Results Overall, 117 patients were included, with a median age of 57.9 years, 51 (43.6%) were male, and 4 (3.4%) were located in an intensive care unit. Fifty-nine orders (50.4%) selected VZV as the indication, followed by 21 orders (17.9%) for SOT prophylaxis. Of orders with any CPOE indication, only 59/101 (58.4%) were concordant with suspected/confirmed infection. Of the valacyclovir orders with a VZV indication, 37 (62.7%) were concordant. Of the orders with SOT prophylaxis indications, 5 (23.8%) were concordant

  12. Physicians' and Nurses' Opinions about the Impact of a Computerized Provider Order Entry System on Their Workflow.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayatollahi, Haleh; Roozbehi, Masoud; Haghani, Hamid

    2015-01-01

    In clinical practices, the use of information technology, especially computerized provider order entry (CPOE) systems, has been found to be an effective strategy to improve patient care. This study aimed to compare physicians' and nurses' views about the impact of CPOE on their workflow. This case study was conducted in 2012. The potential participants included all physicians (n = 28) and nurses (n = 145) who worked in a teaching hospital. Data were collected using a five-point Likert-scale questionnaire and were analyzed using SPSS version 18.0. The results showed a significant difference between physicians' and nurses' views about the impact of the system on interorganizational workflow (p = .001) and working relationships between physicians and nurses (p = .017). Interorganizational workflow and working relationships between care providers are important issues that require more attention. Before a CPOE system is designed, it is necessary to identify workflow patterns and hidden structures to avoid compromising quality of care and patient safety.

  13. Is the ICU staff satisfied with the computerized physician order entry? A cross-sectional survey study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fumis, Renata Rego Lins; Costa, Eduardo Leite Vieira; Martins, Paulo Sergio; Pizzo, Vladimir; Souza, Ivens Augusto; Schettino, Guilherme de Paula Pinto

    2014-01-01

    Objective To evaluate the satisfaction of the intensive care unit staff with a computerized physician order entry and to compare the concept of the computerized physician order entry relevance among intensive care unit healthcare workers. Methods We performed a cross-sectional survey to assess the satisfaction of the intensive care unit staff with the computerized physician order entry in a 30-bed medical/surgical adult intensive care unit using a self-administered questionnaire. The questions used for grading satisfaction levels were answered according to a numerical scale that ranged from 1 point (low satisfaction) to 10 points (high satisfaction). Results The majority of the respondents (n=250) were female (66%) between the ages of 30 and 35 years of age (69%). The overall satisfaction with the computerized physician order entry scored 5.74±2.14 points. The satisfaction was lower among physicians (n=42) than among nurses, nurse technicians, respiratory therapists, clinical pharmacists and diet specialists (4.62±1.79 versus 5.97±2.14, pdigitalization decreased the workload and contributed to the intensive care unit quality with a user-friendly and accurate system and that digitalization provided concise information within a reasonable time frame. PMID:24770682

  14. Default settings of computerized physician order entry system order sets drive ordering habits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olson, Jordan; Hollenbeak, Christopher; Donaldson, Keri; Abendroth, Thomas; Castellani, William

    2015-01-01

    Computerized physician order entry (CPOE) systems are quickly becoming ubiquitous, and groups of orders ("order sets") to allow for easy order input are a common feature. This provides a streamlined mechanism to view, modify, and place groups of related orders. This often serves as an electronic equivalent of a specialty requisition. A characteristic, of these order sets is that specific orders can be predetermined to be "preselected" or "defaulted-on" whenever the order set is used while others are "optional" or "defaulted-off" (though there is typically the option is to "deselect" defaulted-on tests in a given situation). While it seems intuitive that the defaults in an order set are often accepted, additional study is required to understand the impact of these "default" settings in an order set on ordering habits. This study set out to quantify the effect of changing the default settings of an order set. For quality improvement purposes, order sets dealing with transfusions were recently reviewed and modified to improve monitoring of outcome. Initially, the order for posttransfusion hematocrits and platelet count had the default setting changed from "optional" to "preselected." The default settings for platelet count was later changed back to "optional," allowing for a natural experiment to study the effect of the default selections of an order set on clinician ordering habits. Posttransfusion hematocrit values were ordered for 8.3% of red cell transfusions when the default order set selection was "off" and for 57.4% of transfusions when the default selection was "preselected" (P default order set selection was "optional," increased to 59.4% when the default was changed to "preselected" (P default selection was returned to "optional." The posttransfusion platelet count rates during the two "optional" periods: 7.0% versus 7.5% - were not statistically different (P = 0.620). Default settings in CPOE order sets can significantly influence physician selection of

  15. Using intranet-based order sets to standardize clinical care and prepare for computerized physician order entry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heffner, John E; Brower, Kathleen; Ellis, Rosemary; Brown, Shirley

    2004-07-01

    The high cost of computerized physician order entry (CPOE) and physician resistance to standardized care have delayed implementation. An intranet-based order set system can provide some of CPOE's benefits and offer opportunities to acculturate physicians toward standardized care. INTRANET CLINICIAN ORDER FORMS (COF): The COF system at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) allows caregivers to enter and print orders through the intranet at points of care and to access decision support resources. Work on COF began in March 2000 with transfer of 25 MUSC paper-based order set forms to an intranet site. Physician groups developed additional order sets, which number more than 200. Web traffic increased progressively during a 24-month period, peaking at more than 6,400 hits per month to COF. Decision support tools improved compliance with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services core indicators. Clinicians demonstrated a willingness to develop and use order sets and decision support tools posted on the COF site. COF provides a low-cost method for preparing caregivers and institutions to adopt CPOE and standardization of care. The educational resources, relevant links to external resources, and communication alerts will all link to CPOE, thereby providing a head start in CPOE implementation.

  16. The process of development of a prioritization tool for a clinical decision support build within a computerized provider order entry system: Experiences from St Luke's Health System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolf, Matthew; Miller, Suzanne; DeJong, Doug; House, John A; Dirks, Carl; Beasley, Brent

    2016-09-01

    To establish a process for the development of a prioritization tool for a clinical decision support build within a computerized provider order entry system and concurrently to prioritize alerts for Saint Luke's Health System. The process of prioritizing clinical decision support alerts included (a) consensus sessions to establish a prioritization process and identify clinical decision support alerts through a modified Delphi process and (b) a clinical decision support survey to validate the results. All members of our health system's physician quality organization, Saint Luke's Care as well as clinicians, administrators, and pharmacy staff throughout Saint Luke's Health System, were invited to participate in this confidential survey. The consensus sessions yielded a prioritization process through alert contextualization and associated Likert-type scales. Utilizing this process, the clinical decision support survey polled the opinions of 850 clinicians with a 64.7 percent response rate. Three of the top rated alerts were approved for the pre-implementation build at Saint Luke's Health System: Acute Myocardial Infarction Core Measure Sets, Deep Vein Thrombosis Prophylaxis within 4 h, and Criteria for Sepsis. This study establishes a process for developing a prioritization tool for a clinical decision support build within a computerized provider order entry system that may be applicable to similar institutions. © The Author(s) 2015.

  17. Discussion of “Attitude of Physicians Towards Automatic Alerting in Computerized Physician Order Entry Systems”

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bates, D. W.; Baysari, M. T.; Dugas, M.

    2013-01-01

    With these comments on the paper “Attitude of Physicians Towards Automatic Alerting in Computerized Physician Order Entry Systems”, written by Martin Jung and coauthors, with Dr. Elske Ammenwerth as senior author, the journal wants to stimulate a broad discussion on computerized physician order...... entry systems. An international group of experts have been invited by the editor of Methods to comment on this paper. Each of the invited commentaries forms one section of this paper....

  18. Lessons learned from implementation of computerized provider order entry in 5 community hospitals: a qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simon, Steven R; Keohane, Carol A; Amato, Mary; Coffey, Michael; Cadet, Bismarck; Zimlichman, Eyal; Bates, David W

    2013-06-24

    Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) can improve patient safety, quality and efficiency, but hospitals face a host of barriers to adopting CPOE, ranging from resistance among physicians to the cost of the systems. In response to the incentives for meaningful use of health information technology and other market forces, hospitals in the United States are increasingly moving toward the adoption of CPOE. The purpose of this study was to characterize the experiences of hospitals that have successfully implemented CPOE. We used a qualitative approach to observe clinical activities and capture the experiences of physicians, nurses, pharmacists and administrators at five community hospitals in Massachusetts (USA) that adopted CPOE in the past few years. We conducted formal, structured observations of care processes in diverse inpatient settings within each of the hospitals and completed in-depth, semi-structured interviews with clinicians and staff by telephone. After transcribing the audiorecorded interviews, we analyzed the content of the transcripts iteratively, guided by principles of the Immersion and Crystallization analytic approach. Our objective was to identify attitudes, behaviors and experiences that would constitute useful lessons for other hospitals embarking on CPOE implementation. Analysis of observations and interviews resulted in findings about the CPOE implementation process in five domains: governance, preparation, support, perceptions and consequences. Successful institutions implemented clear organizational decision-making mechanisms that involved clinicians (governance). They anticipated the need for education and training of a wide range of users (preparation). These hospitals deployed ample human resources for live, in-person training and support during implementation. Successful implementation hinged on the ability of clinical leaders to address and manage perceptions and the fear of change. Implementation proceeded smoothly when institutions

  19. Impact of a computerized provider radiography order entry system without clinical decision support on emergency department medical imaging requests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Claret, Pierre-Géraud; Bobbia, Xavier; Macri, Francesco; Stowell, Andrew; Motté, Antony; Landais, Paul; Beregi, Jean-Paul; de La Coussaye, Jean-Emmanuel

    2016-06-01

    The adoption of computerized physician order entry is an important cornerstone of using health information technology (HIT) in health care. The transition from paper to computer forms presents a change in physicians' practices. The main objective of this study was to investigate the impact of implementing a computer-based order entry (CPOE) system without clinical decision support on the number of radiographs ordered for patients admitted in the emergency department. This single-center pre-/post-intervention study was conducted in January, 2013 (before CPOE period) and January, 2014 (after CPOE period) at the emergency department at Nîmes University Hospital. All patients admitted in the emergency department who had undergone medical imaging were included in the study. Emergency department admissions have increased since the implementation of CPOE (5388 in the period before CPOE implementation vs. 5808 patients after CPOE implementation, p=.008). In the period before CPOE implementation, 2345 patients (44%) had undergone medical imaging; in the period after CPOE implementation, 2306 patients (40%) had undergone medical imaging (p=.008). In the period before CPOE, 2916 medical imaging procedures were ordered; in the period after CPOE, 2876 medical imaging procedures were ordered (p=.006). In the period before CPOE, 1885 radiographs were ordered; in the period after CPOE, 1776 radiographs were ordered (pmedical imaging did not vary between the two periods. Our results show a decrease in the number of radiograph requests after a CPOE system without clinical decision support was implemented in our emergency department. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. The Characteristics of Personal Order Sets in a Computerized Physician Order Entry System at a Community Hospital

    OpenAIRE

    Thomas, Sean M.; Davis, Daniel C.

    2003-01-01

    Personal order sets (POS) have been touted as important for the success of a computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system1. However, POS may systematize practice variability and are difficult to centrally administer. Few studies have looked at the characteristics and use of POS in a community hospital. We examined how POS are used at the Queen’s Medical Center (QMC). POS are an important part of the success of the QMC CPOE, but have definite disadvantages.

  1. [Implementation of computerized phisician order entry in a hospital setting: what are the keys to success?].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garçous, R; Remy, G; Bary, M; Amant, F; Cauwe, F; De Beusscher, L; Bouzette, A; De Coster, P; Hecq, J-D

    2013-06-01

    A software of computerized physician order entry [CPOE] was developed by a data-processing company in collaboration with the Mont-Godinne University Hospital By 2006, parallel to the evolution of the software, the progressive implementation of CPOE was carried out, and currently covers 16 wards, the emergency room, the recovery rooms and the center of medical care [day hospital] as well as the day surgical center Complete computerization of the drug supply chain, including the regulation by the physician, the pharmaceutical validation, the delivery and the follow-up of stocks by pharmacy, the validation of the administration by the nurse and the tariffing of the drugs. In 2006, a working group was created in order to validate specifications allowing the development of a software of CPOE, Linked to the computerized medical record. A data-processing company was selected in order to develop this software. Two beds were computerized in the pneumology ward, in order to test and validate the software. From 2007 to 2009, 3 additional wards were computerized [geriatrics, neurosurgery, revalidation]. A steering committee of CPOE, composed of various members (direction, doctors, pharmacists, nurses, data processing specialistsl is created. This committee allows the installation of the means necessary to the deployment of CPOE in the Institution. Structured teams for the deployment are created: medical and nurse coaches. From 2009 to 2012, the deployment of the software is carried out, covering 16 wards, the emergency room, the recovery room and the day-hospitals. The computerization of the drug supply chain is a challenge which concerns the institutional level. The assets of our hospital and our project were: - a strong management committee, making of this project a priority entering the strategical planning of the institution; - a steering committee allowing each type of actor to express his needs, and of prioriser requests; - a closer medical coaching; - teams of nurses

  2. Organization-wide adoption of computerized provider order entry systems: a study based on diffusion of innovations theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahimi, Bahlol; Timpka, Toomas; Vimarlund, Vivian; Uppugunduri, Srinivas; Svensson, Mikael

    2009-12-31

    Computerized provider order entry (CPOE) systems have been introduced to reduce medication errors, increase safety, improve work-flow efficiency, and increase medical service quality at the moment of prescription. Making the impact of CPOE systems more observable may facilitate their adoption by users. We set out to examine factors associated with the adoption of a CPOE system for inter-organizational and intra-organizational care. The diffusion of innovation theory was used to understand physicians' and nurses' attitudes and thoughts about implementation and use of the CPOE system. Two online survey questionnaires were distributed to all physicians and nurses using a CPOE system in county-wide healthcare organizations. The number of complete questionnaires analyzed was 134 from 200 nurses (67.0%) and 176 from 741 physicians (23.8%). Data were analyzed using descriptive-analytical statistical methods. More nurses (56.7%) than physicians (31.3%) stated that the CPOE system introduction had worked well in their clinical setting (P system not adapted to their specific professional practice (P = system (P = 0.041). We found that in particular the received relative advantages of the CPOE system were estimated to be significantly (P systems are introduced as a response to the present limitations in paper-based systems. In consequence, user expectations are often high on their relative advantages as well as on a low level of complexity. Building CPOE systems therefore requires designs that can provide rather important additional advantages, e.g. by preventing prescription errors and ultimately improving patient safety and safety of clinical work. The decision-making process leading to the implementation and use of CPOE systems in healthcare therefore has to be improved. As any change in health service settings usually faces resistance, we emphasize that CPOE system designers and healthcare decision-makers should continually collect users' feedback about the systems, while

  3. Organization-wide adoption of computerized provider order entry systems: a study based on diffusion of innovations theory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Timpka Toomas

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Computerized provider order entry (CPOE systems have been introduced to reduce medication errors, increase safety, improve work-flow efficiency, and increase medical service quality at the moment of prescription. Making the impact of CPOE systems more observable may facilitate their adoption by users. We set out to examine factors associated with the adoption of a CPOE system for inter-organizational and intra-organizational care. Methods The diffusion of innovation theory was used to understand physicians' and nurses' attitudes and thoughts about implementation and use of the CPOE system. Two online survey questionnaires were distributed to all physicians and nurses using a CPOE system in county-wide healthcare organizations. The number of complete questionnaires analyzed was 134 from 200 nurses (67.0% and 176 from 741 physicians (23.8%. Data were analyzed using descriptive-analytical statistical methods. Results More nurses (56.7% than physicians (31.3% stated that the CPOE system introduction had worked well in their clinical setting (P P = P = 0.041. We found that in particular the received relative advantages of the CPOE system were estimated to be significantly (P P Conclusions Qualifications for CPOE adoption as defined by three attributes of diffusion of innovation theory were not satisfied in the study setting. CPOE systems are introduced as a response to the present limitations in paper-based systems. In consequence, user expectations are often high on their relative advantages as well as on a low level of complexity. Building CPOE systems therefore requires designs that can provide rather important additional advantages, e.g. by preventing prescription errors and ultimately improving patient safety and safety of clinical work. The decision-making process leading to the implementation and use of CPOE systems in healthcare therefore has to be improved. As any change in health service settings usually faces resistance

  4. Impact of Computerized Order Entry to Pharmacy Interface on Order-Infusion Pump Discrepancies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rebecca A. Russell

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. The ability of safety technologies to decrease errors, harm, and risk to patients has yet to be demonstrated consistently. Objective. To compare discrepancies between medication and intravenous fluid (IVF orders and bedside infusion pump settings within a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU before and after implementation of an interface between computerized physician order entry (CPOE and pharmacy systems. Methods. Within a 72-bed PICU, medication and IVF orders in the CPOE system and bedside infusion pump settings were collected. Rates of discrepancy were calculated and categorized by type. Results were compared to a study conducted prior to interface implementation. Expansion of PICU also occurred between study periods. Results. Of 455 observations, discrepancy rate decreased for IVF (p=0.01 compared to previous study. Overall discrepancy rate for medications was unchanged; however, medications infusing without an order decreased (p<0.01, and orders without corresponding infusion increased (p<0.05. Conclusions. Following implementation of an interface between CPOE and pharmacy systems, fewer discrepancies between IVF orders and infusion pump settings were observed. Discrepancies for medications did not change, and some types of discrepancies increased. In addition to interface implementation, changes in healthcare delivery and workflow related to ICU expansion contributed to observed changes.

  5. Using a computerized provider order entry system to meet the unique prescribing needs of children: description of an advanced dosing model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Schellenberger Patricia

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background It is well known that the information requirements necessary to safely treat children with therapeutic medications cannot be met with the same approaches used in adults. Over a 1-year period, Duke University Hospital engaged in the challenging task of enhancing an established computerized provider order entry (CPOE system to address the unique medication dosing needs of pediatric patients. Methods An advanced dosing model (ADM was designed to interact with our existing CPOE application to provide decision support enabling complex pediatric dose calculations based on chronological age, gestational age, weight, care area in the hospital, indication, and level of renal impairment. Given that weight is a critical component of medication dosing that may change over time, alerting logic was added to guard against erroneous entry or outdated weight information. Results Pediatric CPOE was deployed in a staggered fashion across 6 care areas over a 14-month period. Safeguards to prevent miskeyed values became important in allowing providers the flexibility to override the ADM logic if desired. Methods to guard against over- and under-dosing were added. The modular nature of our model allows us to easily add new dosing scenarios for specialized populations as the pediatric population and formulary change over time. Conclusions The medical needs of pediatric patients vary greatly from those of adults, and the information systems that support those needs require tailored approaches to design and implementation. When a single CPOE system is used for both adults and pediatrics, safeguards such as redirection and suppression must be used to protect children from inappropriate adult medication dosing content. Unlike other pediatric dosing systems, our model provides active dosing assistance and dosing process management, not just static dosing advice.

  6. Core drug-drug interaction alerts for inclusion in pediatric electronic health records with computerized prescriber order entry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harper, Marvin B; Longhurst, Christopher A; McGuire, Troy L; Tarrago, Rod; Desai, Bimal R; Patterson, Al

    2014-03-01

    The study aims to develop a core set of pediatric drug-drug interaction (DDI) pairs for which electronic alerts should be presented to prescribers during the ordering process. A clinical decision support working group composed of Children's Hospital Association (CHA) members was developed. CHA Pharmacists and Chief Medical Information Officers participated. Consensus was reached on a core set of 19 DDI pairs that should be presented to pediatric prescribers during the order process. We have provided a core list of 19 high value drug pairs for electronic drug-drug interaction alerts to be recommended for inclusion as high value alerts in prescriber order entry software used with a pediatric patient population. We believe this list represents the most important pediatric drug interactions for practical implementation within computerized prescriber order entry systems.

  7. Consumer and provider responses to a computerized version of the Illness Management and Recovery Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright-Berryman, Jennifer L; Salyers, Michelle P; O'Halloran, James P; Kemp, Aaron S; Mueser, Kim T; Diazoni, Amanda J

    2013-12-01

    To explore mental health consumer and provider responses to a computerized version of the Illness Management and Recovery (IMR) program. Semistructured interviews were conducted to gather data from 6 providers and 12 consumers who participated in a computerized prototype of the IMR program. An inductive-consensus-based approach was used to analyze the interview responses. Qualitative analysis revealed consumers perceived various personal benefits and ease of use afforded by the new technology platform. Consumers also highly valued provider assistance and offered several suggestions to improve the program. The largest perceived barriers to future implementation were lack of computer skills and access to computers. Similarly, IMR providers commented on its ease and convenience, and the reduction of time intensive material preparation. Providers also expressed that the use of technology creates more options for the consumer to access treatment. The technology was acceptable, easy to use, and well-liked by consumers and providers. Clinician assistance with technology was viewed as helpful to get clients started with the program, as lack of computer skills and access to computers was a concern. Access to materials between sessions appears to be desired; however, given perceived barriers of computer skills and computer access, additional supports may be needed for consumers to achieve full benefits of a computerized version of IMR. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

  8. Significant reduction in red blood cell transfusions in a general hospital after successful implementation of a restrictive transfusion policy supported by prospective computerized order auditing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yerrabothala, Swaroopa; Desrosiers, Kevin P; Szczepiorkowski, Zbigniew M; Dunbar, Nancy M

    2014-10-01

    Our hospital transfusion policy was recently revised to recommend single-unit red blood cell transfusion (RBC TXN) for nonbleeding inpatients when the hemoglobin (Hb) level is not more than 7 g/dL. Our computerized provider order entry system was reconfigured to provide real-time decision support using prospective computerized order auditing based on the most recent Hb level and to remove the single-click ordering option for 2-unit RBC TXNs to enhance compliance. This study was undertaken to assess the impact of these changes on hospital transfusion practice. This study analyzed the total number of transfusion events, proportion of single and 2-unit transfusions and the Hb transfusion trigger in the preimplementation period (October 2011-March 2012) compared to the postimplementation period (October 2012-March 2013). In the postimplementation period the total number of RBC units transfused/1000 patient-days decreased from 60.8 to 44.2 (p auditing has resulted in significantly decreased RBC utilization at our institution. © 2014 AABB.

  9. Prevention of prescription errors by computerized, on-line, individual patient related surveillance of drug order entry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliven, A; Zalman, D; Shilankov, Y; Yeshurun, D; Odeh, M

    2002-01-01

    Computerized prescription of drugs is expected to reduce the number of many preventable drug ordering errors. In the present study we evaluated the usefullness of a computerized drug order entry (CDOE) system in reducing prescription errors. A department of internal medicine using a comprehensive CDOE, which included also patient-related drug-laboratory, drug-disease and drug-allergy on-line surveillance was compared to a similar department in which drug orders were handwritten. CDOE reduced prescription errors to 25-35%. The causes of errors remained similar, and most errors, on both departments, were associated with abnormal renal function and electrolyte balance. Residual errors remaining on the CDOE-using department were due to handwriting on the typed order, failure to feed patients' diseases, and system failures. The use of CDOE was associated with a significant reduction in mean hospital stay and in the number of changes performed in the prescription. The findings of this study both quantity the impact of comprehensive CDOE on prescription errors and delineate the causes for remaining errors.

  10. Computerized implementation of higher-order electron-correlation methods and their linear-scaling divide-and-conquer extensions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakano, Masahiko; Yoshikawa, Takeshi; Hirata, So; Seino, Junji; Nakai, Hiromi

    2017-11-05

    We have implemented a linear-scaling divide-and-conquer (DC)-based higher-order coupled-cluster (CC) and Møller-Plesset perturbation theories (MPPT) as well as their combinations automatically by means of the tensor contraction engine, which is a computerized symbolic algebra system. The DC-based energy expressions of the standard CC and MPPT methods and the CC methods augmented with a perturbation correction were proposed for up to high excitation orders [e.g., CCSDTQ, MP4, and CCSD(2) TQ ]. The numerical assessment for hydrogen halide chains, polyene chains, and first coordination sphere (C1) model of photoactive yellow protein has revealed that the DC-based correlation methods provide reliable correlation energies with significantly less computational cost than that of the conventional implementations. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. Implementation of computerized add-on testing for hospitalized patients in a large academic medical center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Ji Yeon; Kamis, Irina K; Singh, Balaji; Batra, Shalini; Dixon, Roberta H; Dighe, Anand S

    2011-05-01

    Physician requests for additional testing on an existing laboratory specimen (add-ons) are resource intensive and generally require a phone call to the laboratory. Verbal orders such as these have been noted to be associated with errors in accuracy. The aim of this study was to compare a novel computerized system for add-on requests to the prior verbal system. We compare the computerized add-on request system to the verbal system with respect to order completeness and workflow. We demonstrate that the computerized add-on system resulted in the complete in-laboratory documentation of the add-on request 100% of the time, compared to 58% with the verbal add-on system. In addition, we show that documentation of a verbal add-on request in the electronic medical record (EMR) occurred for 4% of requests, while in the computerized system EMR documentation occurred 100% of the time. We further demonstrate that the computerized add-on request process was well accepted by providers and did not significantly change the test mix of the add-on requests. In computerized physician order entry (CPOE) implementations, add-on order functionality should be considered so these orders are documented in the EMR.

  12. Usability evaluation of pharmacogenomics clinical decision support aids and clinical knowledge resources in a computerized provider order entry system: a mixed methods approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Devine, Emily Beth; Lee, Chia-Ju; Overby, Casey L; Abernethy, Neil; McCune, Jeannine; Smith, Joe W; Tarczy-Hornoch, Peter

    2014-07-01

    Pharmacogenomics (PGx) is positioned to have a widespread impact on the practice of medicine, yet physician acceptance is low. The presentation of context-specific PGx information, in the form of clinical decision support (CDS) alerts embedded in a computerized provider order entry (CPOE) system, can aid uptake. Usability evaluations can inform optimal design, which, in turn, can spur adoption. The study objectives were to: (1) evaluate an early prototype, commercial CPOE system with PGx-CDS alerts in a simulated environment, (2) identify potential improvements to the system user interface, and (3) understand the contexts under which PGx knowledge embedded in an electronic health record is useful to prescribers. Using a mixed methods approach, we presented seven cardiologists and three oncologists with five hypothetical clinical case scenarios. Each scenario featured a drug for which a gene encoding drug metabolizing enzyme required consideration of dosage adjustment. We used Morae(®) to capture comments and on-screen movements as participants prescribed each drug. In addition to PGx-CDS alerts, 'Infobutton(®)' and 'Evidence' icons provided participants with clinical knowledge resources to aid decision-making. Nine themes emerged. Five suggested minor improvements to the CPOE user interface; two suggested presenting PGx information through PGx-CDS alerts using an 'Infobutton' or 'Evidence' icon. The remaining themes were strong recommendations to provide succinct, relevant guidelines and dosing recommendations of phenotypic information from credible and trustworthy sources; any more information was overwhelming. Participants' median rating of PGx-CDS system usability was 2 on a Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly agree) to 7 (strongly disagree). Usability evaluation results suggest that participants considered PGx information important for improving prescribing decisions; and that they would incorporate PGx-CDS when information is presented in relevant and

  13. Impact of providing fee data on laboratory test ordering: a controlled clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feldman, Leonard S; Shihab, Hasan M; Thiemann, David; Yeh, Hsin-Chieh; Ardolino, Margaret; Mandell, Steven; Brotman, Daniel J

    2013-05-27

    Inpatient care providers often order laboratory tests without any appreciation for the costs of the tests. To determine whether we could decrease the number of laboratory tests ordered by presenting providers with test fees at the time of order entry in a tertiary care hospital, without adding extra steps to the ordering process. Controlled clinical trial. Tertiary care hospital. All providers, including physicians and nonphysicians, who ordered laboratory tests through the computerized provider order entry system at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. We randomly assigned 61 diagnostic laboratory tests to an "active" arm (fee displayed) or to a control arm (fee not displayed). During a 6-month baseline period (November 10, 2008, through May 9, 2009), we did not display any fee data. During a 6-month intervention period 1 year later (November 10, 2009, through May 9, 2010), we displayed fees, based on the Medicare allowable fee, for active tests only. We examined changes in the total number of orders placed, the frequency of ordered tests (per patient-day), and total charges associated with the orders according to the time period (baseline vs intervention period) and by study group (active test vs control). For the active arm tests, rates of test ordering were reduced from 3.72 tests per patient-day in the baseline period to 3.40 tests per patient-day in the intervention period (8.59% decrease; 95% CI, -8.99% to -8.19%). For control arm tests, ordering increased from 1.15 to 1.22 tests per patient-day from the baseline period to the intervention period (5.64% increase; 95% CI, 4.90% to 6.39%) (P fee data to providers at the time of order entry resulted in a modest decrease in test ordering. Adoption of this intervention may reduce the number of inappropriately ordered diagnostic tests.

  14. The impact of computerized physician order entry on prescription orders: A quasi-experimental study in Iran

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khammarnia, Mohammad; Sharifian, Roxana; Zand, Farid; Barati, Omid; Keshtkaran, Ali; Sabetian, Golnar; Shahrokh, , Nasim; Setoodezadeh, Fatemeh

    2017-01-01

    Background: One way to reduce medical errors associated with physician orders is computerized physician order entry (CPOE) software. This study was conducted to compare prescription orders between 2 groups before and after CPOE implementation in a hospital. Methods: We conducted a before-after prospective study in 2 intensive care unit (ICU) wards (as intervention and control wards) in the largest tertiary public hospital in South of Iran during 2014 and 2016. All prescription orders were validated by a clinical pharmacist and an ICU physician. The rates of ordering the errors in medical orders were compared before (manual ordering) and after implementation of the CPOE. A standard checklist was used for data collection. For the data analysis, SPSS Version 21, descriptive statistics, and analytical tests such as McNemar, chi-square, and logistic regression were used. Results: The CPOE significantly decreased 2 types of errors, illegible orders and lack of writing the drug form, in the intervention ward compared to the control ward (p< 0.05); however, the 2 errors increased due to the defect in the CPOE (p< 0.001). The use of CPOE decreased the prescription errors from 19% to 3% (p= 0.001), However, no differences were observed in the control ward (p<0.05). In addition, more errors occurred in the morning shift (p< 0.001). Conclusion: In general, the use of CPOE significantly reduced the prescription errors. Nonetheless, more caution should be exercised in the use of this system, and its deficiencies should be resolved. Furthermore, it is recommended that CPOE be used to improve the quality of delivered services in hospitals. PMID:29445698

  15. The impact of computerized physician order entry on prescription orders: A quasi-experimental study in Iran.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khammarnia, Mohammad; Sharifian, Roxana; Zand, Farid; Barati, Omid; Keshtkaran, Ali; Sabetian, Golnar; Shahrokh, Nasim; Setoodezadeh, Fatemeh

    2017-01-01

    Background: One way to reduce medical errors associated with physician orders is computerized physician order entry (CPOE) software. This study was conducted to compare prescription orders between 2 groups before and after CPOE implementation in a hospital. Methods: We conducted a before-after prospective study in 2 intensive care unit (ICU) wards (as intervention and control wards) in the largest tertiary public hospital in South of Iran during 2014 and 2016. All prescription orders were validated by a clinical pharmacist and an ICU physician. The rates of ordering the errors in medical orders were compared before (manual ordering) and after implementation of the CPOE. A standard checklist was used for data collection. For the data analysis, SPSS Version 21, descriptive statistics, and analytical tests such as McNemar, chi-square, and logistic regression were used. Results: The CPOE significantly decreased 2 types of errors, illegible orders and lack of writing the drug form, in the intervention ward compared to the control ward (p< 0.05); however, the 2 errors increased due to the defect in the CPOE (p< 0.001). The use of CPOE decreased the prescription errors from 19% to 3% (p= 0.001), However, no differences were observed in the control ward (p<0.05). In addition, more errors occurred in the morning shift (p< 0.001). Conclusion: In general, the use of CPOE significantly reduced the prescription errors. Nonetheless, more caution should be exercised in the use of this system, and its deficiencies should be resolved. Furthermore, it is recommended that CPOE be used to improve the quality of delivered services in hospitals.

  16. Effectiveness of a real-time clinical decision support system for computerized physician order entry of plasma orders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yazer, Mark H; Triulzi, Darrell J; Reddy, Vivek; Waters, Jonathan H

    2013-12-01

    We investigated the effect of implementing adaptive plasma ordering criteria in the computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system, with alerts that were automatically generated if the recipient's antecedent international normalized ratio (INR) did not meet the institutional criteria. In a regional health care system consisting of 11 hospitals using a common CPOE, data on the number of plasma orders and alerts that were generated were collected over a 4-month period before prescribers were required to select an indication for plasma. When adaptive ordering was implemented prescribers had to choose from prepopulated indications for plasma: INR of 1.6 or greater with bleeding, INR of 1.6 or greater before an invasive procedure, therapeutic exchange, massive transfusion, and other. Regardless of the antecedent INR the alert did not trigger if massive transfusion or plasmapheresis was selected. Information on prescribers and recipients was collected during this 5-month period. In the 4-month period before the adaptive alerts were implemented, 42.9% of the plasma orders generated an alert; in the 5-month period thereafter the alert rate was significantly lower at 27.9% (p plasma orders were for periprocedure or bleeding patients whose antecedent INR was less than 1.6. There were significant differences in prescriber specialties among those who ordered plasma using the other indication compared to all plasma orders. Electronic interventions improve compliance with plasma guidelines but as implemented are not sufficient to completely curtail non-evidence-based ordering. © 2013 American Association of Blood Banks.

  17. Physicians' Perceptions on the usefulness of contextual information for prioritizing and presenting alerts in computerized physician order entry systems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jung, Martin; Riedmann, Daniel; Hackl, Werner O.; Hoerbst, Alexander; Jaspers, Monique W.; Ferret, Laurie; Lawton, Kitta; Ammenwerth, Elske

    2012-01-01

    Background: One possible approach towards avoiding alert overload and alert fatigue in Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) systems is to tailor their drug safety alerts to the context of the clinical situation. Our objective was to identify the perceptions of physicians on the usefulness of

  18. The evolution of the market for commercial computerized physician order entry and computerized decision support systems for prescribing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mozaffar, Hajar; Williams, Robin; Cresswell, Kathrin; Morrison, Zoe; Bates, David W; Sheikh, Aziz

    2016-03-01

    To understand the evolving market of commercial off-the-shelf Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) and Computerized Decision Support (CDS) applications and its effects on their uptake and implementation in English hospitals. Although CPOE and CDS vendors have been quick to enter the English market, uptake has been slow and uneven. To investigate this, the authors undertook qualitative ethnography of vendors and adopters of hospital CPOE/CDS systems in England. The authors collected data from semi-structured interviews with 11 individuals from 4 vendors, including the 2 most entrenched suppliers, and 6 adopter hospitals, and 21 h of ethnographic observation of 2 user groups, and 1 vendor event. The research and analysis was informed by insights from studies of the evolution of technology fields and the emergence of generic COTS enterprise solutions. Four key themes emerged: (1) adoption of systems that had been developed outside of England, (2) vendors' configuration and customization strategies, (3) localized adopter practices vs generic systems, and (4) unrealistic adopter demands. Evidence for our over-arching finding concerning the current immaturity of the market was derived from vendors' strategies, adopters' reactions to the technology, and policy makers' incomplete insights. The CPOE/CDS market in England is still in an emergent phase. The rapid entrance of diverse products, triggered by federal policy initiatives, has resulted in premature adoption of systems that do not yet adequately meet the needs of hospitals. Vendors and adopters lacked understanding of how to design and implement generic solutions to meet diverse user needs. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  19. Computerized analysis of isometric tension studies provides important additional information about vasomotor activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vincent M.B.

    1997-01-01

    Full Text Available Concentration-response curves of isometric tension studies on isolated blood vessels are obtained traditionally. Although parameters such as Imax, EC50 and pA2 may be readily calculated, this method does not provide information on the temporal profile of the responses or the actual nature of the reaction curves. Computerized data acquisition systems can be used to obtain average data that represent a new source of otherwise inaccessible information, since early and late responses may be observed separately in detail

  20. Unintended Transformations of Clinical Relations with a Computerized Physician Order Entry System

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wentzer, Helle; Böttger, Ulrich; Boye, Niels

    2007-01-01

    A socio-technical approach was used to study the qualitative effects of deploying a medication CPOE (Computerized Physician Order Entry System with no decision support) at two internal medical wards in a hospital in Denmark. Our results show spatial and temporal transformations of core acts...... and relations in medication work, i.e. of the intended use of the system inscribed in hardware and software, in the relations of care between doctors and patients, of collaboration between doctors and nurses, and prospectively of the patients’ trajectories when readmitted to hospital or another health care...... or ‘doing medication’. The paper argues for the project organization to support the local collaboration and renegotiation of time and place of enacting medication with CPOE, as well as set up feedback for maturation of the software for future clinical use....

  1. Impact of computerized order entry and pre-mixed dialysis solutions for continuous veno-venous hemodiafiltration on selection of therapy for acute renal failure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saadulla, Lawand; Reeves, W Brian; Irey, Brittany; Ghahramani, Nasrollah

    2012-02-01

    To investigate the impacts of availability of pre-mixed solutions and computerized order entry on nephrologists' choice of the initial mode of renal replacement therapy in acute renal failure. We studied 898 patients with acute renal failure in 3 consecutive eras: era 1 (custom-mixed solution; n = 309), era 2 (pre-mixed commercial solution; n = 324), and era 3 (post-computerized order entry; n = 265). The proportion of patients treated with renal replacement therapy and the time from consult to initiation of continuous renal replacement therapy was similar in the 3 eras. Following introduction of the pre-mixed solution, the proportion of patients treated with continuous renal replacement therapy increased (20% vs. 33%; p mixed solution increases the likelihood of initiating continuous renal replacement therapy in acute renal failure, initiating it at a lower creatinine and for older patients, use of continuous veno-venous hemodialysis and higher prescribed continuous renal replacement therapy dose. Computerized order entry implementation is associated with an additional increase in the use of continuous veno-venous hemodialysis, higher total prescribed dialysis dose, and use of CRRT among an increasing number of patients not on mechanical ventilation. The effect of these changes on patient survival is not significant.

  2. Human Reliability Analysis For Computerized Procedures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boring, Ronald L.; Gertman, David I.; Le Blanc, Katya

    2011-01-01

    This paper provides a characterization of human reliability analysis (HRA) issues for computerized procedures in nuclear power plant control rooms. It is beyond the scope of this paper to propose a new HRA approach or to recommend specific methods or refinements to those methods. Rather, this paper provides a review of HRA as applied to traditional paper-based procedures, followed by a discussion of what specific factors should additionally be considered in HRAs for computerized procedures. Performance shaping factors and failure modes unique to computerized procedures are highlighted. Since there is no definitive guide to HRA for paper-based procedures, this paper also serves to clarify the existing guidance on paper-based procedures before delving into the unique aspects of computerized procedures.

  3. Computerized tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rubashov, I.B.

    1985-01-01

    Operating principle is described for the devices of computerized tomography used in medicine for diagnosis of brain diseases. Computerized tomography is considered as a part of computerized diagnosis, as a part of information science. It is shown that computerized tomography is a real existed field of investigations in medicine and industrial production

  4. Modernizing computerized nuclear material accounting systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Erkkila, B.H.; Claborn, J.

    1995-01-01

    DOE Orders and draft orders for nuclear material control and accountability address a complete material control and accountability (MC and A) program for all DOE contractors processing, using, or storing nuclear materials. A critical element of an MC and A program is the accounting system used to track and record all inventories of nuclear material and movements of materials in those inventories. Most DOE facilities use computerized accounting systems to facilitate the task of accounting for all their inventory of nuclear materials. Many facilities still use a mixture of a manual paper system with a computerized system. Also, facilities may use multiple systems to support information needed for MC and A. For real-time accounting it is desirable to implement a single integrated data base management system for a variety of users. In addition to accountability needs, waste management, material management, and production operations must be supported. Information in these systems can also support criticality safety and other safety issues. Modern networked microcomputers provide extensive processing and reporting capabilities that single mainframe computer systems struggle with. This paper describes an approach being developed at Los Alamos to address these problems

  5. Evaluation of brain scintigraphy and computerized tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cavailloles, F.; Dairou, R.; Desbleds, M.T.; Benoit, C.; Larmande, P.; Bok, B.; Alperovitch, A.

    1983-01-01

    In order to assess the clinical usefulness of brain computerized tomography and radionuclide scan, a prospective study was performed on a series of 554 patients. The detection rate was assessed as well as the identification rate of lesions. In addition, the usefulness of both tests was appreciated subjectively by two neurologists reviewing the patients' files. Both give reasonably similar results: computerized tomography is superior to radionuclide scan in the diagnosis of tumors and intracerebral hematomas, the radionuclide scan being slightly superior in the diagnosis of purely ischemic CVA and subdural hematomas. The superiority which was subjectively conceded to computerized tomography was greater than that objectively demonstrated. However, clinical usefulness of computerized tomography was judged important in only 50% of the cases. Moreover, to request both computerized tomography and radionuclide scan appeared as having no interest in 83% of the cases. In that series, the diagnostic hypotheses were in agreement with the final diagnosis in 88% of the cases. Bias encountered in this type of studies are discussed [fr

  6. A novel class of laboratory middleware. Promoting information flow and improving computerized provider order entry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grisson, Ricky; Kim, Ji Yeon; Brodsky, Victor; Kamis, Irina K; Singh, Balaji; Belkziz, Sidi M; Batra, Shalini; Myers, Harold J; Demyanov, Alexander; Dighe, Anand S

    2010-06-01

    A central duty of the laboratory is to inform clinicians about the availability and usefulness of laboratory testing. In this report, we describe a new class of laboratory middleware that connects the traditional clinical laboratory information system with the rest of the enterprise, facilitating information flow about testing services. We demonstrate the value of this approach in efficiently supporting an inpatient order entry application. We also show that order entry monitoring and iterative middleware updates can enhance ordering efficiency and promote improved ordering practices. Furthermore, we demonstrate the value of algorithmic approaches to improve the accuracy and completeness of laboratory test searches. We conclude with a discussion of design recommendations for middleware applications and discuss the potential role of middleware as a sharable, centralized repository of laboratory test information.

  7. [Computerized medical record: deontology and legislation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allaert, F A; Dusserre, L

    1996-02-01

    Computerization of medical records is making headway for patients' follow-up, scientific research, and health expenses control, but it must not alter the guarantees provided to the patients by the medical code of ethics and the law of January 6, 1978. This law, modified on July 1, 1994, requires to register all computerized records of personal data and establishes rights to protect privacy against computer misdemeanor. All medical practitioners using computerized medical records must be aware that the infringement of this law may provoke suing in professional, civil or criminal court.

  8. The effect of automated alerts on provider ordering behavior in an outpatient setting.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2005-09-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Computerized order entry systems have the potential to prevent medication errors and decrease adverse drug events with the use of clinical-decision support systems presenting alerts to providers. Despite the large volume of medications prescribed in the outpatient setting, few studies have assessed the impact of automated alerts on medication errors related to drug-laboratory interactions in an outpatient primary-care setting. METHODS AND FINDINGS: A primary-care clinic in an integrated safety net institution was the setting for the study. In collaboration with commercial information technology vendors, rules were developed to address a set of drug-laboratory interactions. All patients seen in the clinic during the study period were eligible for the intervention. As providers ordered medications on a computer, an alert was displayed if a relevant drug-laboratory interaction existed. Comparisons were made between baseline and postintervention time periods. Provider ordering behavior was monitored focusing on the number of medication orders not completed and the number of rule-associated laboratory test orders initiated after alert display. Adverse drug events were assessed by doing a random sample of chart reviews using the Naranjo scoring scale. The rule processed 16,291 times during the study period on all possible medication orders: 7,017 during the pre-intervention period and 9,274 during the postintervention period. During the postintervention period, an alert was displayed for 11.8% (1,093 out of 9,274 of the times the rule processed, with 5.6% for only "missing laboratory values," 6.0% for only "abnormal laboratory values," and 0.2% for both types of alerts. Focusing on 18 high-volume and high-risk medications revealed a significant increase in the percentage of time the provider stopped the ordering process and did not complete the medication order when an alert for an abnormal rule-associated laboratory result was displayed

  9. The computerized point of order processing at the dairying plant

    OpenAIRE

    Pankauskienė, Dalia

    2007-01-01

    Darbe išanalizuota IS kūrimo principai ir problemos, pieno perdirbimo įmonės veikla. Pasirinktos užsakymų priėmimo sistemos projektavimo ir projekto realizavimo priemonės. Atliktas užsakymų priėmimo IS projektavimas. Sukurta duomenų bazė, kurios pagalba suprojektuota užsakymų priėmimo kompiuterizuota darbo vieta pieno perdirbimo įmonėje. Company’s business computerization stands for creating and installing an information system which would satisfy all company’s needs. Such system’s creatio...

  10. Computerized systems of NPP operators support. (Psychological problems)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mashin, V.A.

    1995-01-01

    Operator psychological problems arising in the work with NPP operators support computerized systems (OSCS) are considered. The conclusion is made that the OSCS intellectual application will bring the operator into dangerous dependence on his computerized assistant. To avoid this danger it is necessary by creation of the OSCS to divide specially the tasks areas of the operator and OSCS in order to assure the active role of the operator in the NPP control

  11. Relationship between medication event rates and the Leapfrog computerized physician order entry evaluation tool.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leung, Alexander A; Keohane, Carol; Lipsitz, Stuart; Zimlichman, Eyal; Amato, Mary; Simon, Steven R; Coffey, Michael; Kaufman, Nathan; Cadet, Bismarck; Schiff, Gordon; Seger, Diane L; Bates, David W

    2013-06-01

    The Leapfrog CPOE evaluation tool has been promoted as a means of monitoring computerized physician order entry (CPOE). We sought to determine the relationship between Leapfrog scores and the rates of preventable adverse drug events (ADE) and potential ADE. A cross-sectional study of 1000 adult admissions in five community hospitals from October 1, 2008 to September 30, 2010 was performed. Observed rates of preventable ADE and potential ADE were compared with scores reported by the Leapfrog CPOE evaluation tool. The primary outcome was the rate of preventable ADE and the secondary outcome was the composite rate of preventable ADE and potential ADE. Leapfrog performance scores were highly related to the primary outcome. A 43% relative reduction in the rate of preventable ADE was predicted for every 5% increase in Leapfrog scores (rate ratio 0.57; 95% CI 0.37 to 0.88). In absolute terms, four fewer preventable ADE per 100 admissions were predicted for every 5% increase in overall Leapfrog scores (rate difference -4.2; 95% CI -7.4 to -1.1). A statistically significant relationship between Leapfrog scores and the secondary outcome, however, was not detected. Our findings support the use of the Leapfrog tool as a means of evaluating and monitoring CPOE performance after implementation, as addressed by current certification standards. Scores from the Leapfrog CPOE evaluation tool closely relate to actual rates of preventable ADE. Leapfrog testing may alert providers to potential vulnerabilities and highlight areas for further improvement.

  12. Electronic Chemotherapy Order Entry: A Major Cancer Center's Implementation

    OpenAIRE

    Sklarin, Nancy T.; Granovsky, Svetlana; O'Reilly, Eileen M.; Zelenetz, Andrew D.

    2011-01-01

    Implementation of computerized provider order entry for complex chemotherapy regimens supported Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center's strategic plan to successfully establish a distributive, networked health care delivery system.

  13. Computerized operation of the DIII-D neutral beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Glad, A.S.; Tooker, J.F.

    1986-01-01

    Operation of the DIII-D neutral beams utilizes computerized control to provide routine tokamak beam heating shots and an effective method for automatic ion source operation. Computerized control reduces operational complexity, thus providing consistent reliability and availability of beams and a significant reduction in the the costs of routine operation. The objectives in implementing computerized control for operation were: (1) to improve operator efficiency for controlling multiple beam lines and increasing beam availability through standard procedures, (2) to provide a simplified scheme that operators and coordinators can construct and maintain, and (3) to provide a single integrated mechanism for both tokamak operation and automatic source conditioning. The years of experience in operating neutral beams at Doublet III provided the data necessary to meet the objectives. The method for computerized control consisted of three integrated functions: (1) a structured command language was implemented to provide the mechanism for automatically sequencing beams, (2) a historical file was constructed from the operational parameters to characterize the ion source, and consists of data from approximately 100,000 beam shots, and (3) procedures were developed integrating the language to the historical file for normal operation and source conditioning. This paper describes the method for sequencing beams automatically, the structure of the historical data file, and the procedures which integrate the historical data with tokamak operation and automatic source conditioning

  14. Computerizing Maintenance Management Improves School Processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conroy, Pat

    2002-01-01

    Describes how a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS), a centralized maintenance operations database that facilitates work order procedures and staff directives, can help individual school campuses and school districts to manage maintenance. Presents the benefits of CMMS and things to consider in CMMS selection. (EV)

  15. Electronic Chemotherapy Order Entry: A Major Cancer Center's Implementation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sklarin, Nancy T; Granovsky, Svetlana; O'Reilly, Eileen M; Zelenetz, Andrew D

    2011-07-01

    Implementation of a computerized provider order entry system for complex chemotherapy regimens at a large cancer center required intense effort from a multidisciplinary team of clinical and systems experts with experience in all facets of the chemotherapy process. The online tools had to resemble the paper forms used at the time and parallel the successful established process as well as add new functionality. Close collaboration between the institution and the vendor was necessary. This article summarizes the institutional efforts, challenges, and collaborative processes that facilitated universal chemotherapy computerized electronic order entry across multiple sites during a period of several years.

  16. Computerized adaptive testing item selection in computerized adaptive learning systems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Eggen, Theodorus Johannes Hendrikus Maria; Eggen, T.J.H.M.; Veldkamp, B.P.

    2012-01-01

    Item selection methods traditionally developed for computerized adaptive testing (CAT) are explored for their usefulness in item-based computerized adaptive learning (CAL) systems. While in CAT Fisher information-based selection is optimal, for recovering learning populations in CAL systems item

  17. Computerized accounting methods. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-01-01

    This report summarizes the results of the research performed under the Task Order on computerized accounting methods in a period from 03 August to 31 December 1994. Computerized nuclear material accounting methods are analyzed and evaluated. Selected methods are implemented in a hardware-software complex developed as a prototype of the local network-based CONMIT system. This complex has been put into trial operation for test and evaluation of the selected methods at two selected ''Kurchatov Institute'' Russian Research Center (''KI'' RRC) nuclear facilities. Trial operation is carried out since the beginning of Initial Physical Inventory Taking in these facilities that was performed in November 1994. Operation of CONMIT prototype system was demonstrated in the middle of December 1994. Results of evaluation of CONMIT prototype system features and functioning under real operating conditions are considered. Conclusions are formulated on the ways of further development of computerized nuclear material accounting methods. The most important conclusion is a need to strengthen computer and information security features supported by the operating environment. Security provisions as well as other LANL Client/Server System approaches being developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory are recommended for selection of software and hardware components to be integrated into production version of CONMIT system for KI RRC

  18. A COMPUTERIZED OPERATOR SUPPORT SYSTEM PROTOTYPE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thomas A. Ulrich; Roger Lew; Ronald L. Boring; Ken Thomas

    2015-03-01

    A computerized operator support system (COSS) is proposed for use in nuclear power plants to assist control room operators in addressing time-critical plant upsets. A COSS is a collection of technologies to assist operators in monitoring overall plant performance and making timely, informed decisions on appropriate control actions for the projected plant condition. A prototype COSS was developed in order to demonstrate the concept and provide a test bed for further research. The prototype is based on four underlying elements consisting of a digital alarm system, computer-based procedures, piping and instrumentation diagram system representations, and a recommender module for mitigation actions. The initial version of the prototype is now operational at the Idaho National Laboratory using the Human System Simulation Laboratory.

  19. Examinations and patient management in radiologic diagnostics by means of a computerized data-processing communications system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klotz, E.; Remplik, V.; Opfer, M.; Wilde, E.

    1986-01-01

    Concept, realization and a two-year experience in routine use of a computerized data-processing communications system supporting the central radiology department in a 1.625-bed, municipal hospital are discussed. Via the hospital ward-linked terminal network, routine X-ray examination is so ordered, that individual medical case information is provided, which certifies qualified clinical and diagnostic procedure along with good patient preparation and transportation. Complete information and documentation are also ensured. It was shown, that good motivation among involved radiologists and their close working-association with other departments are mandatory from the start to maintain exact time schedules and satisfactory completion of ordered X-ray procedures. Subsequently, the assistance through computerized data-processing becomes an accepted help - so far as it is appropriately used - as time goes by in its routine use. (orig.) [de

  20. Recurrent lymph node metastases after craniocervical tumours: Computerized tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Helmberger, H.; Lenz, M.; Kersting-Sommerhoff, B.; Bautz, W.; Kretz, S.

    1992-01-01

    A total of 544 CT examinations of the craniocervical region carried out in 231 patients were analyzed on a retrospective basis in order to assess the clinical value of contrast-enhanced computerized tomography, being carried out either for comparison with or in combination with clinical control examinations, in the post-therapeutic surveillance of patients treated for craniocervical tumours. The diagnostic accuracy attained with computerized tomography in the detection of recurrent lymph node metastases was 95% and thus superior to that determined for clinical control examinations (80%). (orig./GDG) [de

  1. Experience feedback of computerized controlled nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poizat, F.

    2004-01-01

    The N4 step of French PWR-type nuclear power plants is characterized by an instrumentation and control system entirely computerized (operation procedures including normal and accidental operation). Four power plants of this type (Chooz and Civaux sites) of 1450 MWe each were connected to the power grid between August 1996 and December 1999. The achievement of this program make it possible and necessary to carry out an experience feedback about the development, successes and difficulties encountered in order to draw out some lessons for future realizations. This is the aim of this article: 1 - usefulness and difficulties of such an experience feedback: evolution of instrumentation and control systems, necessary cautions; 2 - a successful computerized control: checking of systems operation, advantages, expectations; 3 - efficiency of computerized systems: demonstration of operation safety, profitability; 4 - conclusions and interrogations: system approach instead of 'micro-software' approach, commercial or 'made to measure' products, contract agreement with a supplier, when and how upgrading. (J.S.)

  2. 15 CFR 950.9 - Computerized Environmental Data and Information Retrieval Service.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... Information Retrieval Service. 950.9 Section 950.9 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations Relating to Commerce... Computerized Environmental Data and Information Retrieval Service. The Environmental Data Index (ENDEX... computerized, information retrieval service provides a parallel subject-author-abstract referral service. A...

  3. Residents' numeric inputting error in computerized physician order entry prescription.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Xue; Wu, Changxu; Zhang, Kan; Wei, Dong

    2016-04-01

    Computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system with embedded clinical decision support (CDS) can significantly reduce certain types of prescription error. However, prescription errors still occur. Various factors such as the numeric inputting methods in human computer interaction (HCI) produce different error rates and types, but has received relatively little attention. This study aimed to examine the effects of numeric inputting methods and urgency levels on numeric inputting errors of prescription, as well as categorize the types of errors. Thirty residents participated in four prescribing tasks in which two factors were manipulated: numeric inputting methods (numeric row in the main keyboard vs. numeric keypad) and urgency levels (urgent situation vs. non-urgent situation). Multiple aspects of participants' prescribing behavior were measured in sober prescribing situations. The results revealed that in urgent situations, participants were prone to make mistakes when using the numeric row in the main keyboard. With control of performance in the sober prescribing situation, the effects of the input methods disappeared, and urgency was found to play a significant role in the generalized linear model. Most errors were either omission or substitution types, but the proportion of transposition and intrusion error types were significantly higher than that of the previous research. Among numbers 3, 8, and 9, which were the less common digits used in prescription, the error rate was higher, which was a great risk to patient safety. Urgency played a more important role in CPOE numeric typing error-making than typing skills and typing habits. It was recommended that inputting with the numeric keypad had lower error rates in urgent situation. An alternative design could consider increasing the sensitivity of the keys with lower frequency of occurrence and decimals. To improve the usability of CPOE, numeric keyboard design and error detection could benefit from spatial

  4. Experimental studies of computerized procedures and team size in nuclear power plant operations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, F.-H.; Hwang, S.-L.

    2009-01-01

    The operation of a nuclear power plant is so complex that it requires teamwork. To support team performance, a system need to provide all team members integrated information displays as well as decision aids (e.g., computerized procedures). Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of computerized procedures and team size on operating performance. Forty-five participants were involved in the experiments. Each participant executed decision and action tasks to deal with alarm signals, while detecting occasional system errors in the interface. Results showed that effects of computerized procedures were significant on various performance indicators, such as operation time, operation errors, and learning effect, and that two operators would be a satisfactory size in the teamwork system providing computerized procedures

  5. Reduction in unnecessary red blood cell folate testing by restricting computerized physician order entry in the electronic health record.

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacMillan, Thomas E; Gudgeon, Patrick; Yip, Paul M; Cavalcanti, Rodrigo B

    2018-05-02

    Red blood cell folate is a laboratory test with limited clinical utility. Previous attempts to reduce physician ordering of unnecessary laboratory tests, including folate, have resulted in only modest success. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness and impacts of restricting red blood cell folate ordering in the electronic health record. This was a retrospective observational study from January 2010 to December 2016 at a large academic healthcare network in Toronto, Canada. All inpatients and outpatients who underwent at least 1 red blood cell folate or vitamin B12 test during the study period were included. Red blood cell folate ordering was restricted to clincians in gastroenterology and hematology and was removed from other physicians' computerized order entry screen in the electronic health record in June 2013. Red blood cell folate testing decreased by 94.4% during the study, from a mean of 493.0 (SD 48.0) tests/month before intervention to 27.6 (SD 10.3) tests/month after intervention (P<.001). Restricting red blood cell folate ordering in the electronic health record resulted in a large and sustained reduction in red blood cell folate testing. Significant cost savings estimated at over a quarter-million dollars (CAD) over three years were achieved. There was no significant clinical impact of the intervention on the diagnosis of folate deficiency. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  6. C-A4-01: Computerized Clinical Decision Support During Drug Ordering for Long-term Care Residents With Renal Insufficiency

    Science.gov (United States)

    Field, Terry S; Rochon, Paula; Lee, Monica; Gavendo, Linda; Baril, Joann L; Gurwitz, Jerry H

    2010-01-01

    Objective: To determine whether a computerized clinical decision support system (CDSS) providing patient specific recommendations in real- time improves the quality of prescribing for long-term care residents with renal insufficiency. Design: A randomized trial within the long-stay units of a large long-term care facility. Randomization was within blocks by unit type. Alerts related to medication prescribing for residents with renal insufficiency were displayed to prescribers in the intervention units and hidden but tracked in control units. Measurement: The proportions of final drug orders that were appropriate were compared between intervention and control units within alert categories: recommended medication doses; recommended administration frequencies; recommendations to avoid the drug; 4) warnings of missing information. Results: The rates of alerts were nearly equal in the intervention and control units: 2.5 per 1000 resident days in the intervention units and 2.4 in the control units. The proportions of dose alerts for which the final drug orders were appropriate were similar between the intervention and control units (relative risk 0.95, 95% confidence interval 0.83, 1.1). For the remaining alert categories significantly higher proportions of final drug orders were appropriate in the intervention units: relative risk 2.4 for maximum frequency (1.4, 4.4); 2.6 for drugs that should be avoided (1.4, 5.0); and 1.8 for alerts to acquire missing information (1.1, 3.4). Overall, final drug orders were appropriate significantly more often than a relative risk 1.2 (1.0, 1.4). By tracking personnel time and expenditures, we estimated the cost of developing the CDSS as $48,668.57. Drug costs saved during the 12 months of the trial are estimated at $2,137. Conclusion: Clinical decision support for physicians prescribing medications for long-term care residents with renal insufficiency can improve the quality of prescribing decisions. However, patient well-being and

  7. DOE transporation programs - computerized techniques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Joy, D.S.; Johnson, P.E.; Fore, C.S.; Peterson, B.E.

    1983-01-01

    One of the major thrusts of the transportation programs at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory has been the development of a number of computerized transportation programs and data bases. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is supporting these efforts through the Transportation Technology Center at Sandia National Laboratories and the Tranportation Operations and Traffic Management (TOTM) organization at DOE Headquarters. Initially this project was centered upon research activities. However, since these tools provide traffic managers and key personnel involved in preshipment planning with a unique resource for ensuring that the movement of radioactive materials can be properly accomplished, additional interest and support is coming from the operational side of DOE. The major accomplishments include the development of two routing models (one for rail shipments and the other for highway shipments), an emergency response assistance program, and two data bases containing pertinent legislative and regulatory information. This paper discusses the mose recent advances in, and additions to, these computerized techniques and provides examples of how they are used.

  8. Quality criteria in computerized tomography of the chest

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doehring, W.

    1985-01-01

    The quality of thoracical computerized tomography (CT) - like any other CT examination - depends from the quality of the equipment used, from the skill of the examinor and the properties of the patient. Concerning computerized chest tomograms, rapid scan equipment should be used only and slow translation - rotation systems should not be used any more. Whereas the quality of computerized tomograms may be influenced by the patient in the scanning process only, the examining physician will decisively influence the possible informative value of the examination also in the reconstruction of the CT value matrix, in single demonstration of CT values and, possibly, in additional measurement value processing as well as in the interpretation of findings. Use of equipment should always consider the technical potential provided by the equipment to be oriented to the clinical issue, and the conditions preset by the patient. (orig.) [de

  9. Computerized plant maintenance management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kozusko, A.M.

    1986-01-01

    The evolution of the computer has and continues to have a great impact on industry. We are in an adjustment cycle with the current computer evolution, and will need to adapt to make the changes for the coming decade. Hardware and software are continually being enhanced. Computers are becoming more powerful and will eventually provide an effective man-machine interface. This paper shares experiences encountered during implementations of computerized maintenance systems

  10. Computerizing primary schools in rural kenya

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ogembo, J.G.; Ngugi, B.; Pelowski, Matthew John

    2012-01-01

    questions surrounding this endeavour. Specifically: 1.) what problems do rural schools actually want to solve with computerization; 2.) is computerization the most important priority for rural schools; 3.) are schools ready, in terms of infrastructure, for a computer in the classroom; or 4.) might...... and protective roofing -posing severe challenges to the outstanding conception of computerization. We consider these results and make recommendations for better adapting programs for computer introduction, and also suggest the use of new innovative devices, such as cell phones, which might already have overcome......This paper investigates the outstanding challenges facing primary schools' computerization in rural Kenya. Computerization of schools is often envisaged as a 'magic', or at least a particularly efficient, solution to many of the problems that developing countries face in improving primary school...

  11. Ethics and the Computerization of Pharmacy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCarthy, Robert L.; Perrolle, Judith A.

    1991-01-01

    The current and potential impact of computerization on pharmacy practice is discussed, focusing on ethical dilemmas in the pharmacist-patient relationship, confidentiality of records, and the role of artificial intelligence in decision making about drug therapy. Case studies for use by teachers of pharmaceutical ethics are provided. (Author/MSE)

  12. How will computerization revolutionize managed care?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trabin, T

    1994-01-01

    Computerization of behavioral health care information systems is revolutionizing how payors, managed care companies, and providers exchange information. In this article, an imaginary scenario is depicted of how patient data will be accessed and communicated to facilitate care management of behavioral health care services in the near future.

  13. Computerized UT system for stud bolt

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kisanuki, T.; Uchida, K.; Fushimi, T.; Onda, K.

    1988-01-01

    Cracking of stud bolts used in steam turbine casing, valve and pressure vessel has caused concern regarding the safety and reliability of power plants. In order to detect harmful cracks in early state, the improvement of UT technique is required. As regarding the ultrasonic inspection technique, a longitudinal beam technique and/or an angle beam technique are generally used. The authors report their development of a computerized UT system for bolt inspection and improvement of the angle beam technique

  14. A comparison of computerized adaptive testing and fixed-length short forms for the Prosthetic Limb Users Survey of Mobility (PLUS-MTM).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amtmann, Dagmar; Bamer, Alyssa M; Kim, Jiseon; Bocell, Fraser; Chung, Hyewon; Park, Ryoungsun; Salem, Rana; Hafner, Brian J

    2017-09-01

    New health status instruments can be administered by computerized adaptive test or short forms. The Prosthetic Limb Users Survey of Mobility (PLUS-M TM ) is a self-report measure of mobility for prosthesis users with lower limb loss. This study used the PLUS-M to examine advantages and disadvantages of computerized adaptive test and short forms. To compare scores obtained from computerized adaptive test to scores obtained from fixed-length short forms (7-item and 12-item) in order to provide guidance to researchers and clinicians on how to select the best form of administration for different uses. Cross-sectional, observational study. Individuals with lower limb loss completed the PLUS-M by computerized adaptive test and short forms. Administration time, correlations between the scores, and standard errors were compared. Scores and standard errors from the computerized adaptive test, 7-item short form, and 12-item short form were highly correlated and all forms of administration were efficient. Computerized adaptive test required less time to administer than either paper or electronic short forms; however, time savings were minimal compared to the 7-item short form. Results indicate that the PLUS-M computerized adaptive test is most efficient, and differences in scores between administration methods are minimal. The main advantage of the computerized adaptive test was more reliable scores at higher levels of mobility compared to short forms. Clinical relevance Health-related item banks, like the Prosthetic Limb Users Survey of Mobility (PLUS-M TM ), can be administered by computerized adaptive testing (CAT) or as fixed-length short forms (SFs). Results of this study will help clinicians and researchers decide whether they should invest in a CAT administration system or whether SFs are more appropriate.

  15. Computerized neurocognitive testing in the management of sport-related concussion: an update.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Resch, Jacob E; McCrea, Michael A; Cullum, C Munro

    2013-12-01

    Since the late nineties, computerized neurocognitive testing has become a central component of sport-related concussion (SRC) management at all levels of sport. In 2005, a review of the available evidence on the psychometric properties of four computerized neuropsychological test batteries concluded that the tests did not possess the necessary criteria to warrant clinical application. Since the publication of that review, several more computerized neurocognitive tests have entered the market place. The purpose of this review is to summarize the body of published studies on psychometric properties and clinical utility of computerized neurocognitive tests available for use in the assessment of SRC. A review of the literature from 2005 to 2013 was conducted to gather evidence of test-retest reliability and clinical validity of these instruments. Reviewed articles included both prospective and retrospective studies of primarily sport-based adult and pediatric samples. Summaries are provided regarding the available evidence of reliability and validity for the most commonly used computerized neurocognitive tests in sports settings.

  16. Implementation of computerized physician order entry in National Guard Hospitals: assessment of critical success factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Altuwaijri, Majid M; Bahanshal, Abdullah; Almehaid, Mona

    2011-09-01

    The purpose of this study is to describe the needs, process and experience of implementing a computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system in a leading healthcare organization in Saudi Arabia. The National Guard Health Affairs (NGHA) deployed the CPOE in a pilot department, which was the intensive care unit (ICU) in order to assess its benefits and risks and to test the system. After the CPOE was implemented in the ICU area, a survey was sent to the ICU clinicians to assess their perception on the importance of 32 critical success factors (CSFs) that was acquired from the literature. The project team also had several meetings to gather lessons learned from the pilot project in order to utilize them for the expansion of the project to other NGHA clinics and hospitals. The results of the survey indicated that the selected CSFs, even though they were developed with regard to international settings, are very much applicable for the pilot area. The top three CSFs rated by the survey respondents were: The "before go-live training", the adequate clinical resources during implementation, and the ordering time. After the assessment of the survey and the lessons learned from the pilot project, NGHA decided that the potential benefits of the CPOE are expected to be greater the risks expected. The project was then expanded to cover all NGHA clinics and hospitals in a phased approach. Currently, the project is in its final stages and expected to be completed by the end of 2011. The role of CPOE systems is very important in hospitals in order to reduce medication errors and to improve the quality of care. In spite of their great benefits, many studies suggest that a high percentage of these projects fail. In order to increase the chances of success and due to the fact that CPOE is a clinical system, NGHA implemented the system first in a pilot area in order to test the system without putting patients at risk and to learn from mistakes before expanding the system to other

  17. Implementation of computerized physician order entry in National Guard hospitals: Assessment of critical success factors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Majid M Altuwaijri

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The purpose of this study is to describe the needs, process and experience of implementing a computerized physician order entry (CPOE system in a leading healthcare organization in Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: The National Guard Health Affairs (NGHA deployed the CPOE in a pilot department, which was the intensive care unit (ICU in order to assess its benefits and risks and to test the system. After the CPOE was implemented in the ICU area, a survey was sent to the ICU clinicians to assess their perception on the importance of 32 critical success factors (CSFs that was acquired from the literature. The project team also had several meetings to gather lessons learned from the pilot project in order to utilize them for the expansion of the project to other NGHA clinics and hospitals. Results: The results of the survey indicated that the selected CSFs, even though they were developed with regard to international settings, are very much applicable for the pilot area. The top three CSFs rated by the survey respondents were: The "before go-live" training, the adequate clinical resources during implementation, and the ordering time. After the assessment of the survey and the lessons learned from the pilot project, NGHA decided that the potential benefits of the CPOE are expected to be greater the risks expected. The project was then expanded to cover all NGHA clinics and hospitals in a phased approach. Currently, the project is in its final stages and expected to be completed by the end of 2011. Conclusion: The role of CPOE systems is very important in hospitals in order to reduce medication errors and to improve the quality of care. In spite of their great benefits, many studies suggest that a high percentage of these projects fail. In order to increase the chances of success and due to the fact that CPOE is a clinical system, NGHA implemented the system first in a pilot area in order to test the system without putting patients at

  18. Computerized adaptive testing in computer assisted learning?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Veldkamp, Bernard P.; Matteucci, Mariagiulia; Eggen, Theodorus Johannes Hendrikus Maria; De Wannemacker, Stefan; Clarebout, Geraldine; De Causmaecker, Patrick

    2011-01-01

    A major goal in computerized learning systems is to optimize learning, while in computerized adaptive tests (CAT) efficient measurement of the proficiency of students is the main focus. There seems to be a common interest to integrate computerized adaptive item selection in learning systems and

  19. Computerized Adaptive Test (CAT) Applications and Item Response Theory Models for Polytomous Items

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aybek, Eren Can; Demirtasli, R. Nukhet

    2017-01-01

    This article aims to provide a theoretical framework for computerized adaptive tests (CAT) and item response theory models for polytomous items. Besides that, it aims to introduce the simulation and live CAT software to the related researchers. Computerized adaptive test algorithm, assumptions of item response theory models, nominal response…

  20. Computerized Clinical Decision Support: Contributions from 2015

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bouaud, J.

    2016-01-01

    Summary Objective To summarize recent research and select the best papers published in 2015 in the field of computerized clinical decision support for the Decision Support section of the IMIA yearbook. Method A literature review was performed by searching two bibliographic databases for papers related to clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) and computerized provider order entry (CPOE) systems. The aim was to identify a list of candidate best papers from the retrieved papers that were then peer-reviewed by external reviewers. A consensus meeting between the two section editors and the IMIA editorial team was finally conducted to conclude in the best paper selection. Results Among the 974 retrieved papers, the entire review process resulted in the selection of four best papers. One paper reports on a CDSS routinely applied in pediatrics for more than 10 years, relying on adaptations of the Arden Syntax. Another paper assessed the acceptability and feasibility of an important CPOE evaluation tool in hospitals outside the US where it was developed. The third paper is a systematic, qualitative review, concerning usability flaws of medication-related alerting functions, providing an important evidence-based, methodological contribution in the domain of CDSS design and development in general. Lastly, the fourth paper describes a study quantifying the effect of a complex, continuous-care, guideline-based CDSS on the correctness and completeness of clinicians’ decisions. Conclusions While there are notable examples of routinely used decision support systems, this 2015 review on CDSSs and CPOE systems still shows that, despite methodological contributions, theoretical frameworks, and prototype developments, these technologies are not yet widely spread (at least with their full functionalities) in routine clinical practice. Further research, testing, evaluation, and training are still needed for these tools to be adopted in clinical practice and, ultimately, illustrate

  1. Computerized reactor monitor and control for nuclear reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buerger, L.

    1982-01-01

    The analysis of a computerized process control system developed by Transelektro-KFKI-Videoton (Hangary) for a twenty-year-old research reactor in Budapest and or a new one in Tajura (Libya) is given. The paper describes the computer hardware (R-10) and the implemented software (PROCESS-24K) as well as their applications at nuclear reactors. The computer program provides for man-machine communication, data acquisition and processing, trend and alarm analysis, the control of the reactor power, reactor physical calculations and additional operational functions. The reliability and the possible further development of the computerized systems which are suitable for application at reactors of different design are also discussed. (Sz.J.)

  2. Validation of the computerized annunciation message list system (CAMLS)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Feher, M P; Davey, E C; Lupton, L R [AECL, Chalk River Labs., Chalk River, ON (Canada)

    1997-09-01

    The Computerized Annunciation Message List System is a computerized annunciation system for the control rooms of nuclear generating stations. CAMLS will alert operators to changes in plant conditions that may impact on safety and production and help staff to effectively respond. CAMLS is designed to: provide a clear and concise overview of the current problems or faults in the plant; provide an overview of the current state of the plant in terms of automatic process and equipment actions; provide support for specific operational tasks, through either pre-configured or operator-configured annunciation displays, including: rapid and efficient upset response, plant stabilization, problem diagnosis, recovery action planning and implementation, and rapid recovery from trip and return to power operation. To achieve this, several information processing, presentation,a nd interaction concepts were developed. 2 refs, 6 figs, 7 tabs.

  3. Validation of the computerized annunciation message list system (CAMLS)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feher, M.P.; Davey, E.C.; Lupton, L.R.

    1997-01-01

    The Computerized Annunciation Message List System is a computerized annunciation system for the control rooms of nuclear generating stations. CAMLS will alert operators to changes in plant conditions that may impact on safety and production and help staff to effectively respond. CAMLS is designed to: provide a clear and concise overview of the current problems or faults in the plant; provide an overview of the current state of the plant in terms of automatic process and equipment actions; provide support for specific operational tasks, through either pre-configured or operator-configured annunciation displays, including: rapid and efficient upset response, plant stabilization, problem diagnosis, recovery action planning and implementation, and rapid recovery from trip and return to power operation. To achieve this, several information processing, presentation,a nd interaction concepts were developed. 2 refs, 6 figs, 7 tabs

  4. Computerized Adaptive Personality Testing: A Review and Illustration With the MMPI-2 Computerized Adaptive Version.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forbey, Johnathan D.; Ben-Porath, Yossef S.

    2007-01-01

    Computerized adaptive testing in personality assessment can improve efficiency by significantly reducing the number of items administered to answer an assessment question. Two approaches have been explored for adaptive testing in computerized personality assessment: item response theory and the countdown method. In this article, the authors…

  5. Current Human Reliability Analysis Methods Applied to Computerized Procedures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ronald L. Boring

    2012-06-01

    Computerized procedures (CPs) are an emerging technology within nuclear power plant control rooms. While CPs have been implemented internationally in advanced control rooms, to date no US nuclear power plant has implemented CPs in its main control room (Fink et al., 2009). Yet, CPs are a reality of new plant builds and are an area of considerable interest to existing plants, which see advantages in terms of enhanced ease of use and easier records management by omitting the need for updating hardcopy procedures. The overall intent of this paper is to provide a characterization of human reliability analysis (HRA) issues for computerized procedures. It is beyond the scope of this document to propose a new HRA approach or to recommend specific methods or refinements to those methods. Rather, this paper serves as a review of current HRA as it may be used for the analysis and review of computerized procedures.

  6. Nuclear Computerized Library for Assessing Reactor Risk (NUCLARR)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gilmore, W.E.; Blackman, H.S.; Ryan, T.G.

    1986-01-01

    The Nuclear Computerized Library for Assessing Reactor Risk (NUCLARR) program is a multiyear effort sponsored by the NRC and is being conducted at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). The goal of this program is to establish and operate computerized data base management tools for the human reliability data bank specification developed by Comer and Donovan. The NRC and the risk analysis community recognized that implementing a fully functional library would not be feasible, or practical, without the aid of computerized tools for management and manipulation of its data sources. The end users of the NUCLARR can be classified into three categories according to specific needs. The first category is those users interested in reviewing individual data sources for a given situation. The second category of users selects multiple data sources for a specific case, summarizing the information, and performing comparative studies. The last category of users interfaces the NUCLARR with other programming applications, such as other data banks, and simulation models of risk assessment. Project status is provided in the paper

  7. Physicians' Perceptions on the usefulness of contextual information for prioritizing and presenting alerts in computerized physician order entry systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jung Martin

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background One possible approach towards avoiding alert overload and alert fatigue in Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE systems is to tailor their drug safety alerts to the context of the clinical situation. Our objective was to identify the perceptions of physicians on the usefulness of clinical context information for prioritizing and presenting drug safety alerts. Methods We performed a questionnaire survey, inquiring CPOE-using physicians from four hospitals in four European countries to estimate the usefulness of 20 possible context factors. Results The 223 participants identified the ‘severity of the effect’ and the ‘clinical status of the patient’ as the most useful context factors. Further important factors are the ‘complexity of the case’ and the ‘risk factors of the patient’. Conclusions Our findings confirm the results of a prior, comparable survey inquiring CPOE researchers. Further research should focus on implementing these context factors in CPOE systems and on subsequently evaluating their impact.

  8. Formal Verification of Computerized Procedure with Colored Petri Nets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Yun Goo; Shin, Yeong Cheol

    2008-01-01

    Computerized Procedure System (CPS) supports nuclear power plant operators in performing operating procedures which are instructions to guide in monitoring, decision making and controlling nuclear power plants. Computerized Procedure (CP) should be loaded to CPS. Due to its execution characteristic, computerized procedure acts like a software in CPS. For example, procedure flows are determined by operator evaluation and computerized procedure logic which are pre-defined. So the verification of Computerized Procedure logic and execution flow is needed before computerized procedures are installed in the system. Formal verification methods are proposed and the modeling of operating procedures with Coloured Petri Nets(CP-nets) is presented

  9. Technologies in computerized lexicography | Kruyt | Lexikos

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Although the topic of this paper is technology, focus is on functional rather than technical aspects of computerized lexicography. Keywords: computerized lexicography, electronic dictionary, electronic text corpus, lexicographer's workbench, integrated language database, automatic linguistic analysis, information retrieval, ...

  10. 39 CFR 501.15 - Computerized Meter Resetting System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 39 Postal Service 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Computerized Meter Resetting System. 501.15... AND DISTRIBUTE POSTAGE EVIDENCING SYSTEMS § 501.15 Computerized Meter Resetting System. (a) Description. The Computerized Meter Resetting System (CMRS) permits customers to reset their postage meters at...

  11. The computerized patient record: Where do we stand?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jaspers, M. W. M.; Knaup, P.; Schmidt, D.

    2006-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: To provide an overview of trends in research, developments and implementations of the computerized patient record (CPR) of the last two years. METHODS: We surveyed the medical informatics literature, spanning the years 2004-2005, focusing on publications on CPRs. RESULTS: The main trends

  12. COMPRESS - a computerized reactor safety system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vegh, E.

    1986-01-01

    The computerized reactor safety system, called COMPRESS, provides the following services: scram initiation; safety interlockings; event recording. The paper describes the architecture of the system and deals with reliability problems. A self-testing unit checks permanently the correct operation of the independent decision units. Moreover the decision units are tested by short pulses whether they can initiate a scram. The self-testing is described in detail

  13. Status of computerization and application in nuclear reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Viedma, L.G. de

    1997-01-01

    The CSN has recently procured a latest generation computer to address its future design requirements. In order to present it to the readers, this articles sets out the concepts of the latest computerization technologies, making historical references to the evolution of the different architectures and different computers with similar performance available on the market. Mention is also made to areas where parallel design is, or may be, highly important in the future. (Author)

  14. Role of computerized tomography in diagnosis of atypical gall bladder and common bile duct stones

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    El-Husseni, Tareq K.; Al-Shebrein, Ibrahim A.

    2001-01-01

    Objective was to assess the value of computerized tomography as an adjuvant to ultrasound in the diagnosis of atypical gallbladder and common duct stone disease. Real time ultrasound scanning for the gallbladder and common duct was performed in the routine manner. High resolution computerized tomography images were subsequently obtained for the region of interest. Computerized tomography resolved undetermined results as follows: 1. Non shadowing gallbladder debris (6 points), 2. Focal gallbladder wall thickening (2 points), 3. Stone obscured by calcified gallbladder wall (3 points), 4. Non visualized gallbladder double arc shadow (4 points), 5 and 6. Impacted gallbladder neck and common duct stones (18 points), computerized tomography gave false positive diagnosis in (2 points). Computerized tomography provided an effective and reliable means for the diagnosis of atypical gallbladder calculi when ultrasound was imprecise or the findings contradicted the clinical presentation. Finally if gallbladder neck or common duct stones are suspected, in addition to computerized tomography other imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance cholangio pancreatography or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in addition to computerized tomography may be needed to avoid false positive diagnosis prior to surgery. (author)

  15. Microcomputer Network for Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT)

    Science.gov (United States)

    1984-03-01

    PRDC TR 84-33 \\Q.�d-33- \\ MICROCOMPUTER NETWOJlt FOR COMPUTERIZED ADAPTIVE TESTING ( CAT ) Baldwin Quan Thomas A . Park Gary Sandahl John H...ACCEIIION NO NPRDC TR 84-33 4. TITLE (-d Sul>tlllo) MICROCOMP UTER NETWORK FOR COMPUTERIZED ADA PTIVE TESTING ( CAT ) 1. Q B. uan T. A . Park...adaptive testing ( CAT ) Bayesian sequential testing 20. ABSTitACT (Continuo on ro•••• aide II noco .. _, _., ld-tlly ,.,. t.loclt _._.) DO Computerized

  16. Computerized system for measuring cerebral metabolism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McGlone, J.S.; Hibbard, L.S.; Hawkins, R.A.; Kasturi, R.

    1987-01-01

    A computerized stereotactic measurement system for evaluating rat brain metabolism was developed to utilize the large amount of data generated by quantitative autoradiography. Conventional methods of measurement only analyze a small percent of these data because these methods are limited by instrument design and the subjectiveness of the investigator. However, a computerized system allows digital images to be analyzed by placing data at their appropriate three-dimensional stereotactic coordinates. The system automatically registers experimental data to a standard three-dimensional image using alignment, scaling, and matching operations. Metabolic activity in different neuronal structures is then measured by generating digital masks and superimposing them on to experimental data. Several experimental data sets were evaluated and it was noticed that the structures measured by the computerized system, had in general, lower metabolic activity than manual measurements had indicated. This was expected because the computerized system measured the structure over its volume while the manual readings were taken from the most active metabolic area of a particular structure

  17. Computerized dosimetry management systems within EDF

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Daubert, G.

    1996-01-01

    EDF, using the ALARA approach, has embarked an ambitious project of optimising the doses received in its power plants. In directing its choice of actions and the effectiveness of such actions, the French operator is using a computerized personal and collective dosimetry management system. This system provides for ongoing monitoring of dosimetry at personal, site and unit level or indeed for the entire population of EDF nuclear power plants. (author)

  18. Computerized tomography in myotonic dystrophy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gellerich, I.; Mueller, D.; Koch, R.D.

    1986-01-01

    Besides clinical symptoms, progress and electromyography computerized tomography improves the diagnostics of myotonic dystrophy. Even small changes in muscular structure are detectable and especially the musculus soleus exhibits early and pronounced alterations. By means of density distribution pattern an improved characterization of the disease is possible. Additional information is obtained by cerebral computerized tomography. Atrophy of brain tissue is to be expected in all patients with myotonic dystrophy. (author)

  19. Computerized reactor monitor and control for research reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buerger, L.; Vegh, E.

    1981-09-01

    The computerized process control system developed in the Central Research Institute for Physics, Budapest, Hungary, is described together with its special applications at research reactors. The nuclear power of the Hungarian research reactor is controlled by this computerized system, too, while in Lybia many interesting reactor-hpysical calculations are built into the computerized monitor system. (author)

  20. Influence of computerized sounding out on spelling performance for children who do and do not rely on AAC.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCarthy, Jillian H; Hogan, Tiffany P; Beukelman, David R; Schwarz, Ilsa E

    2015-05-01

    Spelling is an important skill for individuals who rely on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The purpose of this study was to investigate how computerized sounding out influenced spelling accuracy of pseudo-words. Computerized sounding out was defined as a word elongated, thus providing an opportunity for a child to hear all the sounds in the word at a slower rate. Seven children with cerebral palsy, four who use AAC and three who do not, participated in a single subject AB design. The results of the study indicated that the use of computerized sounding out increased the phonologic accuracy of the pseudo-words produced by participants. The study provides preliminary evidence for the use of computerized sounding out during spelling tasks for children with cerebral palsy who do and do not use AAC. Future directions and clinical implications are discussed. We investigated how computerized sounding out influenced spelling accuracy of pseudowords for children with complex communication needs who did and did not use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Results indicated that the use of computerized sounding out increased the phonologic accuracy of the pseudo-words by participants, suggesting that computerized sounding out might assist in more accurate spelling for children who use AAC. Future research is needed to determine how language and reading abilities influence the use of computerized sounding out with children who have a range of speech intelligibility abilities and do and do not use AAC.

  1. CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE TREATMENT OF COMPUTERIZED PROCEDURES IN HUMAN RELIABILITY ANALYSIS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ronald L. Boring; David I. Gertman

    2012-07-01

    Computerized procedures (CPs) are an emerging technology within nuclear power plant control rooms. While CPs have been implemented internationally in advanced control rooms, to date no US nuclear power plant has implemented CPs in its main control room. Yet, CPs are a reality of new plant builds and are an area of considerable interest to existing plants, which see advantages in terms of easier records management by omitting the need for updating hardcopy procedures. The overall intent of this paper is to provide a characterization of human reliability analysis (HRA) issues for computerized procedures. It is beyond the scope of this document to propose a new HRA approach or to recommend specific methods or refinements to those methods. Rather, this paper serves as a review of current HRA as it may be used for the analysis and review of computerized procedures.

  2. Significance of computerized tomography and nasal cytology in the ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Ehab

    assessment of sinus disease in asthmatic children. Rhinosinusitis is a common asthma comorbidity. Nasal eosinophil or neutrophil score >0.5 provides a better predictive value for rhinosinusitis compared to total serum IgE. Keywords: computerized tomography, nasal sinus, asthma, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, children.

  3. The limited angle problem in computerized tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Louis, A.K.

    1984-01-01

    Fast reconstruction formulae in X-ray computerized tomography demand the directions, in which the measurements are taken, to be equally distributed over the whole circle. In many applications data can only be provided in a restricted range. Here the intrinsic difficulties are studied by giving a singular value decomposition of the Radon transform in a restricted range. Practical limitations are deduced. (orig.)

  4. Computerized operation manual (COM) of nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Szegi, Z.

    1985-01-01

    This paper is to be presented at the International Seminar on Diagnoses of and Response to Abnormal Occurrences at Nuclear Power Plants organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The topic of presentation is the Computerized Operational Manual. This system supports the operator at disturbance situations by displaying quickly and unambiguously the operational instructions and the relevant information without mistakes. By the computerized manual the operator can determine the instruction-subsystem which reflects the real state of the power unit. From this point the system guides the operator on how to drive the unit to another determined state by providing the operational instructions at any time. A data bank is also included which contains information concerning rules restricting on maintenance and repair. The system will be realized at Paks NPP. (author)

  5. Evaluation of computerized health management information system for primary health care in rural India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Singh Satyavir

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The Comprehensive Rural Health Services Project Ballabgarh, run by All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS, New Delhi has a computerized Health Management Information System (HMIS since 1988. The HMIS at Ballabgarh has undergone evolution and is currently in its third version which uses generic and open source software. This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a computerized Health Management Information System in rural health system in India. Methods The data for evaluation were collected by in-depth interviews of the stakeholders i.e. program managers (authors and health workers. Health Workers from AIIMS and Non-AIIMS Primary Health Centers were interviewed to compare the manual with computerized HMIS. A cost comparison between the two methods was carried out based on market costs. The resource utilization for both manual and computerized HMIS was identified based on workers' interviews. Results There have been no major hardware problems in use of computerized HMIS. More than 95% of data was found to be accurate. Health workers acknowledge the usefulness of HMIS in service delivery, data storage, generation of workplans and reports. For program managers, it provides a better tool for monitoring and supervision and data management. The initial cost incurred in computerization of two Primary Health Centers was estimated to be Indian National Rupee (INR 1674,217 (USD 35,622. Equivalent annual incremental cost of capital items was estimated as INR 198,017 (USD 4213. The annual savings is around INR 894,283 (USD 11,924. Conclusion The major advantage of computerization has been in saving of time of health workers in record keeping and report generation. The initial capital costs of computerization can be recovered within two years of implementation if the system is fully operational. Computerization has enabled implementation of a good system for service delivery, monitoring and supervision.

  6. Anti-3-[(18)F]FACBC positron emission tomography-computerized tomography and (111)In-capromab pendetide single photon emission computerized tomography-computerized tomography for recurrent prostate carcinoma: results of a prospective clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schuster, David M; Nieh, Peter T; Jani, Ashesh B; Amzat, Rianot; Bowman, F Dubois; Halkar, Raghuveer K; Master, Viraj A; Nye, Jonathon A; Odewole, Oluwaseun A; Osunkoya, Adeboye O; Savir-Baruch, Bital; Alaei-Taleghani, Pooneh; Goodman, Mark M

    2014-05-01

    We prospectively evaluated the amino acid analogue positron emission tomography radiotracer anti-3-[(18)F]FACBC compared to ProstaScint® ((111)In-capromab pendetide) single photon emission computerized tomography-computerized tomography to detect recurrent prostate carcinoma. A total of 93 patients met study inclusion criteria who underwent anti-3-[(18)F]FACBC positron emission tomography-computerized tomography plus (111)In-capromab pendetide single photon emission computerized tomography-computerized tomography for suspected recurrent prostate carcinoma within 90 days. Reference standards were applied by a multidisciplinary board. We calculated diagnostic performance for detecting disease. In the 91 of 93 patients with sufficient data for a consensus on the presence or absence of prostate/bed disease anti-3-[(18)F]FACBC had 90.2% sensitivity, 40.0% specificity, 73.6% accuracy, 75.3% positive predictive value and 66.7% negative predictive value compared to (111)In-capromab pendetide with 67.2%, 56.7%, 63.7%, 75.9% and 45.9%, respectively. In the 70 of 93 patients with a consensus on the presence or absence of extraprostatic disease anti-3-[(18)F]FACBC had 55.0% sensitivity, 96.7% specificity, 72.9% accuracy, 95.7% positive predictive value and 61.7% negative predictive value compared to (111)In-capromab pendetide with 10.0%, 86.7%, 42.9%, 50.0% and 41.9%, respectively. Of 77 index lesions used to prove positivity histological proof was obtained in 74 (96.1%). Anti-3-[(18)F]FACBC identified 14 more positive prostate bed recurrences (55 vs 41) and 18 more patients with extraprostatic involvement (22 vs 4). Anti-3-[(18)F]FACBC positron emission tomography-computerized tomography correctly up-staged 18 of 70 cases (25.7%) in which there was a consensus on the presence or absence of extraprostatic involvement. Better diagnostic performance was noted for anti-3-[(18)F]FACBC positron emission tomography-computerized tomography than for (111)In-capromab pendetide single

  7. Influence of Computerized Sounding Out on Spelling Performance for Children who do and not rely on AAC

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCarthy, Jillian H.; Hogan, Tiffany P.; Beukelman, David R.; Schwarz, Ilsa E.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose Spelling is an important skill for individuals who rely on augmentative alternative communication (AAC). The purpose of this study was to investigate how computerized sounding out influenced spelling accuracy of pseudo-words. Computerized sounding out was defined as a word elongated, thus providing an opportunity for a child to hear all the sounds in the word at a slower rate. Methods Seven children with cerebral palsy, four who use AAC and three who do not, participated in a single subject AB design. Results The results of the study indicated that the use of computerized sounding out increased the phonologic accuracy of the pseudo-words produced by participants. Conclusion The study provides preliminary evidence for the use of computerized sounding out during spelling tasks for children with cerebral palsy who do and do not use AAC. Future directions and clinical implications are discussed. PMID:24512195

  8. The Initial Development of a Computerized Operator Support System

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roger Lew; Ronald L Boring; Thomas A Ulrich; Ken Thomas

    2014-08-01

    A computerized operator support system (COSS) is a collection of resilient software technologies to assist operators in monitoring overall nuclear power plant performance and making timely, informed decisions on appropriate control actions for the projected plant condition. The COSS provides rapid assessments, computations, and recommendations to reduce workload and augment operator judgment and decision-making during fast- moving, complex events. A prototype COSS for a chemical volume control system at a nuclear power plant has been developed in order to demonstrate the concept and provide a test bed for further research. The development process identified four underlying elements necessary for the prototype, which consist of a digital alarm system, computer-based procedures, piping and instrumentation diagram system representations, and a recommender module for mitigation actions. An operational prototype resides at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) using the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Human Systems Simulation Laboratory (HSSL). Several human-machine interface (HMI) considerations are identified and incorporated in the prototype during this initial round of development.

  9. Strategy generator in computerized accident management support system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sirola, M.

    1994-02-01

    An increased interest for research in the field of accident management of nuclear power plants can be noted. Several international programmes have been started in order to be able to understand the basic physical and chemical phenomena in accident conditions. A feasibility study has shown that it would be possible to design and develop a computerized support system for plant staff in accident situations. To achieve this goal the Halden Project has initiated a research programme on Computerized Accident Management Support (CAMS project). The aim is to utilize the capabilities of computerized tools to support the plant staff during the various accident stages. The system will include identification of the accident state, assessment of the future development of the accident and planning of accident mitigation strategies. A prototype is developed to support operators and the Technical Support Centre in decision making during serious accidents in nuclear power plants. A rule based system has been built to take care of the strategy generation. This system assists plant personnel in planning control proposals and mitigation strategies from normal operation to severe accident conditions. The idea of a safety objective tree and knowledge from the emergency procedures have been used. Future prediction requires good state identification of the plant status and some knowledge about the history of some critical variables. The information needs to be validated as well. Accurate calculations in simulators and a large database including all important information from the plant will help the strategy planning. (orig.). (40 refs., 20 figs.)

  10. Validation of the news computerizing renography system developed of the CEADEN in order to improve the renography system existing at the National Nephrology Institute

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Medina Martin, D.; Rodriguez Gonzalez, F.; Arista Romeu, E.; Diaz Barreto, M.; Fraxedas Mayor, R.

    1999-01-01

    The isotopic renography is a technique that permits the evaluation of renal and the urinary tract diseases. In our country is not possible performs these studies only using gamma cameras due to the high costs of this technique, so the renography results an important method for this. It was developed a computerizing renography system in order to improve the renography system existing at the National Nephrology Institute (INEF), which is the head institute in this field in Cuba. The computerizing renography system includes a detection system, an interface card and software. As detection system was using the existing at the Institute. Specialists of the CEADEN using the high experience of the INEF and the international standards developed the card and software. The new software has several advantages with respect to the ancient, as example: normalized and standardizing control and processing protocols, a higher number of studies, the conduction and parameters validation of the studies, help system included, a database with the study results, teaching possibilities, etc. The validation of the news card and software was carried out simultaneously with the old system during 1 year approximately. This permitted to compare the main parameters and results in both systems. The results obtained were analyzed using statistical programs. As conclusion we obtained that both systems have a high correlation, so it is possible to substitute the old system with a more powerful and integral renography system

  11. Status of routine post-mortem computerized tomography in Odense, Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Leth, Peter Mygind

    2008-01-01

    rarely is a substitute for autopsy, but may contribute with important new information in many cases such as identifications (including mass-disasters), battered child, gunshot wounds, traffic accidents and air embolism. Computerized tomography provides documentation in digital form - easily stored...

  12. HUMAN RELIABILITY ANALYSIS FOR COMPUTERIZED PROCEDURES, PART TWO: APPLICABILITY OF CURRENT METHODS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ronald L. Boring; David I. Gertman

    2012-10-01

    Computerized procedures (CPs) are an emerging technology within nuclear power plant control rooms. While CPs have been implemented internationally in advanced control rooms, to date no U.S. nuclear power plant has implemented CPs in its main control room. Yet, CPs are a reality of new plant builds and are an area of considerable interest to existing plants, which see advantages in terms of easier records management by omitting the need for updating hardcopy procedures. The overall intent of this paper is to provide a characterization of human reliability analysis (HRA) issues for computerized procedures. It is beyond the scope of this document to propose a new HRA approach or to recommend specific methods or refinements to those methods. Rather, this paper serves as a review of current HRA as it may be used for the analysis and review of computerized procedures.

  13. Identification of drug-related problems by a clinical pharmacist in addition to computerized alerts

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zaal, R.J.; Jansen, M.; Duisenberg-van Essenberg, M.; C.C., Tijssen; Roukema, J.A.; van den Bemt, P.M.

    2013-01-01

    Background Both clinical pharmacists and computerized physician order entry systems with clinical decision support (CPOE/CDSS) can reduce drug-related problems (DRPs). However, the contribution of a clinical pharmacist in addition to CPOE/CDSS has not been established in a prospective study.

  14. Identification of drug-related problems by a clinical pharmacist in addition to computerized alerts

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    R.J. Zaal (Rianne); M.M.P.M. Jansen (Mark M. P.); M. Duisenberg-Van Essenberg (Marjolijn); C.C. Tijssen (Cees); J.A. Roukema; P.M.L.A. van den Bemt (Patricia)

    2013-01-01

    textabstractBackground Both clinical pharmacists and computerized physician order entry systems with clinical decision support (CPOE/CDSS) can reduce drug-related problems (DRPs). However, the contribution of a clinical pharmacist in addition to CPOE/CDSS has not been established in a prospective

  15. Diagnostic Yield of Transbronchial Biopsy in Comparison to High Resolution Computerized Tomography in Sarcoidosis Cases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akten, H Serpil; Kilic, Hatice; Celik, Bulent; Erbas, Gonca; Isikdogan, Zeynep; Turktas, Haluk; Kokturk, Nurdan

    2018-04-25

    This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic yield of fiberoptic bronchoscopic (FOB) transbronchial biopsy and its relation with quantitative findings of high resolution computerized tomography (HRCT). A total of 83 patients, 19 males and 64 females with a mean age of 45.1 years diagnosed with sarcoidosis with complete records of high resolution computerized tomography were retrospectively recruited during the time period from Feb 2005 to Jan 2015. High resolution computerized tomography scans were retrospectively assessed in random order by an experienced observer without knowledge of the bronchoscopic results or lung function tests. According to the radiological staging with HRCT, 2.4% of the patients (n=2) were stage 0, 19.3% (n=16) were stage 1, 72.3% (n=60) were stage 2 and 6.0% (n=5) were stage 3. This study showed that transbronchial lung biopsy showed positive results in 39.7% of the stage I or II sarcoidosis patients who were diagnosed by bronchoscopy. Different high resolution computerized tomography patterns and different scores of involvement did make a difference in the diagnostic accuracy of transbronchial biopsy (p=0.007). Creative Commons Attribution License

  16. Development and application of computerized maintenance management system at a nuclear fuel cycle facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oh, Yon Woo; Kim, S. D.; Jang, K. D.; Kim, Y. G.

    2001-12-01

    In order to accomplish the purpose of research, it is the most important for the equipment to work well. The computerized maintenance management system proven by the case-studies can have an effect on the research and it can be one of the most major elements to assist the research at the research laboratory. To prevent the breakdown of the equipment at the research facility which can hinder the improvement of the research work, it is essential to maintain the equipment of facility without the sudden breakdown and to short the recovery time. If these elements such as the causes of the breakdown were well-managed and suvervised with care, this recovery time could be minimized. The aims of this research, therefore, are to introduce the development of the computerized maintenance management system and to apply it at the field in order to minimize the breakdown of the equipment and the recovery time and in order to perform the equipment maintenance service with the minimized expense and maximize the service efficiency through the planned management of the budget, the manpower and the service

  17. Increased intracranial pressure: evaluation by computerized tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lightfoote, W.E.; Pressman, B.D.

    1975-01-01

    Computerized tomography is clearly very useful in the evaluation of patients with increased intracranial pressure and suspected pseudotumor cerebri. It provides an index of ventricular size and configuration and has the capability of demonstrating intracranial lesions. Moreover, this new technique is rapid and non-invasive, and is without attendant risks. Examinations may be performed serially as the clinical process evolves, thereby giving roentgenographic correlation to the clinical features. (U.S.)

  18. Computerized Classification Testing with the Rasch Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eggen, Theo J. H. M.

    2011-01-01

    If classification in a limited number of categories is the purpose of testing, computerized adaptive tests (CATs) with algorithms based on sequential statistical testing perform better than estimation-based CATs (e.g., Eggen & Straetmans, 2000). In these computerized classification tests (CCTs), the Sequential Probability Ratio Test (SPRT) (Wald,…

  19. Cognitive analysis of physicians' medication ordering activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pelayo, Sylvia; Leroy, Nicolas; Guerlinger, Sandra; Degoulet, Patrice; Meaux, Jean-Jacques; Beuscart-Zéphir, Marie-Catherine

    2005-01-01

    Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) addresses critical functions in healthcare systems. As the name clearly indicates, these systems focus on order entry. With regard to medication orders, such systems generally force physicians to enter exhaustively documented orders. But a cognitive analysis of the physician's medication ordering task shows that order entry is the last (and least) important step of the entire cognitive therapeutic decision making task. We performed a comparative analysis of these complex cognitive tasks in two working environments, computer-based and paper-based. The results showed that information gathering, selection and interpretation are critical cognitive functions to support the therapeutic decision making. Thus the most important requirement from the physician's perspective would be an efficient display of relevant information provided first in the form of a summarized view of the patient's current treatment, followed by in a more detailed focused display of those items pertinent to the current situation. The CPOE system examined obviously failed to provide the physicians this critical summarized view. Following these results, consistent with users' complaints, the Company decided to engage in a significant re-engineering process of their application.

  20. Computerized analysis of fetal heart rate variability signal during the stages of labor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Annunziata, Maria Laura; Tagliaferri, Salvatore; Esposito, Francesca Giovanna; Giuliano, Natascia; Mereghini, Flavia; Di Lieto, Andrea; Campanile, Marta

    2016-03-01

    To analyze computerized cardiotocographic (cCTG) parameters (baseline fetal heart rate, baseline FHR; short term variability, STV; approximate entropy, ApEn; low frequency, LF; movement frequency, MF; high frequency, HF) in physiological pregnancy in order to correlate them with the stages of labor. This could provide more information for understanding the mechanisms of nervous system control of FHR during labor progression. A total of 534 pregnant women were monitored on cCTG from the 37th week before the onset of spontaneous labor and during the first and the second stage of labor. Statistical analysis was performed using Kruskal-Wallis test and Wilcoxon rank-sum test with the Bonferroni adjusted α (labor, and the first and second stages of labor. Differences between some of the stages were found for ApEn, LF and for LF/(HF + MF), where the first and the third were reduced and the second was increased. cCTG modifications during labor may reflect the physiologic increased activation of the autonomous nervous system. Using computerized fetal heart rate analysis during labor it may be possible to obtain more information from the fetal cardiac signal, in comparison with the traditional tracing. © 2016 Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

  1. Stratification of mammographic computerized analysis by BI-RADS categories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lederman, Richard; Leichter, Isaac; Buchbinder, Shalom; Novak, Boris; Bamberger, Philippe; Fields, Scott

    2003-01-01

    The Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) was implemented to standardize characterization of mammographic findings. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate in which BI-RADS categories the changes recommended by computerized mammographic analysis are most beneficial. Archival cases including, 170 masses (101 malignant, 69 benign) and 63 clusters of microcalcifications (MCs; 36 malignant, 27 benign), were evaluated retrospectively, using the BI-RADS categories, by several radiologists, blinded to the pathology results. A computerized system then automatically extracted from the digitized mammogram features characterizing mammographic lesions, which were used to classify the lesions. The results of the computerized classification scheme were compared, by receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis, to the conventional interpretation. In the ''low probability of malignancy group'' (excluding BI-RADS categories 4 and 5), computerized analysis improved the A z of the ROC curve significantly, from 0.57 to 0.89. In the ''high probability of malignancy group'' (mostly category 5) the computerized analysis yielded an ROC curve with an A z of 0.99. In the ''intermediate probability of malignancy group'' computerized analysis improved the A z significantly, from 0.66 for to 0.83. Pair-wise analysis showed that in the latter group the modifications resulting from computerized analysis were correct in 83% of cases. Computerized analysis has the ability to improve the performance of the radiologists exactly in the BI-RADS categories with the greatest difficulties in arriving at a correct diagnosis. It increased the performance significantly in the problematic group of ''intermediate probability of malignancy'' and pinpointed all the cases with missed cancers in the ''low probability'' group. (orig.)

  2. Computerized industrial tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ashraf, M.M.

    1999-01-01

    Computerized Tomographic (CT) has been used for a number of applications in the field of medicine and industry. For the last couple of years, the technique has been applied for the material characterization and detection of defects and flaws inside the industrial components of nuclear, aerospace and missile industries. A CT scanner of first generation was developed at the institute. The scanner has been used to demonstrate couple of applications of CT in the field of non destructive testing of materials. The data acquired by placing the test objects at various angles and scanning the object through a source detector assembly has been processed on a Pentium computer for image reconstruction using a filtered back projection method. The technique has been developed which can be modified and improved to study various other applications in materials science and a modern computerized tomographic facility can be established. (author)

  3. Computerized real-time materials accountability system for safeguards material control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spencer, W.F.; Affel, R.G.; Austin, H.C.; Nichols, J.P.; Stoutt, B.H.; Wachter, J.W.

    1975-01-01

    A real-time, computer-based system is described which provides safeguards material control at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Originally installed in 1972 to provide computerized real-time fissile materials accountability for criticality control purposes, the system has been expanded to provide accountability of all source and nuclear materials (SNM) and to utilize the on-line inventory files in support of the Laboratory physical protection and surveillance procedures. (auth)

  4. Computerized tomography in orthopaedics and traumatology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boettger, E.; Heckl, R.; Rehabilitations-Krankenhaus Langensteinbach, Karlsbad

    1981-01-01

    Computerized tomography in traumatology is the selected method for the indications mentioned, so that angiographic investigations are only necessary in exceptional cases. Computerized tomography is also better than other methods when diagnozing soft part tumours, however, angiography is still indicated preoperatively for individual cases. CT is only good as additional help to conventional diagnostics with bone tumours. The differential diagnosis cysts-tumour is possible using contrast medium injections. The frequently large soft part share of tumours is recognizable with osteolytic tumours so that a better irradiation and operation planning can be effected. Diseases in the spinal canal can only be assessed with reservation using modern equipment. Lumbar dislocations of the disk can mostly not be sufficiently determined. Perivertebral abscesses can be certainly detected using computerized tomography. This is particularly so for abscesses prior to calcification. (orig.) [de

  5. Computerized Italian criticality guide, description and validation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carotenuto, M.; Landeyro, P.A.

    1988-10-01

    Our group is developing an 'expert system' for collecting engineering know-how on back-end nuclear plant design. An expert system is the most suitable software tool for our problem. During the analysis, the design process was divided into different branches. At each branch of the design process the Expert System relates a computerized design procedure. Any design procedure is composed of a set of design methods, together with their condition of application and reliability limits. In the framework of this expert system, the nuclear criticality safety analysis procedure was developed, in the form of a computerized criticality guide, attempting to reproduce the designer's normal 'reasoning' process. The criticality guide is composed of two parts: A computerized text, including theory, a description of the accidents occurred in the past and a description of the italian design experience; An interactive computer aided calculation module, containing a graphical facility for critical parameter curves. In the present report are presented the criticality guide (computerized Italian Criticality Guide) and its validation test. (author)

  6. Computerized Italian criticality guide, description and validation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carotenuto, M; Landeyro, P A [ENEA - Dipartimento Ciclo del Combustibile, Centro Ricerche Energia, Casaccia (Italy)

    1988-10-15

    Our group is developing an 'expert system' for collecting engineering know-how on back-end nuclear plant design. An expert system is the most suitable software tool for our problem. During the analysis, the design process was divided into different branches. At each branch of the design process the Expert System relates a computerized design procedure. Any design procedure is composed of a set of design methods, together with their condition of application and reliability limits. In the framework of this expert system, the nuclear criticality safety analysis procedure was developed, in the form of a computerized criticality guide, attempting to reproduce the designer's normal 'reasoning' process. The criticality guide is composed of two parts: A computerized text, including theory, a description of the accidents occurred in the past and a description of the italian design experience; An interactive computer aided calculation module, containing a graphical facility for critical parameter curves. In the present report are presented the criticality guide (computerized Italian Criticality Guide) and its validation test. (author)

  7. Stratification of mammographic computerized analysis by BI-RADS categories

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lederman, Richard [Department of Radiology, Hadassah University Hospital, Ein Kerem, Jerusalem (Israel); Leichter, Isaac [Department of Electro-Optics, Jerusalem College of Technology, P.O.B. 16031, Jerusalem (Israel); Buchbinder, Shalom [Department of Radiology of The Montefiore Medical Center, The University Hospital for the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York (United States); Novak, Boris [Department of Applied Mathematics, Jerusalem College of Technology, P.O.B. 16031, Jerusalem 91160 (Israel); Bamberger, Philippe [Department of Electronics, Jerusalem College of Technology, POB 16031, Jerusalem (Israel); Fields, Scott [Department of Radiology, Hadassah University Hospital, Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem (Israel)

    2003-02-01

    The Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) was implemented to standardize characterization of mammographic findings. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate in which BI-RADS categories the changes recommended by computerized mammographic analysis are most beneficial. Archival cases including, 170 masses (101 malignant, 69 benign) and 63 clusters of microcalcifications (MCs; 36 malignant, 27 benign), were evaluated retrospectively, using the BI-RADS categories, by several radiologists, blinded to the pathology results. A computerized system then automatically extracted from the digitized mammogram features characterizing mammographic lesions, which were used to classify the lesions. The results of the computerized classification scheme were compared, by receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis, to the conventional interpretation. In the ''low probability of malignancy group'' (excluding BI-RADS categories 4 and 5), computerized analysis improved the A{sub z}of the ROC curve significantly, from 0.57 to 0.89. In the ''high probability of malignancy group'' (mostly category 5) the computerized analysis yielded an ROC curve with an A {sub z}of 0.99. In the ''intermediate probability of malignancy group'' computerized analysis improved the A {sub z}significantly, from 0.66 for to 0.83. Pair-wise analysis showed that in the latter group the modifications resulting from computerized analysis were correct in 83% of cases. Computerized analysis has the ability to improve the performance of the radiologists exactly in the BI-RADS categories with the greatest difficulties in arriving at a correct diagnosis. It increased the performance significantly in the problematic group of ''intermediate probability of malignancy'' and pinpointed all the cases with missed cancers in the ''low probability'' group. (orig.)

  8. Age influence on attitudes of office workers faced with new computerized technologies: a questionnaire analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marquié, J C; Thon, B; Baracat, B

    1994-06-01

    The study of Bue and Gollac (1988) provided evidence that a significantly lower proportion of workers aged 45 years and over make use of computer technology compared with younger ones. The aim of the present survey was to explain this fact by a more intensive analysis of the older workers' attitude with respect to the computerization of work situations in relation to other individual and organizational factors. Six hundred and twenty office workers from 18 to 70 years old, either users or non-users of computerized devices, were asked to complete a questionnaire. The questions allowed the assessment of various aspects of the workers' current situation, such as the computer training they had received, the degree of consultation they were subjected to during the computerization process, their representation of the effects of these new technologies on working conditions and employment, the rate of use of new technologies outside the work context, and the perceived usefulness of computers for their own work. The analysis of the questionnaire revealed that as long as the step towards using computer tools, even minimally, has not been taken, then attitudes with respect to computerization are on the whole not very positive and are a source of anxiety for many workers. Age, and even more, seniority in the department, increase such negative representations. The effects of age and seniority were also found among users, as well as the effects of other factors such as qualification, education level, type and rate of computer use, and size of the firm. For the older workers, the expectation of less positive consequences for their career, or even the fear that computerization might be accompanied by threats to their own employment and the less clear knowledge of how computers operate, appeared to account for a significant part of the observed age and seniority differences in attitudes. Although the difference in the amount of computer training between age groups was smaller than

  9. Research on accounting transition from computerization to informationization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shu Chen

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The application for computer technology, digitalization technology and network technology in the accounting field has promoted the development of accounting informationization. Accounting informationization is a product integrated with traditional accounting theory and modern information technology, which is an inevitable trend of continuous development of modern accounting. This paper discusses the basic concepts and characteristics of accounting computerization and informationization based on the normative research method and literature data method, analyzes the feasibility of accounting transition from computerization to informationization, and finally puts forward the specific approaches and ultimate goals of accounting transition from computerization to informationization.

  10. Development and application of computerized maintenance management system at a nuclear fuel cycle facilities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oh, Yon Woo; Kim, S D; Jang, K D; Kim, Y G

    2001-12-01

    In order to accomplish the purpose of research, it is the most important for the equipment to work well. The computerized maintenance management system proven by the case-studies can have an effect on the research and it can be one of the most major elements to assist the research at the research laboratory. To prevent the breakdown of the equipment at the research facility which can hinder the improvement of the research work, it is essential to maintain the equipment of facility without the sudden breakdown and to short the recovery time. If these elements such as the causes of the breakdown were well-managed and suvervised with care, this recovery time could be minimized. The aims of this research, therefore, are to introduce the development of the computerized maintenance management system and to apply it at the field in order to minimize the breakdown of the equipment and the recovery time and in order to perform the equipment maintenance service with the minimized expense and maximize the service efficiency through the planned management of the budget, the manpower and the service00.

  11. Cranial computerized tomography in children suffering from acute leukemia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Metz, O.

    1981-01-01

    Cranial computerized (axial) tomography permits a more complete neurologic supervision of children with acute leukemia and a better knowledge of the frequency and varieties of cerebral complications in leukemia. Endocranial complications in acute leukemia are essentially infiltrative, hemorrhagic, infectious or iatrogenic. Cranial computerized tomography can demonstrate cerebral changes in meningeal leukemia, hemorrhages, calcifications, brain atrophy or leukencephalopathy. The preliminary results of cranial computerized tomography in childhood leukemia suggest that the iatrogenic main lesion of the brain due to combined radiation-chemotherapy is atrophy whereas that of the intrathecal cytostatic therapy is demyelination. Accurate diagnostics and control of possible cerebral complications in therapy of leukemia is essentially for appropriate therapeutic management. For that cranial computerized tomography is the best method to a effective supervision of the brain. (author)

  12. Impact of vendor computerized physician order entry on patients with renal impairment in community hospitals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leung, Alexander A; Schiff, Gordon; Keohane, Carol; Amato, Mary; Simon, Steven R; Cadet, Bismarck; Coffey, Michael; Kaufman, Nathan; Zimlichman, Eyal; Seger, Diane L; Yoon, Catherine; Bates, David W

    2013-10-01

    Adverse drug events (ADEs) are common among hospitalized patients with renal impairment. To determine whether computerized physician order entry (CPOE) systems with clinical decision support capabilities reduce the frequency of renally related ADEs in hospitals. Quasi-experimental study of 1590 adult patients with renal impairment who were admitted to 5 community hospitals in Massachusetts from January 2005 to September 2010, preimplementation and postimplementation of CPOE. Varying levels of clinical decision support, ranging from basic CPOE only (sites 4 and 5), rudimentary clinical decision support (sites 1 and 2), and advanced clinical decision support (site 3). Primary outcome was the rate of preventable ADEs from nephrotoxic and/or renally cleared medications. Similarly, secondary outcomes were the rates of overall ADEs and potential ADEs. There was a 45% decrease in the rate of preventable ADEs following implementation (8.0/100 vs 4.4/100 admissions; P < 0.01), and the impact was related to the level of decision support. Basic CPOE was not associated with any significant benefit (4.6/100 vs 4.3/100 admissions; P = 0.87). There was a nonsignificant decrease in preventable ADEs with rudimentary clinical decision support (9.1/100 vs 6.4/100 admissions; P = 0.22). However, substantial reduction was seen with advanced clinical decision support (12.4/100 vs 0/100 admissions; P = 0.01). Despite these benefits, a significant increase in potential ADEs was found for all systems (55.5/100 vs 136.8/100 admissions; P < 0.01). Vendor-developed CPOE with advanced clinical decision support can reduce the occurrence of preventable ADEs but may be associated with an increase in potential ADEs. © 2013 Society of Hospital Medicine.

  13. Computerized low-level waste assay system operation manual

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jones, D.F.; Cowder, L.R.; Martin, E.R.

    1976-01-01

    An operation and maintenance manual for the computerized low-level waste box counter is presented, which describes routine assay techniques as well as theory of operation treated in sufficient depth so that an experienced assayist can make nonroutine assays. In addition, complete system schematics are included, along with a complete circuit description to facilitate not only maintenance and troubleshooting, but also reproduction of the instrument if desired. Complete software system descriptions are included so far as calculational algorithms are concerned, although detailed instruction listings would have to be obtained from Group R-1 at LASL in order to make machine-language code changes

  14. The evolution of computerized displays in accident management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    DeBor, J.

    1988-01-01

    Key regulations implemented by the NRC in 1982, which included requirements such as upgraded emergency operating procedures, detailed control room design reviews, the addition of a safety parameter display system, and the inclusion of a degreed shift technical advisor as part of the operating staff, have enabled the use of computerized displays to evolve as an integral part of accident management within each of the four main vendor groups. Problems, however, remain to be resolved in the area of technical content, information reliability, and rules for use in order to achieve the goal of more reliable accident management in nuclear power plants

  15. Computerized training program usage at the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Station

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruzic, D.H.; Reed, W.H.; Lawton, R.K.; Fluehr, J.J.

    1987-01-01

    The increased US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) interest in the nuclear power industry training programs resulted in the Omaha Public Power District staff at the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Station investigating the potential for computerizing their recently accredited training records, student training requirements, and the process of determining student certification status. Additional areas that were desirable were a computerized question data bank with random test generation, maintaining history of question usage, and tracking of the job task analysis process and course objectives. SCI Software's online personnel training information management system (OPTIM) was selected, subsequent to a bid evaluation, to provide these features while operating on the existing corporate IBM mainframe

  16. Estimation of an Examinee's Ability in the Web-Based Computerized Adaptive Testing Program IRT-CAT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoon-Hwan Lee

    2006-11-01

    Full Text Available We developed a program to estimate an examinee's ability in order to provide freely available access to a web-based computerized adaptive testing (CAT program. We used PHP and Java Script as the program languages, PostgresSQL as the database management system on an Apache web server and Linux as the operating system. A system which allows for user input and searching within inputted items and creates tests was constructed. We performed an ability estimation on each test based on a Rasch model and 2- or 3-parametric logistic models. Our system provides an algorithm for a web-based CAT, replacing previous personal computer-based ones, and makes it possible to estimate an examinee?占퐏 ability immediately at the end of test.

  17. TRANSIT: model for providing generic transportation input for preliminary siting analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McNair, G.W.; Cashwell, J.W.

    1985-02-01

    To assist the US Department of Energy's efforts in potential facility site screening in the nuclear waste management program, a computerized model, TRANSIT, is being developed. Utilizing existing data on the location and inventory characteristics of spent nuclear fuel at reactor sites, TRANSIT derives isopleths of transportation mileage, costs, risks and fleet requirements for shipments to storage sites and/or repository sites. This technique provides a graphic, first-order method for use by the Department in future site screening efforts. 2 refs

  18. Computerized adaptive testing--ready for ambulatory monitoring?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rose, Matthias; Bjørner, Jakob; Fischer, Felix

    2012-01-01

    Computerized adaptive tests (CATs) have abundant theoretical advantages over established static instruments, which could improve ambulatory monitoring of patient-reported outcomes (PROs). However, an empirical demonstration of their practical benefits is warranted.......Computerized adaptive tests (CATs) have abundant theoretical advantages over established static instruments, which could improve ambulatory monitoring of patient-reported outcomes (PROs). However, an empirical demonstration of their practical benefits is warranted....

  19. Computerized data base of the fundamental constants of nature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Henry, E.A.; Hampel, V.E.

    1975-01-01

    Fifty-seven fundamental constants of nature were computerized from the up-to-date evaluations of E. R. Cohen and B. N. Taylor. The constants are annotated with regard to symbol, value, uncertainty, and scaling factor. This computerization is part of the scientific data base project of the Information Research Group at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. The MASTER CONTROL data base management system is used. The computerized fundamental constants can be requested from the ERDA Computer Program Exchange and Information Center of the Argonne National Laboratory or from the National Technical Information Service of the U. S. Department of Commerce. This is the first of a series of releases on preparation of computerized scientific and technological data banks. The next release is a data bank of conversion factors for different units of measurements. 3 figures

  20. The Japanese Nuclear Energy Encyclopedia edited and computerized to promote public acceptance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shimooke, T.; Kobayashi, K.; Suzuki, Y.; Kobayashi, S.

    1992-01-01

    Editing the Japanese Nuclear Energy Encyclopedia has been in progress since 1989. It will be completed in 1993. The book is intended to provide raw material for the public to have his own judgement on nuclear energy. It is also useful as a 'text book' for specialists who lecture on the nuclear energy including the social effects at public seminars and meetings. Computerization of the book is also being made simultaneously. The trial use of the partly completed book has been started by some 150 of the nominated lectures through the country from August 1992. The computerized book has been well received so far by these lectures. (J.P.N.)

  1. Extrahepatic portal hypertension in childhood. Portographic findings and evaluation of hepatic blood flow by computerized radionuclide angiography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Takehara, Hiroo; Komi, Nobuhiko; Goh, Masahiro; Yoshida, Sadahiro; Kameoka, Kazuhiro; Hino, Masao; Sui, Osamu

    1986-05-01

    Four pediatric patients with extrahepatic portal hypertension had undergone portography and computerized radionuclide angiography in order to examine shape of portal system and to evaluate hepatic blood flow before and aftersurgical treatment. In all patients, cavernous transformation of portal system was demonstrated by portography, and in one of them spontaneous splenorenal shunt occurred. In 3 of them, who underwent esophageal transsection combined with paraesophagogastric devascularization and splenectomy, so-called direct operation, increase of portal blood flow was revealed by computerized radionuclide angiography. It is suggested that direct operation increasing portal blood flow after surgery is effective in treating extrahepatic portal hypertension in childhood.

  2. Computerized videodefecography versus defecography: do we need radiographs?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos Walter Sobrado

    Full Text Available CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Defecography has been recognized as a valuable method for evaluating patients with evacuation disorders. It consists of the use of static radiography and fluoroscopy to record different situations within anorectal dynamics. Conventionally, rectal parameters are measured using radiograms. It is rare for fluoroscopy alone to be used. Computer software has been developed with the specific aim of calculating these measurements from digitized videotaped images obtained during fluoroscopy, without the need for radiographic film, thereby developing a computerized videodefecography method. The objective was thus to compare measurements obtained via computerized videodefecography with conventional measurements and to discuss the advantages of the new method. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective study at the radiology service of Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade de São Paulo. METHOD: Ten consecutive normal subjects underwent videodefecography. The anorectal angle, anorectal junction, puborectalis muscle length, anal canal length and degree of anal relaxation were obtained via the conventional method (using radiography film and via computerized videodefecography using the ANGDIST software. Measurement and analysis of these parameters was performed by two independent physicians. RESULTS: Statistical analysis confirmed that the measurements obtained through direct radiography film assessment and using digital image analysis (computerized videodefecography were equivalent. CONCLUSIONS: Computerized videodefecography is equivalent to the traditional defecography examination. It has the advantage of offering reduced radiation exposure through saving on the use of radiography.

  3. Highly resolving computerized tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kurtz, B.; Petersen, D.; Walter, E.

    1984-01-01

    With the development of highly-resolving devices for computerized tomography, CT diagnosis of the lumbar vertebral column has gained increasing importance. As an ambulatory, non-invasive method it has proved in comparative studies to be at least equivalent to myelography in the detection of dislocations of inter-vertebral disks (4,6,7,15). Because with modern devices not alone the bones, but especially the spinal soft part structures are clearly and precisely presented with a resolution of distinctly below 1 mm, a further improvement of the results is expected as experience will increase. The authors report on the diagnosis of the lumbar vertebral column with the aid of a modern device for computerized tomography and wish to draw particular attention to the possibility of doing this investigation as a routine, and to the diagnostic value of secondary reconstructions. (BWU) [de

  4. Highly resolving computerized tomography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kurtz, B.; Petersen, D.; Walter, E.

    1984-01-01

    With the development of highly-resolving devices for computerized tomography, CT diagnosis of the lumbar vertebral column has gained increasing importance. As an ambulatory, non-invasive method it has proved in comparative studies to be at least equivalent to myelography in the detection of dislocations of inter-vertebral disks (4,6,7,15). Because with modern devices not alone the bones, but especially the spinal soft part structures are clearly and precisely presented with a resolution of distinctly below 1 mm, a further improvement of the results is expected as experience will increase. The authors report on the diagnosis of the lumbar vertebral column with the aid of a modern device for computerized tomography and wish to draw particular attention to the possibility of doing this investigation as a routine, and to the diagnostic value of secondary reconstructions.

  5. Computerized tomography in evaluation of the pulmonary hilum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Secaf, M.; Ferreira, J.L.N.; Secaf, E.

    1987-01-01

    The use of computerized tomography as a method for evaluating the pulmonary hilum and its application in the diagnosis of endobronchial lesions, hilar masss, contiguous involvement of the mediastinum by hilar mass, and vascular hilar lesions are discussed. A comparative evaluation between conventional tomograms and computerized tomography is presented. (M.A.C.) [pt

  6. Computerized Decision Aids for Shared Decision Making in Serious Illness: Systematic Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Staszewska, Anna; Zaki, Pearl; Lee, Joon

    2017-10-06

    Shared decision making (SDM) is important in achieving patient-centered care. SDM tools such as decision aids are intended to inform the patient. When used to assist in decision making between treatments, decision aids have been shown to reduce decisional conflict, increase ease of decision making, and increase modification of previous decisions. The purpose of this systematic review is to assess the impact of computerized decision aids on patient-centered outcomes related to SDM for seriously ill patients. PubMed and Scopus databases were searched to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that assessed the impact of computerized decision aids on patient-centered outcomes and SDM in serious illness. Six RCTs were identified and data were extracted on study population, design, and results. Risk of bias was assessed by a modified Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for Quality Assessment of Randomized Controlled Trials. Six RCTs tested decision tools in varying serious illnesses. Three studies compared different computerized decision aids against each other and a control. All but one study demonstrated improvement in at least one patient-centered outcome. Computerized decision tools may reduce unnecessary treatment in patients with low disease severity in comparison with informational pamphlets. Additionally, electronic health record (EHR) portals may provide the opportunity to manage care from the home for individuals affected by illness. The quality of decision aids is of great importance. Furthermore, satisfaction with the use of tools is associated with increased patient satisfaction and reduced decisional conflict. Finally, patients may benefit from computerized decision tools without the need for increased physician involvement. Most computerized decision aids improved at least one patient-centered outcome. All RCTs identified were at a High Risk of Bias or Unclear Risk of Bias. Effort should be made to improve the quality of RCTs testing SDM aids in serious

  7. REVIEW Of COMPUTERIZED PROCEDURE GUIDELINES FOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANT CONTROL ROOMS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    David I Gertman; Katya Le Blanc; Ronald L Boring

    2011-09-01

    Computerized procedures (CPs) are recognized as an emerging alternative to paper-based procedures for supporting control room operators in nuclear power plants undergoing life extension and in the concept of operations for advanced reactor designs. CPs potentially reduce operator workload, yield increases in efficiency, and provide for greater resilience. Yet, CPs may also adversely impact human and plant performance if not designed and implemented properly. Therefore, it is important to ensure that existing guidance is sufficient to provide for proper implementation and monitoring of CPs. In this paper, human performance issues were identified based on a review of the behavioral science literature, research on computerized procedures in nuclear and other industries, and a review of industry experience with CPs. The review of human performance issues led to the identification of a number of technical gaps in available guidance sources. To address some of the gaps, we developed 13 supplemental guidelines to support design and safety. This paper presents these guidelines and the case for further research.

  8. Celebral computerized tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lofteroed, B.; Sortland, O.

    1985-01-01

    Indications for cerebral computerized tomography (CT) and the diagnostic results from this examination are evaluated in 127 children. Pathological changes were found in 31 children, mostly based on such indications as increasing head size, suspicion of brain tumor, cerebral paresis, delayed psychomotor development and epileptic seizures. A list of indications for CT in children is given

  9. Integrating bar-code devices with computerized MC and A systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anderson, L.K.; Boor, M.G.; Hurford, J.M.

    1998-01-01

    Over the past seven years, Los Alamos National Laboratory developed several generations of computerized nuclear materials control and accountability (MC and A) systems for tracking and reporting the storage, movement, and management of nuclear materials at domestic and international facilities. During the same period, Oak Ridge National Laboratory was involved with automated data acquisition (ADA) equipment, including installation of numerous bar-code scanning stations at various facilities to serve as input devices to computerized systems. Bar-code readers, as well as other ADA devices, reduce input errors, provide faster input, and allow the capture of data in remote areas where workstations do not exist. Los Alamos National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory teamed together to implement the integration of bar-code hardware technology with computerized MC and A systems. With the expertise of both sites, the two technologies were successfully merged with little difficulty. Bar-code input is now available with several functions of the MC and A systems: material movements within material balance areas (MBAs), material movements between MBAs, and physical inventory verification. This paper describes the various components required for the integration of these MC and A systems with the installed bar-code reader devices and the future directions for these technologies

  10. The Effects of Computerized Auditory Feedback on Electronic Article Surveillance Tag Placement in an Auto-Parts Distribution Center

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goomas, David T.

    2008-01-01

    In this report from the field, computerized auditory feedback was used to inform order selectors and order selector auditors in a distribution center to add an electronic article surveillance (EAS) adhesive tag. This was done by programming handheld computers to emit a loud beep for high-priced items upon scanning the item's bar-coded Universal…

  11. Survey of methods for improving operator acceptance of computerized aids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frey, P.R.; Kisner, R.A.

    1982-04-01

    The success of current attempts to improve the operational performance and safety of nuclear power plants by installing computerized operational aids in the control rooms is dependent, in part, on the operator's attitude toward the aid. Utility experience with process computer systems indicates that problems may already exist with operator acceptance of computerized aids. The growth of the role that computers have in nuclear power plants makes user acceptance of computer technology an important issue for the nuclear industry. The purpose of this report is to draw from the literature factors related to user acceptance of computerized equipment that may also be applicable to the acceptance of computerized aids used in the nuclear power plant control room

  12. Survey of methods for improving operator acceptance of computerized aids

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Frey, P. R.; Kisner, R. A.

    1982-04-01

    The success of current attempts to improve the operational performance and safety of nuclear power plants by installing computerized operational aids in the control rooms is dependent, in part, on the operator's attitude toward the aid. Utility experience with process computer systems indicates that problems may already exist with operator acceptance of computerized aids. The growth of the role that computers have in nuclear power plants makes user acceptance of computer technology an important issue for the nuclear industry. The purpose of this report is to draw from the literature factors related to user acceptance of computerized equipment that may also be applicable to the acceptance of computerized aids used in the nuclear power plant control room.

  13. ECAT: a new computerized tomographic imaging system for position-emitting radiopharmaceuticals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Phelps, M.E.; Hoffman, E.J.; Huang, S.C.; Kuhl, D.E.

    1977-01-01

    The ECAT was designed and developed as a complete computerized positron radionuclide imaging system capable of providing high contrast, high resolution, quantitative images in 2 dimensional and tomographic formats. Flexibility, in its various image mode options, allows it to be used for a wide variety of imaging problems

  14. Computerized Tests. New practical and ethical challenges for Psychological Assessment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gabriela Susana Lozzia

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to bring the readers in our field of knowledge closer to the new problems and solutions resulting from the application of computer systems to Psychological Assessment. Therefore, this work puts forward a suitable implementation of Computer-based and Internet-delivered Testing, includes a description of the new technologies that can be applied to Psychological Assessment: administration of traditional paper-and-pencil tests through computers, elaboration of automated reports, computerized adaptive tests, automated test construction and automatic generation of items, as well as the specific guidelines and regulations governing the development of each of these areas. This study provides an outline of the current issues connected with the appropriate use of Computerized Tests by way of conclusion and finally encourages psychologists to keep debating and reflecting on these topics.

  15. Computerized management of plant intervention tasks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Remacle, J.; Quoidbach, G.

    1993-01-01

    The concept of 'computerized management' of plant intervention tasks was developed by TRACTEBEL in 1983 for the Belgian power plants of ELECTRABEL. The main objective of the 'Computerized Management of Plant Intervention Tasks' is to help the staff of a nuclear or a conventional power plant in planning, organizing, and carrying out any (preventive or corrective) maintenance task. It consists of a group of interconnected functional modules acting on a unique and homogeneous data base. A short description of 3 modules is given, i.e., the 'User' Module, the 'Equipment' Module and the 'Periodic Procedure' Module. (Z.S.)

  16. A novel computerized surgeon-machine interface for robot-assisted laser phonomicrosurgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mattos, Leonardo S; Deshpande, Nikhil; Barresi, Giacinto; Guastini, Luca; Peretti, Giorgio

    2014-08-01

    To introduce a novel computerized surgical system for improved usability, intuitiveness, accuracy, and controllability in robot-assisted laser phonomicrosurgery. Pilot technology assessment. The novel system was developed involving a newly designed motorized laser micromanipulator, a touch-screen display, and a graphics stylus. The system allows the control of a CO2 laser through interaction between the stylus and the live video of the surgical area. This empowers the stylus with the ability to have actual effect on the surgical site. Surgical enhancements afforded by this system were established through a pilot technology assessment using randomized trials comparing its performance with a state-of-the-art laser microsurgery system. Resident surgeons and medical students were chosen as subjects in performing sets of trajectory-following exercises. Image processing-based techniques were used for an objective performance assessment. A System Usability Scale-based questionnaire was used for the qualitative assessment. The computerized interface demonstrated superiority in usability, accuracy, and controllability over the state-of-the-art system. Significant ease of use and learning experienced by the subjects were demonstrated by the usability score assigned to the two compared interfaces: computerized interface = 83.96% versus state-of-the-art = 68.02%. The objective analysis showed a significant enhancement in accuracy and controllability: computerized interface = 90.02% versus state-of-the-art = 75.59%. The novel system significantly enhances the accuracy, usability, and controllability in laser phonomicrosurgery. The design provides an opportunity to improve the ergonomics and safety of current surgical setups. © 2014 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

  17. Carolina Power and Light Company's computerized Radiological Information Management System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meyer, B.A.

    1987-01-01

    Carolina Power and Lignt Company has recently implement a new version of their computerized Radiological Information management System. The new version was programmed in-house and is run on the Company's mainframe computers. In addition to providing radiation worker dose histories and current dose updates, the system provides real-time access control for all three of the Company's nuclear plants such as respirator and survey equipment control and inventory, TLD QC records, and many other functions

  18. Fatal defect in computerized glow curve deconvolution of thermoluminescence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sakurai, T.

    2001-01-01

    The method of computerized glow curve deconvolution (CGCD) is a powerful tool in the study of thermoluminescence (TL). In a system where the plural trapping levels have the probability of retrapping, the electrons trapped at one level can transfer from this level to another through retrapping via the conduction band during reading TL. However, at present, the method of CGCD has no affect on the electron transition between the trapping levels; this is a fatal defect. It is shown by computer simulation that CGCD using general-order kinetics thus cannot yield the correct trap parameters. (author)

  19. Safety assessment of computerized control and protection systems. Report of a technical committee meeting held in Vienna, 12-16 October 1992

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-12-01

    In developing the views expressed in this document, papers were presented by delegates from Member States. A total of 6 papers were presented in all on topics ranging from applications of computerized control and protection systems in older plants and in new advanced reactors to methods for improving software reliability. In addition two informal presentations were provided by a vendor and a licensing authority. These presentations provided valuable insights into the application of computerized control and protection systems and into the concern of software reliability with proposals for diverse 'backup' systems of different types. This was supplemented by utility and vendor presentations on system designs. Following the presentations, three working groups were formed to produce their views on the licensing of software based safety systems on reliability models and techniques for assessment of computerized safety systems, and on systems considered for computerized upgrading (need, criteria, approach, pitfalls and benefits). This document represents these collected views with the papers presented attached as an annex. Refs, figs and tabs

  20. 45 CFR 307.25 - Review and certification of computerized support enforcement systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ..., DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMPUTERIZED SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT SYSTEMS § 307.25 Review and certification of computerized support enforcement systems. The Office will review, assess and inspect the... 45 Public Welfare 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Review and certification of computerized support...

  1. A Framework for the Development of Computerized Adaptive Tests

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nathan A. Thompson

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available A substantial amount of research has been conducted over the past 40 years on technical aspects of computerized adaptive testing (CAT, such as item selection algorithms, item exposure controls, and termination criteria. However, there is little literature providing practical guidance on the development of a CAT. This paper seeks to collate some of the available research methodologies into a general framework for the development of any CAT assessment.

  2. Improvements in Logic Diagram of Computerized Procedure System of APR1400

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kang, Sungkweon; Seong, Nokyu [KHNP CRI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-10-15

    The Computerized Procedure System (CPS) has been improved since it is installed in Shin-Kori 3 and 4 Nuclear Power Plants. It is one of operating support systems of digital Main Control Room (MCR) and provides many functions to operators in executing the procedure. CPS can effectively remove the human errors by supporting the procedure flow and logic diagram. This paper describes the logic diagram of CPS of reference power plant and shows the improved logic diagram of CPS of Shin-Kori unit 5 and 6. This paper describes the current logic diagram of CPS and suggests improved design for logic diagram. The improved logic diagram shall be validated through human factors engineering verification and validation. The improved design will help operators execute the computerized procedure fast and remove the human error.

  3. Reflecting on the ethical administration of computerized medical records

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collmann, Jeff R.

    1995-05-01

    This presentation examines the ethical issues raised by computerized image management and communication systems (IMAC), the ethical principals that should guide development of policies, procedures and practices for IMACS systems, and who should be involved in developing a hospital's approach to these issues. The ready access of computerized records creates special hazards of which hospitals must beware. Hospitals must maintain confidentiality of patient's records while making records available to authorized users as efficiently as possible. The general conditions of contemporary health care undermine protecting the confidentiality of patient record. Patients may not provide health care institutions with information about themselves under conditions of informed consent. The field of information science must design sophisticated systems of computer security that stratify access, create audit trails on data changes and system use, safeguard patient data from corruption, and protect the databases from outside invasion. Radiology professionals must both work with information science experts in their own hospitals to create institutional safeguards and include the adequacy of security measures as a criterion for evaluating PACS systems. New policies and procedures on maintaining computerized patient records must be developed that obligate all members of the health care staff, not just care givers. Patients must be informed about the existence of computerized medical records, the rules and practices that govern their dissemination and given the opportunity to give or withhold consent for their use. Departmental and hospital policies on confidentiality should be reviewed to determine if revisions are necessary to manage computer-based records. Well developed discussions of the ethical principles and administrative policies on confidentiality and informed consent and of the risks posed by computer-based patient records systems should be included in initial and continuing

  4. Critical factors influencing physicians' intention to use computerized clinical practice guidelines: an integrative model of activity theory and the technology acceptance model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsiao, Ju-Ling; Chen, Rai-Fu

    2016-01-16

    With the widespread use of information communication technologies, computerized clinical practice guidelines are developed and considered as effective decision supporting tools in assisting the processes of clinical activities. However, the development of computerized clinical practice guidelines in Taiwan is still at the early stage and acceptance level among major users (physicians) of computerized clinical practice guidelines is not satisfactory. This study aims to investigate critical factors influencing physicians' intention to computerized clinical practice guideline use through an integrative model of activity theory and the technology acceptance model. The survey methodology was employed to collect data from physicians of the investigated hospitals that have implemented computerized clinical practice guidelines. A total of 505 questionnaires were sent out, with 238 completed copies returned, indicating a valid response rate of 47.1 %. The collected data was then analyzed by structural equation modeling technique. The results showed that attitudes toward using computerized clinical practice guidelines (γ = 0.451, p technology) factors mentioned in the activity theory should be carefully considered when introducing computerized clinical practice guidelines. Managers should pay much attention on those identified factors and provide adequate resources and incentives to help the promotion and use of computerized clinical practice guidelines. Through the appropriate use of computerized clinical practice guidelines, the clinical benefits, particularly in improving quality of care and facilitating the clinical processes, will be realized.

  5. Computerized cognitive training with older adults: a systematic review.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexandra M Kueider

    Full Text Available A systematic review to examine the efficacy of computer-based cognitive interventions for cognitively healthy older adults was conducted. Studies were included if they met the following criteria: average sample age of at least 55 years at time of training; participants did not have Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment; and the study measured cognitive outcomes as a result of training. Theoretical articles, review articles, and book chapters that did not include original data were excluded. We identified 151 studies published between 1984 and 2011, of which 38 met inclusion criteria and were further classified into three groups by the type of computerized program used: classic cognitive training tasks, neuropsychological software, and video games. Reported pre-post training effect sizes for intervention groups ranged from 0.06 to 6.32 for classic cognitive training interventions, 0.19 to 7.14 for neuropsychological software interventions, and 0.09 to 1.70 for video game interventions. Most studies reported older adults did not need to be technologically savvy in order to successfully complete or benefit from training. Overall, findings are comparable or better than those from reviews of more traditional, paper-and-pencil cognitive training approaches suggesting that computerized training is an effective, less labor intensive alternative.

  6. Computerized photogrammetry used to calculate the brow position index.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naif-de-Andrade, Naif Thadeu; Hochman, Bernardo; Naif-de-Andrade, Camila Zirlis; Ferreira, Lydia Masako

    2012-10-01

    The orbital region is of vital importance to facial expression. Brow ptosis, besides having an impact on facial harmony, is a sign of aging. Various surgical techniques have been developed to increase the efficacy of brow-lift surgery. However, no consensus method exists for an objective measurement of the eyebrow position due to the curvature of the face. Therefore, this study aimed to establish a method for measuring the eyebrow position using computerized photogrammetry. For this study, 20 orbital regions of 10 volunteers were measured by direct anthropometry using a digital caliper and by indirect anthropometry (computerized photogrammetry) using standardized digital photographs. Lines, points, and distances were defined based on the position of the anthropometric landmarks endocanthion and exocanthion and then used to calculate the brow position index (BPI). Statistical analysis was performed using Student's t test with a significance level of 5 %. The BPI values obtained by computerized photogrammetric measurements did not differ significantly from those obtained by direct anthropometric measurements (p > 0.05). The mean BPI was 84.89 ± 10.30 for the computerized photogrammetric measurements and 85.27 ± 10.67 for the direct anthropometric measurements. The BPI defined in this study and obtained by computerized photogrammetry is a reproducible and efficient method for measuring the eyebrow position. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article.

  7. Test and evaluation of computerized nuclear material accounting methods. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-01-01

    In accordance with the definition of a Material Balance Area (MBA) as a well-defined geographical area involving an Integral operation, the building housing the BFS-1 and BFS-1 critical facilities is considered to consist of one MBA. The BFS materials are in the form of small disks clad in stainless steel and each disk with nuclear material has its own serial number. Fissile material disks in the BFS MBA can be located at three key monitoring points: BFS-1 facility, BFS-2 facility and main storage of BFS fissile materials (storage 1). When used in the BFS-1 or BFS-2 critical facilities, the fissile material disks are loaded in tubes (fuel rods) forming critical assembly cores. The following specific features of the BFS MBA should be taken into account for the purpose of computerized accounting of nuclear material: (1) very large number of nuclear material items (about 70,000 fissile material items); and (2) periodically very intensive shuffling of nuclear material items. Requirements for the computerized system are determined by basic objectives of nuclear material accounting: (1) providing accurate information on the identity and location of all items in the BFS material balance area; (2) providing accurate information on location and identity of tamper-indicating devices; (3) tracking nuclear material inventories; (4) issuing periodic reports; (5) assisting with the detection of material gains or losses; (6) providing a history of nuclear material transactions; (7) preventing unauthorized access to the system and data falsification. In August 1995, the prototype computerized accounting system was installed on the BFS facility for trial operation. Information on two nuclear material types was entered into the data base: weapon-grade plutonium metal and 36% enriched uranium dioxide. The total number of the weapon-grade plutonium disks is 12,690 and the total number of the uranium dioxide disks is 1,700

  8. Radiographic analysis of body composition by computerized axial tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heymsfield, S.B.

    1986-01-01

    Radiographic methods of evaluating body composition have been applied for over five decades. A marked improvement in this approach occurred in the mid-nineteen-seventies with the introduction of computerized axial tomography. High image contrast, cross-sectional imaging and rapid computerized data processing make this technique a sophisticated clinically applicable tool. (author)

  9. A hard tissue cephalometric comparative study between hand tracing and computerized tracing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramachandra Prabhakar

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Aims: To analyze and compare the angular and linear hard tissue cephalometric measurements using hand-tracing and computerized tracings with Nemoceph and Dolphin software systems. Subjects and Methods: A total of 30 cephalograms were randomly chosen for study with the following criteria, cephalograms of patients with good contrast, no distortion, and minimal radiographic artifacts were considered using the digital method (Kodak 8000 C with 12 angular and nine linear parameters selected for the study. Comparisons were determined by post-hoc test using Tukey HSD method. The N-Par tests were performed using Kruskal-Walli′s method. Statistical Analysis Used: ANOVA and post-hoc. Results: The results of this study show that there is no significant difference in the angular and linear measurements recorded. The P values were significant at 0.05 levels for two parameters, Co-A and Co-Gn with the hand-tracing method. This was significant in ANOVA and post-hoc test by Tukey HSD method. Conclusions: This study of comparison provides support for transition from digital hand to computerized tracing methodology. In fact, digital computerized tracings were easier and less time consuming, with the same reliability irrespective of each method of tracing.

  10. Results of CT brain examinations in cerebrovascular emergency. [computerized tomography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pinta, Z; Dolansky, J; Sorfova, J; Jerie, T

    1987-07-01

    Experience is briefly reported with CT (computerized tomography) diagnosis of cerebrovascular emergencies. It is pointed out that the introduction of computerized tomography greatly improved and made more accurate the diagnosis of focal ischemias and revealed significant differences in the foci of ischemia in hypertension patients and atherosclerosis patients without hypertension, and showed a higher incidence of intracerebral and subarachnoidal hemorrhages than previously thought. It is believed that knowledge gained thanks to CT (computerized tomography) will be of benefit to the primary and secondary prevention of cerebrovascular ischemias. (L.O.). 1 fig., 5 refs.

  11. Sustained User Engagement in Health Information Technology: The Long Road from Implementation to System Optimization of Computerized Physician Order Entry and Clinical Decision Support Systems for Prescribing in Hospitals in England.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cresswell, Kathrin M; Lee, Lisa; Mozaffar, Hajar; Williams, Robin; Sheikh, Aziz

    2017-10-01

    To explore and understand approaches to user engagement through investigating the range of ways in which health care workers and organizations accommodated the introduction of computerized physician order entry (CPOE) and computerized decision support (CDS) for hospital prescribing. Six hospitals in England, United Kingdom. Qualitative case study. We undertook qualitative semi-structured interviews, non-participant observations of meetings and system use, and collected organizational documents over three time periods from six hospitals. Thematic analysis was initially undertaken within individual cases, followed by cross-case comparisons. We conducted 173 interviews, conducted 24 observations, and collected 17 documents between 2011 and 2015. We found that perceived individual and safety benefits among different user groups tended to facilitate engagement in some, while other less engaged groups developed resistance and unsanctioned workarounds if systems were perceived to be inadequate. We identified both the opportunity and need for sustained engagement across user groups around system enhancement (e.g., through customizing software) and the development of user competencies and effective use. There is an urgent need to move away from an episodic view of engagement focused on the preimplementation phase, to more continuous holistic attempts to engage with and respond to end-users. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  12. Study on computerized presentation of emergency procedures of a nuclear plant (step 2). The guidelines of the prototype of the computerized procedure presentation system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niwa, Yuji; Hollnagel, E.; Iwaki, Toshio.

    1995-01-01

    New methods of information presentation and interface design are changing the working conditions in the modern Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) control room. One area receiving considerable attention is that of Emergency Operating Procedures (EOPs), which plays an essential role in NPPs. Conventionally procedures are presented in a hard copy form. However developments in information technology have offered new opportunities for the computerization of such procedures. Consideration for the first stage of computerization should be focused upon the presentation of procedures. The specification of the computerized presentation of procedures is discussed with respect to the issues which were central to the project: navigation through procedures; formatting and presentation of procedures; and process monitoring. Issues that would be included in more advanced systems, such as help and explanation facilities features, and process linking, are also discussed. This paper deals with the specific design guidelines that were implemented for the computerization of procedure presentation. Issues of principal concern that were identified from this experience are highlighted, such as the relationship between procedure presentation and format; the registration of progress through a procedure; compensation for the limitations of computer displays versus printed documents; and the way in which the added capabilities of computerized presentation can be generally utilized in the operators' working environment. (author)

  13. E/Z MAS: An easy-to-use computerized materials control and accountability system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anderson, L.K.; Boor, M.G.; Hurford, J.M.; Landry, R.P.; Martinez, B.J.; Solem, A.M.; Whiteson, R.; Zardecki, A.

    1998-01-01

    Nuclear facilities that handle and process nuclear materials are required to track their nuclear holdings and to keep adequate records that manage and control the inventory of those holdings. The complexity of a system that does this job is directly proportional to the complexity of the facility's operations. This paper describes an approach to computerized materials protection, control, and accountability (MPC and A) that was introduced by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in the fall of 1997. This new system, E/Z MAS, is the latest addition to the LANL suite of computerized MPC and A tools, which also includes the CoreMAS system. E/Z MAS was initially designed to address the needs of those facilities that have small to modest MPC and A needs but has been expanded to provide full functionality for any facility. The system name, E/Z MAS, reflects the system's easy-to-use characteristics, which include ease of installation and ease of software maintenance. Both CoreMAS and E/Z MAS have been provided to facilities in the Former Soviet Union to assist them in implementing a computerized MPC and A system that meets their needs. In this paper the authors will address the functionality of CoreMAS and E/Z MAS, and an argument in favor of intranet-based material control and accountability will be advanced

  14. Computerization of the safeguards analysis decision process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ehinger, M.H.

    1990-01-01

    This paper reports that safeguards regulations are evolving to meet new demands for timeliness and sensitivity in detecting the loss or unauthorized use of sensitive nuclear materials. The opportunities to meet new rules, particularly in bulk processing plants, involve developing techniques which use modern, computerized process control and information systems. Using these computerized systems in the safeguards analysis involves all the challenges of the man-machine interface experienced in the typical process control application and adds new dimensions to accuracy requirements, data analysis, and alarm resolution in the regulatory environment

  15. Computerized tomography in the diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sobota, J.; Girl, J.; Sotornik, I.; Kocandrle, V.

    1990-01-01

    Long-term experience in the application of computerized tomography to the diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism is summarized. Based on a large number of examinations (164) of parathyroid glands associated with the possibility of verification and comparison with the results of ultrasonography and other imaging methods, the potential of computerized tomography in the diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism and its advantages and limitations are summarized. It is concluded that owing to its high diagnostic precision, this technique can be regarded reliable in detecting enlarged parathyroid glands. (author). 11 figs., 1 tab., 19 refs

  16. Plant state identification using fuzzy logic in the framework of computerized accident management support (CAMS)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van Dyck, Claude

    1997-05-01

    CAMS (computerized accident management support) is a system that will provide assistance in case of accident in a nuclear power plant. In order to support the user in evaluating the plant state, it contains a state identification module. The state identification module provides high-level, qualitative information about the status of critical safety functions, about the availability of safety systems and about the occurrence of initiating events. This information is sent to the man-machine interface and to other CAMS modules. The state identification module is developed using a specific tool: GPS (Goal Processing System) which is based on the Goal Tree - Success Tree formalism. GPS is a tool designed to manage ''process related'' knowledge and aimed at process supervision via real-time acquisition of process variables. Fuzzy logic has been introduced in GPS in order to have smoother transitions between different states of critical safety functions and systems changes and to have a truth value associated to each piece of information provided to the user. The whole system has been tested, integrated with the rest of CAMS, on several accident scenarios. The test results are satisfactory. A brief comparison is made between the present work and previous related work at the HRP. (author)

  17. The industrial computerized tomography applied to the rock analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tetzner, Guaraciaba de Campos

    2008-01-01

    This work is a study of the possibilities of the technical applications of Computerized Tomography (CT) by using a device developed in the Radiation Technology Center (CTR), Institute for Energy and Nuclear Research (IPEN-CNEN/SP). The equipment consists of a gamma radiation source ( 60 Co), a scintillation detector of sodium iodide doped with thallium (NaI (Tl)), a mechanical system to move the object (rotation and translation) and a computer system. This operating system has been designed and developed by the CTR-IPEN-CNEN/SP team using national resources and technology. The first validation test of the equipment was carried out using a cylindrical sample of polypropylene (phantom) with two cylindrical cavities (holes) of 5 x 25 cm (diameter and length). In these tests, the holes were filled with materials of different density (air, oil and metal), whose attenuation coefficients are well known. The goal of this first test was to assess the response quality of the equipment. The present report is a study comparing computerized tomography equipment CTR-IPEN-CNEN/SP which uses a source of gamma radiation ( 60 Co) and other equipment provided by the Department of Geosciences in the University of Texas (CTUT), which uses an X-ray source (450 kV and 3.2 mA). As a result, the images obtained and the comprehensive study of the usefulness of the equipment developed here strengthened the proposition that the development of industrial computerized tomography is an important step toward consolidating the national technology. (author)

  18. CRRIS: a computerized radiological risk-investigation system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baes, C.F. III; Miller, C.W.

    1981-01-01

    The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for regulating radioactive airborne effluents in the US. A comprehensive, integrated Computerized Radiological Risk Investigation System (CRRIS) is being developed to support EPA's radiation standards development. This modular system consists primarily of five computer codes and their supporting data bases for estimating environmental transport and radiation doses and risks. Health effects are estimated on the basis of a life-table methodology developed by EPA. CRRIS is designed to provide EPA with a reasonable and flexible way of assessing the risk to man associated with radionuclide releases to the atmosphere

  19. Computerized tomography of the vertebral column following traumatic lesion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taenzer, B.; Gmelin, E.; Burmester, E.; Babaian, E.; Weiss, H.D.; Hohlbach, G.

    1984-01-01

    In 58 patients with lesions of the vertebral column in the thoracal and lumbar section established by conventional X-ray, the informative power of computerized tomography was tested. Axial projection with the superimposition-free presentation of bone and soft-tissue structures in the motional segment clears up the diagnostically decisive question of the extent of the lesion and form of fracture, and thus provides information on the stability or instability of the fracture relevant for the therapeutic action taken. All patients had compression fractures of vertebrae, with a fragment of the front edge broken away in 50 cases and one of the back edge broken away in 17 cases. In 30 cases the intervertebral disks were damaged. 43 fractures were stable, 25 were unstable. The instability of 13 fractures was only recognized by CT. In essence, the diagnostic action to be taken begins with a grand-survey X-ray in two planes as a screening, with computerized tomography following in the positive case. Conventional tomograms are not necessary. (BWU) [de

  20. Computerized management of plant intervention tasks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Quoidbach, G.

    2004-01-01

    The main objective of the 'Computerized Management of Plant Intervention Tasks' is to help the staff of a nuclear or a conventional power plant or of any other complex industrial facility (chemical industries, refineries, and so on) in planning, organizing, and carrying out any (preventive or corrective) maintenance task. This 'Computerized Management of Plant Intervention Tasks' is organized around a data base of all plant components in the facility that might be subjected to maintenance or tagout. It allows to manage, by means of intelligent and configurable 'mail service', the course of the intervention requests as well as various treatments of those requests, in a safe and efficient way, adapted to each particular organization. The concept of 'Computerized Management' of plant intervention tasks was developed by BELGATOM in 1983 for the Belgian nuclear power plants of ELECTRABEL. A first implementation of this concept was made at that time for the Doel NPP under the name POPIT (Programming Of Plant Intervention Tasks). In 1988, it was decided to proceed to a functional upgrade of the application, using advanced software and hardware techniques and products, and to realize a second implementation in the Tihange NPP under the name ACM (Application Consignation Maintenance). (author)

  1. Diagnostics of neuromuscular diseases with the aid of computerized tomography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Visser, M de; Verbeeten, Jr, B J

    1988-06-04

    In this article the diagnosis of neuromuscular diseases with the aid of computerized tomography is treated. Computerized tomography of skeletal muscles give no information which is pathognomonic for particular diseases. But the technique can be used in the following aspects: to choose a muscle for a biopsy; when it is not possible to examine the function of a muscle, a CT scan can visualize morphological deviations; in the differentiation of muscle hypertrophy and pseudo-hypertrophy. For some cases as Becker-type muscular dystrophy, facioscapulohumeral dystrophy and Kugelberg-Welander type spinal muscular atrophy computerized tomography gives characteristic images. 10 refs.; 6 figs.

  2. Diagnostics of neuromuscular diseases with the aid of computerized tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Visser, M. de; Verbeeten, B.J. Jr.

    1988-01-01

    In this article the diagnosis of neuromuscular diseases with the aid of computerized tomography is treated. Computerized tomography of skeletal muscles give no information which is pathognomonic for particular diseases. But the technique can be used in the following aspects: to choose a muscle for a biopsy; when it is not possible to examine the function of a muscle, a CT scan can visualize morphological deviations; in the differentiation of muscle hypertrophy and pseudo-hypertrophy. For some cases as Becker-type muscular dystrophy, facioscapulohumeral dystrophy and Kugelberg-Welander type spinal muscular atrophy computerized tomography gives characteristic images. 10 refs.; 6 figs

  3. Computerized tomographic diagnosis of basal skull fracture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanaka, Tokutaro; Shimoyama, Ichiro; Endoh, Mitsutoshi; Ninchoji, Toshiaki; Uemura, Kenichi.

    1984-01-01

    The diagnosis of basal skull fractures used to be difficult, particularly on the basis of routine skull roentgenography alone. We have now examined the diagnostic value of conventional computerized tomography in basal skull fractures. We studied 82 cases clinically diagnosed as basal skull fractures. We examined them based on at least one of the following computerized tomographic criteria for basal skull fractures: 1) fracture line(s), 2) intracranial air, 3) fluid in the paranasal sinuses, and 4) fluid in the middle ear, including the mastoid air cells. The signs of the fracture line and of the intracranial air are definite indications of basal skull fracture, but the signs of fluid in the paranasal sinuses and/or in the middle ear are not definite. When combined, however, with such other clinical signs as black eye, Battle's sign, CSF leakage, CSF findings, and profuse nasal or ear bleeding, the diagnosis is more reliable. Seventy cases (85.4%) in this series had basal skull fractures according to our computerized tomographic criteria. Among them , 26 cases (31.7%) were diagnosed with fracture lines, 17 cases (20.7%) with intracranial air, 16 cases (19.5%) with fluid in the paranasal sinuses, 10 cases (12.2%) with fluid in the middle ear, and one case (1.2%) with fluid in both. Twelve cases (14.6%) of the 82 cases clinically diagnosed as basal skull fractures could not have been diagnosed on our computerized tomographic criteria alone. We diagnosed them because of CSF leakage, CSF findings, surgical findings, etc. (author)

  4. Computerized heat balance models to predict performance of operating nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Breeding, C.L.; Carter, J.C.; Schaefer, R.C.

    1983-01-01

    The use of computerized heat balance models has greatly enhanced the decision making ability of TVA's Division of Nuclear Power. These models are utilized to predict the effects of various operating modes and to analyze changes in plant performance resulting from turbine cycle equipment modifications with greater speed and accuracy than was possible before. Computer models have been successfully used to optimize plant output by predicting the effects of abnormal condenser circulating water conditions. They were utilized to predict the degradation in performance resulting from installation of a baffle plate assembly to replace damaged low-pressure blading, thereby providing timely information allowing an optimal economic judgement as to when to replace the blading. Future use will be for routine performance test analysis. This paper presents the benefits of utility use of computerized heat balance models

  5. Direct coronary and sagittal computerized tomography of the pelvis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maier, W.; Bargon, G.

    1981-01-01

    Whereas quite a number of reports have been published on direct coronary and sagittal computed tomography of the cranium, no extensive experience has been collected on multidimensional computerized tomography of the pelvis. In this article, the authors report on their preliminary experiences in direct approximately sagittal and coronary computerized tomography of the pelvis in a group of 76 patients. (orig.) [de

  6. Effect of gender on computerized electrocardiogram measurements in college athletes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mandic, Sandra; Fonda, Holly; Dewey, Frederick; Le, Vy-van; Stein, Ricardo; Wheeler, Matt; Ashley, Euan A; Myers, Jonathan; Froelicher, Victor F

    2010-06-01

    Broad criteria for classifying an electrocardiogram (ECG) as abnormal and requiring additional testing prior to participating in competitive athletics have been recommended for the preparticipation examination (PPE) of athletes. Because these criteria have not considered gender differences, we examined the effect of gender on the computerized ECG measurements obtained on Stanford student athletes. Currently available computer programs require a basis for "normal" in athletes of both genders to provide reliable interpretation. During the 2007 PPE, computerized ECGs were recorded and analyzed on 658 athletes (54% male; mean age, 19 +/- 1 years) representing 22 sports. Electrocardiogram measurements included intervals and durations in all 12 leads to calculate 12-lead voltage sums, QRS amplitude and QRS area, spatial vector length (SVL), and the sum of the R wave in V5 and S wave in V2 (RSsum). By computer analysis, male athletes had significantly greater QRS duration, PR interval, Q-wave duration, J-point amplitude, and T-wave amplitude, and shorter QTc interval compared with female athletes (all P < 0.05). All ECG indicators of left ventricular electrical activity were significantly greater in males. Although gender was consistently associated with indices of atrial and ventricular electrical activity in multivariable analysis, ECG measurements correlated poorly with body dimensions. Significant gender differences exist in ECG measurements of college athletes that are not explained by differences in body size. Our tables of "normal" computerized gender-specific measurements can facilitate the development of automated ECG interpretation for screening young athletes.

  7. Antipsychotic treatment in schizophrenia: the role of computerized neuropsychological assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kertzman, Semion; Reznik, Ilya; Grinspan, Haim; Weizman, Abraham; Kotler, Moshe

    2008-01-01

    The present study analyzes the role of neurocognitive assessment instruments in the detection of the contribution of antipsychotic treatment to cognitive functioning. Recently, a panel of experts suggested six main domains (working memory; attention/vigilance; verbal/visual learning and memory; reasoning and problem solving; speed of processing) implicated in schizophrenia-related cognitive deficits, which serve as a theoretical base for creation of real-time computerized neurocognitive batteries. The high sensitivity of computerized neuropsychological testing is based on their ability to adopt the reaction time (RT) paradigm for the assessment of brain function in a real-time regime. This testing is highly relevant for the monitoring of the cognitive effects of antipsychotics. Computerized assessment assists in the identification of state- and trait-related cognitive impairments. The optimal real-time computerized neurocognitive battery should composite balance between broad and narrow coverage of cognitive domains relevant to the beneficial effects of antipsychotics and will enable better planning of treatment and rehabilitation programs.

  8. Computerized tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1980-01-01

    Improvements in the design of computerized tomographic X-ray equipment are described which lead to improvements in the mechanical properties, speed and size of scanning areas. The method envisages the body being scanned as a two-dimensional matrix of elements arising from a plurality of concentric rings. The concentric centre need not coincide with the axis of rotation. The procedures for rotation of the X-ray beam and detectors around the patient and for translating the measured information into attenuation coefficients for each matrix element of the body are described in detail. Explicit derivations are given for the mathematical formulae used. (U.K.)

  9. MDCT for computerized volumetry of pneumothoraces in pediatric patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Wenli; Lee, Edward Y; Vij, Abhinav; Mahmood, Soran A; Yoshida, Hiroyuki

    2011-03-01

    Our purpose in this study was to develop an automated computer-aided volumetry (CAV) scheme for quantifying pneumothorax in multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) images for pediatric patients and to investigate the imaging parameters that may affect its accuracy. Fifty-eight consecutive pediatric patients (mean age 12 ± 6 years) with pneumothorax who underwent MDCT for evaluation were collected retrospectively for this study. All cases were imaged by a 16- or 64-MDCT scanner with weight-based kilovoltage, low-dose tube current, 1.0-1.5 pitch, 0.6-5.0 mm slice thickness, and a B70f (sharp) or B31f (soft) reconstruction kernel. Sixty-three pneumothoraces ≥1 mL were visually identified in the left (n = 30) and right (n = 33) lungs. Each identified pneumothorax was contoured manually on an Amira workstation V4.1.1 (Mercury Computer Systems, Chelmsford, MA) by two radiologists in consensus. The computerized volumes of the pneumothoraces were determined by application of our CAV scheme. The accuracy of our automated CAV scheme was evaluated by comparison between computerized volumetry and manual volumetry, for the total volume of pneumothoraces in the left and right lungs. The mean difference between the computerized volumetry and the manual volumetry for all 63 pneumothoraces ≥1 mL was 8.2%. For pneumothoraces ≥10 mL, ≥50 mL, and ≥200 mL, the mean differences were 7.7% (n = 57), 7.3% (n = 33), and 6.4% (n = 13), respectively. The correlation coefficient was 0.99 between the computerized volume and the manual volume of pneumothoraces. Bland-Altman analysis showed that computerized volumetry has a mean difference of -5.1% compared to manual volumetry. For all pneumothoraces ≥10 mL, the mean differences for slice thickness ≤1.25 mm, = 1.5 mm, and = 5.0 mm were 6.1% (n = 28), 3.5% (n = 10), and 12.2% (n = 19), respectively. For the two reconstruction kernels, B70f and B31f, the mean differences were 6.3% (n = 42, B70f) and 11.7% (n = 15, B31f

  10. Development and Evaluation of a Confidence-Weighting Computerized Adaptive Testing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yen, Yung-Chin; Ho, Rong-Guey; Chen, Li-Ju; Chou, Kun-Yi; Chen, Yan-Lin

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine whether the efficiency, precision, and validity of computerized adaptive testing (CAT) could be improved by assessing confidence differences in knowledge that examinees possessed. We proposed a novel polytomous CAT model called the confidence-weighting computerized adaptive testing (CWCAT), which combined a…

  11. Pain Perception: Computerized versus Traditional Local Anesthesia in Pediatric Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mittal, M; Kumar, A; Srivastava, D; Sharma, P; Sharma, S

    2015-01-01

    Local anesthetic injection is one of the most anxiety- provoking procedure for both children and adult patients in dentistry. A computerized system for slow delivery of local anesthetic has been developed as a possible solution to reduce the pain related to the local anesthetic injection. The present study was conducted to evaluate and compare pain perception rates in pediatric patients with computerized system and traditional methods, both objectively and subjectively. It was a randomized controlled study in one hundred children aged 8-12 years in healthy physical and mental state, assessed as being cooperative, requiring extraction of maxillary primary molars. Children were divided into two groups by random sampling - Group A received buccal and palatal infiltration injection using Wand, while Group B received buccal and palatal infiltration using traditional syringe. Visual Analog scale (VAS) was used for subjective evaluation of pain perception by patient. Sound, Eye, Motor (SEM) scale was used as an objective method where sound, eye and motor reactions of patient were observed and heart rate measurement using pulse oximeter was used as the physiological parameter for objective evaluation. Patients experienced significantly less pain of injection with the computerized method during palatal infiltration, while less pain was not statistically significant during buccal infiltration. Heart rate increased during both buccal and palatal infiltration in traditional and computerized local anesthesia, but difference between traditional and computerized method was not statistically significant. It was concluded that pain perception was significantly more during traditional palatal infiltration injection as compared to computerized palatal infiltration, while there was no difference in pain perception during buccal infiltration in both the groups.

  12. Computerized medical convocations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roche, Annie; Gilbert, Jean-Francois; Chiadot, Pierre; Vanzetto, Rene; Darnault, Jean

    1969-06-01

    Thanks to a close collaboration between the Medical and Social department and the Numerical Calculation Laboratory, a computerized convocation system has been implemented to reduce the administrative workload and to introduce more rigor in medical management, patient historical background and statistics. This work comprises: - a preliminary study of the data generating medical convocations and the related practical requirements; - the programming work according to these data; - the realisation of the mechano-graphical file covering the overall personnel [fr

  13. Computerized measures of finger tapping: reliability, malingering and traumatic brain injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hubel, Kerry A; Yund, E William; Herron, Timothy J; Woods, David L

    2013-01-01

    We analyzed computerized finger tapping metrics in four experiments. Experiment 1 showed tapping-rate differences associated with hand dominance, digits, sex, and fatigue that replicated those seen in a previous, large-scale community sample. Experiment 2 revealed test-retest correlations (r = .91) that exceeded those reported in previous tapping studies. Experiment 3 investigated subjects simulating symptoms of traumatic brain injury (TBI); 62% of malingering subjects produced abnormally slow tapping rates. A tapping-rate malingering index, based on rate-independent tapping patterns, provided confirmatory evidence of malingering in 48% of the subjects with abnormal tapping rates. Experiment 4 compared tapping in 24 patients with mild TBI (mTBI) and a matched control group; mTBI patients showed slowed tapping without evidence of malingering. Computerized finger tapping measures are reliable measures of motor speed, useful in detecting subjects performing with suboptimal effort, and are sensitive to motor abnormalities following mTBI.

  14. Computerized tomography in atypical Pott's disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cabrera, M.N.B.; Wang, E.H.M.

    1993-01-01

    Classical Pott's disease is described as a two-vertebrae disease with the destruction of the intervening invertebral disc. Computerized tomography has been used in the differential diagnosis of spine infections and neoplasms. We reviewed CT scans of patients seen at the Philippine General Hospital over a two-year period with atypical presentations of atypical tuberculous spondylitis. We used the computerized tomography findings described as characteristic of classical Pott's disease as criteria in evaluating the CT scans of patients diagnosed to have Atypical Pott's Disease. Although the number of patients prevented sensitivity and specificity studies to be done, our results strongly suggest that the same CT criteria used to diagnose Classical Pott's Disease may also be used to diagnose Pott's disease in its atypical form. (Author.). 13 refs

  15. Computerized cost model for pressurized water reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meneely, T.K.; Tabata, Hiroaki; Labourey, P.

    1999-01-01

    A computerized cost model has been developed in order to allow utility users to improve their familiarity with pressurized water reactor overnight capital costs and the various factors which influence them. This model organizes its cost data in the standard format of the Energy Economic Data Base (EEDB), and encapsulates simplified relationships between physical plant design information and capital cost information in a computer code. Model calculations are initiated from a base case, which was established using traditional cost calculation techniques. The user enters a set of plant design parameters, selected to allow consideration of plant models throughout the typical three- and four-loop PWR power range, and for plant sites in Japan, Europe, and the United States. Calculation of the new capital cost is then performed in a very brief time. The presentation of the program's output allows comparison of various cases with each other or with separately calculated baseline data. The user can start at a high level summary, and by selecting values of interest on a display grid show progressively more and more detailed information, including links to background information such as individual cost driver accounts and physical plant variables for each case. Graphical presentation of the comparison summaries is provided, and the numerical results may be exported to a spreadsheet for further processing. (author)

  16. Computerized Interpretation of Dynamic Breast MRI

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Chen, Weijie; Giger, Maryellen Lissak

    2005-01-01

    ... and prognosis of breast cancer. The research involves investigation of automatic methods for image artifacts correction, tumor segmentation, and extraction of computerized features that help distinguish between benign and malignant lesions...

  17. Computerized access to materials data. A progress report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rumble, J. Jr.

    1985-01-01

    As the effort to build a comprehensive computerized materials data system grows, it becomes more obvious that the benefits will be far-reaching. During this workshop, the enthusiasm of the participants grew steadily until the questions became not''What,'' but ''When?''. The engineering community within the United States has banded together many times to advance progress in engineering capability. The computerized materials data system requires such an effort, and the rewards will be substantial. Chapter 3 identifies changes in the use of materials data in the Nuclear Power Industry. Chapter 4 describes the EPRI experience in building computerized materials databases. In Chapter 5, the National Materials Property Data Network is discussed. The next four chapters present summaries of the workshop discussions and its conclusions. Chapter 6 discusses the content of the proposed system, Chapter 7 its size and the data sources, and Chapter 8 the user interfaces and system capabilities. In Chapter 9, ways of making further progress are outlined

  18. Computerization of operation and maintenance for nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-07-01

    This report provides a resource for computerization of activities in plant operation and maintenance. Experience gained from design and implementation of various computer systems around the world is described. The material may be useful as a guide to modification and upgrading of existing plants as well as design and engineering of new plants. It should be particularly of interest to managers and engineers who are engaged in planning, bidding, specifying or designing computer systems for operation and maintenance applications. Refs, figs and tabs

  19. Computerization of operation and maintenance for nuclear power plants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1995-07-01

    This report provides a resource for computerization of activities in plant operation and maintenance. Experience gained from design and implementation of various computer systems around the world is described. The material may be useful as a guide to modification and upgrading of existing plants as well as design and engineering of new plants. It should be particularly of interest to managers and engineers who are engaged in planning, bidding, specifying or designing computer systems for operation and maintenance applications. Refs, figs and tabs.

  20. Feasibility study for a computerized emergency preparedness simulation facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gerhardstein, L.H.; Schroeder, J.O.; Sandusky, W.F.

    1979-11-01

    This report details the feasibility of a computerized Emergency Preparedness Simulation Facility (EPSF) for use by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The proposed facility would be designed to provide the NRC and other federal, state, and local government agencies with a capability to formulate, test, and evaluate the Emergency Preparedness Plans (EPP) which local and state agencies have/will establish for use during nuclear emergencies. In cases of any state emergency (including a nuclear emergency), high level state government officials will direct emergency procedures and insure that state and local emergency teams carry out tasks which have been established in their EPP. When an emergency exists, rapid mobilization of emergency teams, efficient communication, and effective coordination of individual team efforts is essential to safety, preservation of property, and overall public welfare. Current EPP evaluation procedures are qualitative in nature and while they do compare emergency drill performance with the EPP, the nature of the drills often does not provide enough realism to actual emergency conditions. Automated simulation of real emergency conditions using modern computer equipment and programming techniques will provide the NRC emergency evaluation teams a simulated environment which closely approximates conditions which would actually exist during a real emergency. In addition, the computer can be used to collect and log performance and event data which will aid the evaluation team in making assessments of the state or local area's EPP and their Emergency Preparedness Teams performance during emergency drills. Overall, a computerized EPSF can improve drill testing and evaluation efficiency, provide approximate emergency condition realism, and improve public awareness of local emergency procedures

  1. Diversity in computerized reactor protection systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fischer, H.D.; Piel, L.

    1999-01-01

    Based on engineering judgement, the most important measures to increase the independency of redundant trains of a computerized safety instrumentation and control system (I and C) in a nuclear power plant are evaluated with respect to practical applications. This paper will contribute to an objective discussion on the necessary and justifiable arrangement of diversity in a computerized safety I and C system. Important conclusions are: - (i) diverse equipment may be used to control dependent failures only if measures necessary for designing, licensing, and operating a computerized safety I and C system homogeneous in equipment are neither technically nor economically feasible; - (ii) the considerable large operating experience in France with a non-diverse equipment digital reactor protection system does not call for equipment diversity. Although there are no generally accepted methods, the licensing authority is still required to take into account dependent failures in a probabilistic safety analysis; - (ii) the frequency of postulated initiating events implies which I and C functionality should be implemented on diverse equipment. Using non-safety I and C equipment in addition to safety I and C equipment is attractive because its necessary unavailability to control an initiating event in teamwork with the safety I and C equipment is estimated to range from 0.01 to 0.1. This can be achieved by operational experience

  2. Staging of bronchogenic carcinoma by computerized tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sommer, B.; Bauer, W.M.; Rath, M.; Fenzl, G.; Stelter, W.J.; Lissner, J.

    1981-01-01

    It was possible to check the information obtained by CT scanning in 36 patients out of 49 who had been subjected to computerized tomography, in respect of the extension of the primary tumour (T stage), and in 25 patients in respect of the degree of mediastinal lymphatic node involvement (N stage). In all 49 patients, the presence of bronchogenic carcinoma had been safely established. In 97% of the cases, assessment of the extension of the primary tumour was found to be correct. Assessment of the N stage, however, is more problematic, since detection of mediastinal lymphatic nodes by computerized tomography does not necessarily tell us something about their metastatic involvement. If all recognizable lymphatic nodes are interpreted as potential metastases, we have no false negative but 61% false positive results because of the frequency of postinflammatory or anthracotic lymphatic nodes. In case of exclusive assessment of lymphatic node enlargement above 1 cm diameter, the rate of metastatic nodes increases considerably (83%). Computerized tomography is definitely superior to all roentgenological methods in assessing the stage of a bronchogenic carcinoma; hence, it could occupy a key position in determining the diagnostic and therapeutic approach in patients with this disease. (orig.) [de

  3. The portable micro-computerized multichannel spectrometer for geological application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fang Fang; Jia Wenyi; Zou Rongsheng; Ma Yingjie; Zhou Jianbin

    1999-01-01

    The portable micro-computerized multichannel spectrometer is based on the book computer and employs the A/D integrated circuit with 12 bits. It is a 2048 channel spectrometer which is consisted of hardware and software. The author analyzed the hardware circuit and software construction of the micro-computerized multichannel spectrometer which is suitable for filed geological application. The main technical specifications and application of the new multichannel spectrometer were also discussed

  4. The portable micro-computerized multichannel spectrometer for geological application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fang Fang; Jia Wenyi; Zhou Rongsheng; Ma Yingjie; Zhou Jianbin

    1999-01-01

    The portable micro-computerized multichannel spectrometer is based on the book computer and employs the A/D integrated circuit with 12 bits. It is a 2048 channel spectrometer which consists of hardware and software. The author analyzed the hardware circuit and software construction of the micro-computerized multichannel spectrometer which is suitable for field geological application. The main technical specifications and application of the new multichannel spectrometer were also discussed

  5. Medication supply chain management through implementation of a hospital pharmacy computerized inventory program in Haiti

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michelle R. Holm

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: In the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, St. Luke Hospital was built to help manage the mass casualties and subsequent cholera epidemic. A major problem faced by the hospital system was the lack of an available and sustainable supply of medications. Long-term viability of the hospital system depended largely on developing an uninterrupted medication supply chain. Objective: We hypothesized that the implementation of a new Pharmacy Computerized Inventory Program (PCIP would optimize medication availability and decrease medication shortages. Design: We conducted the research by examining how medications were being utilized and distributed before and after the implementation of PCIP. We measured the number of documented medication transactions in both Phase 1 and Phase 2 as well as user logins to determine if a computerized inventory system would be beneficial in providing a sustainable, long-term solution to their medication management needs. Results: The PCIP incorporated drug ordering, filling the drug requests, distribution, and dispensing of the medications in multiple settings; inventory of currently shelved medications; and graphic reporting of ‘real-time’ medication usage. During the PCIP initiation and establishment periods, the number of medication transactions increased from 219.6 to 359.5 (p=0.055, respectively, and the mean logins per day increased from 24.3 to 31.5, p<0.0001, respectively. The PCIP allows the hospital staff to identify and order medications with a critically low supply as well as track usage for future medication needs. The pharmacy and nursing staff found the PCIP to be efficient and a significant improvement in their medication utilization. Conclusions: An efficient, customizable, and cost-sensitive PCIP can improve drug inventory management in a simplified and sustainable manner within a resource-constrained hospital.

  6. Computerized ECT data analysis system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miyake, Y.; Fukui, S.; Iwahashi, Y.; Matsumoto, M.; Koyama, K.

    1988-01-01

    For the analytical method of the eddy current testing (ECT) of steam generator tubes in nuclear power plants, the authors have developed the computerized ECT data analysis system using a large-scale computer with a high-resolution color graphic display. This system can store acquired ECT data up to 15 steam generators, and ECT data can be analyzed immediately on the monitor in dialogue communication with a computer. Analyzed results of ECT data are stored and registered in the data base. This system enables an analyst to perform sorting and collecting of data under various conditions and obtain the results automatically, and also to make a plan of tube repair works. This system has completed the test run, and has been used for data analysis at the annual inspection of domestic plants. This paper describes an outline, features and examples of the computerized eddy current data analysis system for steam generator tubes in PWR nuclear power plants

  7. Feasibility of computerized screening for intimate partner violence in a pediatric emergency department.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scribano, Philip V; Stevens, Jack; Marshall, Jessica; Gleason, Erica; Kelleher, Kelly J

    2011-08-01

    This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of caregiver-initiated computerized screening in a pediatric emergency department (ED) to identify home safety risks, with a specific emphasis on intimate partner violence (IPV). Home safety screening kiosks were developed using information technology as the first step in a plan to decrease family violence. Caregivers self-initiated a standard-of-care screening process that included both non-IPV and IPV items. An ED social worker received an automated text page and printed summary of the findings when a caregiver endorsed IPV. System activity was tracked by comparing frequency of completed screens to the daily ED census and by determining the percentage of completed screens that were positive for IPV. The reliability of the technology was evaluated as percentage of days of system downtime. Meetings with ED personnel and direct observations of families were conducted to identify potential barriers and successes to the technology utilization. During a 15-month period, 13,057 computerized screens occurred, with a 4-fold increase in the computerized screening rate after ED triage nurses became champions of these efforts. Fourteen percent of the computerized screens were positive for IPV. The reliability of the technology was considered quite high, with rare system downtime (4.2% of days) reported during the 15 months. There were several themes identified by caregivers and providers regarding barriers to successful use of the safety screening. A reliable, caregiver-initiated system is possible to offer consistent opportunity to conduct unobtrusive, private screening for IPV and other home safety concerns.

  8. Psychometrics behind Computerized Adaptive Testing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Hua-Hua

    2015-03-01

    The paper provides a survey of 18 years' progress that my colleagues, students (both former and current) and I made in a prominent research area in Psychometrics-Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT). We start with a historical review of the establishment of a large sample foundation for CAT. It is worth noting that the asymptotic results were derived under the framework of Martingale Theory, a very theoretical perspective of Probability Theory, which may seem unrelated to educational and psychological testing. In addition, we address a number of issues that emerged from large scale implementation and show that how theoretical works can be helpful to solve the problems. Finally, we propose that CAT technology can be very useful to support individualized instruction on a mass scale. We show that even paper and pencil based tests can be made adaptive to support classroom teaching.

  9. Computerized radionuclidic analysis in production facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gibbs, A.

    1978-03-01

    The Savannah River Plant Laboratories Department has been using a dual computer system to control all radionuclidic pulse height analyses since 1971. This computerized system analyzes 7000 to 8000 samples per month and has allowed the counting room staff to be reduced from three persons to one person. More reliable process information is being returned to the production facilities and for environmental evaluations and being returned faster, even though the sample load has more than tripled. This information is now more easily retrievable for other evaluations. The computer is also used for mass spectrometer data reduction and for quality control data analysis. The basic system is being expanded by interfacing microcomputers which provide data input from all of the laboratory modules for quality assurance programs

  10. Computerized tools in psychology: cross cultural and genetically informative studies of memory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ismatullina V.

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In this article we presented the computerized tools for psychological studies of memory. The importance of implementing computerized automated tools for psychological studies is discussed. It has been shown that this tools can be used both for cross-cultural and genetically informative studies. The validity of these tools for cross-cultural and genetically informative studies of memory can be seen as the first step to use automated computerized tools for big data collection in psychology.

  11. Computerized nursing process in the Intensive Care Unit: ergonomics and usability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sônia Regina Wagner de Almeida

    Full Text Available Abstract OBJECTIVE Analyzing the ergonomics and usability criteria of the Computerized Nursing Process based on the International Classification for Nursing Practice in the Intensive Care Unit according to International Organization for Standardization(ISO. METHOD A quantitative, quasi-experimental, before-and-after study with a sample of 16 participants performed in an Intensive Care Unit. Data collection was performed through the application of five simulated clinical cases and an evaluation instrument. Data analysis was performed by descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS The organization, content and technical criteria were considered "excellent", and the interface criteria were considered "very good", obtaining means of 4.54, 4.60, 4.64 and 4.39, respectively. The analyzed standards obtained means above 4.0, being considered "very good" by the participants. CONCLUSION The Computerized Nursing Processmet ergonomic and usability standards according to the standards set by ISO. This technology supports nurses' clinical decision-making by providing complete and up-to-date content for Nursing practice in the Intensive Care Unit.

  12. Radiation conditions for computerized tomography: determination and comparison

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andrade, Lucio das Chagas de

    2016-01-01

    Radiology is the practice in which radiation beams, usually radiation X are used to produce an image of the human body in order to obtain a diagnosis, for example, to evaluate a pathological condition by computerized tomography (CT). Although the computerized tomography diagnostic potential is unquestionable, caution must be taken because the doses are almost always higher than the observed in conventional radiology procedures. The ionization chamber used for dosimetry in CT is a unsealed cylindrical chamber with 10 cm and 15 cm of sensitive length. A typical characteristics of this camera is its uniform response to radiation incident at all angles around its axis. The revised edition of IEC 61267 (2005) brought as an innovation the radiation conditions for computed tomography, RQT, that simulate non-attenuated beam and are used in special CT applications. This study aims to establish the necessary conditions to obtain radiation pattern beam computed tomography, RQT, and a calibration laboratory implementation for pencil ionization chambers used in the beam dosimetry produced by these scanners in the Metrology National Laboratory of Ionizing Radiation (LNMRI). In the implementation of RQT conditions we were found that the ratio of kerma rates in the air, with or without additional filtration equivalent to the first HVL (half-value layer), are in accordance with IEC 61267 (2005), which provides a range between 48.5% and 51.5% for each quality. The LNMRI characterized the radiation conditions of RQT series (IEC, 2005), obtaining a percentage of 49.6% for the RQT 8, 50% for the RQT 9 and 50,4% for the RQT 10. With the substitution of the total additional filtration RQT qualities, composed by Al + Cu and by a total filtration composed by copper (Cu) only, it can be seen the emergence of a similar RQT quality named Quality Copper Tomography - QCT. The results of the calibration, the RQT and QCT qualities, had expanded uncertainties with a confidence level 95.45%, less

  13. Computerized tomography used in non-destructive testing of welded pipes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Iovea, M; Rizescu, C; Georgescu, G; Marinescu, A; Chitescu, P; Sava, T; Neagu, M; Avram, D [Institute of Research and Design for Electrical Engineering, ICPE - Electrostatica Splaiul Unirii 313, Sect. 3, R-74204 Bucharest (Romania)

    1997-12-31

    High quality standards in operation of National Power System is ensured by the use of high performance techniques and systems for Non-Destructive Testing (NDT). In recent years a number of new developments of the non-conventional technologies in the field of NDT have been achieved. In our laboratory there have been developed two computerized technologies using {gamma}-ray computed tomography and ultrasonic imaging methods. The standard techniques for imaging from projection data is computerized tomography. The industrial computerized tomography methods consist in the measurement of thin X - or {gamma}-ray beam attenuation when passing through some selected surface of the tested object, along several directions, so that by means of an adequate mathematical algorithm, a map of linear attenuation coefficients for the scanned surface is obtained. In fact, this map gives the density of materials occurring in the surface plane. Computerized tomography equipment, in various constructive versions, are intended for the following applications: (1) NDT in those fields requiring strict control of product quality, as for instance the nuclear energy, military industry, aeronautics, transportation fields, etc., (2) research in field of materials technology, machine engineering, metallurgy, welding, etc. This paper presents the applications of Computerized Tomography in NDT, by showing the results obtained on welded pipes, as well as the facilities offered by this method. In the final part, the paper presents the concept of a mobile tomography system for industrial pipes testing. (author). 2 figs., 7 refs.

  14. Computerized tomography used in non-destructive testing of welded pipes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iovea, M.; Rizescu, C.; Georgescu, G.; Marinescu, A.; Chitescu, P.; Sava, T.; Neagu, M.; Avram, D.

    1996-01-01

    High quality standards in operation of National Power System is ensured by the use of high performance techniques and systems for Non-Destructive Testing (NDT). In recent years a number of new developments of the non-conventional technologies in the field of NDT have been achieved. In our laboratory there have been developed two computerized technologies using γ-ray computed tomography and ultrasonic imaging methods. The standard techniques for imaging from projection data is computerized tomography. The industrial computerized tomography methods consist in the measurement of thin X - or γ-ray beam attenuation when passing through some selected surface of the tested object, along several directions, so that by means of an adequate mathematical algorithm, a map of linear attenuation coefficients for the scanned surface is obtained. In fact, this map gives the density of materials occurring in the surface plane. Computerized tomography equipment, in various constructive versions, are intended for the following applications: 1) NDT in those fields requiring strict control of product quality, as for instance the nuclear energy, military industry, aeronautics, transportation fields, etc., 2) research in field of materials technology, machine engineering, metallurgy, welding, etc. This paper presents the applications of Computerized Tomography in NDT, by showing the results obtained on welded pipes, as well as the facilities offered by this method. In the final part, the paper presents the concept of a mobile tomography system for industrial pipes testing. (author). 2 figs., 7 refs

  15. Morphological analysis of the vestibular aqueduct by computerized tomography images

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marques, Sergio Ricardo; Smith, Ricardo Luiz; Isotani, Sadao; Alonso, Luis Garcia; Anadao, Carlos Augusto; Prates, Jose Carlos; Lederman, Henrique Manoel

    2007-01-01

    Objective: In the last two decades, advances in the computerized tomography (CT) field revise the internal and medium ear evaluation. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze the morphology and morphometric aspects of the vestibular aqueduct on the basis of computerized tomography images (CTI). Material and method: Computerized tomography images of vestibular aqueducts were acquired from patients (n = 110) with an age range of 1-92 years. Thereafter, from the vestibular aqueducts images a morphometric analysis was performed. Through a computerized image processing system, the vestibular aqueduct measurements comprised of its area, external opening, length and the distance from the vestibular aqueduct to the internal acoustic meatus. Results: The morphology of the vestibular aqueduct may be funnel-shaped, filiform or tubular and the respective proportions were found to be at 44%, 33% and 22% in children and 21.7%, 53.3% and 25% in adults. The morphometric data showed to be of 4.86 mm 2 of area, 2.24 mm of the external opening, 4.73 mm of length and 11.88 mm of the distance from the vestibular aqueduct to the internal acoustic meatus, in children, and in adults it was of 4.93 mm 2 , 2.09 mm, 4.44 mm, and 11.35 mm, respectively. Conclusions: Computerized tomography showed that the vestibular aqueduct presents high morphological variability. The morphometric analysis showed that the differences found between groups of children and adults or between groups of both genders were not statistically significant

  16. US Department of Energy transportation programs: computerized techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Joy, D.S.; Johnson, P.E.; Fore, C.S.; Peterson, B.E.

    1984-01-01

    The US Department of Energy is currently sponsoring the development of four specialized computer-based transportation programs at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The programs function as research tools that provide unique computerized techniques for planning the safe shipment of radioactive and hazardous materials. Major achievements include the development of interactive rail and highway routing models, an emergency response assistance program, a data base focusing on legislative requirements, and a resource file identifying key state and local contacts. A discussion of the programs and data bases is presented, and several examples reflecting each project's applications to the overall DOE transportation program are provided. The interface of these programs offers a dynamic resource of data for use during preshipment planning stages. 10 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs

  17. Comparison of computerized tomography to sonography, applied in diseases of the pancreas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kluge, K.

    1982-01-01

    The examination results of 418 patients whose epigastria had been examined both by computerized tomography and sonography over 1 week in the time from beginning January 1978 until and of July 1979 were compared with regard to the imaging of the pancreas, reliability, and the specificity and sensitivity in establishing the diagnosis. For the sonographic examination, a compound and a real-time unit were used; the computerized tomography was carried out by means of an equipment of the 3rd generation with a scan time of 4 sec. The screening of the pancreas was significantly better using computerized tomography (99.3% US. 84% with US). As for accuracy, computerized tomography had 92.5% exact diagnoses versus 79.9% obtained by sonography. If, however, we look at the cases in which the pancreas could be screened with both methods the accuracy was almost the same (93.7 CT and 93.3% US). Specificity was almost of the same quality, however, the method of computerized tomography with 0.963 was slightly better than ultrasound with 0.943. As for sensitivity, sonography with 0.838 was better than CT with 0.721. The reason for that is the fact that a big part of the chronic pancreatites (30.3%) were not recognized by means of computerized tomography. (orig.) [de

  18. Assessment of Minimal HE (with emphasis on computerized psychometric tests)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kappus, Matthew R; Bajaj, Jasmohan S

    2012-01-01

    Synopsis Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is associated with a high risk of development of overt hepatic encephalopathy, impaired quality of life and driving accidents. The detection of MHE requires specialized testing since it cannot by definition, be diagnosed on standard clinical examination. Psychometric (paper-pencil or computerized or a combination) and neuro-physiological techniques are often used to test for MHE. Paper-pencil psychometric batteries like the Psychometric Hepatic Encephalopathy Score (PHES) have been validated in several countries but do not have US normative values. Computerized tests such as the inhibitory control test (ICT), cognitive drug research system and Scan test have proven useful to diagnose MHE and predict outcomes. The specificity and sensitivity of these tests are similar to the recommended gold standards. Neuro-physiological tests such as the EEG and its interpretations, evoked potentials and Critical Flicker Frequency (CFF) also provide useful information. The diagnosis of MHE is an important issue for clinicians and patients alike and the testing strategies depend on the normative data available, patient comfort and local expertise. PMID:22321464

  19. Computerizing marine biota: a rational approach

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Chavan, V.S.; Chandramohan, D.; Parulekar, A.H.

    Data on marine biota while being extensive are also patchy and scattered; thus making retrieval and dissemination of information time consuming. This emphasise the need for computerizing information on marine biota with the objective to collate...

  20. Outline of a computerized nuclear material accounting system applicable to nuclear power reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Handshuh, J.W.

    1975-01-01

    A computerized nuclear material accounting system is described which enables a utility to account for its material throughout the entire fuel cycle. From input of transactions, the system records and reports inventories and transactions by accounts which the user may establish for discrete locations, item control areas, further subdivisions, and material types. Account numbers are designed so that accounts and records are automatically sorted in the order desired. The system also generates the Material Status Reports for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission

  1. MMPI-2 and MMPI-A Computerized Interpretation: An Adjunct to Quality Mental Health Service.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phelps, LeAdelle

    1994-01-01

    Provides reviews of computerized scoring and interpretive systems for the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2 and MMPI-A): Caldwell Report, the Psychological Assessment Resources MMPI-2 Interpretive System, and the National Computer Systems Programs. Concludes that when used appropriately, such scoring systems enhance a counselor's…

  2. Computerized Proof Techniques for Undergraduates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Christopher J.; Tefera, Akalu; Zeleke, Aklilu

    2012-01-01

    The use of computer algebra systems such as Maple and Mathematica is becoming increasingly important and widespread in mathematics learning, teaching and research. In this article, we present computerized proof techniques of Gosper, Wilf-Zeilberger and Zeilberger that can be used for enhancing the teaching and learning of topics in discrete…

  3. Radioactive waste computerized management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Communaux, M.; Lantes, B.

    1993-01-01

    Since December 31, 1990, the management of the nuclear wastes for all the power stations has been computerized, using the DRA module of the Power Generation and Transmission Group's data processing master plan. So now EDF has a software package which centralizes all the data, enabling it to declare the characteristics of the nuclear wastes which are to be stored on the sites operated by the National Radioactive Waste Management Agency (ANDRA). Among other uses, this application makes it possible for EDF, by real time data exchange with ANDRA, to constitute an inventory of validated, shippable packs. It also constitutes a data base for all the wastes produced on the various sites. This application was developed to meet the following requirements: give the producers of radioactive waste a means to fully manage all the characteristics and materials that are necessary to condition their waste correctly; guarantee the traceability and safety of data and automatically assure the transmission of this data in real time between the producers and the ANDRA; give the Central Services of EDF an operation and statistical tool permitting an experienced feed-back based on the complete national production (single, centralized data base); and integrate the application within the products of the processing master plan in order to assure its maintenance and evolution

  4. Computerized materials protection, control, and accountability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Whiteson, R.; Seitz, S.; Landry, R.P.; Hadden, M.L.; Painter, J.A.

    1997-01-01

    The proliferation of nuclear weapons, along with the technical knowledge and materials needed to make these weapons, is an enduring problem of international urgency. Current international nuclear nonproliferation efforts are aimed at deterring, detecting, and responding to proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. These safeguards efforts are being implemented by applying preeminent science and technology to the management and control of nuclear materials. By strengthening systems of nuclear material protection, control, and accountability (MPC and A), one can reduce the threat of nuclear weapons proliferation. Two major programs of international cooperation are now underway to achieve this goal. The first is between the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the Institutes of the Russian Federation (Laboratory-to-Laboratory Program), and the second is between the US Government and Governments of the former Soviet Republics (Government-to-Government Program). As part of these programs, the DOE is working with facilities to assist them in implementing computerized MPC and A systems. This work is a collaboration between computer scientists and safeguards experts in both the US and the new Republics. The US is making available technology and expertise to enable Russian experts to build on computerized MPC and A software developed in the US. This paper describes the joint efforts of these international teams to develop sophisticated computerized MPC and A systems using modern computer hardware and software technology. These systems are being customized to meet the site-specific needs of each facility

  5. Computerized analysis of brain perfusion parameter images

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Turowski, B.; Haenggi, D.; Wittsack, H.J.; Beck, A.; Aurich, V.

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: The development of a computerized method which allows a direct quantitative comparison of perfusion parameters. The display should allow a clear direct comparison of brain perfusion parameters in different vascular territories and over the course of time. The analysis is intended to be the basis for further evaluation of cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The method should permit early diagnosis of cerebral vasospasm. Materials and Methods: The Angiotux 2D-ECCET software was developed with a close cooperation between computer scientists and clinicians. Starting from parameter images of brain perfusion, the cortex was marked, segmented and assigned to definite vascular territories. The underlying values were averages for each segment and were displayed in a graph. If a follow-up was available, the mean values of the perfusion parameters were displayed in relation to time. The method was developed under consideration of CT perfusion values but is applicable for other methods of perfusion imaging. Results: Computerized analysis of brain perfusion parameter images allows an immediate comparison of these parameters and follow-up of mean values in a clear and concise manner. Values are related to definite vascular territories. The tabular output facilitates further statistic evaluations. The computerized analysis is precisely reproducible, i. e., repetitions result in exactly the same output. (orig.)

  6. A new Brief computerized cognitive screening battery (CompCogs for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Helenice Charchat Fichman

    Full Text Available Abstract Screening tests for early diagnosis of dementia are of great clinical relevance. The ideal test set must be brief and reliable, and should probe cognitive components impaired in Alzheimer's disease (AD. Objectives: To develop a new Computerized Cognitive Screening test (CompCogs, and to investigate its validity for the early diagnosis of AD, and evaluate its heuristic value in understanding the processing of information in AD. Methods: The computerized neuropsychological performance battery, originally including six tests, was applied in forty seven patients with probable mild AD and 97 controls matched for age and education. This computerized neuropsychological test battery, developed with MEL Professional, allows control of timing and order of stimuli presentation, as well as recording of response type and latency. A brief-screening version, CompCogs, was selected using the most discriminative neuropsychological test variables derived from logistic regression analysis. Full battery administration lasted about 40 minutes, while the CompCogs took only 15 minutes. Results: CompCogs included the Face test (correct response and Word and Forms with Short term memory tests (reaction time. CompCogs presented 91.8% sensitivity and 93.6% specificity for the diagnosis of AD using ROC analyses of AD diagnosis probability derived by logistic regression. Conclusions: CompCogs showed high validity for AD early diagnosis and, therefore, may be a useful alternative screening instrument.

  7. Computerized spleen volumetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jahnke, T.; Mohring, R.; Schertel, L.

    1981-01-01

    We examined in experimental studies and clinical investigations on 34 patients in how far volumetry of the spleen can be carried out with a commonly available program, a whole-body computerized tomograph (SOMATOM) and an analytic equipment (EVALUSKOP). In this connection the authors tried to find also other ways of spleen volumetry by means of this unit combination. Our final result was that the given program for the usage of labelled areas presents itself as the best-suited technique for spleen volumetry which is also applicable in practice. (orig./MG) [de

  8. Computerized axial tomography in traumatic cervical lesions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koyama, Tsunemaro

    1982-01-01

    Although plain computerized axial tomography cannot routinely demonstrate the spinal cord, it does provide excellent visualization of the bony outline of the spinal canal and vertebral column. So it should be reasonable to use this technique in cases of cervical traumatic disorders. In this paper we presented 10 cases of cervical traumatic lesions; 3 atlanto-axial dislocation, 2 cervical canal stenosis, 3 OPLL, 1 intramedullary hematoma and 1 C 2 -neurinoma. In some patients neurologic deficits were induced by cervical trauma. Bony lesions appeared more adequately deliniated than intraspinal lesions, however, in some cases intramedullary changes could also be demonstrated. The use of metrizamide with high resolution CT-scanner could improve the usefullness of this technique. (author)

  9. The Impact of Computerization on Archival Finding Aids: A RAMP Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kitching, Christopher

    This report is based on a questionnaire sent to 32 selected National Archives and on interviews with archivists from eight countries. Geared to the needs of developing countries, the report covers: (1) the impact of computerization on finding aids; (2) advantages and problems of computerization, including enhanced archival control, integration of…

  10. Computerized commodity management system in Thailand and Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1984-01-01

    Thailand's National Family Planning Program is testing a computerized contraceptive commodity reporting management in 4 provinces with 104 National Family Planning Program (NFPP) reporting entities. Staff in the Brazilian Association of Family Planning Entities (ABEPF) and CPAIMC, a major family planning service agency, have been trained in the use of a computerized commodity distribution management system and are ready to initiate test use. The systems were designed in response to specific commodity management needs of the concerned organizations. Neither distribution program functions as a contraceptive social marketing (CSM) program, but each system reviewed has aspects that are relevant to CSM commodity management needs. Both the Thai and Brazilian systems were designed to be as automatic and user friendly as possible. Both have 3 main databases and perform similar management and reporting functions. Differing program configurations and basic data forms reflect the specific purposes of each system. Databases for the logistics monitoring system in Thailand arethe reporting entity (or ID) file; the current month's data file; and the master balance file. The data source is the basic reporting form that also serves as a Request and Issue Voucher for commodities. Editing functions in the program check to see that the current "beginning balance" equals the previous month's ending balance. Indexing functions in the system allow direct access to the records of any reporting entity via the ID number, as well as the sequential processing of records by ID number. 6 reports can be generated: status report by issuing entity; status report by dispensing entity; aggregate status report; out of compliance products report; out of compliance outlets report; and suggested shipment to regional warehouse report. Databases for the distribution management system in Brazil are: the name-ID (client institution) file; the product file; and the data file. The data source is an order form

  11. Safeguarding nuclear materials in the former Soviet Republics through computerized materials protection, control and accountability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roumiantsev, A.N.; Ostroumov, Y.A.; Whiteson, R.; Seitz, S.L.; Landry, R.P.; Martinez, B.J.; Boor, M.G.; Anderson, L.K.; Gary, S.P.

    1997-01-01

    The threat of nuclear weapons proliferation is a problem of global concern. International efforts at nonproliferation focus on preventing acquisition of weapons-grade nuclear materials by unauthorized states, organizations, or individuals. Nonproliferation can best be accomplished through international cooperation in the application of advanced science and technology to the management and control of nuclear materials. Computerized systems for nuclear material protection, control, and accountability (MPC and A) are a vital component of integrated nuclear safeguards programs. This paper describes the progress of scientists in the United States and former Soviet Republics in creating customized, computerized MPC and A systems. The authors discuss implementation of the Core Material Accountability System (CoreMAS), which was developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory by the US Department of Energy and incorporates, in condensed and integrated form, the most valuable experience gained by US nuclear enterprises in accounting for and controlling nuclear materials. The CoreMAS approach and corresponding software package have been made available to sites internationally. CoreMAS provides methods to evaluate their existing systems and to examine advantages and disadvantages of customizing CoreMAS or improving their own existing systems. The sites can also address crucial issues of software assurance, data security, and system performance; compare operational experiences at sites with functioning computerized systems; and reasonably evaluate future efforts. The goal of the CoreMAS project is to introduce facilities at sites all over the world to modern international MPC and A practices and to help them implement effective, modern, computerized MPC and A systems to account for their nuclear materials, and thus reduce the likelihood of theft or diversion. Sites are assisted with MPC and A concepts and the implementation of an effective computerized MPC and A system

  12. Computerized index for teaching files

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bramble, J.M.

    1989-01-01

    A computerized index can be used to retrieve cases from a teaching file that have radiographic findings similar to an unknown case. The probability that a user will review cases with a correct diagnosis was estimated with use of radiographic findings of arthritis in hand radiographs of 110 cases from a teaching file. The nearest-neighbor classification algorithm was used as a computer index to 110 cases of arthritis. Each case was treated as an unknown and inputted to the computer index. The accuracy of the computer index in retrieving cases with the same diagnosis (including rheumatoid arthritis, gout, psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory osteoarthritis, and pyrophosphate arthropathy) was measured. A Bayes classifier algorithm was also tested on the same database. Results are presented. The nearest-neighbor algorithm was 83%. By comparison, the estimated accuracy of the Bayes classifier algorithm was 78%. Conclusions: A computerized index to a teaching file based on the nearest-neighbor algorithm should allow the user to review cases with the correct diagnosis of an unknown case, by entering the findings of the unknown case

  13. Effective Heart Disease Detection Based on Quantitative Computerized Traditional Chinese Medicine Using Representation Based Classifiers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ting Shu

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available At present, heart disease is the number one cause of death worldwide. Traditionally, heart disease is commonly detected using blood tests, electrocardiogram, cardiac computerized tomography scan, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and so on. However, these traditional diagnostic methods are time consuming and/or invasive. In this paper, we propose an effective noninvasive computerized method based on facial images to quantitatively detect heart disease. Specifically, facial key block color features are extracted from facial images and analyzed using the Probabilistic Collaborative Representation Based Classifier. The idea of facial key block color analysis is founded in Traditional Chinese Medicine. A new dataset consisting of 581 heart disease and 581 healthy samples was experimented by the proposed method. In order to optimize the Probabilistic Collaborative Representation Based Classifier, an analysis of its parameters was performed. According to the experimental results, the proposed method obtains the highest accuracy compared with other classifiers and is proven to be effective at heart disease detection.

  14. Computerized radiation control system in the Chernobyl 30-km zone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vasil'chenko, D.L.; Pis'mak, A.D.; Livertovskij, G.P.; Chikhladze, V.S.

    1992-01-01

    Computerized radiation control system is intended for monitoring radiation in the zone of radiation-hazardous objects for providing nuclear power station services with current information on radiactive situation in the zone of observation and the doses of radiation taken by the personnel. Described are tasks and functions of the system, as well as its structure. It is noted that unique conditions of the Chernobyl' 30-km zone open up opportunities for experiments and testing new models of equipment. 2 figs

  15. Computerized tomography of kidneys in long-term dialysis patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Srp, A.; Merta, M.; Sulkova, S.

    1990-01-01

    A cohort is presented of 21 patients with irreversible kidney failure who were examined by computerized tomography in 1986-1987. The mean period of dialysis programme was 5.7 years, chronic glomerulonephritis and interstitial nephritis were the basic conditions. According to the results of computerized tomography, the patients were divided into four groups: 1. the presence of cysts or tumors was not established, 2. multiplecysts were found in bilateral location, 3. less than 3 cysts were found, 4. kidney tumor was diagnosed. The factor causing the development of the cysts was not identified. It is presumed that the disease is caused by a biologically active substance which is not efficiently dialyzed. The examination of the kidneys is recommended in patients in the stage of chronic kidney insufficiency and particularly in patients on dialysis for a long period of time. The recommended examination uses computerized tomography, and attention should be given to the possible occurence of acquired cystic disease or kidney tumors. (author). 6 figs., 8 refs

  16. Effects of computerized clinical decision support systems on practitioner performance and patient outcomes: methods of a decision-maker-researcher partnership systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haynes, R Brian; Wilczynski, Nancy L

    2010-02-05

    Computerized clinical decision support systems are information technology-based systems designed to improve clinical decision-making. As with any healthcare intervention with claims to improve process of care or patient outcomes, decision support systems should be rigorously evaluated before widespread dissemination into clinical practice. Engaging healthcare providers and managers in the review process may facilitate knowledge translation and uptake. The objective of this research was to form a partnership of healthcare providers, managers, and researchers to review randomized controlled trials assessing the effects of computerized decision support for six clinical application areas: primary preventive care, therapeutic drug monitoring and dosing, drug prescribing, chronic disease management, diagnostic test ordering and interpretation, and acute care management; and to identify study characteristics that predict benefit. The review was undertaken by the Health Information Research Unit, McMaster University, in partnership with Hamilton Health Sciences, the Hamilton, Niagara, Haldimand, and Brant Local Health Integration Network, and pertinent healthcare service teams. Following agreement on information needs and interests with decision-makers, our earlier systematic review was updated by searching Medline, EMBASE, EBM Review databases, and Inspec, and reviewing reference lists through 6 January 2010. Data extraction items were expanded according to input from decision-makers. Authors of primary studies were contacted to confirm data and to provide additional information. Eligible trials were organized according to clinical area of application. We included randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effect on practitioner performance or patient outcomes of patient care provided with a computerized clinical decision support system compared with patient care without such a system. Data will be summarized using descriptive summary measures, including proportions

  17. Effects of computerized clinical decision support systems on practitioner performance and patient outcomes: Methods of a decision-maker-researcher partnership systematic review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wilczynski Nancy L

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Computerized clinical decision support systems are information technology-based systems designed to improve clinical decision-making. As with any healthcare intervention with claims to improve process of care or patient outcomes, decision support systems should be rigorously evaluated before widespread dissemination into clinical practice. Engaging healthcare providers and managers in the review process may facilitate knowledge translation and uptake. The objective of this research was to form a partnership of healthcare providers, managers, and researchers to review randomized controlled trials assessing the effects of computerized decision support for six clinical application areas: primary preventive care, therapeutic drug monitoring and dosing, drug prescribing, chronic disease management, diagnostic test ordering and interpretation, and acute care management; and to identify study characteristics that predict benefit. Methods The review was undertaken by the Health Information Research Unit, McMaster University, in partnership with Hamilton Health Sciences, the Hamilton, Niagara, Haldimand, and Brant Local Health Integration Network, and pertinent healthcare service teams. Following agreement on information needs and interests with decision-makers, our earlier systematic review was updated by searching Medline, EMBASE, EBM Review databases, and Inspec, and reviewing reference lists through 6 January 2010. Data extraction items were expanded according to input from decision-makers. Authors of primary studies were contacted to confirm data and to provide additional information. Eligible trials were organized according to clinical area of application. We included randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effect on practitioner performance or patient outcomes of patient care provided with a computerized clinical decision support system compared with patient care without such a system. Results Data will be summarized

  18. A study on Requirements of Data Base Translator for APR1400 Computerized Procedure System at Shin-Hanul unit 1 and 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seong, Nokyu; Lee, Sungjin

    2015-01-01

    The CPS is one of the Man Machine Interface (MMI) resources and the CPS can directly display plant graphic objects which are in the Digital Control System (DCS). And the CPS can send a request to DCS to provide DCS screen which is called step support display through DCS link button on a computerized procedure. The procedure writers can insert DCS graphic information to computerized procedure through data base which is provided by CPS Editing System (CPSES). The data base which is provided by CPSES conforms to the naming rule of DCS graphic objects. The naming rule of DCS graphic objects is defined by vendor thus status of DCS graphic objects which are in computerized procedure at Shin-Kori plant cannot be displayed on CPS at Shin-Hanul plant. To use computerized procedure which is written by other plant procedure writer, DCS graphic objects shall be translated by its plant data base. This paper introduces requirements of data base translator to reduce translation and re-inserting graphic objects burden. This paper introduces the requirements of data base translator of CPSES for APR1400 CPS at Shin-Hanul unit 1 and 2. The translator algorithms shall be tested to update data base of CPSES effectively. The prototype of translator is implemented and is being tested using real plant DB. This translator can be applied to Shin- Hanul unit1 and 2 through software V and V

  19. A study on Requirements of Data Base Translator for APR1400 Computerized Procedure System at Shin-Hanul unit 1 and 2

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Seong, Nokyu; Lee, Sungjin [KHNP, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-05-15

    The CPS is one of the Man Machine Interface (MMI) resources and the CPS can directly display plant graphic objects which are in the Digital Control System (DCS). And the CPS can send a request to DCS to provide DCS screen which is called step support display through DCS link button on a computerized procedure. The procedure writers can insert DCS graphic information to computerized procedure through data base which is provided by CPS Editing System (CPSES). The data base which is provided by CPSES conforms to the naming rule of DCS graphic objects. The naming rule of DCS graphic objects is defined by vendor thus status of DCS graphic objects which are in computerized procedure at Shin-Kori plant cannot be displayed on CPS at Shin-Hanul plant. To use computerized procedure which is written by other plant procedure writer, DCS graphic objects shall be translated by its plant data base. This paper introduces requirements of data base translator to reduce translation and re-inserting graphic objects burden. This paper introduces the requirements of data base translator of CPSES for APR1400 CPS at Shin-Hanul unit 1 and 2. The translator algorithms shall be tested to update data base of CPSES effectively. The prototype of translator is implemented and is being tested using real plant DB. This translator can be applied to Shin- Hanul unit1 and 2 through software V and V.

  20. A computerized legal information management system | Ohiagu ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A computerized legal information management system. ... process through the filling system using the survey research methodology. ... A framework for the design and implementation of a legal information management system was presented.

  1. Computerized techniques pave the way for drug-drug interaction prediction and interpretation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reza Safdari

    2016-06-01

    Results: Computerized data-mining in pharmaceutical sciences and related databases provide new key transformative paradigms that can revolutionize the treatment of diseases and hence medical care. Given that various aspects of drug discovery and pharmacotherapy are closely related to the clinical and molecular/biological information, the scientifically sound databases (e.g., DDIs, ADRs can be of importance for the success of pharmacotherapy modalities. Conclusion: A better understanding of DDIs not only provides a robust means for designing more effective medicines but also grantees patient safety.

  2. Computerized detection of vertebral compression fractures on lateral chest radiographs: Preliminary results with a tool for early detection of osteoporosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kasai, Satoshi; Li Feng; Shiraishi, Junji; Li Qiang; Doi, Kunio

    2006-01-01

    Vertebral fracture (or vertebral deformity) is a very common outcome of osteoporosis, which is one of the major public health concerns in the world. Early detection of vertebral fractures is important because timely pharmacologic intervention can reduce the risk of subsequent additional fractures. Chest radiographs are used routinely for detection of lung and heart diseases, and vertebral fractures can be visible on lateral chest radiographs. However, investigators noted that about 50% of vertebral fractures visible on lateral chest radiographs were underdiagnosed or under-reported, even when the fractures were severe. Therefore, our goal was to develop a computerized method for detection of vertebral fractures on lateral chest radiographs in order to assist radiologists' image interpretation and thus allow the early diagnosis of osteoporosis. The cases used in this study were 20 patients with severe vertebral fractures and 118 patients without fractures, as confirmed by the consensus of two radiologists. Radiologists identified the locations of fractured vertebrae, and they provided morphometric data on the vertebral shape for evaluation of the accuracy of detecting vertebral end plates by computer. In our computerized method, a curved search area, which included a number of vertebral end plates, was first extracted automatically, and was straightened so that vertebral end plates became oriented horizontally. Edge candidates were enhanced by use of a horizontal line-enhancement filter in the straightened image, and a multiple thresholding technique, followed by feature analysis, was used for identification of the vertebral end plates. The height of each vertebra was determined from locations of identified vertebral end plates, and fractured vertebrae were detected by comparison of the measured vertebral height with the expected height. The sensitivity of our computerized method for detection of fracture cases was 95% (19/20), with 1.03 (139/135) false

  3. Computerized tomography in diagnosis of parasitic hepatic lesions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Filimonov, G.P.; Garibashvili, R.N.; Tumol'skaya, N.I.

    1984-01-01

    An attempt has been made to estimate the diagnostic importance of computerized tomography (CT) in cases of hepatic echinococcosis and alveococcosis to outline the semiotics of these lesions and to establish an order of using CT in a general diagnostic complex. 73 patients at the age of 15-70 (49 with echinococcosis, 24-alveococcosis) have been supervised. The analysis of the results of clinical CT application in cases of parasitic hepatic lesions has shown that CT permits not only to reveal parasitic nodes up to 2 cm size in the liver and other organs but give also their topographoanatomic characteristic. By means of CT one can determine interrelations of parasitic formation with vessels and hepatic bileducts, vena cava inferior, other organs. One can judge at the same time on their compression and germination, remote echinococcosis residues, other complications

  4. The Development of CPSES Plug-in(CPMP) for APR1400 Computerized Procedure Effective Maintenance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Seong, No Kyu; Park, Jin Kyun; Jung, Yeon Sub [KHNP Central Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-10-15

    The Computerized Procedure System (CPS) is one of the Man Machine Interface (MMI) resources of the Shin-Kori 3 and 4 nuclear power plants. The CPS is a computerized operator support system that enables operating crew to execute procedures in an accurate and fast manner. The Computerized Procedure (CP) is the XML data file in executable format that can be installed in the Procedure eXecution System (PXS) for execution. The CP contains specific information related to a particular procedure (i.e. LOCA). These computerized procedures such as Alarm Response Procedures (ARP) are separated into individual alarm procedure to maximize function interface between CPS and DCS. E.g. 'Procedure open by alarm list'. The procedure writer's burden to manage many procedures has been increased because of separated procedures. This paper introduces Computerized Procedure System Engineering System (CPSES) plug-in that is computerized procedure management program (CPMP) to reduce procedure writer's burden. This paper introduces the main features of CPMP. CPMP reduces procedure writer's or CPX maintainer's burden. This program is implemented and tested by program design requirement.

  5. The Impact of CPOE Medication Systems' Design Aspects on Usability, Workflow and Medication Orders A Systematic Review

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Khajouei, R.; Jaspers, M. W. M.

    2010-01-01

    Objectives: To examine the impact of design aspects of computerized physician order entry (CPOE) systems for medication ordering on usability, physicians' workflow and on medication orders. Methods: We systematically searched Pub-Med, EMBASE and Ovid MEDLINE for articles published from 1986 to 2007.

  6. Case of neurosarcoidosis monitored by computerized tomography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kubota, T; Kimura, M; Komai, T; Yamamoto, S; Yamamura, I [Kanazawa Univ. (Japan). School of Medicine

    1979-12-01

    A 21-year-old man complaining of impaired visual acuity was admitted to the hospital. Physical examinations showed asymptomatic bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy and cardiomyopathy. Neurological findings disclosed left blindness and right temporal hemianopsia. Computerized tomography, pneumoencephalography and carotid angiography revealed a suprasellar mass. After the admission, the following symptoms deteriorated rapidly: diabetes insipidus, anterior pituitary dysfunction, visual loss of the right eye and hepatomegaly, subsequently consciousness disorder developed during a month though he was given steroids. The more deteriorated the clinical course, the larger the suprasellar mass with expanding hydrocephalus in repeated computerized tomographies. After the ventriculo-peritoneal shunt operation, consciousness improved. Diabetes insipidus also improved after Diabenese administration. On the operation, adhesive arachnoiditis over all the frontotemporal cortex and swollen purplishly red optic chiasm were exposed. Microscopically the specimen from the optic chiasm evidenced a sarcoid granuloma which composed of epitheroid cells, lymphocytes and multi-nucleated giant cells with numerous hemosiderin droplets. The specimen from the surface of the left frontal lobe showed thick fibrosis in the subarachnoid space. By steroids therapy, diabetes insipidus and hepatomegaly disappeared five months after the admission, whereas blindness never recovered. He died of developed status epilepticus eleven months after the admission. The authors reviewed neuroradiological findings of neurocarcoidosis based on pathological findings in the literature, and emphasized that computerized tomography was the most useful for diagnosis and treatment of neurosarcoidosis.

  7. Reading Comprehension: A Computerized Intervention with Primary-age Poor Readers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horne, Joanna Kathryn

    2017-05-01

    The current study investigates the effectiveness of a computerized reading comprehension programme on the reading accuracy, reading comprehension and reading rate of primary-age poor readers. There is little published literature relating to computerized reading interventions in UK primary schools, and no previous studies have investigated the Comprehension Booster programme. Thirty-eight children (26 boys and 12 girls; aged 6:7 to 11:0) from two schools in East Yorkshire, UK, took part. Half of the participants (the intervention group) undertook the Comprehension Booster programme for a 6-week period, whilst the other half (the control group) continued with their usual teaching. Significant effects of the intervention were found, with increases in reading accuracy and reading comprehension for the intervention group. It is concluded that computerized reading programmes can be effective in improving reading skills, and these are particularly useful for pupils with reading difficulties in disadvantaged areas, where resources are limited and family support in reading is lower. However, such programmes are not a replacement for good teaching, and regular monitoring of children with reading difficulties is required. Further research is necessary to compare the programme used here to other conventional and computerized intervention programmes, using a larger sample. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  8. Implementation of a Computerized Order Entry Tool to Reduce the Inappropriate and Unnecessary Use of Cardiac Stress Tests With Imaging in Hospitalized Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gertz, Zachary M; O'Donnell, William; Raina, Amresh; Balderston, Jessica R; Litwack, Andrew J; Goldberg, Lee R

    2016-10-15

    The rising use of imaging cardiac stress tests has led to potentially unnecessary testing. Interventions designed to reduce inappropriate stress testing have focused on the ambulatory setting. We developed a computerized order entry tool intended to reduce the use of imaging cardiac stress tests and improve appropriate use in hospitalized patients. The tool was evaluated using preimplementation and postimplementation cohorts at a single urban academic teaching hospital. All hospitalized patients referred for testing were included. The co-primary outcomes were the use of imaging stress tests as a percentage of all stress tests and the percentage of inappropriate tests, compared between the 2 cohorts. There were 478 patients in the precohort and 463 in the postcohort. The indication was chest pain in 66% and preoperative in 18% and was not significantly different between groups. The use of nonimaging stress tests increased from 4% in the pregroup to 15% in the postgroup (p nonimaging stress tests increased from 7% to 25% (p nonimaging cardiac stress tests and reduced the use of imaging tests yet was not able to reduce inappropriate use. Our study highlights the differences in cardiac stress testing between hospitalized and ambulatory patients. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Computerized Tests of Team Performance and Crew Coordination Suitable for Military/Aviation Settings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lawson, Ben D; Britt, Thomas W; Kelley, Amanda M; Athy, Jeremy R; Legan, Shauna M

    2017-08-01

    The coordination of team effort on shared tasks is an area of inquiry. A number of tests of team performance in challenging environments have been developed without comparison or standardization. This article provides a systematic review of the most accessible and usable low-to-medium fidelity computerized tests of team performance and determines which are most applicable to military- and aviation-relevant research, such as studies of group command, control, communication, and crew coordination. A search was conducted to identify computerized measures of team performance. In addition to extensive literature searches (DTIC, Psychinfo, PubMed), the authors reached out to team performance researchers at conferences and through electronic communication. Identified were 57 potential tests according to 6 specific selection criteria (e.g., the requirement for automated collection of team performance and coordination processes, the use of military-relevant scenarios). The following seven tests (listed alphabetically) were considered most suitable for military needs: Agent Enabled Decision Group Environment (AEDGE), C3Conflict, the C3 (Command, Control, & Communications) Interactive Task for Identifying Emerging Situations (NeoCITIES), Distributed Dynamic Decision Making (DDD), Duo Wondrous Original Method Basic Awareness/Airmanship Test (DuoWOMBAT), the Leader Development Simulator (LDS), and the Planning Task for Teams (PLATT). Strengths and weaknesses of these tests are described and recommendations offered to help researchers identify the test most suitable for their particular needs. Adoption of a few standard computerized test batteries to study team performance would facilitate the evaluation of interventions intended to enhance group performance in multiple challenging military and aerospace operational environments.Lawson BD, Britt TW, Kelley AM, Athy JR, Legan SM. Computerized tests of team performance and crew coordination suitable for military/aviation settings

  10. Density evaluation by computerized tomography in plain soils over different manipulation systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pedrotti, Alceu

    1996-08-01

    The objective of this paper is the evaluation of a plain soil density in different culture systems determined by X ray computerized tomography.It was observed a larger variation in densities in soils profiles analysed. The identification of layers is better utilising computerized tomography than others technic

  11. Computerized three-dimensional normal atlas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mano, Isamu; Suto, Yasuzo; Suzuki, Masataka; Iio, Masahiro.

    1990-01-01

    This paper presents our ongoing project in which normal human anatomy and its quantitative data are systematically arranged in a computer. The final product, the Computerized Three-Dimensional Normal Atlas, will be able to supply tomographic images in any direction, 3-D images, and coded information on organs, e.g., anatomical names, CT numbers, and T 1 and T 2 values. (author)

  12. Some procedures for computerized ability testing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Linden, Willem J.; Zwarts, Michel A.

    1989-01-01

    For computerized test systems to be operational, the use of item response theory is a prerequisite. As opposed to classical test theory, in item response models the abilities of the examinees and the properties of the items are parameterized separately. Hence, when measuring the abilities of

  13. The water reactor safety research project index: a description of the computerized system for its databank

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Della Loggia, E.; Primavera, R.

    1993-01-01

    The water reactor nuclear safety research project index has been published by the CEC for many years as a compilation of information on research projects relating to LWR nuclear safety. Since 1981, it has been published, alternatively with NEA (OECD), every second year. The number of contributions from research organizations in Community member countries has steadily increased and reached the level of 1 700 pages, in which more than 600 project descriptions have been collected. In 1988, for the first time, the document was produced using a computerized system developed with the assistance of the ISEI (Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics) of JRC Ispra. The data have been stored in a computer based in Ispra. The system allows searching a preselected set of subjects through the information stored in the computer: it makes the updating of the projects description much easier and makes the retrieval of the data possible. This report presents a short description of the computerized system developed for the databank of the index. The computerized system presented in this report is structured in a quite general way and for that reason can be adapted very easily to every field where a databank needs to be constituted in order to collect extended information on several projects. (authors). 6 figs., 5 tabs., 5 refs

  14. Computerized tomographic in non-destructive testing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lopes, R.T.

    1988-01-01

    The process of computerized tomography has been developed for medical imaging purposes using tomographs with X-ray, and little attention has been given to others possibles applications of technique, because of its cost. As an alternative for the problem, we constructed a Tomographic System (STAC-1), using gamma-rays, for nonmedical applications. In this work we summarize the basic theory of reconstructing images using computerized tomography and we describe the considerations leading to the development of the experimental system. The method of reconstruction image implanted in the system is the filtered backprojection or convolution, with a digital filters system to carried on a pre-filtering in the projections. The experimental system is described, with details of control and the data processing. An alternative and a complementary system, using film as a detector is shown in preliminary form . This thesis discuss and shows the theorical and practical aspects, considered in the construction of the STAC-1, and also its limitations and apllications [pt

  15. Medication supply chain management through implementation of a hospital pharmacy computerized inventory program in Haiti.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holm, Michelle R; Rudis, Maria I; Wilson, John W

    2015-01-01

    In the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, St. Luke Hospital was built to help manage the mass casualties and subsequent cholera epidemic. A major problem faced by the hospital system was the lack of an available and sustainable supply of medications. Long-term viability of the hospital system depended largely on developing an uninterrupted medication supply chain. We hypothesized that the implementation of a new Pharmacy Computerized Inventory Program (PCIP) would optimize medication availability and decrease medication shortages. We conducted the research by examining how medications were being utilized and distributed before and after the implementation of PCIP. We measured the number of documented medication transactions in both Phase 1 and Phase 2 as well as user logins to determine if a computerized inventory system would be beneficial in providing a sustainable, long-term solution to their medication management needs. The PCIP incorporated drug ordering, filling the drug requests, distribution, and dispensing of the medications in multiple settings; inventory of currently shelved medications; and graphic reporting of 'real-time' medication usage. During the PCIP initiation and establishment periods, the number of medication transactions increased from 219.6 to 359.5 (p=0.055), respectively, and the mean logins per day increased from 24.3 to 31.5, psupply as well as track usage for future medication needs. The pharmacy and nursing staff found the PCIP to be efficient and a significant improvement in their medication utilization. An efficient, customizable, and cost-sensitive PCIP can improve drug inventory management in a simplified and sustainable manner within a resource-constrained hospital.

  16. 77 FR 31153 - Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Agriculture

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-05-24

    ... Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Agriculture By the authority vested in me as... set forth in the Act, the following officials of the Department of Agriculture, in the order listed, shall act as and perform the functions and duties of the office of Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary...

  17. 75 FR 27921 - Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Agriculture

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-05-18

    ... Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Agriculture By the authority vested in me as... Agriculture, in the order listed, shall act as and perform the functions and duties of the office of Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) during any period in which both the Secretary and the Deputy Secretary of...

  18. 77 FR 31155 - Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Commerce

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-05-24

    ... Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Commerce By the authority vested in me as... forth in the Act, the following officials of the Department of Commerce, in the order listed, shall act as and perform the functions and duties of the office of the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) during...

  19. Computerized automated remote inspection system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    The automated inspection system utilizes a computer to control the location of the ultrasonic transducer, the actual inspection process, the display of the data, and the storage of the data on IBM magnetic tape. This automated inspection equipment provides two major advantages. First, it provides a cost savings, because of the reduced inspection time, made possible by the automation of the data acquisition, processing, and storage equipment. This reduced inspection time is also made possible by a computerized data evaluation aid which speeds data interpretation. In addition, the computer control of the transducer location drive allows the exact duplication of a previously located position or flaw. The second major advantage is that the use of automated inspection equipment also allows a higher-quality inspection, because of the automated data acquisition, processing, and storage. This storage of data, in accurate digital form on IBM magnetic tape, for example, facilitates retrieval for comparison with previous inspection data. The equipment provides a multiplicity of scan data which will provide statistical information on any questionable volume or flaw. An automatic alarm for location of all reportable flaws reduces the probability of operator error. This system has the ability to present data on a cathode ray tube as numerical information, a three-dimensional picture, or ''hard-copy'' sheet. One important advantage of this system is the ability to store large amounts of data in compact magnetic tape reels

  20. State Token Petri Net modeling method for formal verification of computerized procedure including operator's interruptions of procedure execution flow

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Yun Goo; Seong, Poong Hyun

    2012-01-01

    The Computerized Procedure System (CPS) is one of the primary operating support systems in the digital Main Control Room. The CPS displays procedure on the computer screen in the form of a flow chart, and displays plant operating information along with procedure instructions. It also supports operator decision making by providing a system decision. A procedure flow should be correct and reliable, as an error would lead to operator misjudgement and inadequate control. In this paper we present a modeling for the CPS that enables formal verification based on Petri nets. The proposed State Token Petri Nets (STPN) also support modeling of a procedure flow that has various interruptions by the operator, according to the plant condition. STPN modeling is compared with Coloured Petri net when they are applied to Emergency Operating Computerized Procedure. A converting program for Computerized Procedure (CP) to STPN has been also developed. The formal verification and validation methods of CP with STPN increase the safety of a nuclear power plant and provide digital quality assurance means that are needed when the role and function of the CPS is increasing.

  1. AUTOMATIC ESTIMATION OF SIZE PARAMETERS USING VERIFIED COMPUTERIZED STEREOANALYSIS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peter R Mouton

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available State-of-the-art computerized stereology systems combine high-resolution video microscopy and hardwaresoftware integration with stereological methods to assist users in quantifying multidimensional parameters of importance to biomedical research, including volume, surface area, length, number, their variation and spatial distribution. The requirement for constant interactions between a trained, non-expert user and the targeted features of interest currently limits the throughput efficiency of these systems. To address this issue we developed a novel approach for automatic stereological analysis of 2-D images, Verified Computerized Stereoanalysis (VCS. The VCS approach minimizes the need for user interactions with high contrast [high signal-to-noise ratio (S:N] biological objects of interest. Performance testing of the VCS approach confirmed dramatic increases in the efficiency of total object volume (size estimation, without a loss of accuracy or precision compared to conventional computerized stereology. The broad application of high efficiency VCS to high-contrast biological objects on tissue sections could reduce labor costs, enhance hypothesis testing, and accelerate the progress of biomedical research focused on improvements in health and the management of disease.

  2. Transformations and algorithms in a computerized brain atlas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thurfjell, L.; Bohm, C.; Eriksson, L.; Karolinska Institute/Hospital, Stockholm

    1993-01-01

    The computerized brain atlas constructed at the Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden, has been further developed. This atlas was designed to be employed in different fields of neuro imaging such as positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission tomography (SPECT), computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MR). The main objectives with the atlas is to aid the interpretation of functional images by introducing anatomical information, to serve as a tool in the merging of data from different imaging modalities and to facilitate the comparisons of data from different individuals by allowing for anatomical standardization of individual data. The purpose of this paper is to describe the algorithms and transformations used in the implementation of the atlas software

  3. Diagnostic Value of Manual and Computerized Methods of Dental Casts Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Rahimi

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of computerized and manual methods of dental cast analysis.Materials and Methods: Twenty set-ups of upper and lower casts using artificial teeth corresponding to various malocclusions were created for a diagnostic in vitro study. Values of tooth size were calculated from the isolated artificial teeth out of the set-ups, results were considered as a gold standard for the tooth size. Arch width was calculated from the existing set-ups on the dentins.Impressions were taken of the casts with alginate and duplicated with dental stone. Models were measured with digital caliper manually. Then images were taken from the occlusal views of the casts by a digital camera. Measurements were done on digital images with the AutoCAD software.The results of the computerized and manual methods were compared with the gold standard.Intra class correlation coefficient of reliability was used to measure the accuracy ofthe methods and the Friedman technique used to evaluate the significance of differences.Results: Results indicated that all measurements were highly correlated, e.g. gold standard and manual (0.9613-0.9991, gold standard and computerized (0.7118-0.9883, manual and computerized (0.6734-0.9914. Statistically significant differences were present between these methods (P<0.05, but they proved not to be clinically significant.Conclusion: Manual measurement is still the most accurate method when compared to the computerized measurements and the results of measurement by computer should be interpreted with caution.

  4. Individual Differences in Computerized Adaptive Testing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, JinGyu

    Research on the major computerized adaptive testing (CAT) strategies is reviewed, and some findings are reported that examine effects of examinee demographic and psychological characteristics on CAT strategies. In fixed branching strategies, all examinees respond to a common routing test, the score of which is used to assign examinees to a…

  5. An ergonomics study of computerized emergency operating procedures: Presentation style, task complexity, and training level

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu Song; Song Fei; Li Zhizhong; Zhao Qianyi; Luo Wei; He Xuhong; Salvendy, Gavriel

    2008-01-01

    Emergency operating procedures (EOPs) are widely used in nuclear power plants (NPPs). With the development of information technology, computerized EOPs are taking the place of paper-based ones. Unlike paper-based EOPs, the industrial practice of computerized EOPs is still quite limited. Ergonomics issues of computerized EOPs have not been studied adequately. This study focuses on the effects of EOP presentation style, task complexity, and training level on the performance of the operators in the execution of computerized EOPs. One simulated computerized EOP system was developed to present two EOPs, each with different task complexity levels, by two presentation styles (Style A: one- and two-dimensional flowcharts combination; Style B: two-dimensional flowchart and success logic tree combination). Forty subjects participated in the experiment of EOP execution using the simulated system. Statistical analysis of the experimental results indicates that: (1) complexity, presentation style, and training level all can significantly influence the error rate. High-complexity tasks and lack of sufficient training may lead to a higher error rate. Style B caused a significantly higher error rate than style A did in the skilled phase. So the designers of computerized procedures should take the presentation styles of EOPs into account. (2) Task complexity and training level can significantly influence operation time. No significant difference was found in operation time between the two presentation styles. (3) Training level can also significantly influence the subjective workload of EOPs operations. This implies that adequate training is very important for the performance of computerized EOPs even if emergency responses with computerized EOPs are much more simple and easy than that with paper-based EOPs

  6. An ergonomics study of computerized emergency operating procedures: Presentation style, task complexity, and training level

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu Song; Song Fei [Department of Industrial Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Li Zhizhong [Department of Industrial Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)], E-mail: zzli@tsinghua.edu.cn; Zhao Qianyi; Luo Wei [Department of Industrial Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); He Xuhong [Scanpower Risk Management China Inc., Towercrest International Plaza, No. 3 Maizidian West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100016 (China); Salvendy, Gavriel [Department of Industrial Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

    2008-10-15

    Emergency operating procedures (EOPs) are widely used in nuclear power plants (NPPs). With the development of information technology, computerized EOPs are taking the place of paper-based ones. Unlike paper-based EOPs, the industrial practice of computerized EOPs is still quite limited. Ergonomics issues of computerized EOPs have not been studied adequately. This study focuses on the effects of EOP presentation style, task complexity, and training level on the performance of the operators in the execution of computerized EOPs. One simulated computerized EOP system was developed to present two EOPs, each with different task complexity levels, by two presentation styles (Style A: one- and two-dimensional flowcharts combination; Style B: two-dimensional flowchart and success logic tree combination). Forty subjects participated in the experiment of EOP execution using the simulated system. Statistical analysis of the experimental results indicates that: (1) complexity, presentation style, and training level all can significantly influence the error rate. High-complexity tasks and lack of sufficient training may lead to a higher error rate. Style B caused a significantly higher error rate than style A did in the skilled phase. So the designers of computerized procedures should take the presentation styles of EOPs into account. (2) Task complexity and training level can significantly influence operation time. No significant difference was found in operation time between the two presentation styles. (3) Training level can also significantly influence the subjective workload of EOPs operations. This implies that adequate training is very important for the performance of computerized EOPs even if emergency responses with computerized EOPs are much more simple and easy than that with paper-based EOPs.

  7. Computerized procedures system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lipner, Melvin H.; Mundy, Roger A.; Franusich, Michael D.

    2010-10-12

    An online data driven computerized procedures system that guides an operator through a complex process facility's operating procedures. The system monitors plant data, processes the data and then, based upon this processing, presents the status of the current procedure step and/or substep to the operator. The system supports multiple users and a single procedure definition supports several interface formats that can be tailored to the individual user. Layered security controls access privileges and revisions are version controlled. The procedures run on a server that is platform independent of the user workstations that the server interfaces with and the user interface supports diverse procedural views.

  8. Journal of EEA, Vol. 30, 2013 COMPUTERIZED FACILITIES ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    dell

    Key words: Computer Aided Layout Design,. Construction ... Commonly used software are ... popular improvement-type methods are. Computerized Relative Allocation of Facilities .... closeness ratings values are given different numerical.

  9. A computerized coal-water slurry transportation model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ljubicic, B.R.; Trostad, B. [Univ. of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND (United States); Bukurov, Z.; Cvijanovic, P. [Univ. of Novi Sad (Yugoslavia)

    1995-12-01

    Coal-water fuel (CWF) technology has been developed to the point where full-scale commercialization is just a matter of gaining sufficient market confidence in the price stability of alternate fossil fuels. In order to generalize alternative fuel cost estimates for the desired combinations of processing and/or transportation, a great deal of flexibility is required owing to the understood lack of precision in many of the newly emerging coal technologies. Previously, decisions regarding the sequential and spatial arrangement of the various process steps were made strictly on the basis of experience, simplified analysis, and intuition. Over the last decade, computer modeling has progressed from empirically based correlation to that of intricate mechanistic analysis. Nomograms, charts, tables, and many simple rules of thumb have been made obsolete by the availability of complex computer models. Given the ability to view results graphically in real or near real time, the engineer can immediately verify, from a practical standpoint, whether the initial assumptions and inputs were indeed valid. If the feasibility of a project is being determined in the context of a lack of specific data, the ability to provide a dynamic software-based solution is crucial. Furthermore, the resulting model can be used to establish preliminary operating procedures, test control logic, and train plant/process operators. Presented in this paper is a computerized model capable of estimating the delivered cost of CWF. The model uses coal-specific values, process and transport requirements, terrain factors, and input costs to determine the final operating configuration, bill of materials, and, ultimately, the capital, operating, and unit costs.

  10. Cognitive task analysis and the design of computerized operator aids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andersson, H.

    1985-01-01

    The new technological possibilities have led to the initiation of many projects for the design and evaluation of computerized operator support systems to be implemented in nuclear power plant control rooms. A typical finding so far has been that operators often have a positive attitude towards such systems but still don't use them very much, mostly because they find almost the same information on the conventional control boards which they are accustomed to use. Still, however, there is a widely shared belief that conventional control rooms have short-comings that make the use of computerized aids necessary. One reason for the limited success so far is that the new systems often are poorly integrated with the existing conventional instrumentation and with the working procedures. The reluctance to use new computer based aids, despite their nice features, is therefore probably caused by an inadequate task analysis made prior to the design of these computerized operator support systems

  11. Comparison between visual and computerized cardiotocography in low risk pregnancy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mirghani, Hisham M.; Khair, Howaida

    2005-01-01

    To compare between visual and computerized cardiotocography (cCTG) in low-risk pregnant women in predicting pregnancy outcome. One hundred and fifty-three consecutive computerized fetal heart tracings were recorded from non-laboring pregnant women at >/- 30 weeks gestation. All traces were reviewed by 2 experienced obstetricians. The study was carried out at Al-Ain Medical District, United Arab Emirates, between August 2004 and December 2004. Of the 153 pregnant women, 11 (7.2%) were delivered by cesarean section. The interobserver agreement was 0.60. The observers cCTG agreement were 0.48 and 0.45. The difference in cesarean section rate was not statistically significant. Observers interpretation and cCTG did not correlate well with Apgar score at 5 minutes and admission to special care baby unit. Computerized CTG has little advantage over conventional CTG in the prediction of Apgar score and need for neonatal intensive care unit admission in a low-risk population. (author)

  12. The computerized system of meteorology data process for nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan Jun; Dai Zhongde; Huang Haitao; Zhang Yiqing; Gu Zhijie

    1994-06-01

    Based on some specifications of the second-stage of the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant and combined with advantages of STD-BUS, the computerized acquisition system with 7 kinds of meteorology data was developed. The system was put into operation in Nov. 1991, and acquisition rate reached 90% in one year. The system consists of two sub-systems, 7 kinds of meteorology sensors and their interface. Rain and sun radiation quantities are transmitted by means of V/F conversion. In order to enhance the system reliability all sensors are calibrated, the industrial control computer with STD-BUS is applied. The system has keyboard, micro-printer and LED display with block construction and has good resistance to interference

  13. Order no 000039/MEP/DGE from may 12,2014 provides for the organisation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Foumakoye, Gado

    2014-01-01

    Of this order, it is created within the Ministry of Energy and Oil, a cell called cell energy planning of Niger. The cell members are appointed by order of the Minister in charge of Energy on the proposal of the General Secretary and they like tasks: - collect, analyze, validate and organize the energy data - Establish a network of data providers - educate and train providers produce data disaggregated data - prepare each year the national energy balance - energy define indicators to monitor the priorities of the national energy policy. This cell, it is attached to the General Secretary and it operates in collaboration with the Ministries and structures involved in energy planning. [fr

  14. Computerized management support for swine breeding farms

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Huirne, R.B.M.

    1990-01-01

    1. INTRODUCTION

    The investigations described in this thesis have been directed towards computerized management support for swine breeding farms, focused on sow productivity and profitability. The study is composed of three basic parts: (1) basic description and

  15. The Computerized Reference Department: Buying the Future.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kriz, Harry M.; Kok, Victoria T.

    1985-01-01

    Basis for systematic computerization of academic research library's reference, collection development, and collection management functions emphasizes productivity enhancement for librarians and support staff. Use of microcomputer and university's mainframe computer to develop applications of database management systems, electronic spreadsheets,…

  16. Validation of diabetes mellitus and hypertension diagnosis in computerized medical records in primary health care

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abánades-Herranz Juan C

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Computerized Clinical Records, which are incorporated in primary health care practice, have great potential for research. In order to use this information, data quality and reliability must be assessed to prevent compromising the validity of the results. The aim of this study is to validate the diagnosis of hypertension and diabetes mellitus in the computerized clinical records of primary health care, taking the diagnosis criteria established in the most prominently used clinical guidelines as the gold standard against which what measure the sensitivity, specificity, and determine the predictive values. The gold standard for diabetes mellitus was the diagnostic criteria established in 2003 American Diabetes Association Consensus Statement for diabetic subjects. The gold standard for hypertension was the diagnostic criteria established in the Joint National Committee published in 2003. Methods A cross-sectional multicentre validation study of diabetes mellitus and hypertension diagnoses in computerized clinical records of primary health care was carried out. Diagnostic criteria from the most prominently clinical practice guidelines were considered for standard reference. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and global agreement (with kappa index, were calculated. Results were shown overall and stratified by sex and age groups. Results The agreement for diabetes mellitus with the reference standard as determined by the guideline was almost perfect (κ = 0.990, with a sensitivity of 99.53%, a specificity of 99.49%, a positive predictive value of 91.23% and a negative predictive value of 99.98%. Hypertension diagnosis showed substantial agreement with the reference standard as determined by the guideline (κ = 0.778, the sensitivity was 85.22%, the specificity 96.95%, the positive predictive value 85.24%, and the negative predictive value was 96.95%. Sensitivity results were worse in patients who

  17. Implementing of the nuclear materials accounting and control computerized system at JINR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dobryanskij, V.M.; Kalyakin, N.N.; Koltin, G.P.; Samojlov, V.N.; Cheker, A.V.; Shestakov, B.A.

    2000-01-01

    The results of the development of the computerized nuclear materials accounting system at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) are submitted. This work was carried out under Russian-American Nuclear Materials Protection, Control and Accounting (MPCandA) Program. The System was implemented at the Institute, it was attested to work with sensitive information. The computerized information nuclear materials accounting and control system, named MTIS (Materials Tracking Information System), is intended for the automated accounting of the nuclear materials used in JINR, tracking their moving, changes of their inventory amounts, preparation of the required documentation, and also for information support of the measures spent in the JINR on MPCandA program. MTIS can prepare reports for federal level and can also generate data to be reported for internal purposes. MTIS includes as one of the subsystems a program module to prepare reporting information to the Federal Information System (FIS). The system MTIS provides control of access to the database (DB), protection of the information against the non-authorized access, division of the data into the sensitive and non-sensitive data. (author)

  18. Human factor engineering analysis for computerized human machine interface design issues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Zhifang; Gu Pengfei; Zhang Jianbo

    2010-01-01

    The application of digital I and C technology in nuclear power plants is a significant improvement in terms of functional performances and flexibility, and it also poses a challenge to operation safety. Most of the new NPPs under construction are adopting advanced control room design which utilizes the computerized human machine interface (HMI) as the main operating means. Thus, it greatly changes the way the operators interact with the plant. This paper introduces the main challenges brought out by computerized technology on the human factor engineering aspect and addresses the main issues to be dealt with in the computerized HMI design process. Based on a operator task-resources-cognitive model, it states that the root cause of human errors is the mismatch between resources demand and their supply. And a task-oriented HMI design principle is discussed. (authors)

  19. Computerized health information and the demand for medical care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagner, Todd H; Jimison, Holly B

    2003-01-01

    Consumer health information, once the domain of books and booklets, has become increasingly digitized and available on the Internet. This study assessed the effect of using computerized health information on consumers' demand for medical care. The dependent variable was self-reported number of visits to the doctor in the past year. The key independent variable was the use of computerized health information, which was treated as endogenous. We tested the effect of using computerized health information on physician visits using ordinary least squares, instrumental variables, fixed effects, and fixed-effects instrumental variables models. The instrumental variables included exposure to the Healthwise Communities Project, a community-wide health information intervention; computer ownership; and Internet access. Random households in three cities were mailed questionnaires before and after the Healthwise Communities Project. In total, 5909 surveys were collected for a response rate of 54%. In both the bivariate and the multivariate analyses, the use of computerized health information was not associated with self-reported entry into care or number of visits. The instrumental variables models also found no differences, with the exception that the probability of entering care was significantly greater with the two-stage conditional logit model (P information is intuitively appealing, we found little evidence of an association between using a computer for health information and self-reported medical visits in the past year. This study used overall self-reported utilizations as the dependent variable, and more research is needed to determine whether health information affects the health production function in other important ways, such as the location of care, the timing of getting care, or the intensity of treatment.

  20. Ameliorating intrusive memories of distressing experiences using computerized reappraisal training.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woud, Marcella L; Holmes, Emily A; Postma, Peggy; Dalgleish, Tim; Mackintosh, Bundy

    2012-08-01

    The types of appraisals that follow traumatic experiences have been linked to the emergence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Could changing reappraisals following a stressful event reduce the emergence of PTSD symptoms? The present proof-of-principle study examined whether a nonexplicit, systematic computerized training in reappraisal style following a stressful event (a highly distressing film) could reduce intrusive memories of the film, and symptoms associated with posttraumatic distress over the subsequent week. Participants were trained to adopt a generally positive or negative poststressor appraisal style using a series of scripted vignettes after having been exposed to highly distressing film clips. The training targeted self-efficacy beliefs and reappraisals of secondary emotions (emotions in response to the emotional reactions elicited by the film). Successful appraisal induction was verified using novel vignettes and via change scores on the post traumatic cognitions inventory. Compared with those trained negatively, those trained positively reported in a diary fewer intrusive memories of the film during the subsequent week, and lower scores on the Impact of Event Scale (a widely used measure of posttraumatic stress symptoms). Results support the use of computerized, nonexplicit, reappraisal training after a stressful event has occurred and provide a platform for future translational studies with clinical populations that have experienced significant real-world stress or trauma.

  1. A case of neurosarcoidosis monitored by computerized tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kubota, Toshihiko; Kimura, Makoto; Komai, Toshio; Yamamoto, Shinjiro; Yamamura, Itaru

    1979-01-01

    A 21-year-old man complaining of impaired visual acuity was admitted to the hospital. Physical examinations showed asymptomatic bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy and cardiomyopathy. Neurological findings disclosed left blindness and right temporal hemianopsia. Computerized tomography, pneumoencephalography and carotid angiography revealed a suprasellar mass. After the admission, the following symptoms deteriorated rapidly: diabetes insipidus, anterior pituitary dysfunction, visual loss of the right eye and hepatomegaly, subsequently consciousness disorder developed during a month though he was given steroids. The more deteriorated the clinical course, the larger the suprasellar mass with expanding hydrocephalus in repeated computerized tomographies. After the ventriculo-peritoneal shunt operation, consciousness improved. Diabetes insipidus also improved after Diabenese administration. On the operation, adhesive arachnoiditis over all the frontotemporal cortex and swollen purplishly red optic chiasm were exposed. Microscopically the specimen from the optic chiasm evidenced a sarcoid granuloma which composed of epitheroid cells, lymphocytes and multi-nucleated giant cells with numerous hemosiderin droplets. The specimen from the surface of the left frontal lobe showed thick fibrosis in the subarachnoid space. By steroids therapy, diabetes insipidus and hepatomegaly disappeared five months after the admission, whereas blindness never recovered. He died of developed status epilepticus eleven months after the admission. The authors reviewed neuroradiological findings of neurocarcoidosis based on pathological findings in the literature, and emphasized that computerized tomography was the most useful for diagnosis and treatment of neurosarcoidosis. (author)

  2. Computerized classification of mass lesions in digital mammograms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Giger, M.L.; Doi, K.; Yin, F.F.; Schmidt, R.A.; Vyborny, C.J.

    1989-01-01

    Subjective classification of masses on mammograms is a difficult task. On average, about 25% of masses referred for surgical biopsy are actually malignant. The authors are developing, as an aid to radiologists, a computerized scheme for the classification of lesions in mammograms to reduce the false-negative and false-positive diagnoses of malignancies. The classification scheme involves the extraction of border information from the mammographic lesion in order to quantify the degree of spiculation, which is related to the possibility of malignancy. Clinical film mammograms are digitized with an optical drum scanner (0.1-mm pixel size) for analysis on a Micro VAX 3500 computer. Border information (fluctuations) is obtained from the difference between the lesion border and its smoothed border. Using the rms variation of the frequency content of these fluctuations, approximately 85% of the cancerous lesions were correctly classified as malignant, while 15% of benign lesions were misclassified, in a preliminary study

  3. Computerized Respiratory Sounds: Novel Outcomes for Pulmonary Rehabilitation in COPD.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jácome, Cristina; Marques, Alda

    2017-02-01

    Computerized respiratory sounds are a simple and noninvasive measure to assess lung function. Nevertheless, their potential to detect changes after pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is unknown and needs clarification if respiratory acoustics are to be used in clinical practice. Thus, this study investigated the short- and mid-term effects of PR on computerized respiratory sounds in subjects with COPD. Forty-one subjects with COPD completed a 12-week PR program and a 3-month follow-up. Secondary outcome measures included dyspnea, self-reported sputum, FEV 1 , exercise tolerance, self-reported physical activity, health-related quality of life, and peripheral muscle strength. Computerized respiratory sounds, the primary outcomes, were recorded at right/left posterior chest using 2 stethoscopes. Air flow was recorded with a pneumotachograph. Normal respiratory sounds, crackles, and wheezes were analyzed with validated algorithms. There was a significant effect over time in all secondary outcomes, with the exception of FEV 1 and of the impact domain of the St George Respiratory Questionnaire. Inspiratory and expiratory median frequencies of normal respiratory sounds in the 100-300 Hz band were significantly lower immediately (-2.3 Hz [95% CI -4 to -0.7] and -1.9 Hz [95% CI -3.3 to -0.5]) and at 3 months (-2.1 Hz [95% CI -3.6 to -0.7] and -2 Hz [95% CI -3.6 to -0.5]) post-PR. The mean number of expiratory crackles (-0.8, 95% CI -1.3 to -0.3) and inspiratory wheeze occupation rate (median 5.9 vs 0) were significantly lower immediately post-PR. Computerized respiratory sounds were sensitive to short- and mid-term effects of PR in subjects with COPD. These findings are encouraging for the clinical use of respiratory acoustics. Future research is needed to strengthen these findings and explore the potential of computerized respiratory sounds to assess the effectiveness of other clinical interventions in COPD. Copyright © 2017 by Daedalus Enterprises.

  4. 45 CFR 310.5 - What options are available for Computerized Tribal IV-D Systems and office automation?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... IV-D Systems and office automation? 310.5 Section 310.5 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public... AUTOMATION Requirements for Computerized Tribal IV-D Systems and Office Automation § 310.5 What options are available for Computerized Tribal IV-D Systems and office automation? (a) Allowable computerized support...

  5. Computerized dosimetric system for studying radiation fields of afterloading apparatus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andryushin, O.S.; Gorshkov, M.I.

    1988-01-01

    Works on designing a computerized dosimetric scanner (CODOS) for studying radiation fields of remote therapeutic apparatus, providing dosimetric data input from semiconductor transducers and ionization chambers directly into the computer memory were carried out. The basic problems were to provide reproducibility and accuracy of the initial dosimetric data, formation of the data bank on LUEhV-15M1 accelerator bremsstrahlung and electron radiation fields. An extra problem was to provide isodose curves for manual scheduling of radiotherapy. The 15 VUMS-28-025 complex based on Elektronika-60 computer was chosen as a host computer, photodiodes were used as a semiconductor detector, the 70108 rod chamber and VA-J-18 dosemeters were used as an ionization chamber. The results of studies with the CODOS system have been shown that it meets the dosimetric requirements for therapeutic apparatus

  6. The Design and Development of a Computerized Tool Support for Conducting Senior Projects in Software Engineering Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Chung-Yang; Teng, Kao-Chiuan

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents a computerized tool support, the Meetings-Flow Project Collaboration System (MFS), for designing, directing and sustaining the collaborative teamwork required in senior projects in software engineering (SE) education. Among many schools' SE curricula, senior projects serve as a capstone course that provides comprehensive…

  7. Sequential Computerized Mastery Tests--Three Simulation Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiberg, Marie

    2006-01-01

    A simulation study of a sequential computerized mastery test is carried out with items modeled with the 3 parameter logistic item response theory model. The examinees' responses are either identically distributed, not identically distributed, or not identically distributed together with estimation errors in the item characteristics. The…

  8. Computerized portable microwave hyperthermia quality assurance kit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheung, A.Y.; Neyzari, A.

    1985-01-01

    A computerized quality assurance kit to provide precise measurement and calibration of microwave power and temperature, as well as capabilities to map SAR (Specific absorption rate) distribution in phantoms; and survey of hazardous microwave leakage has been designed. The kit is also capable of performing corelation studies on the relationship between SAR and net microwave power delivered at various anatomical sites. The kit consists of a portable microcomputer, a time-multiplexed A/D converter, a 4-channel dual directional microwave power monitor, a 4-channel thin-wire thermocouple thermometry system, an electronic thermal calibrator, a microwave leakage hazard survey meter, and a dynamic phantom tank for dosimetric analysis. Comparative performance studies were made against NBS-traceable power and temperature standards, non-perturbing optical temperature sensors, and established power and temperature measurement devices. The test results indicate that this instrument is providing its user with measurement accuracy of 0.1 0 C in temperature, 10% accuracy in power. The thin-wire thermocouple, with computer assisted error compensation, performs equally well in a strong microwave field in comparison with non-perturbing optical temperature sensors

  9. The use of PROLOG for computerized Technical Specifications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lidsky, L.M.; Lanning, D.D.; Dobrzeniecki, A.B.; Meyers, K.; Reese, T.G.

    1987-01-01

    The task of deciding whether a particular nuclear plant condition is in compliance with its Technical Specifications is, in principle, algorithmic. However, the implicit algorithm is so complex and the required level of confidence in code validity is so high that traditional methods of computerized analysis have proven unsatisfactory. PROLOG provides a close match to the explicit semantic structure of the written specifications, a good tool for analysis of the implicit subsystem operability trees and, by virtue of its declarative style and imbedded logical structure, greatly simplifies the problem of code validation. LCOM, a PROLOG representation of a subset of BWR Technical Specifications, was developed to explore the applicability of PROLOG in this problem domain and to provide benchmark data for full-scale implementations. The declarative style and built-in unification mechanism of PROLOG does substantially simplify the process of program construction and validation. Extrapolations indicate processing times for a complete Tech Spec implementation of ≤ 1 minute in systems capable of ≥ 20 KLIPS

  10. Developing a computerized aging management system for concrete structures in finnish nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Neshawy, F.; Piironen, J.; Sistonen, E.; Vesikari, E.; Tuomisto, M.; Hradil, P.; Ferreira, M.

    2013-01-01

    Finland has four nuclear reactors units in two power plants. The first unit started operation in 1977 and in the early 1980's all four units were in use. During the last few years the aging management of the Nuclear Power Plant's (NPP) concrete structures has grown an important issue because the existing structures are reaching the end of their licensed operating lifetime (about 40 years). Therefore the nuclear power companies are developing aging management systems to avoid premature degradation of NPP facilities and to be able to extend their operating lifetime. This paper is about the development of a computerized ageing management system for the nuclear power plants concrete structures. The computerized ageing management system is built upon central database and implementation applications. It will assist the personnel of power companies to implement the aging management activities at different phases of the lifetime of a power plant. It will provide systematic methods for planning, surveillance, inspection, monitoring, condition assessment, maintenance and repair of structures. (authors)

  11. A computerized system for improved management and execution of plant procedures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lipner, M.H.; Orendi, R.G.; Impink, A.J.; Mundy, R.A.

    1987-01-01

    The authors have shown how the deficiencies reported in this paper can be resolved by using the Computerized Procedures System. The Westinghouse Computerized Procedures System solves many of the human performance problems associated with procedures. It has been designed to assist plant operators in executing procedures more efficiently and cost effectively. The system brings all of the necessary information to one location for easy and continuous assessment of plant conditions and permits the operator to concentrate on the big picture

  12. Impact of Multidetector Computerized Tomography (MDCT) On The General Population

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Leite, B.B.; Ribeiro, N.C. [Servico de Radiologia, Hospital de Curry Cabral, Rua da Beneficencia, 8, 1069-166 Lisboa (Portugal)

    2009-05-15

    Multidetector computerized tomography (MDCT) appeared in the early 1990s, as a technological evolution of computerized tomography. As one would expect, the evolution continues and, each year, more powerful equipments appear, with new medical applications. However, the general use of this technique has lead to the dramatic increase on the general population irradiation. Special concern is required regarding the most vulnerable groups, like the pediatric population, the pregnant and the young female. Due to a larger awareness of this irradiation risks, some initiatives have been developed, coming from different areas, aiming to maximize the benefit to risk ratio of MDCT. (author)

  13. Efficiency of computerized tomography in comparison with other neuroradiological investigation methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kretzschmar, H.

    1979-01-01

    Computerized tomography is considered to be a decisive and the most reliable investigation method for the diagnosis of cerebral tumors. The rate of detection of intracranial blastomas is over 90%. Supratentorial growths are more easy to prove than tumors at the posterior cranial fossa. In the group of patients examined, 97.3% of the cerebral tumors were confirmed by computerized tomography: 98.7% of these were located above the tentorium and 89.3% under the tentorium. But the diagnostic value of computerized tomography is not only due to the high growth detection rate but also to its informative power as regards the position of growths in relation to vital centres, the type of the blastomas and their space-occupying effect. Thus this investigation method permits to evaluate the complex ''space occupation'' at one glance. By the angiographic method cerebral growths are confirmed in 86% of the cases; 88.6% of these are located above the tentorium. (orig.) [de

  14. Computerized Tomography and its Applications : a Guided Tour

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Roerdink, J.B.T.M.

    1992-01-01

    We present a review of the mathematical principles of computerized tomography. Topics treated include the role of the Radon transform and related transforms, inversion formulas, uniqueness, ill-posedness and stability, practical reconstruction algorithms, and various generalizations such as

  15. Computerized data treatment technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ferguson, R.B.; Maddox, J.H.; Wren, H.F.

    1977-01-01

    The Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) has accepted responsibility for a hydrogeochemical and stream-sediment reconnaissance in 25 eastern states as part of the National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE). SRL has developed a computerized program for recording, processing, updating, retrieving, and analyzing hydrogeochemical data from this reconnaissance. This program will handle an expected 150 million bytes of hydrogeochemical data from 150,000 to 200,000 sample sites over the next four years. The SRL--NURE hydrogeochemical data management system is written in FORTRAN IV for an IBM System 360/195 computer and is designed to easily accommodate changes in types of collected data and input format. As the data become available, they are accepted and combined with relevant data already in the system. SRL also developed a sample inventory and control system and a graphics and analysis system. The sample inventory and control system accounts for the movements of all samples and forms from initial receipt through final storage. Approximately six million sample movements are expected. The graphics and analysis system provides easily usable programs for reporting and interpreting data. Because of the large volume of data to be interpreted, the graphics and analysis system plays a central role in the hydrogeochemical program. Programs developed to provide two- and three-dimensional plots of sampled geographic areas show concentrations and locations of individual variables which are displayed and reproduced photographically. Pattern recognition techniques are also available, and they allow multivariate data to be categorized into ''clusters,'' which may indicate sites favorable for uranium exploration

  16. A three-dimensional computerized isometric strength measurement system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Black, Nancy L; Das, Biman

    2007-05-01

    The three-dimensional Computerized Isometric Strength Measurement System (CISMS) reliably and accurately measures isometric pull and push strengths in work spaces of paraplegic populations while anticipating comparative studies with other populations. The main elements of the system were: an extendable arm, a vertical supporting track, a rotating platform, a force transducer, stability sensors and a computerized data collection interface. The CISMS with minor modification was successfully used to measure isometric push-up and pull-down strengths of paraplegics and isometric push, pull, push-up and pull-down strength in work spaces for seated and standing able-bodied populations. The instrument has satisfied criteria of versatility, safety and comfort, ease of operation, and durability. Results are accurate within 2N for aligned forces. Costing approximately $1,500 (US) including computer, the system is affordable and accurate for aligned isometric strength measurements.

  17. Robinson's Computerized Strabismus Model Comes of Age

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    H.J. Simonsz (Huib); H. Spekreijse (Henk)

    1996-01-01

    textabstractIn this article we review our further development of D.A. Robinson's computerized strabismus model. First, an extensive literature study has been carried out to get more accurate data on the anatomy of the average eye and the eye muscles, and about how these vary with age and with

  18. Computerized management information systems and organizational structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zannetos, Z. S.; Sertel, M. R.

    1970-01-01

    The computerized management of information systems and organizational structures is discussed. The subjects presented are: (1) critical factors favoring centralization and decentralization of organizations, (2) classification of organizations by relative structure, (3) attempts to measure change in organization structure, and (4) impact of information technology developments on organizational structure changes.

  19. Development of a testing methodology for computerized procedure system based on JUnit framework and MFM

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qin, Wei

    2004-02-01

    Paper Based Procedure (PBP) and Computerized Procedure System (CPS) are studied to demonstrate that it is necessary to develop CPS in Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) Instrumentation and Control (I and C) system. Computerized procedure system is actually a software system. All the desired and undesired properties of a software system can be described and evaluated as software qualities. Generally, software qualities can be categorized into product quality and process quality. In order to achieve product quality, the process quality of a software system should also be considered and achieved. Characteristics of CPS will be described to analyse the product and process of an example CPS: ImPRO. At the same time, several main product and process issues will be analysed from Verification and Validation (V and V) point of view. It is concluded and suggested that V and V activities can also be regarded as a software development process, this point of view then is applied to the V and V activities of ImPRO as a systematic approach of testing of ImPRO. To support and realize this approach, suitable testing technologies and testing strategies are suggested based on JUnit framework and Multi-level Flow Modeling (MFM)

  20. Development of a computerized handbook of architectural plans

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Koutamanis, A.

    1990-01-01

    The dissertation investigates an approach to the development of visual / spatial computer representations for architectural purposes through the development of the computerized handbook of architectural plans (chap), a knowledge-based computer system capable of recognizing the metric properties of

  1. Computerized tomographic evaluation of aortic prosthetic graft complications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kay, D.; Kalmar, J.A.

    1985-01-01

    Computerized tomography has been found to be an accurate and sensitive method of diagnosing complications of synthetic aortic grafts. Complications in this series of four cases included aortoesophageal fistula, aortoduodenal fistula, pseudoaneurysm, and retroperitoneal hematoma. 6 references, 5 figures

  2. 10 years of computerized tomography reviewed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duemmling, K.

    1984-01-01

    The history and some highlights of computerized tomography are reviewed. The various technologies employed in the course of CT development are described along with the limitations that led to their disappearance. The problems still to be solved in medicine, the increasing influence of nuclear magnetic resonance, and some scientific aspects have opened up new lines of development which are briefly mentioned. (orig./WU) [de

  3. Quantitative inspection by computerized tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lopes, R.T.; Assis, J.T. de; Jesus, E.F.O. de

    1989-01-01

    The computerized Tomography (CT) is a method of nondestructive testing, that furnish quantitative information, that permit the detection and accurate localization of defects, internal dimension measurement, and, measurement and chart of the density distribution. The CT technology is much versatile, not presenting restriction in relation to form, size or composition of the object. A tomographic system, projected and constructed in our laboratory is presented. The applications and limitation of this system, illustrated by tomographyc images, are shown. (V.R.B.)

  4. Improved Design of Crew Operation in Computerized Procedure System of APR1400

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Seong, No Kyu; Jung, Yeon Sub; Sung, Chan Ho [KHNP, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-05-15

    The operators perform the paper-based procedures in analog-based conventional main control room (MCR) depending on only communications between operators except a procedure controller such as a Shift Supervisor (SS), however in digital-based MCR the operators can confirm the procedures simultaneously in own console when the procedure controller of computerized procedure (CP) opens the CP. The synchronization and a synchronization function between procedure controller and other operators has to be considered to support the function of crew operation. This paper suggests the improved design of crew operation in computerized procedure system of APR1400. This paper suggests the improved design of APR1400 CPS. These improvements can help operators perform the crew procedures more efficiently. And they reduce a burden of communication and misunderstanding of computerized procedures. These improvements can be applied to CPS after human factors engineering verification and validation.

  5. Computerized tomographic evaluation of primary brain tumors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choi, Jin Ok; Lee, Jong Soon; Jeon, Doo Sung; Kim, Hong Soo; Rhee, Hak Song [Presbyterian Mediacal center, Cheonju (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jong Deok [Inje Medical College, Paik Hospital, Pusan (Korea, Republic of)

    1985-10-15

    In a study of primary brain tumors 104 cases having satisfactory clinical, operative and histological proofs were analyzed by computerized tomography at Presbyterian Medical Center from May, 1982 to April 1985. The results were as follows: 1. The male to female ratio of primary brain tumor was 54 : 46. 2. The 2nd decade group (26%) was the most prevalent age group, followed by the 5th decade (16.3%), 1st decade (14.4%) , 3rd decade (12.5%), 4th decade (11.5%), 6th decade (10.6%), 7th decade (8.7%) in that order. 3. The incidence of primary brain tumors was found to be: glioma 64 cases (61.6%) among the GM, the most frequent 17 cases (16.3%), followed by meningioma 12 cases (11.5%), pituitary adenoma 10 cases (9.6%), craniopharyngioma 6 cases (5.8%), pinealoma and germinoma 3 cases (2.9%) respectively, and dermoid cyst 2 cases (1.9%) in that order. 4. The location of the primary brain tumors were as follows: cb. hemisphere (49%) of these 24.5% in parietal region, 11.9% in temporal region, 9.7% in frontal region, 3.0% in occipital region: juxtasella area (16.3%), cerebellar hemisphere (8.7%), parapineal and intraventricle (7.7%) respectively, cerebello-pontine angle area (5.8%), vermis and 4th ventricular region (4.8%). 5. There were no remarkable differences in the findings of pre- and post-contrast CT scanning of primary brain tumors computed with others.

  6. The Effect of College Students' Self-Generated Computerized Mind Mapping on Their Reading Achievement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sabbah, Sabah Salman

    2015-01-01

    This study explored the potential effect of college students' self-generated computerized mind maps on their reading comprehension. It also investigated the subjects' attitudes toward generating computerized mind maps for reading comprehension. The study was conducted in response to the inability of the foundation-level students, who were learning…

  7. Computerized Point of Sale = Faster Service + Better Accountability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pannell, Dorothy V.

    1991-01-01

    Describes selecting and installing a computerized point of sale for a district food service program; the equipment needed and preferred; and the training of trainers, managers, and cashiers. Also discusses the direct benefits and side benefits of the system. (MLF)

  8. Towards Computerized Adaptive Assessment Based on Structured Tasks

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tvarožek, Jozef; Kravcik, Milos; Bieliková, Mária

    2008-01-01

    Tvarožek, J., Kravčík, M., & Bieliková, M. (2008). Towards Computerized Adaptive Assessment Based on Structured Tasks. In W. Nejdl et al. (Eds.), Adaptive Hypermedia and Adaptive Web-Based Systems (pp. 224-234). Springer Berlin / Heidelberg.

  9. Quality control of online calibration in computerized assessment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Glas, Cornelis A.W.

    In computerized adaptive testing, updating item parameter estimates using adaptive testing data is often called online calibration. This study investigated how to evaluate whether the adaptive testing data used for online calibration sufficiently fit the item response model used. Three approaches

  10. Geometrical efficiency in computerized tomography: generalized model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Costa, P.R.; Robilotta, C.C.

    1992-01-01

    A simplified model for producing sensitivity and exposure profiles in computerized tomographic system was recently developed allowing the forecast of profiles behaviour in the rotation center of the system. The generalization of this model for some point of the image plane was described, and the geometrical efficiency could be evaluated. (C.G.C.)

  11. Safety implications of computerized process control in nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-02-01

    Modern nuclear power plants are making increasing use of computerized process control because of the number of potential benefits that accrue. This practice not only applies to new plants but also to those in operation. Here, the replacement of both conventional process control systems and outdated computerized systems is seen to be of benefit. Whilst this contribution is obviously of great importance to the viability of nuclear electricity generation, it must be recognized that there are major safety concerns in taking this route. However, there is the potential for enhancing the safety of nuclear power plants if the full power of microcomputers and the associated electronics is applied correctly through well designed, engineered, installed and maintained systems. It is essential that areas where safety can be improved be identified and that the pitfalls are clearly marked so that they can be avoided. The deliberations of this Technical Committee Meeting are a step on the road to this goal of improved safety through computerized process control. This report also contains the papers presented at the technical committee meeting by participants. A separate abstract was prepared for each of these 15 presentations. Refs, figs and tabs

  12. A study on a systematic approach of verification and validation of a computerized procedure system: ImPRO

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qin, Wei; Seong, Poong Hyun

    2003-01-01

    Paper Based Procedure (PBP) and Computerized Procedure System (CPS) are studied to demonstrate that it is necessary to develop CPS in NPP I and C system. Computerized procedure system is actually a software system. All the desired and undesired properties of a software system can be described and evaluated as software qualities. Generally, software qualities can be categorized into product quality and process quality. In order to achieve product quality, the process quality of a software system should also be considered and achieved. Characteristics of CPS will be described to analyse the product and process of an example CPS: ImPRO. At the same time, several main product and process issues will be analysed from Verification and Validation (V and V) point of view. It is concluded and suggested that V and V activities can also be regarded as software development process, this point of view then is applied to the V and V activities of ImPRO as a systematic approach of V and V of ImPRO. To support and realize this approach, suitable testing technologies and testing strategies are suggested

  13. Development of a Computerized In-Basket Exercise for the Classroom: A Sales Management Example

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pearson, Michael M.; Barnes, John W.; Onken, Marina H.

    2006-01-01

    This article follows the development of a sales management in-basket exercise for use in the classroom. The authors have computerized the exercise and added features to allow for additional and more quantitative input from the students. The exercise has evolved and been tested in numerous classroom situations. The computerized in-basket exercise…

  14. Two cases of posterior scleritis and findings of computerized tomography and ultrasonography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohara, Takakazu; Uji, Yukitaka; Fujioka, Chieko; Mori, Kazuma

    1982-01-01

    Two cases of unilateral posterior scleritis, seen in 56-year-old and 68-year-old females, are reported. Computerized tomography showed characteristic findings, as follows: 1) Thickening of the posterior sclera and surrounding tissue. 2) Irregularity of the posterior wall of the eyeball. 3) Increased radiographic density in the posterior wall of the eyeball. Ultrasonography also suggested thickening of the posterior sclera. Computerized tomography and ultrasonography are considered useful in the diagnosis of posterior scleritis. (author)

  15. The Extent of computerization in big companies of the Spanish hotel sector

    OpenAIRE

    Infante Moro, Alfonso; Martínez López, Francisco José; Infante Moro, Juan Carlos

    2015-01-01

    This is the first study of the hotel sector regarding the extent of computerization in its big companies. This study examines the extent of computerization in big companies of the Spanish hotel sector with the aim of confirming the viability and sustainability of this sector relative to changes in ICT, a stage which is defined by the extensive use of the Internet and online social networks, and the handling of large quantities of information generated within these new env...

  16. Computerized operator decision aids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Long, A.B.

    1984-01-01

    This article explores the potential benefits associated with the use of computers in nuclear plants by the operating crew as an aid in making decisions. Pertinent findings are presented from recently completed projects to establish the context in which operating decisions have to be made. Key factors influencing the decision-making process itself are also identified. Safety parameter display systems, which are being implemented in various forms by the nuclear industry, are described within the context of decision making. In addition, relevant worldwide research and development activities are examined as potential enhancements to computerized operator decision aids to further improve plant safety and availability

  17. Computerized tomographic system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Godbarsen, R.; Barrett, D.M.; Garrott, P.M.; Foley, L.E.; Redington, R.W.; Lambert, T.W.; Edelheit, L.S.

    1981-01-01

    A computerized tomographic system for examining human breasts is described in detail. Conventional X-ray scanning apparatus has difficulty in achieving the levels of image definition and examination speeds required for mass screening. A novel method of scanning successive layers of the breast with a rotating X-ray beam is discussed and details of the control circuitry and sequence steps are given. The method involves immersing the breast in an inner fluid (e.g. water) filled container which is stationary during an examination and is surrounded by a large outer container which is also filled with the fluid; the inner and outer containers are always maintained at a constant height and the X-ray absorption across the fan-shaped beam is as close as possible to constant. (U.K.)

  18. Thrombin effectuates therapeutic arteriogenesis in the rabbit hindlimb ischemia model: A quantitative analysis by computerized in vivo imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kagadis, George C.; Karnabatidis, Dimitrios; Katsanos, Konstantinos; Diamantopoulos, Athanassios; Samaras, Nikolaos; Maroulis, John; Siablis, Dimitrios; Nikiforidis, George C.

    2006-01-01

    We report on an experimental mammalian controlled study that documents arteriogenic capacity of thrombin and utilizes computerized algorithms to quantify the newly formed vessels. Hindlimb ischemia was surgically invoked in 10 New Zealand white rabbits. After quiescence of endogenous angiogenesis heterologous bovine thrombin was intramuscularly injected (1500 units) in one hindlimb per rabbit (Group T). Contralateral limbs were infused with normal saline (Group C). Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) of both limbs was performed after thrombin infusion by selective cannulation of the abdominal aorta and digital images were post-processed with computerized algorithms in order to enhance newly formed vessels. Total vessel area and total vessel length were quantified. In vivo functional evaluation included measurements of blood flow volume at the level of the external iliac artery by Doppler ultrasonography both at baseline and at 20 days after thrombin infusion. Total vessel area and length (in pixels) were 14,713+/-1023 and 5466+/-1327 in group T versus 12,015+/-2557 and 4598+/-1269 in group C (p=0.0062 and 0.1526, respectively). Blood flow volumes (ml/min) at baseline and at 20 days after thrombin infusion were 25.87+/-11.09 and 38.06+/-11.72 in group T versus 26.57+/-11.19 and 20.35+/-7.20 in group C (p=0.8898 and 0.0007, respectively). Intramuscular thrombin effectuates an arteriogenic response in the rabbit hindlimb ischemia model. Computerized algorithms may enable accurate quantification of the neovascularization outcome

  19. VARIABILITY OF MANUAL AND COMPUTERIZED METHODS FOR MEASURING CORONAL VERTEBRAL INCLINATION IN COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY IMAGES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomaž Vrtovec

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Objective measurement of coronal vertebral inclination (CVI is of significant importance for evaluating spinal deformities in the coronal plane. The purpose of this study is to systematically analyze and compare manual and computerized measurements of CVI in cross-sectional and volumetric computed tomography (CT images. Three observers independently measured CVI in 14 CT images of normal and 14 CT images of scoliotic vertebrae by using six manual and two computerized measurements. Manual measurements were obtained in coronal cross-sections by manually identifying the vertebral body corners, which served to measure CVI according to the superior and inferior tangents, left and right tangents, and mid-endplate and mid-wall lines. Computerized measurements were obtained in two dimensions (2D and in three dimensions (3D by manually initializing an automated method in vertebral centroids and then searching for the planes of maximal symmetry of vertebral anatomical structures. The mid-endplate lines were the most reproducible and reliable manual measurements (intra- and inter-observer variability of 0.7° and 1.2° standard deviation, SD, respectively. The computerized measurements in 3D were more reproducible and reliable (intra- and inter-observer variability of 0.5° and 0.7° SD, respectively, but were most consistent with the mid-wall lines (2.0° SD and 1.4° mean absolute difference. The manual CVI measurements based on mid-endplate lines and the computerized CVI measurements in 3D resulted in the lowest intra-observer and inter-observer variability, however, computerized CVI measurements reduce observer interaction.

  20. Manual and computerized measurement of coronal vertebral inclination on MRI images: A pilot study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vrtovec, T.; Likar, B.; Pernuš, F.

    2013-01-01

    Aim: A pilot study that presents a systematic approach for evaluating the variability of manual and computerized measurements of coronal vertebral inclination (CVI) on images acquired by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Materials and methods: Three observers identified the vertebral body corners of 28 vertebrae on two occasions on two-dimensional (2D) coronal MRI cross-sections, which served to evaluate CVI using six manual measurements (superior and inferior tangents, left and right tangents, mid-endplate and mid-wall lines). Computerized measurements were performed by evaluating CVI from the symmetry of vertebral anatomical structures of the same 28 vertebrae in 2D coronal MRI cross-sections and in three-dimensional (3D) MRI images. Results: In terms of standard deviation (SD), the mid-endplate lines proved to be the manual measurements with the lowest intra- (1.0° SD) and interobserver (1.4° SD) variability. The computerized measurements in 3D yielded even lower intra- (0.8° SD) and interobserver (1.3° SD) variability. The strongest inter-method agreement (1.2° SD) was found among lines parallel to vertebral endplates (superior tangents, inferior tangents, mid-endplate lines). The computerized measurements in 3D were most in agreement with the mid-endplate lines (1.9° SD). The estimated intra- and interobserver variabilities of standard Cobb angle measurements were equal to 1.6° SD and 2.5° SD, respectively, for manual measurements, and to 1.1° SD and 1.8° SD, respectively, for computerized measurements. Conclusion: The mid-endplate lines proved to be the most reproducible and reliable manual CVI measurements. Computerized CVI measurements based on the evaluation of the symmetry of vertebral anatomical structures in 3D were more reproducible and reliable than manual measurements

  1. Computerized detection of acute ischemic stroke in brain computed tomography images

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagashima, Hiroyuki; Shiraishi, Akihisa; Harakawa, Tetsumi; Shiraishi, Junji; Doi, Kunio; Sunaga, Shinichi

    2009-01-01

    The interpretation of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in computed tomography (CT) images is a very difficult challenge for radiologists. To assist radiologists in CT image interpretation, we have developed a computerized method for the detection of AIS using 100 training cases and 60 testing cases. In our computerized method, the inclination of the isotropic brain CT volume data is corrected by rotation and shifting. The subtraction data for the contralateral volume is then derived by subtraction from the mirrored (right-left reversed) volume data. Initial candidates suspected to have experienced AIS were identified using multiple-thresholding and filtering techniques. Twenty-one image features of these candidates were extracted and applied to a rule-based test to identify final candidates for AIS. The detection sensitivity values for the training cases and for the testing cases were 95.0% with 3.1 false positives per case and 85.7% with 3.4 false positives per case, respectively. Our computerized method showed good performance in the detection of AIS by CT and is expected to be useful in decision-making by radiologists. (author)

  2. 45 CFR 307.13 - Security and confidentiality for computerized support enforcement systems in operation after...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... ENFORCEMENT SYSTEMS § 307.13 Security and confidentiality for computerized support enforcement systems in... systems in operation after October 1, 1997. (a) Information integrity and security. Have safeguards... 45 Public Welfare 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Security and confidentiality for computerized...

  3. A computerized faculty time-management system in an academic family medicine department.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daugird, Allen J; Arndt, Jane E; Olson, P Richard

    2003-02-01

    The authors describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of a computerized faculty time-management system (FTMS) in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. The FTMS is presented as an integrated set of computerized spreadsheets used annually to allocate faculty time across all mission activities of the department. It was first implemented in 1996 and has been continuously developed since then. An iterative approach has been used to gain consensus among faculty about time resources needed for various tasks of all missions of the department. These time-resource assumptions are used in the computerized system. Faculty time is allocated annually by the department vice chair in negotiation with individual faculty, making sure that the activities planned do not exceed the work time each faculty member has available for the year. During this process, faculty preferences are balanced against department aggregate needs to meet mission commitments and obligations. The authors describe how the computerized FTMS is used for faculty time management and career development, department planning, budget planning, clinical scheduling, and mission cost accounting. They also describe barriers and potential abuses and the challenge of building an organizational culture willing to discuss faculty time openly and committed to developing a system perceived as fair and accurate. The spreadsheet file is available free from the authors for use in other departments.

  4. Computerized materials protection, control, and accountability at the Institute of Physics and Power Engineering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Efimenko, V.; Goryunov, V.; Ilyantsev, A.

    1998-01-01

    As part of a multifaceted approach to protecting its nuclear materials, The Institute of Physics and Power Engineering (IPPE) at Obninsk, Russia, has been computerizing its materials protection, control, and accountability capabilities. This is being accomplished in collaboration with the CoreMAS team at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Such international cooperation in applying advanced science and technology to managing and controlling nuclear materials will help reduce the threat of nuclear weapons proliferation by preventing acquisition of weapons-grade nuclear materials by unauthorized individuals, organizations, or states. One important characteristic of IPPE is that it encompasses several facilities that manage nuclear materials, and three of these facilities already operate their own independent (or independently developed) computerized accounting systems. This paper focuses on the importance of compatibility between the computerized accountability systems at the facilities, the ability of the individual systems to communicate with a single site-wide system, and the necessity of coordination between facilities in designing and developing computerized systems. The authors believe that the lessons learned at IPPE in coordinating these efforts have wide-ranging significance for other sites with multiple facilities

  5. A Computerized Clinical Support System and Psychological Laboratory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cassel, Russell N.

    1978-01-01

    Advocating "holistic" medicine, this article details the benefits to be derived from using a computerized clinical support system in a psychological laboratory focusing on internal healing where the client/patient becomes a committed partner utilizing biofeedback equipment, gaming, and simulation to achieve self-understanding and…

  6. Radio astronomical interferometry and x-ray's computerized tomography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rodriguez, L F [Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City. Inst. de Astronomia

    1982-01-01

    Radio astronomical interferometry and computerized tomography are techniques of great importance for astronomy and medicine, respectively. In this paper we emphasize that both techniques are based on the same mathematical principles, and present them as an example of interaction between basic and applied science.

  7. The Pattern of Significant Lesions Found in Computerized ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Introduction: Seizures are common reasons for neurologic consultations and investigations. In the absence of magnetic resonance imaging, computerized tomography scanning of the brain is a reliable and cheaper alternative. Little is known about the pattern of brain lesions in patients with recurrent seizures in Nigeria.

  8. Robinson's computerized model of eye muscle mechanics revised.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    H.J. Simonsz (Huib)

    1994-01-01

    textabstractThe computerized model of static eye-muscle mechanics developed by Robinson was revised extensively and improved. An extensive literature study yielded additional information on the average diameter of the eye as related to age, on the average location of the insertions and origins of

  9. Procedures for Selecting Items for Computerized Adaptive Tests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kingsbury, G. Gage; Zara, Anthony R.

    1989-01-01

    Several classical approaches and alternative approaches to item selection for computerized adaptive testing (CAT) are reviewed and compared. The study also describes procedures for constrained CAT that may be added to classical item selection approaches to allow them to be used for applied testing. (TJH)

  10. simulate_CAT: A Computer Program for Post-Hoc Simulation for Computerized Adaptive Testing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    İlker Kalender

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a computer software developed by the author. The software conducts post-hoc simulations for computerized adaptive testing based on real responses of examinees to paper and pencil tests under different parameters that can be defined by user. In this paper, short information is given about post-hoc simulations. After that, the working principle of the software is provided and a sample simulation with required input files is shown. And last, output files are described

  11. The computerized reactor period measurement system for China fast burst reactor-II

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Wuwen; Jiang Zhiguo

    1996-01-01

    The article simply introduces the hardware, principle, and software of the computerized reactor period measurement system for China Fast Burst Reactor-II (CFBR-II). It also gives the relation between fission yield and pre-reactivity of CFBR-II reactor system of bared reactor with decoupled-component and system of bared reactor with multiple light-material. The computerized measurement system makes the reactor period measurement into automatical and intelligent and also improves the speed and precision of period data on-line process

  12. Computerized flow monitors detect small kicks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McCann, D.; White, D. (Sedco Forex, Paris (FR))

    1992-02-24

    This paper reports on a smart alarm system installed on a number of offshore rigs and one land rig which can detect kicks more quickly than conventional systems. This rapid kick detection improves rig safety because the smaller the detected influx, the easier it is to control the well. The extensive computerized monitoring system helps drilling personnel detect fluid influxes and fluid losses before the changes in flow would normally be apparent.

  13. Cranial Computerized Tomography In The Evaluation Of Stroke ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    206 patients clinically diagnosed as stroke / cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) were investigated using computerized tomography (CT) scan. 19 patients (9%) had normal scan. While 20(9.7%) had other lesions including atrophy and tumours. Of the 167 (18. %) patients proven to have suffered a cerebro- vascular accident ...

  14. A Computerized Approach to Trickle-Process, Random Assignment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braucht, G. Nicholas; Reichardt, Charles S.

    1993-01-01

    Procedures for implementing random assignment with trickle processing and ways they can be corrupted are described. A computerized method for implementing random assignment with trickle processing is presented as a desirable alternative in many situations and a way of protecting against threats to assignment validity. (SLD)

  15. Development and validation of the computerized family relations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Skoczen, I.; Cieciuch, J.; Oud, J.H.L.; Welzen, K.F.

    2015-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to develop and investigate the psychometric properties of the Computerized Family Relations Test (CFRT) for children. This test assesses the quality of family relationships with the mother and father from a child's perspective. The CFRT consists of six scales

  16. The Pattern of Significant Lesions Found in Computerized ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2017-12-05

    Dec 5, 2017 ... Introduction: Seizures are common reasons for neurologic consultations and investigations. In the absence of magnetic resonance imaging, computerized tomography scanning of the brain is a reliable and cheaper alternative. Little is known about the pattern of brain lesions in patients with recurrent ...

  17. Computerized tomography in the examination of the orbit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ammerich, H.; Wackenheim, A.; Golabek, R.

    1980-01-01

    The importance of computerized tomography in the ophtalmological diagnosis is discussed. A great value of the information obtained by this not cumbersome method is stressed. The findings achieved this method in the most frequent diseases of the eyeball, orbit and neighbouring anatomical structures are described. (author)

  18. Computerized tomography of adrenal glands in the investigation of Cushing's syn

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abucham Filho, J.; Albertotti, C.; Kater, C.E.; Vieira, J.G.H.; Chacra, A.R.

    1983-01-01

    Computerized tomography of the adrenal glands was performed in 10 patients with Cushing's syndrome using a G.E. 8800 CT/T Body Scanner. The tomographic findings of unilateral adrenal masses in 4 patients were confirmed by surgery. In the remaining 6 patients, computerized tomography did not identify any masses, and both glands were well visualized and showed normal shape. In these patients, measurement of the adrenal glands revealed both normal (n=1) and enlarged glands (n=5). The findings of adrenalectomy (n=4) or transphenoidal surgery and follow-up (n=2) established the diagnosis of adrenal phyperplasia in all patients. (Author) [pt

  19. 45 CFR 310.25 - What conditions apply to acquisitions of Computerized Tribal IV-D Systems?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... FAMILIES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMPUTERIZED TRIBAL IV-D SYSTEMS AND OFFICE AUTOMATION Funding for Computerized Tribal IV-D Systems and Office Automation § 310.25 What conditions apply to... 45 Public Welfare 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false What conditions apply to acquisitions of...

  20. A Multisite, Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial of Computerized Cognitive Remediation Therapy for Schizophrenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomar, Jesús J; Valls, Elia; Radua, Joaquim; Mareca, Celia; Tristany, Josep; del Olmo, Francisco; Rebolleda-Gil, Carlos; Jañez-Álvarez, María; de Álvaro, Francisco J; Ovejero, María R; Llorente, Ana; Teixidó, Cristina; Donaire, Ana M; García-Laredo, Eduardo; Lazcanoiturburu, Andrea; Granell, Luis; Mozo, Cristina de Pablo; Pérez-Hernández, Mónica; Moreno-Alcázar, Ana; Pomarol-Clotet, Edith; McKenna, Peter J

    2015-11-01

    The effectiveness of cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) for the neuropsychological deficits seen in schizophrenia is supported by meta-analysis. However, a recent methodologically rigorous trial had negative findings. In this study, 130 chronic schizophrenic patients were randomly assigned to computerized CRT, an active computerized control condition (CC) or treatment as usual (TAU). Primary outcome measures were 2 ecologically valid batteries of executive function and memory, rated under blind conditions; other executive and memory tests and a measure of overall cognitive function were also employed. Carer ratings of executive and memory failures in daily life were obtained before and after treatment. Computerized CRT was found to produce improvement on the training tasks, but this did not transfer to gains on the primary outcome measures and most other neuropsychological tests in comparison to either CC or TAU conditions. Nor did the intervention result in benefits on carer ratings of daily life cognitive failures. According to this study, computerized CRT is not effective in schizophrenia. The use of both active and passive CCs suggests that nature of the control group is not an important factor influencing results. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center.

  1. Contribution of computerization to alarm processing: A French safety view

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cette, W [CEA Centre d` Etudes de Fontenay-aux-Roses, 92 (France). Inst. de Protection et de Surete Nucleaire

    1997-09-01

    Following the TMI accident and according to the requirement of the French safety authority, very important studies were performed by the French utility, Electricite de France (EDF), and assessed by the Institute for Nuclear Safety and Protection (IPSN) on reactor operation in conventional control rooms, particularly on alarm processing. These studies dealt with the man-machine interface, as well as design and exploitation requirements, presentation and management of alarm signals, and associated operating documents. The conclusions of these studies have led to improvements in French conventional control rooms. The current state of these control rooms and links between alarm sets and operating documents will be shortly presented in the first part of the paper. More recently, the computerized means implemented in the PWR 1400 MWe control rooms (N4) profoundly modified reactor operation. In particular, major advances concern alarm processing in comparison with conventional control rooms. The N4 plants provide a more rigorous approach in processing and presentation of alarms than in the past. Indeed, EDF wanted to have less alarms switched on during plant upsets and to make them more characteristic of a specific situation of the process. For example, computerization makes it easier to validate or inhibit alarms according to the situation, to allow the operator to manage alarm presentation and to propose on-line alarm sheets to the operator etc. This approach in comparison with conventional control rooms, and the IPSN assessment will be presented in the second part of this paper. (author).

  2. Contribution of computerization to alarm processing: A French safety view

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cette, W.

    1997-01-01

    Following the TMI accident and according to the requirement of the French safety authority, very important studies were performed by the French utility, Electricite de France (EDF), and assessed by the Institute for Nuclear Safety and Protection (IPSN) on reactor operation in conventional control rooms, particularly on alarm processing. These studies dealt with the man-machine interface, as well as design and exploitation requirements, presentation and management of alarm signals, and associated operating documents. The conclusions of these studies have led to improvements in French conventional control rooms. The current state of these control rooms and links between alarm sets and operating documents will be shortly presented in the first part of the paper. More recently, the computerized means implemented in the PWR 1400 MWe control rooms (N4) profoundly modified reactor operation. In particular, major advances concern alarm processing in comparison with conventional control rooms. The N4 plants provide a more rigorous approach in processing and presentation of alarms than in the past. Indeed, EDF wanted to have less alarms switched on during plant upsets and to make them more characteristic of a specific situation of the process. For example, computerization makes it easier to validate or inhibit alarms according to the situation, to allow the operator to manage alarm presentation and to propose on-line alarm sheets to the operator etc. This approach in comparison with conventional control rooms, and the IPSN assessment will be presented in the second part of this paper. (author)

  3. Computerization in industry causes problems for people with reading and writing difficulties (dyslexia).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knutsson, A

    1986-01-01

    For 10 years computerization in industry has advanced at a rapid pace. A problem which has not received attention is that of people with reading and writing difficulties who experience severe problems when they have to communicate with a computer monitor screen. These individuals are often embarrassed by their difficulties and conceal them from their fellow workers. A number of case studies are described which show the form the problems can take. In one case, an employee was compelled to move from department to department as each was computerized in turn. Computers transform a large number of manual tasks in industry into jobs which call for reading and writing skills. Better education at elementary school and at the workplace in connection with computerization are the most important means of overcoming this problem. Moreover, computer programs could be written in a more human way.

  4. 381 Developing of a Computerized Brain Diagnosing System for ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    User

    Ogunsanwo O. D. - Department of Computer Science, Gate way ICT ... computerized brain diagnosing system that would be used in carrying out the ..... This aspect explores the techniques use for the design of interface, menus and databases ...

  5. The EORTC emotional functioning computerized adaptive test

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gamper, Eva-Maria; Grønvold, Mogens; Petersen, Morten Aa

    2014-01-01

    The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Group is currently developing computerized adaptive testing measures for the Quality of Life Questionnaire Core-30 (QLQ-C30) scales. The work presented here describes the development of an EORTC item bank for e...... for emotional functioning (EF), which is one of the core domains of the QLQ-C30....

  6. Implementation of a Computerized Maintenance Management System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Yong-Hong; Askari, Bruce

    1994-01-01

    A primer Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) has been established for NASA Ames pressure component certification program. The CMMS takes full advantage of the latest computer technology and SQL relational database to perform periodic services for vital pressure components. The Ames certification program is briefly described and the aspects of the CMMS implementation are discussed as they are related to the certification objectives.

  7. Computerization of the standard corsi block-tapping task affects its underlying cognitive concepts : A pilot study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Claessen, Michiel H G; Van Der Ham, Ineke J M; Van Zandvoort, Martine J E

    2015-01-01

    The tablet computer initiates an important step toward computerized administration of neuropsychological tests. Because of its lack of standardization, the Corsi Block-Tapping Task could benefit from advantages inherent to computerization. This task, which requires reproduction of a sequence of

  8. Computerization of the Standard Corsi Block-Tapping Task Affects Its Underlying Cognitive Concepts : A Pilot Study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Claessen, Michiel H G; Van Der Ham, Ineke J M; Van Zandvoort, Martine J E

    2014-01-01

    The tablet computer initiates an important step toward computerized administration of neuropsychological tests. Because of its lack of standardization, the Corsi Block-Tapping Task could benefit from advantages inherent to computerization. This task, which requires reproduction of a sequence of

  9. Computerized summary scoring: crowdsourcing-based latent semantic analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Haiying; Cai, Zhiqiang; Graesser, Arthur C

    2017-11-03

    In this study we developed and evaluated a crowdsourcing-based latent semantic analysis (LSA) approach to computerized summary scoring (CSS). LSA is a frequently used mathematical component in CSS, where LSA similarity represents the extent to which the to-be-graded target summary is similar to a model summary or a set of exemplar summaries. Researchers have proposed different formulations of the model summary in previous studies, such as pregraded summaries, expert-generated summaries, or source texts. The former two methods, however, require substantial human time, effort, and costs in order to either grade or generate summaries. Using source texts does not require human effort, but it also does not predict human summary scores well. With human summary scores as the gold standard, in this study we evaluated the crowdsourcing LSA method by comparing it with seven other LSA methods that used sets of summaries from different sources (either experts or crowdsourced) of differing quality, along with source texts. Results showed that crowdsourcing LSA predicted human summary scores as well as expert-good and crowdsourcing-good summaries, and better than the other methods. A series of analyses with different numbers of crowdsourcing summaries demonstrated that the number (from 10 to 100) did not significantly affect performance. These findings imply that crowdsourcing LSA is a promising approach to CSS, because it saves human effort in generating the model summary while still yielding comparable performance. This approach to small-scale CSS provides a practical solution for instructors in courses, and also advances research on automated assessments in which student responses are expected to semantically converge on subject matter content.

  10. Computerized Virtual Reality Simulation in Preclinical Dentistry: Can a Computerized Simulator Replace the Conventional Phantom Heads and Human Instruction?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plessas, Anastasios

    2017-10-01

    In preclinical dental education, the acquisition of clinical, technical skills, and the transfer of these skills to the clinic are paramount. Phantom heads provide an efficient way to teach preclinical students dental procedures safely while increasing their dexterity skills considerably. Modern computerized phantom head training units incorporate features of virtual reality technology and the ability to offer concurrent augmented feedback. The aims of this review were to examine and evaluate the dental literature for evidence supporting their use and to discuss the role of augmented feedback versus the facilitator's instruction. Adjunctive training in these units seems to enhance student's learning and skill acquisition and reduce the required faculty supervision time. However, the virtual augmented feedback cannot be used as the sole method of feedback, and the facilitator's input is still critical. Well-powered longitudinal randomized trials exploring the impact of these units on student's clinical performance and issues of cost-effectiveness are warranted.

  11. Emission computerized-tomography and determination of local brain function

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuhl, D.E.; Alavi, A.; Reivich, M.; Edwards, R.Q.; Fenton, C.A.; Zimmerman, R.A.

    1975-01-01

    Methods for the three dimensional reconstruction of /sup 99m/Tc brain scans are described. The diagnostic advantages of computerized tomography in the localization of brain tumors and in measurements of local cerebral blood flow are discussed. (U.S.)

  12. Patient surface doses in computerized tomography examinations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vekic, B; Kovacevic, S.; Ranogajec-Komor, M.; Duvnjak, N.; Marusic, P.; Anic, P.; Dolencic, P.

    1996-01-01

    The diagnostic value of computerized tomography has increased due to very rapid technical advances in both equipment and techniques. When the CT scanners were introduced, a significant problem for the specification of the radiation dose imparted to the patient undergoing CT examination has been created. In CT, the conditions of exposure are quite different from those in conventional X-ray imaging. CT procedure involves the continuous tomography of thin layers. Some of these layers touch each other while others overlap. The radiation doses received by patients can vary considerably. In addition to the radiation from the collimated primary beam, patients are exposed to significant scattered doses in unpredictable amounts. Every effort should be made to keep these doses to a reasonable minimum, without sacrificing the image quality. The aims of this work were to determine the surface doses delivered to various organs of patients during various computerized tomography examinations (head, thorax, kidney, abdomen and pelvis). Particular attention was directed to the precise determination of doses received by the eyes (during CT of head) and gonads (during CT of pelvis and lower abdomen) since these organs can be near or even in the primary X-ray beam

  13. Use of computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tjoerstad, K.

    1992-01-01

    This is a neurologist's opinion on how computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging have improved the doctor's diagnostic possibilities, changed patient/doctor relationship and increased the patients' expectations from diagnostic tests. How should the often conflicting interests of patients, society and doctors be handled? 15 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab

  14. Monkeys Exhibit Prospective Memory in a Computerized Task

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, Theodore A.; Beran, Michael J.

    2012-01-01

    Prospective memory (PM) involves forming intentions, retaining those intentions, and later executing those intended responses at the appropriate time. Few studies have investigated this capacity in animals. Monkeys performed a computerized task that assessed their ability to remember to make a particular response if they observed a PM cue embedded…

  15. Assessment of minimal hepatic encephalopathy (with emphasis on computerized psychometric tests).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kappus, Matthew R; Bajaj, Jasmohan S

    2012-02-01

    Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is associated with a high risk of development of overt hepatic encephalopathy, impaired quality of life, and driving accidents. The detection of MHE requires specialized testing because it cannot, by definition, be diagnosed on standard clinical examination. Psychometric and neurophysiologic techniques are often used to test for MHE. Paper-pencil psychometric batteries and computerized tests have proved useful in diagnosing MHE and predicting its outcomes. Neurophysiologic tests also provide useful information. The diagnosis of MHE is an important issue for clinicians and patients alike. Testing strategies depend on the normative data available, patient comfort, and local expertise. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Development of a generic, computerized nuclear material accountability system: NucMAS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cornell, M.D.; O'Leary, J.M.

    1987-01-01

    The application NucMAS provides basic computerized accountability functions for the Savannah River Plant (SRP) Separations Department Material Balance Areas (MBA's). These functions include data entry, data management, calculations, and report generation. NucMAS can be used both for routine reporting to the SRP central Material Control and Accounting (MC and A) system and for rapid ad hoc queries in emergency situations. The system is designed to work with any process handling one or more of the 17 accountable nuclear materials specified by the Department of Energy (DOE). It relies on user-supplied configuration data to drive data prompts, report headings, data validations, and calculations

  17. Computerization of nuclear material accounting and control at storage facilities of RT-1 plant, PA Mayak

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krakhmal'nik, V.I.; Menshchikov, Yu.L.; Mozhaev, D.A.

    1999-01-01

    Computerized system for nuclear material (NM) accounting and control at RT-1 plant is being created on the basis of advanced engineering and programming tools, which give a possibility to ensure prompt access to the information required, to unify the accounting and report documentation, make statistical processing of the data, and trace the NM transfers in the chain of its storage at facilities of RT-1 plant. Currently, the accounting is performed in parallel, both by the old methods and with computerized system. The following functions are performed by the system at the current stage: input of data on the end product's (plutonium dioxide) quantitative and qualitative composition; data input on the localization of containers with finished products at storage facilities of the plant and the product's temporary characteristics; selective verification of the data on containers and batches, according to the criteria prespecified by the user; data protection against unauthorized access; data archiving; report documents formation and providing [ru

  18. Abnormal computerized dynamic posturography findings in dizzy patients with normal ENG results.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sataloff, Robert T; Hawkshaw, Mary J; Mandel, Heidi; Zwislewski, Amy B; Armour, Jonathan; Mandel, Steven

    2005-04-01

    The complexities of the balance system create difficulties for professionals interested in testing equilibrium function objectively. Traditionally, electronystagmography (ENG) has been used for this purpose, but it provides information on only a limited portion of the equilibrium system. Computerized dynamic posturography (CDP) is less specific than ENG, but it provides more global insight into a patient's ability to maintain equilibrium under more challenging environmental circumstances. CD Palso appears to be valuable in obtaining objective confirmation of an abnormality in some dizzy patients whose ENG findings are normal. Our review of 33 patients with normal ENG results and abnormal CDP findings suggests that posturography is useful for confirming or quantifying a balance abnormality in some patients whose complaints cannot be confirmed by other tests frequently used by otologists.

  19. Computerized Analysis and Detection of Missed Cancer in Screening Mammogram

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Li, Lihua

    2005-01-01

    This project is to explore an innovative CAD strategy for improving early detection of breast cancer in screening mammograms by focusing on computerized analysis and detection of cancers missed by radiologists...

  20. Computerized Analysis and Detection of Missed Cancer in Screening Mammogram

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Li, Lihua

    2004-01-01

    This project is to explore an innovative CAD strategy for improving early detection of breast cancer in screening mammograms by focusing on computerized analysis and detection of cancers missed by radiologists...

  1. A Recommendation Algorithm for Automating Corollary Order Generation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klann, Jeffrey; Schadow, Gunther; McCoy, JM

    2009-01-01

    Manual development and maintenance of decision support content is time-consuming and expensive. We explore recommendation algorithms, e-commerce data-mining tools that use collective order history to suggest purchases, to assist with this. In particular, previous work shows corollary order suggestions are amenable to automated data-mining techniques. Here, an item-based collaborative filtering algorithm augmented with association rule interestingness measures mined suggestions from 866,445 orders made in an inpatient hospital in 2007, generating 584 potential corollary orders. Our expert physician panel evaluated the top 92 and agreed 75.3% were clinically meaningful. Also, at least one felt 47.9% would be directly relevant in guideline development. This automated generation of a rough-cut of corollary orders confirms prior indications about automated tools in building decision support content. It is an important step toward computerized augmentation to decision support development, which could increase development efficiency and content quality while automatically capturing local standards. PMID:20351875

  2. A toolkit for computerized operating procedure of complex industrial systems with IVI-COM technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Yangping; Dong Yujie; Huang Xiaojing; Ye Jingliang; Yoshikawa, Hidekazu

    2013-01-01

    A human interface toolkit is proposed to help the user develop computerized operating procedure of complex industrial system such as Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs). Coupled with a friendly graphical interface, this integrated tool includes a database, a procedure editor and a procedure executor. A three layer hierarchy is adopted to express the complexity of operating procedure, which includes mission, process and node. There are 10 kinds of node: entrance, exit, hint, manual input, detector, actuator, data treatment, branch, judgment and plug-in. The computerized operating procedure will sense and actuate the actual industrial systems with the interface based on IVI-COM (Interchangeable Virtual Instrumentation-Component Object Model) technology. A prototype system of this human interface toolkit has been applied to develop a simple computerized operating procedure for a simulated NPP. (author)

  3. 45 CFR 307.10 - Functional requirements for computerized support enforcement systems in operation by October 1...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Functional requirements for computerized support... ENFORCEMENT SYSTEMS § 307.10 Functional requirements for computerized support enforcement systems in operation... necessary to meet Federal Reporting Requirements on a timely basis as prescribed by the Office; (4...

  4. Computerized tomography of gall bladder cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Todua, F.I.; Karmazanovskij, G.G.

    1989-01-01

    The authors have summed up the experience in the use of computerized tomography (CT) in diagnosis of gall bladder cancer. The investigation of 17 patients with cancer of this site showed a high informative value of the method. A retrospective comparative study of the results of CT and surgical interventions was carried out. It has been concluded that CT makes it possible not only to diagnose malignant lesions of the bile ducts but also to assess a possible scope of a forthcoming operation

  5. Computerized planning system for nuclear power plant evaluation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bonczek, R.H.; Holsapple, C.W.; Whinston, A.B.

    1976-01-01

    A computerized system is described for information storage and query processing adapted to complex socio-technological issues. The system is referred to as GPLAN (Generalized Planning System) and can accommodate both qualitative (verbal) and quantitative data. The issue illustrated is the construction of a nuclear power plant, and involves interdisciplinary research and planning. The system's outstanding features are the use of the network variety of data base, the selective retrieval of any configuration of data from a particular network structure, automatic execution of any desired application program from a standard or special library of applications, user interface with a data base and applications by submitting English-like, non-procedural queries, and generality which allows tailoring to specific applications and provides a basis for integration of planning and research activities. The system is general and can be used for a wide variety of socio-technological issues which involve complex data relationships

  6. Enhancing the efficacy of computerized feedback interventions for college alcohol misuse: An exploratory randomized trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Mary Beth; Leavens, Eleanor L; Meier, Ellen; Lombardi, Nathaniel; Leffingwell, Thad R

    2016-02-01

    Personalized feedback interventions (PFIs) have been associated with decreased alcohol consumption and related problems among college students; however, the necessary and sufficient components responsible for efficacy remain unclear. The present study investigated the relative efficacy of 3 computerized PFIs with differing content, the content-specific mechanisms of change within PFIs, and the moderating roles of comparison orientation and baseline risk in intervention outcomes. College students (N = 212) reporting alcohol use in a typical week completed an assessment prior to randomization (norms PFI, enhanced PFI, choice PFI, assessment only) and 1 month postintervention. Participants who received a PFI reported greater decreases in alcohol use, peak blood alcohol concentration (BAC), related problems, and perceptions of typical students' drinking than those in the control group. Neither tendency to compare oneself with others nor baseline risk moderated outcomes. PFIs influenced weekly alcohol use indirectly through changes in descriptive normative perceptions and alcohol-related consequences indirectly through changes in peak BAC. Computerized PFIs are more effective than assessment alone in decreasing alcohol use and related problems among college students. Normative comparisons may be sufficient to elicit behavior change, and inclusion of select additional components may not yield significant improvements in outcomes. However, the consistent benefit of including feedback on physical and monetary costs of drinking and moderation strategies, although nonsignificant, may warrant the negligible increase in time and money required to provide such information electronically. Computerized PFIs seem to be an ideal first step to the prevention and treatment of college alcohol misuse. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  7. A study on operators' cognitive response characteristics to the computerized working environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Yong Hee; Lee, Jang Soo; Suh, Sang Moon; Lee, Hyun Cheol; Jung, Kwang Tae; Lee, Dhong Ha

    1998-12-01

    Although the introduction of computerized working environment to the nuclear facilities, the study on the human factors impacts of computers and automation has not been enough like the other industries. It is necessary to prepare the way to cope with the negative aspects in spite of many positive aspects of computerization in nuclear. This study is an empirical study including the survey of the human factor concerning, especially to the cognitive response of operators' and the experiments on the error proneness. At first, we survey the design and its changes of operator interface and interaction in nuclear power plants, and conclude five human factor issues. We discuss situation awareness issues as one of the major human factor concerning, and the assessment method. Secondly, a questionnaire and interviews survey to the operator's response characteristics are performed for possible criterion measures tot he in-depth study on the cognitive characteristics. Finally, several experiments are conducted to test the error proneness. The issues and findings of this study could be utilized to any further study on the cognitive characteristic of operators to the computerized work environment

  8. IGT-Open: An open-source, computerized version of the Iowa Gambling Task.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dancy, Christopher L; Ritter, Frank E

    2017-06-01

    The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) is commonly used to understand the processes involved in decision-making. Though the task was originally run without a computer, using a computerized version of the task has become typical. These computerized versions of the IGT are useful, because they can make the task more standardized across studies and allow for the task to be used in environments where a physical version of the task may be difficult or impossible to use (e.g., while collecting brain imaging data). Though these computerized versions of the IGT have been useful for experimentation, having multiple software implementations of the task could present reliability issues. We present an open-source software version of the Iowa Gambling Task (called IGT-Open) that allows for millisecond visual presentation accuracy and is freely available to be used and modified. This software has been used to collect data from human subjects and also has been used to run model-based simulations with computational process models developed to run in the ACT-R architecture.

  9. Build Your Own Inventory System. Annual Cost: $100.00 (Approximate). Fixed Assets, Materials and Supplies. The Practical Elements for a Computerized, Continuing Inventory System in Schools and Use in Determining a Measure for Instructional Cost.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Payne, Arnold, Comp.

    This publication presents performance flow charts and other accompanying forms that are elements of an economical computerized continuing inventory system. The system described here is intended to serve school systems as an adequate fixed asset system and to provide a computerized inventory model that offers support for costs of future educational…

  10. Quality control of on-line calibration in computerized assessment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Glas, Cornelis A.W.

    1998-01-01

    In computerized adaptive testing, updating parameter estimates using adaptive testing data is often called online calibration. In this paper, how to evaluate whether the adaptive testing model used for online calibration fits the item response model used sufficiently is studied. Three approaches are

  11. Impact of electronic order management on the timeliness of antibiotic administration in critical care patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cartmill, Randi S; Walker, James M; Blosky, Mary Ann; Brown, Roger L; Djurkovic, Svetolik; Dunham, Deborah B; Gardill, Debra; Haupt, Marilyn T; Parry, Dean; Wetterneck, Tosha B; Wood, Kenneth E; Carayon, Pascale

    2012-11-01

    To examine the effect of implementing electronic order management on the timely administration of antibiotics to critical-care patients. We used a prospective pre-post design, collecting data on first-dose IV antibiotic orders before and after the implementation of an integrated electronic medication-management system, which included computerized provider order entry (CPOE), pharmacy order processing and an electronic medication administration record (eMAR). The research was performed in a 24-bed adult medical/surgical ICU in a large, rural, tertiary medical center. Data on the time of ordering, pharmacy processing and administration were prospectively collected and time intervals for each stage and the overall process were calculated. The overall turnaround time from ordering to administration significantly decreased from a median of 100 min before order management implementation to a median of 64 min after implementation. The first part of the medication use process, i.e., from order entry to pharmacy processing, improved significantly whereas no change was observed in the phase from pharmacy processing to medication administration. The implementation of an electronic order-management system improved the timeliness of antibiotic administration to critical-care patients. Additional system changes are required to further decrease the turnaround time. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Replacement of the computerized control system at NPP under operation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ermolaev, A.D.; Rakitin, I.D.

    1985-01-01

    Reasons and preconditions for replacement of the computerized control systems (CCS) at NPP under operation are consi-- dered. Problems dealing with management of CCS replacement, maintenance of a new CCS as well as NPP personnel training for the new system maintenance are discussed. A necessity of NPP personnel participation in these works in order to adapt CCS to requirements of NPP operation personnel and to initiate the training process is underlined. Replacement of CCS at NPP under operation is associated, as a rule, with obsolescence of old systems not ensuring growing requirements to NPP workability and safety. Principles observed at CCS replacement are reduced, mainly, to the following; maximum utilizatian of existing equipment, metal strUctures, cables, instruments, power supplies, ventilation system minimum of construction works and new communications; the least change of acting panels and boxes; changes in control desks should be introduced on the basis of the analysis of operator actions '

  13. Computerized axial tomography : the tool in osseointegrated dental implants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fernandez-Lopez, Otton

    2002-01-01

    Failure rates in rehabilitations with osseointegrated implants are handled through appropriate radiographic preoperative planning. The appropriate length of the implant without running the risk of a perforation of vital structures, has been determined by a radiographic diagnosis. Computerized and conventional axial tomography have proved to be invaluable elements for pre-surgical evaluation. A radiologic guidance is elaborated to perform a computerized axial tomography (CT) of maxillary bones in totally edentulous patients. Surgical guides are constructed from a wax-up emanated from the information of the CT. The CT has proven to be an radiographic indispensable element to achieve the surgical-prosthetic success in osseointegrated dental implants. The CT has allowed the realization of a precise wax-up for making of surgical guide and a precise temporary prostheses in positioning of osseointegrated implants, with the consequent saving time and money for the rehabilitator and patient [es

  14. A comparison of the standard and the computerized versions of the Well-being Questionnaire (WBQ) and the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (DTSQ)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pouwer, F; Snoek, Frank J; Van Der Ploeg, Henk M

    1998-01-01

    In the present study, the equivalence of paper and pencil assessment versus computer assessment of two self-administered questionnaires was investigated by means of a randomized cross-over design. Therefore, 105 out-patients with diabetes were invited to participate; 76 patients completed both...... the computer and the paper and pencil version of the Well-being Questionnaire (WBQ) and the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (DTSQ) in a randomized order, with a mean interval of 7 days. The scales showed high test-retest correlations and the means, dispersions, kurtosis and skewness were found...... of a questionnaire was easy. It is concluded that the paper and pencil and the computerized versions of the WBQ and DTSQ can be considered equivalent. Therefore, the norms and cut-off scores obtained from paper and pencil assessments can be used in computerized versions of the WBQ and DTSQ and vice versa....

  15. The ABC's required for establishing a practical computerized plant engineering management data base system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maiocco, F. R.; Hume, J. P.

    1976-01-01

    A system's approach is outlined in the paper to assist facility and Plant Engineers improve their organization's data management system. The six basic steps identified may appear somewhat simple; however, adequate planning, proper resources, and the involvement of management will determine the success of a computerized facility management data base. Helpful suggestions are noted throughout the paper to insure the development of a practical computerized data management system.

  16. Protocol for implementation of family health history collection and decision support into primary care using a computerized family health history system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agbaje Astrid B

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The CDC's Family History Public Health Initiative encourages adoption and increase awareness of family health history. To meet these goals and develop a personalized medicine implementation science research agenda, the Genomedical Connection is using an implementation research (T3 research framework to develop and integrate a self-administered computerized family history system with built-in decision support into 2 primary care clinics in North Carolina. Methods/Design The family health history system collects a three generation family history on 48 conditions and provides decision support (pedigree and tabular family history, provider recommendation report and patient summary report for 4 pilot conditions: breast cancer, ovarian cancer, colon cancer, and thrombosis. All adult English-speaking, non-adopted, patients scheduled for well-visits are invited to complete the family health system prior to their appointment. Decision support documents are entered into the medical record and available to provider's prior to the appointment. In order to optimize integration, components were piloted by stakeholders prior to and during implementation. Primary outcomes are change in appropriate testing for hereditary thrombophilia and screening for breast cancer, colon cancer, and ovarian cancer one year after study enrollment. Secondary outcomes include implementation measures related to the benefits and burdens of the family health system and its impact on clinic workflow, patients' risk perception, and intention to change health related behaviors. Outcomes are assessed through chart review, patient surveys at baseline and follow-up, and provider surveys. Clinical validity of the decision support is calculated by comparing its recommendations to those made by a genetic counselor reviewing the same pedigree; and clinical utility is demonstrated through reclassification rates and changes in appropriate screening (the primary outcome

  17. Tight integration of computerized procedures with plant information at the South Texas Project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brtis, J.S.; Green, T.

    1996-01-01

    This paper describes a unique undertaking that is underway at Houston Lighting and Power's South Texas Project (STP). The paper presents an information upgrade project that uses expert system technologies to computerize design change procedures and to tightly integrate the resulting on-line, interactive procedures with the on-line information that design change activities use and generate. This effort will show how procedure computerization can leverage the large investments in plant data. The expected benefits include reduced costs and improved quality of design change work, plus a significant reduction in the burden of configuration management that comes from design changes. Both process computerization and the integration of process with data are being implemented at STP. This work is part of a major migration of information from a mainframe to a LAN platform. This paper will be of greatest interest to those involved in: (1) configuration management, (2) coordinating information to support design change procedures, (3) plant information management, and (4) business process reengineering

  18. Computerized tomography in diffuse diseases of the liver. Pt. 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Helmberger, H.; Vogel, U.; Bautz, W.

    1993-01-01

    Computerized tomography is a first-line method of imaging to confirm diffuse disorders of the liver suggested by preliminary clinical and biochemical findings. If the disease is caused by an obstructed vessel, this is reliably detected. For most types of thesaurismosis as well as hepatic steatosis and cirrhosis of the liver approaches to quantitative determinations of the spread of disease have been described in theory but so far failed to show great merits in practice. The transition from hepatic fibrosis to cirrhosis as the final developmental stage common to all those disorders has typical features on computerized tomography. This explains why the use of this method in diffuse hepatic disease offers particular advantages as regards the detection of complications occurring at an advanced stage ot the diagnosis of changes developing into malignancies. (orig.) [de

  19. Computerized reactor pressure vessel materials information system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Strosnider, J.; Monserrate, C.; Kenworthy, L.D.; Tether, C.D.

    1980-10-01

    A computerized information system for storage and retrieval of reactor pressure vessel materials data was established, as part of Task Action Plan A-11, Reactor Vessel Materials Toughness. Data stored in the system are necessary for evaluating the resistance of reactor pressure vessels to flaw-induced fracture. This report includes (1) a description of the information system; (2) guidance on accessing the system; and (3) a user's manual for the system

  20. A Case Study of Different Types of Arguments Emerging from Explorations in an Interactive Computerized Environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lavy, Ilana

    2006-01-01

    This paper presents a description of the different types of arguments that emerged as two students, working in a computerized environment, engaged in an investigation of several number theory concepts. The emerging arguments are seen as a result of the influence of the computerized environment together with collaborative learning. Using…

  1. A Framework of a Computerized Decision Aid to Improve Group Judgments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Utpal Bose

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available In organizations, groups of decision makers often meet to make judgments as a group on issues and tasks such as, hiring a person who best fits an open position. In such tasks called cognitive conflict tasks, where there is no conflict of interest, group members attempting to reach a common solution often differ on their perspectives to the problem. Cognitive conflicts have been studied in the context of Social Judgment Theory, which posits that persons or judges make a set of judgments about a set of events based on observation of a set of cues related to the events. Disagreement arises because the judges fail to understand each other’s judgment making policies. In order to reduce disagreement and move the group towards a group judgment policy that has the consensus of the group members and is applied consistently, a computerized decision aid is proposed that can be built around a Group Support System using cognitive mapping as a method of providing cognitive feedback and the Analytic Hierarchy Process to process the conflicting criteria and help an individual formulate a judgment policy, as well as aggregate the individual policies into a group judgment policy. It is argued that such as decision aid by supporting every decision maker in the group to effectively use information about the task so that they have a good understanding of the judgment policy they form, to communicate their evaluation policies accurately to other members, and by providing an iterative mechanism through which members can arrive at a compromise solution to the task, is expected to improve the quality of group judgments.

  2. Single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ganatra, R.D.

    1992-01-01

    Tomography in nuclear medicine did not originate after the introduction of X-ray computerized tomography (CT). Even in the days of rectilinear scanner, tomography was attempted with multiple detector heads rotating around the patient, but the counts at each plane were never very high to obtain a satisfactory image. A high resolution focusing collimator can look at different depths but taking several slices in one projection was a time consuming process. Rectilinear scanners lose lot of counts in the collimator to look at one point, at on time, in one plane. It is true that attempts to do tomography with gamma camera really got a boost after the success of CT. By that time, algorithms for doing reconstruction of images also were highly refined and for advanced. Clinical application of SPECT has become widespread now, because of the development of suitable radiopharmaceuticals and improvement in instrumentation. The SPECT provides a direct measure of regional organ function and is performed with nuclides such as 123 I and 99 Tc m that emit a mono-image photon during their decay. SPECT is far less expensive than positron emission tomography

  3. Single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ganatra, R D

    1993-12-31

    Tomography in nuclear medicine did not originate after the introduction of X-ray computerized tomography (CT). Even in the days of rectilinear scanner, tomography was attempted with multiple detector heads rotating around the patient, but the counts at each plane were never very high to obtain a satisfactory image. A high resolution focusing collimator can look at different depths but taking several slices in one projection was a time consuming process. Rectilinear scanners lose lot of counts in the collimator to look at one point, at on time, in one plane. It is true that attempts to do tomography with gamma camera really got a boost after the success of CT. By that time, algorithms for doing reconstruction of images also were highly refined and for advanced. Clinical application of SPECT has become widespread now, because of the development of suitable radiopharmaceuticals and improvement in instrumentation. The SPECT provides a direct measure of regional organ function and is performed with nuclides such as {sup 123}I and {sup 99}Tc{sup m} that emit a mono-image photon during their decay. SPECT is far less expensive than positron emission tomography

  4. Computerized cognitive training in survivors of childhood cancer: a pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hardy, Kristina K; Willard, Victoria W; Bonner, Melanie J

    2011-01-01

    The objective of the current study was to pilot a computerized cognitive training program, Captain's Log, in a small sample of survivors of childhood cancer. A total of 9 survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and brain tumors with attention and working memory deficits were enrolled in a home-based 12-week cognitive training program. Survivors returned for follow-up assessments postintervention and 3 months later. The intervention was associated with good feasibility and acceptability. Participants exhibited significant increases in working memory and decreases in parent-rated attention problems following the intervention. Findings indicate that home-based, computerized cognitive intervention is a promising intervention for survivors with cognitive late effects; however, further study is warranted with a larger sample.

  5. Sonography and computerized tomography in a comparison in renal mass diseases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brommer, M.

    1981-01-01

    One hundred and thirteen patients with renal mass processes were examined sonographically and by computized tomography. The diagnosis was assured in 32 cases histologically, in 40 cases angiographically clinically and by the course and in 41 cases only clinically and by the course resp. by sonographic and computerized tomography control studies. The accuracy of a hit in sonography is smaller compared with computerized tomography with fast image formation. However, due to its relative safety, it is judged as the most useful technique for a first diagnossis of renal masses after ureographic diagnostic of excreta. A diagnostic procedure is proposed in which the number of necessary angiographies and diagnostic sampling surgery can be considerably reduced. (orig.) [de

  6. Visualization in the age of computerization

    CERN Document Server

    Carusi, Annamaria; Webmoor, Timothy; Woolgar, Steve

    2014-01-01

    Digitalization and computerization are now pervasive in science. This has deep consequences for our understanding of scientific knowledge and of the scientific process, and challenges longstanding assumptions and traditional frameworks of thinking of scientific knowledge. Digital media and computational processes challenge our conception of the way in which perception and cognition work in science, of the objectivity of science, and the nature of scientific objects. They bring about new relationships between science, art and other visual media, and new ways of practicing science and organizing

  7. Contribution of computerized tomography to orbit fracture diagnosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nemeth, T.; Sobota, J.

    1984-01-01

    Suitability and specificity of examinations using computerized tomography are discussed for diagnoses fractures of the orbit including accurate anatomical localization of traumatic changes. The possibility of accurate assessment of the drop of the floor of the orbit which is essential for determination of the thickness of the bone or cartilaginous graft under the eyeball is also important

  8. Multiple Maximum Exposure Rates in Computerized Adaptive Testing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramon Barrada, Juan; Veldkamp, Bernard P.; Olea, Julio

    2009-01-01

    Computerized adaptive testing is subject to security problems, as the item bank content remains operative over long periods and administration time is flexible for examinees. Spreading the content of a part of the item bank could lead to an overestimation of the examinees' trait level. The most common way of reducing this risk is to impose a…

  9. A 15-minute interactive, computerized condom use intervention with biological endpoints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grimley, Diane M; Hook, Edward W

    2009-02-01

    Brief face-to-face-behavioral interventions have been shown to be efficacious, but are costly to sustain and to widely disseminate. This study evaluated the efficacy of a 15-minute theory-based behavioral intervention designed to increase condom use and reduce new cases of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis. Participants were randomly assigned via the computer to the intervention or the comparison group stratified by gender and their baseline stage of change (motivational readiness) for using condoms consistently (100%) with their main partners. Behavioral data and biologic specimens for testing of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis were obtained at baseline and at 6 months post intervention. The intervention was delivered via an audio, multimedia, computerized application that provided individualized interventions to patients based on their responses to assessment items; comparison patients interacted with a 15-minute, computerized, multiple health risk assessment with no intervention. The majority of the sample (N = 430) was black (88%); 54.5% women; with a mean age = 24.5. Assuming all participants who did not return to the clinic at 6 months were not using condoms consistently, 32% of the treatment group versus 23% in the comparison group reported consistent condom use (P = 0.03). The combined Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis incidence declined to 6% in the intervention group versus 13% in the comparison group (P = 0.04). Results from a regression analysis revealed that the only statically significant predictor of sexually transmitted diseases infection at the follow-up was group assignment (OR = 1.91, 95% confidence index = 1.09-3.34; P = 0.043). These findings suggest that brief, interactive, computer-delivered interventions provided at the evaluation visit increase condom use and reduce sexually transmitted diseases without putting additional burden on clinicians or staff.

  10. Physician Acceptance of a Computerized Outpatient Medication System in a Teaching Hospital Group Practice

    OpenAIRE

    Blish, Christi; Proctor, Rita; Fletcher, Suzanne W.; O'Malley, Michael

    1983-01-01

    As part of a new automated ambulatory medical record, a computerized outpatient medication system was developed for a teaching hospital general medicine group practice. Seven months after its implementation, the system was evaluated to determine physician acceptance and approval. Practice physicians were surveyed, and 94% of the respondents approved of the system. Over 90% thought that the computerized system had improved the completeness and accuracy of medication information as well as thei...

  11. Examination of the consistency and accuracy of computerized brachytherapy dose predictions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tolbert, D.D.; Reed, S.A.

    1981-01-01

    Four brachytherapy test cases were sent to representatives of commercial and non-commercial, computerized radiation oncology treatment planning systems. Four commercial systems are represented herein. The non-commercial, state-of-the-art systems represented are (in alphabetical order) BRACHY, ISODOS and RADCOMP. Mutual comparisons were made to examine consistency and a comparison with experimental measurements around a single source was made to examine accuracy. The systems represented are most consistent within 5 cm from the center of a single source, and within rays from the center making angles of greater than or equal to 20 0 relative to the source axis. Taking into account tissue absorption and scatter, the spatial uncertainty in the location of a particular isodose rate value is less than or equal to 0.7 mm for commercial systems and less than or equal to 0.5 mm for non-commercial systems

  12. Algorithmic fundamentals of computerized tomography and of transverse analogue tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heckmann, K.

    1981-01-01

    Computerized tomography and transverse analogue tomography are two different approaches to the same goal, namely, transverse tomography. The algorithm is discussed and compared. Transverse tomography appears capable of further development, judging by this comparison. (orig.) [de

  13. Quality of computerized blast load simulation for non-linear dynamic ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Quality of computerized blast load simulation for non-linear dynamic response ... commercial software system and a special-purpose, blast-specific software product to ... depend both on the analysis model of choice and the stand-off distances.

  14. Computerized detection method for asymptomatic white matter lesions in brain screening MR images using a clustering technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kunieda, Takuya; Uchiyama, Yoshikazu; Hara, Takeshi

    2008-01-01

    Asymptomatic white matter lesions are frequently identified by the screening system known as Brain Dock, which is intended for the detection of asymptomatic brain diseases. The detection of asymptomatic white matter lesions is important because their presence is associated with an increased risk of stroke. Therefore, we have developed a computerized method for the detection of asymptomatic white matter lesions in order to assist radiologists in image interpretation as a ''second opinion''. Our database consisted of T 1 - and T 2 -weighted images obtained from 73 patients. The locations of the white matter lesions were determined by an experienced neuroradiologist. In order to restrict the area to be searched for white matter lesions, we first segmented the cerebral region in T 1 -weighted images by applying thresholding and region-growing techniques. To identify the initial candidate lesions, k-means clustering with pixel values in T 1 - and T 2 -weighted images was applied to the segmented cerebral region. To eliminate false positives (FPs), we determined the features, such as location, size, and circularity, of each of the initial candidate lesions. Finally, a rule-based scheme and a quadratic discriminant analysis with these features were employed to distinguish between white matter lesions and FPs. The results showed that the sensitivity for the detection of white matter lesions was 93.2%, with 4.3 FPs per image, suggesting that our computerized method may be useful for the detection of asymptomatic white matter lesions in T 1 - and T 2 -weighted images. (author)

  15. The effect of sport on computerized electrocardiogram measurements in college athletes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gademan, Maaike G J; Uberoi, Abhimanyu; Le, Vy-Van; Mandic, Sandra; van Oort, Eddy R; Myers, Jonathan; Froelicher, Victor F

    2012-02-01

    Broad criteria for abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG) findings, requiring additional testing, have been recommended for preparticipation exams (PPE) of athletes. As these criteria have not considered the sport in which athletes participate, we examined the effect of sports on the computerized ECG measurements obtained in college athletes. During the Stanford 2007 PPE, computerized 12-lead ECGs (Schiller AG) were obtained in 641 athletes (350 male/291 female, age 19.5 ± 2 years). Athletes were engaged in 22 different sports and were grouped into 16 categories: baseball/softball, basketball, crew, crosscountry, fencing, field events, football linemen, football other positions, golf, gymnastics, racquet sports, sailing, track/field, volleyball, water sports, and wrestling. The analysis focused on ECG leads V2, aVF and V5 which provide a three-dimensional representation of the heart's electrical activity. As marked ECG differences exist between males and females, the data are presented by gender. In males, ANOVA analysis yielded significant ECG differences between sports for heart rate, QRS duration, QTc, J-amplitude in V2 and V5, spatial vector length (SVL) of the P wave, SVL R wave, and SVL T wave, and RS(sum) (p sports were found for heart rate, QRS duration, QRS axis and SVL T wave (p sports, and these differences were more apparent in males than females. Therefore, sport-specific ECG criteria for abnormal ECG findings should be developed to obtain a more useful approach to ECG screening in athletes.

  16. A prototype of a computerized patient record.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adelhard, K; Eckel, R; Hölzel, D; Tretter, W

    1995-01-01

    Computerized medical record systems (CPRS) should present user and problem oriented views of the patient file. Problem lists, clinical course, medication profiles and results of examinations have to be recorded in a computerized patient record. Patient review screens should give a synopsis of the patient data to inform whenever the patient record is opened. Several different types of data have to be stored in a patient record. Qualitative and quantitative measurements, narratives and images are such examples. Therefore, a CPR must also be able to handle these different data types. New methods and concepts appear frequently in medicine. Thus a CPRS must be flexible enough to cope with coming demands. We developed a prototype of a computer based patient record with a graphical user interface on a SUN workstation. The basis of the system are a dynamic data dictionary, an interpreter language and a large set of basic functions. This approach gives optimal flexibility to the system. A lot of different data types are already supported. Extensions are easily possible. There is also almost no limit concerning the number of medical concepts that can be handled by our prototype. Several applications were built on this platform. Some of them are presented to exemplify the patient and problem oriented handling of the CPR.

  17. Computerized spiral analysis using the iPad.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sisti, Jonathan A; Christophe, Brandon; Seville, Audrey Rakovich; Garton, Andrew L A; Gupta, Vivek P; Bandin, Alexander J; Yu, Qiping; Pullman, Seth L

    2017-01-01

    Digital analysis of writing and drawing has become a valuable research and clinical tool for the study of upper limb motor dysfunction in patients with essential tremor, Parkinson's disease, dystonia, and related disorders. We developed a validated method of computerized spiral analysis of hand-drawn Archimedean spirals that provides insight into movement dynamics beyond subjective visual assessment using a Wacom graphics tablet. While the Wacom tablet method provides robust data, more widely available mobile technology platforms exist. We introduce a novel adaptation of the Wacom-based method for the collection of hand-drawn kinematic data using an Apple iPad. This iPad-based system is stand-alone, easy-to-use, can capture drawing data with either a finger or capacitive stylus, is precise, and potentially ubiquitous. The iPad-based system acquires position and time data that is fully compatible with our original spiral analysis program. All of the important indices including degree of severity, speed, presence of tremor, tremor amplitude, tremor frequency, variability of pressure, and tightness are calculated from the digital spiral data, which the application is able to transmit. While the iPad method is limited by current touch screen technology, it does collect data with acceptable congruence compared to the current Wacom-based method while providing the advantages of accessibility and ease of use. The iPad is capable of capturing precise digital spiral data for analysis of motor dysfunction while also providing a convenient, easy-to-use modality in clinics and potentially at home. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Computerized tomography of orbital lesions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuroiwa, Mayumi

    1981-01-01

    Two different types of computerized tomography scanners (CT scanner), i.e. a whole-body CT scanner (GE-CT/T8800) and a cerebral CT scanner (EMI-1010), were compared in the assessment and diagnosis of various orbital lesions. The whole-body CT scanner was found to be advantageous over the cerebral CT scanner for the following reasons: (1) CT images were more informative due to thinner slices associated with smaller-sized and larger-numbered matrices; (2) less artifacts derived from motion of the head or eyeball were produced because of the shorter scanning time; (3) with a devised gantry, coronal dissections were available whenever demanded. (author)

  19. Development and implementation of computerized operator support systems in nuclear installations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-01-01

    This report has been prepared to address the development and implementation of computerized operator support systems (COSS) in nuclear installations. The requirements of operators in information management and job performance in a control room environment are discussed. These requirements, which must be agreed to by the operators, provide a focus for the developers of COSS for implementation in an operational environment. The design methodology presents good practice approaches derived from the experience gained and the lessons learned during actual development of the COSS. The team concept, pilot study and structured step by step phases of software development and implementation should help COSS developers to achieve the level of quality and reliability required. 8 figs, 1 tab

  20. Development of computerized dose planning system and applicator for high dose rate remote afterloading irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choi, T. J. [Keimyung Univ., Taegu (Korea); Kim, S. W. [Fatima Hospital, Taegu (Korea); Kim, O. B.; Lee, H. J.; Won, C. H. [Keimyung Univ., Taegu (Korea); Yoon, S. M. [Dong-a Univ., Pusan (Korea)

    2000-04-01

    To design and fabricate of the high dose rate source and applicators which are tandem, ovoids and colpostat for OB/Gyn brachytherapy includes the computerized dose planning system. Designed the high dose rate Ir-192 source with nuclide atomic power irradiation and investigated the dose characteristics of fabricated brachysource. We performed the effect of self-absorption and determining the gamma constant and output factor and determined the apparent activity of designed source. he automated computer planning system provided the 2D distribution and 3D includes analysis programs. Created the high dose rate source Ir-192, 10 Ci(370GBq). The effective attenuation factor from the self-absorption and source wall was examined to 0.55 of the activity of bare source and this factor is useful for determination of the apparent activity and gamma constant 4.69 Rcm{sup 2}/mCi-hr. Fabricated the colpostat was investigated the dose distributions of frontal, axial and sagittal plane in intra-cavitary radiation therapy for cervical cancer. The reduce dose at bladder and rectum area was found about 20 % of original dose. The computerized brachytherapy planning system provides the 2-dimensional isodose and 3-D include the dose-volume histogram(DVH) with graphic-user-interface mode. emoted afterloading device was built for experiment of created Ir-192 source with film dosimetry within {+-}1 mm discrepancy. 34 refs., 25 figs., 11 tabs. (Author)

  1. Improving the utility of the fine motor skills subscale of the comprehensive developmental inventory for infants and toddlers: a computerized adaptive test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Chien-Yu; Tung, Li-Chen; Chou, Yeh-Tai; Chou, Willy; Chen, Kuan-Lin; Hsieh, Ching-Lin

    2017-07-27

    This study aimed at improving the utility of the fine motor subscale of the comprehensive developmental inventory for infants and toddlers (CDIIT) by developing a computerized adaptive test of fine motor skills. We built an item bank for the computerized adaptive test of fine motor skills using the fine motor subscale of the CDIIT items fitting the Rasch model. We also examined the psychometric properties and efficiency of the computerized adaptive test of fine motor skills with simulated computerized adaptive tests. Data from 1742 children with suspected developmental delays were retrieved. The mean scores of the fine motor subscale of the CDIIT increased along with age groups (mean scores = 1.36-36.97). The computerized adaptive test of fine motor skills contains 31 items meeting the Rasch model's assumptions (infit mean square = 0.57-1.21, outfit mean square = 0.11-1.17). For children of 6-71 months, the computerized adaptive test of fine motor skills had high Rasch person reliability (average reliability >0.90), high concurrent validity (rs = 0.67-0.99), adequate to excellent diagnostic accuracy (area under receiver operating characteristic = 0.71-1.00), and large responsiveness (effect size = 1.05-3.93). The computerized adaptive test of fine motor skills used 48-84% fewer items than the fine motor subscale of the CDIIT. The computerized adaptive test of fine motor skills used fewer items for assessment but was as reliable and valid as the fine motor subscale of the CDIIT. Implications for Rehabilitation We developed a computerized adaptive test based on the comprehensive developmental inventory for infants and toddlers (CDIIT) for assessing fine motor skills. The computerized adaptive test has been shown to be efficient because it uses fewer items than the original measure and automatically presents the results right after the test is completed. The computerized adaptive test is as reliable and valid as the CDIIT.

  2. Computerized reactor protection and safety related systems in nuclear power plants. Proceedings of a specialists' meeting. Working material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-01-01

    Though the majority of existing control and protection systems in nuclear power plants use old analogue technology and design philosophy, the use of computers in safety and safety related systems is becoming a current practice. The Specialists Meeting on ''Computerized Reactor Protection and Safety Related Systems in Nuclear Power Plants'' was organized by IAEA (jointly by the Division of Nuclear Power and the Fuel Cycle and the Division of Nuclear Installation Safety), in co-operation with Paks Nuclear Power Plant in Hungary and was held from 27-29 October 1997 in Budapest, Hungary. The meeting focused on computerized safety systems under refurbishment, software reliability issues, licensing experiences and experiences in implemented computerized safety and safety related systems. Within a meeting programme a technical visit to Paks NPP was organized. The objective of the meeting was to provide an international forum for the presentation and discussion on R and D, in-plant experiences in I and C important to safety, backfits and arguments for and reservations against the digital safety systems. The meeting was attended by 70 participants from 16 countries representing NPPs and utility organizations, design/engineering, research and development, and regulatory organizations. In the course of 4 sessions 25 technical presentations were made. The present volume contains the papers presented by national delegates and the conclusions drawn from the final general discussion

  3. Acute renal failure following contrast injection for head computerized tomography in two patients with diabetic nephropathy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsunaga, Hiroshi; Sando, Hiroyuki; Nunokawa, Tomoo; Murakami, Tooru; Miyakawa, Yuzo

    1981-01-01

    Two cases of diabetes mellitus with renal and retinal involvement developed acute renal failure after undergoing head computerized tomography. The first case was a 62-year-old male who had been diagnosed as having diabetes 25 years before. He had diabetic retinopathy of Scott IIIb. Before head computerized tomography, the serum BUN was 37 mg/dl, and creatinine was 4.1 mg/dl. Oliguria began immediately after the scanning and confinued for 48 hr. The serum levels of BUN and creatinine rose to 106 and 7.7 mg/dl, respectively. Case 2 was a 49-year-old male who had been diagnosed as having diabetes 15 years before. He showed Scott IIb and IV retinopathy. The BUN and creatinine levels in the serum were 32 and 2.3 mg/dl, respectively. After receiving head computerized tomography, he developed oliguria and remained oliguric for 48 hr. During that period, the serum levels of BUN and creatinin were elevated to 112 and 7.5 mg/dl, respectively. Fortunately, both of these patients recovered from the oliguria without resorting to hemodialysis. The iodine contrast medium routinely used for contrast enhancement in the head computerized tomography was implicated in the acute renal failure of these patients. Only elevn cases have so far been reported in the literature who developed acute renal failure following computerized tomography. In view of the three or four times greater dosis of iodine contrast medium employed in computerized tomography compared to intravenous pyelography, the acute incidence of such complications might be much higher. Among the thirteen cases including the two reported here, as many as eight were diabetic. It is well recongnized that the incidence of acute renal failure after intravenous pyelography is particularly high in cases of diabetic nephropathy. (author)

  4. Application of computerized procedure system for AP1000

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wen Fang

    2012-01-01

    With the tendency of digitalisation in instrumentation and control system of nuclear power plants, AP1000, as well as other advanced PWRs, is provided with the technical basis for the application of CPS (computerized procedure system). This paper makes a brief introduction on CPS construction and function. CPS, as an advanced procedure system, does not only have the function of electronic indication for operation procedures, but also have the ability to monitor plant data, process the data and then present the status of the procedure steps to the reactor operator. In addition, advantages of CPS compared with paper-based procedures and comparison with digital operating system of one M310 plus advanced nuclear power plant are described. Moreover, based on current situation, this paper offers several suggestions on CPS localization for Sanmen AP1000 nuclear power project. Besides, the last part of this paper discusses problems we might meet during the process of CPS localization. (author)

  5. Computerized asset management and maintenance systems in ST

    CERN Document Server

    Sánchez-Corral, E

    1999-01-01

    The ST division manages and therefore maintains the CERN technical installations. A maintenance database application exists for every technical domain. A total of six different databases were built during the last 10 years and are based on the RAPIER maintenance program. As the Computerized Asset Management and Maintenance Systems (CAMMS) technology has evolved, the RAPIER system has become obsolete. Therefore we are forced to migrate to its latest version, MP5, before the year 2000. The migration path must be defined, leading from the current situation to a fully operational MP5 application. The major elements of each migration path consist in determining the functionality to use, defining the operation of it, adapting and/or creating procedures, converting data and providing training. A migration is always a process of change. The migration presents a unique opportunity to evaluate the current implementations, adapt them to the requirements and exploit the new features offered. Obsolete data and inconsisten...

  6. Computerized detection of mass lesions in digital mammograms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yin, F.F.; Giger, M.L.; Doi, K.; Metz, C.E.; Vyborny, C.J.; Schmidt, R.A.

    1989-01-01

    Early detection of breast cancer from the periodic screening of asymptomatic women could reduce breast cancer mortality by at least 40%. The authors are developing a computerized scheme for the detection of mass lesions in digital mammograms as an aid to radiologists in such high volume screening programs. Based on left-right architectural symmetry and gray-level histogram analysis, bilateral subtraction of left and right breast images is performed. False-positive detections included in bilateral-difference images are reduced with various images feature-extraction techniques. The database involves clinical film mammograms digitized by a TV camera and analyzed on a Micro-VAX workstation. Among five different bilateral subtraction techniques investigated, a nonlinear approach provided superior lesion enhancement. Feature-extraction techniques reduced substantially the remaining false-positives. Preliminary results, for 32 pairs of clinical mammograms, yielded a true-positive rate of approximately 95% with a false-positive rate of about 2 per image

  7. Nuclear Computerized Library for Assessing Reactor Reliability (NUCLARR)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gilbert, B.G.; Reece, W.J.; Gertman, D.I.; Gilmore, W.E.; Galyean, W.J.

    1990-12-01

    The Nuclear Computerized Library for Assessing Reactor Reliability (NUCLARR) is an automated data base management system for processing and storing human error probability and hardware component failure data. The NUCLARR system software resides on an IBM (or compatible) personal computer. NUCLARR can furnish the end user with data inputs for both human and hardware reliability analysis in support of a variety of risk assessment activities. The NUCLARR system is documented in a five-volume series of reports. Volume 5: Data Manual provides a hard-copy representation of all data and related information available within the NUCLARR system software. This document is organized in three sections. Part 1 is the summary description, which presents an overview of the NUCLARR system and data processing procedures. Part 2 contains all data and information relevant to the human error probability (HEP) data side of NUCLARR. Data and information for the hardware component failure data (HCFD) side are presented in Part 3. 7 refs

  8. Randomized controlled trial of computerized alcohol intervention for college students: role of class level.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strohman, Ashleigh Sweet; Braje, Sopagna Eap; Alhassoon, Omar M; Shuttleworth, Sylvie; Van Slyke, Jenna; Gandy, Sharareh

    2016-01-01

    Because of their ability to reach a much wider audience than face-to-face counseling or psychoeducation, computer-delivered interventions for risky or potentially problematic use have been increasing on college campuses. However, there are very few studies that examine who benefits most from such interventions. The purpose of this study was to determine if participation in Alcohol-Wise, a computerized intervention, is associated with changes in alcohol drinking behavior and its consequences, perceptions of college drinking norms, and expectancies. It was hypothesized that class level (i.e. freshman/sophomore versus junior/senior) would moderate the effectiveness of Alcohol-Wise. College students (n = 58) were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: (i) the computer-delivered intervention or (ii) wait-list control. Measures were completed at baseline and approximately 30-days later. At follow-up, freshman and sophomore students in the intervention group showed significant reduction in peak number of standard drinks and blood alcohol concentration, but the effect was not observed for juniors and seniors. The intervention group reported more accurate estimates of drinking norms at follow-up relative to controls. There were no significant changes over time in alcohol expectancies in either group. This study provides support for the potential usefulness of Alcohol-Wise intervention at reducing short-term drinking among underclassmen but not upperclassmen in a 4-year college setting. These findings suggest that computerized interventions may be more effective when provided early, but not later, in a student's college career.

  9. Work improvement by computerizing the process of shielding block production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, Dong Hyuk; Jeong, Do Hyeong; Kang, Dong Yoon; Jeon, Young Gung; Hwang, Jae Woong

    2013-01-01

    Introducing CR (Computed Radiography) system created a process of printing therapy irradiation images and converting the degree of enlargement. This is to increase job efficiency and contribute to work improvement using a computerized method with home grown software to simplify this process, work efficiency. Microsoft EXCEL (ver. 2007) and VISUAL BASIC (ver. 6.0) have been used to make the software. A window for each shield block was designed to enter patients' treatment information. Distances on the digital images were measured, the measured data were entered to the Excel program to calculate the degree of enlargement, and printouts were produced to manufacture shield blocks. By computerizing the existing method with this program, the degree of enlargement can easily be calculated and patients' treatment information can be entered into the printouts by using macro function. As a result, errors in calculation which may occur during the process of production or errors that the treatment information may be delivered wrongly can be reduced. In addition, with the simplification of the conversion process of the degree of enlargement, no copy machine was needed, which resulted in the reduction of use of paper. Works have been improved by computerizing the process of block production and applying it to practice which would simplify the existing method. This software can apply to and improve the actual conditions of each hospital in various ways using various features of EXCEL and VISUAL BASIC which has already been proven and used widely

  10. Work improvement by computerizing the process of shielding block production

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kang, Dong Hyuk; Jeong, Do Hyeong; Kang, Dong Yoon; Jeon, Young Gung; Hwang, Jae Woong [Proton Therapy Center, National Cancer Center, Goyang (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-09-15

    Introducing CR (Computed Radiography) system created a process of printing therapy irradiation images and converting the degree of enlargement. This is to increase job efficiency and contribute to work improvement using a computerized method with home grown software to simplify this process, work efficiency. Microsoft EXCEL (ver. 2007) and VISUAL BASIC (ver. 6.0) have been used to make the software. A window for each shield block was designed to enter patients' treatment information. Distances on the digital images were measured, the measured data were entered to the Excel program to calculate the degree of enlargement, and printouts were produced to manufacture shield blocks. By computerizing the existing method with this program, the degree of enlargement can easily be calculated and patients' treatment information can be entered into the printouts by using macro function. As a result, errors in calculation which may occur during the process of production or errors that the treatment information may be delivered wrongly can be reduced. In addition, with the simplification of the conversion process of the degree of enlargement, no copy machine was needed, which resulted in the reduction of use of paper. Works have been improved by computerizing the process of block production and applying it to practice which would simplify the existing method. This software can apply to and improve the actual conditions of each hospital in various ways using various features of EXCEL and VISUAL BASIC which has already been proven and used widely.

  11. Development of a computerized tomographic system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borges, J.C.; Santos, C.A.C.

    1986-01-01

    The Nuclear Instrumentation Laboratory at COPPE/UFRJ has been developing techniques for detection and applications of nuclear radiations. A lot of research work has been done and resulted in several M.Sc. and D.Sc. thesis, concerning subjects like neutrongraphy, gammagraphy, image reconstruction, special detectors, etc. Recent progress and multiple applications of the computerized tomography to medical and industrial non-destructive tests, pushed the Laboratory to a vast program in this field of research. In this paper, we report what has been done and the results obtained. (Author) [pt

  12. Computerized abdominal tomography in Wilson's disease

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tsuchikura, Keiko; Ogawa, Teruyuki; Nakajima, Akihisa; Ono, Yasuhiko

    1986-05-01

    Cranial and abdominal computerized tomography (CT) was performed in a 10-year-old boy with Wilson's disease complicated by liver cirrhosis. Abdominal CT showed diffuse high density areas over the whole part of the liver propably due to copper sediments, although there was no abnormal cranial CT findings. Decreased high density area of the liver was seen 60 days after the administration of D-penicillamine, suggesting the excretion of copper from the liver. Abdominal CT, as well as cranial CT, may be of help to diagnose Wilson's disease and evaluate therapeutic effects. (Namekawa, K.).

  13. Computerized tomographic findings in children with head trauma in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Objective: To describe the computerized tomographic findings in children with head trauma who presented at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria. Methods: It is a retrospective review of patients aged 0 – 15 years with suspected intracranial injury (ICI) following head trauma, who presented for CT ...

  14. Nuclear Computerized Library for Assessing Reactor Reliability (NUCLARR): Volume 1, Summary description

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gertman, D.I.; Gilmore, W.E.; Galyean, W.J.; Groh, M.R.; Gentillon, C.D.; Gilbert, B.G.

    1988-02-01

    A data management system has been implemented which supports a variety of risk-related analyses and provides a repository of hardware component failure and human error probability data to the risk analyst. The Nuclear Computerized Library for Assessing Reactor Reliability, NUCLARR, is an interactive, graphically oriented system which resides on a personal computer (PC) or PC-compatible environment. An overview of the data management system, including a description of data collection, specification, data structure, and taxonomies, is presented in Volume I of this report. Programming activities, procedures for processing data, user's guide, and hard copy data manual are presented in Volumes II through V

  15. Reliability of computerized safety systems at nuclear power plants. Report of a technical committee meeting held in Vienna, 21-25 June 1993

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-03-01

    Computer based technology is increasingly used in order to perform safety functions. In some recently designed nuclear power plants the whole safety system is computerized. In older plants replacement of conventional technology based system is seen to be of benefit. If the new technology is to be used, it must meet at least the same level of quality and reliability requirements as specified for conventional technology. However, there is a potential for enhancing the safety of nuclear power plants if the full power of computer technology is applied correctly through well designed, engineered and tested systems which are properly installed and maintained. It is essential that areas where reliability and quality can be improved are identified and that methods for assessing and assuring reliability are developed. The results of the Technical Committee Meeting on Reliability of Computerized Safety Systems at Nuclear Power Plants presented in this report are a step on the road to this goal of improved nuclear safety. Refs, figs and tabs

  16. Algorithms for Computerized Fetal Heart Rate Diagnosis with Direct Reporting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kazuo Maeda

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Aims: Since pattern classification of fetal heart rate (FHR was subjective and enlarged interobserver difference, objective FHR analysis was achieved with computerized FHR diagnosis. Methods: The computer algorithm was composed of an experts’ knowledge system, including FHR analysis and FHR score calculation, and also of an objective artificial neural network system with software. In addition, a FHR frequency spectrum was studied to detect ominous sinusoidal FHR and the loss of baseline variability related to fetal brain damage. The algorithms were installed in a central-computerized automatic FHR monitoring system, which gave the diagnosis rapidly and directly to the attending doctor. Results: Clinically perinatal mortality decreased significantly and no cerebral palsy developed after introduction of the centralized system. Conclusion: The automatic multichannel FHR monitoring system improved the monitoring, increased the objectivity of FHR diagnosis and promoted clinical results.

  17. Computerized tomography and its diagnostic value in the imaging of limbs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Myllylae, V.; Tervonen, O.; Paeivaensalo, M.; Jalovaara, P.; Merikanto, J.; Maekaeraeinen, H.; Oulu Univ.

    1987-01-01

    The application of computerized tomography in skeletal diagnostics has many advantages over plain film radiography. Its use as a supplementary technique in traumatology and oncology is strongly advised. (orig.) [de

  18. The School Building Principal and Inventory Control: A Case for Computerization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stronge, James

    1987-01-01

    General and special purpose database programs are appropriate for inventory control at the school building level. A fixed asset equipment inventory example illustrates the feasibility of computerized inventory control. (MLF)

  19. Review of trends in computerized systems for operator support

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cain, D.G.

    1985-01-01

    The major trends shaping the development of computerized operator support systems in nuclear power plants are reviewed. These trends are the result of prior research in disturbance analysis systems that provided the technology base, and the SPDS requirement, which has been the impetus for change. The process is expected to result in hybrid control rooms with computer-driven supervisory workstations that complement conventional control board lay-outs. In the next three to five year period substantial upgrading of computer hardware will allow new and more sophisticated applications routines to be developed for operator support. Greater attention is being given to on-line validation of input signals for computer applications. A general movement towards operating strategies that are not based upon pre-analyzed event sequences is expected to influence the development of operator aids. The integration of displays with operating procedures will enable the computer system to a better coupling between problem detection and its resolution. Improved design methodology will assure that computer applications are accepted and used by operations personnel. Greater on-line analysis capability is stimulating the trend towards more on-site analysis and decision-making at nuclear power plants. Software standardization reflects the high cost of software development and the desire by utilities to gain greater independence from suppliers. There is growing realization that control rooms are beset by many of the demands and limitations of other office settings and that some of these may be addressed by the burgeoning office automation technology. Trends beyond the next five years are difficult to predict; however, there will be a trend towards more intelligent software. Artificial intelligence technology may play a pivotal role in future applications. Taking these trends into perspective, the author concludes that a promising future exists for computerized operator support in nuclear

  20. A case of multiple intracranial tuberculoma followed by serial computerized tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kummer, R. von; Storch, B.; Krause, K.H.; Rauch, H.

    1981-01-01

    This is the case report of an Indian living in Europe who suffered from multiple cerebral tuberculomes in connexion with extrapulmonal tuberculosis. The retrogression of the inflammatory granulomes and the surrounding cerebral edema by treatment with tuberculostatics and Dexamethasone was observed by means of computerized tomography (CT) over a period of 8 months. The value of CT in the diagnosis and treatment of cerebral tuberculomes is discussed. The diagnosis of cerebral tuberculomes is difficult as neither the clinical picture nor additional neuroradiological tests ensure safe delimitation against other intracranial growths. In how far this situation has changed by the introduction of CT into diagnostics is discussed by the example of serial computerized tomography on a patient with multiple cerebral tuberculomes. (orig.) [de

  1. Study of the human encephalon morphology by computerized axial tomography in neurological diseases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Loynaz Fernandez, Clara Silvia; Milan Companioni, Daile; Gomez Padron, Ivo; Alvarez Leon, Oladys; Espinosa Quiros, Desiderio

    2001-01-01

    Since the middle of the last century, the study of the human encephalon morphology has been of great interest for the researchers. With the introduction of the computerized axial tomography in 1974, it was possible to expand the knowledge about this area and at the same time provide information on the structural lesions that are pathologies of great psychosocial repercussion like epilepsy and Parkinsonism. This paper used 90 tomographic studies on people aged 20-80 years. A series of linear measurements were made and statistically processed. The results showed variations in linear measurements among control, epileptic and Parkinsonian subjects

  2. Computerized transportation model for the NRC Physical Protection Project. Versions I and II

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anderson, G.M.

    1978-01-01

    Details on two versions of a computerized model for the transportation system of the NRC Physical Protection Project are presented. The Version I model permits scheduling of all types of transport units associated with a truck fleet, including truck trailers, truck tractors, escort vehicles and crews. A fixed-fleet itinerary construction process is used in which iterations on fleet size are required until the service requirements are satisfied. The Version II model adds an aircraft mode capability and provides for a more efficient non-fixed-fleet itinerary generation process. Test results using both versions are included

  3. A Computerized Version of the Scrambled Sentences Test

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roberto Viviani

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The scrambled sentences test (SST, an experimental procedure that involves participants writing down their cognitions, has been used to elicit individual differences in depressiveness and vulnerability to depression. We describe here a modification of the SST to adapt it to computerized administration, with a particular view of its use in large samples and functional neuroimaging applications. In a first study with the computerized version, we reproduce the preponderance of positive cognitions in the healthy and the inverse association of these cognitions with individual measures of depressiveness. We also report a tendency of self-referential cognitions to elicit higher positive cognition rates. In a second study, we describe the patterns of neural activations elicited by emotional and neutral sentences in a functional neuroimaging study, showing that it replicates and extends previous findings obtained with the original version of the SST. During the formation of emotional cognitions, ventral areas such as the ventral anterior cingulus and the supramarginal gyrus were relatively activated. This activation pattern speaks for the recruitment of mechanisms coordinating motivational and associative processes in the formation of value-based decisions.

  4. Use of computerized, 3-dimensional solids modeling and data base management to support radiation mapping and ALARA planning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schauss, R.D.; Slobodien, M.S.

    1986-01-01

    The RADiation Mapping and ALARA Planning System (RADMAPS) under development by GPU Nuclear Corporation in conjunction with Construction Systems Associates, Inc., integrates computerized solids modeling and data base management to provide an automated, integrated systems solution to the problems associated with acquiring, managing, and communicating plant radiological data at nuclear facilities. This presentation describes the status of the RADMAPS development and outlines plans for future expansion

  5. Use of a Computerized Tracking System to Monitor and Provide Feedback on Dietary Goals for Calorie-Restricted Diets: The POUNDS LOST Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anton, Stephen D.; LeBlanc, Eric; Allen, H. Raymond; Karabetian, Christy; Sacks, Frank; Bray, George; Williamson, Donald A.

    2012-01-01

    The use of self-monitoring as a tool to facilitate behavioral modification is common in many lifestyle-based weight loss interventions. Electronic tracking programs, including computer-based systems and smart phone applications, have been developed to allow individuals to self-monitor their behavior digitally. These programs offer an advantage over traditional self-report modalities in that they can provide users with direct feedback about dietary and/or physical activity adherence levels and thereby assist them in real-time decision making. This article describes the use of an Internet-based computerized tracking system (CTS) that was developed specifically for the POUNDS LOST study, a 2-year randomized controlled trial designed to test the efficacy of four macronutrient diets for weight and fat reduction in healthy, overweight men and women (body mass index range = 25.0–39.9 kg/m2). The CTS served many functions in this study, including data collection, dietary and exercise assessment and feedback, messaging system, and report generation. Across all groups, participants with high usage of the CTS during the initial 8 weeks lost greater amounts of weight than participants with low usage (8.7% versus 5.5% of initial body weight, respectively; p < .001) at week 32. Rates of CTS utilization were highest during the first year of this 2-year intervention, and utilization of the CTS declined steadily over time. The unique features of the CTS combined with technological developments, such as smart phone applications, offer significant potential to improve the user’s self-monitoring experience and adherence to health promotion programs designed specifically for individuals with obesity and type 2 diabetes. PMID:23063049

  6. Seize the data (Carpe data) : wave of computerized data capture technology sweeps drilling industry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mahoney, J.

    1999-02-01

    The computerization of all aspects of the monitoring and collection of well drilling information is discussed. Global Link International Inc. of Calgary, has developed a computerized system for tracking and recording drilling data. This operations recording database is named the Electronic Tour Book (ETB). It is similar to the Electronic Tour Sheet (ETS) developed by Chimo Equipment Ltd. of Alberta. Both Windows-based systems represent computerized reporting mechanisms for operators, producers, loggers and rig-managers. Another Alberta company, Ryan Energy Technologies Inc., has begun marketing the Tru Vu Fusion system of hardware and software, yet another system for gathering and recording drilling data. Tru Vu Fusion can capture data and display it in a format that everybody at the wellsite can use for decision making. Another drilling data management system, entitled INSITE (for Integrated System for Information Technology and Engineering) is marketed by Sperry-Sun Drilling Services. While INSITE is intended primarily for offshore drilling applications, it can be used onshore with equal success. 4 figs.

  7. INTEGRATION PECULIARITIES OF COMPUTERIZED MEANS OF EDUCATION INTO THE PROCESS OF TEACHER TRAINING AT PEDAGOGICAL COLLEGES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olga M. Naumenko

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Important problems of using the computerized means of education in the process of teacher training at pedagogical college are considered. On the basis of the analysis of the organisation of educational process in different pedagogical colleges, the general principles of construction of the educational module “Methodology of computerized means of education in educational process” are considered.

  8. Computerized tomography and conventional radiography: A comparison from the standpoint of X-ray physics and technology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pfeiler, M; Linke, G [Siemens A.G., Erlangen (Germany, F.R.). Unternehmensbereich Medizinische Technik

    1979-08-01

    After a short explantation of the technical foundations of computerized tomography (CT) from terms used in conventional X-ray technique and CT the differences (dose distribution, image character) and similarities (quantum noise, beam quality) of both methods are discussed. Finally possible methods of quantitative evaluation of CT images and computation of longitudinal layers from a series of computerized tomograms are described. (author).

  9. Influence of step complexity and presentation style on step performance of computerized emergency operating procedures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu Song [Department of Industrial Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Li Zhizhong [Department of Industrial Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)], E-mail: zzli@tsinghua.edu.cn; Song Fei; Luo Wei; Zhao Qianyi; Salvendy, Gavriel [Department of Industrial Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

    2009-02-15

    With the development of information technology, computerized emergency operating procedures (EOPs) are taking the place of paper-based ones. However, ergonomics issues of computerized EOPs have not been studied adequately since the industrial practice is quite limited yet. This study examined the influence of step complexity and presentation style of EOPs on step performance. A simulated computerized EOP system was developed in two presentation styles: Style A: one- and two-dimensional flowcharts combination; Style B: two-dimensional flowchart and success logic tree combination. Step complexity was quantified by a complexity measure model based on an entropy concept. Forty subjects participated in the experiment of EOP execution using the simulated system. The results of data analysis on the experiment data indicate that step complexity and presentation style could significantly influence step performance (both step error rate and operation time). Regression models were also developed. The regression analysis results imply that operation time of a step could be well predicted by step complexity while step error rate could only partly predicted by it. The result of a questionnaire investigation implies that step error rate was influenced not only by the operation task itself but also by other human factors. These findings may be useful for the design and assessment of computerized EOPs.

  10. Evaluation of the absorbed dose in odontological computerized tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Legnani, Adriano; Schelin, Hugo R.; Rocha, Anna Silvia P.S. da; Khoury, Helen J.

    2011-01-01

    This paper evaluated the absorbed dose at the surface entry known as 'cone beam computed tomography' (CBCT) in odontological computerized tomography. Examination were simulated with CBCT for measurements of dose. A phantom were filled with water, becoming scatter object of radiation. Thermoluminescent dosemeters were positioned on points correspondent to eyes and salivary glands

  11. Laboratory Computerization: The Case for a Prospective Analysis

    OpenAIRE

    Hurdle, John F.; Schwamm, Harry A.

    1982-01-01

    The argument is made that computerization of a laboratory should be preceeded by a thorough prospective analysis of laboratory operations. Points to be pondered include complementation of retrospective data, system cost justification, system performance justification, post-installation personnel adjustments, improved system utilization, improved manual performance, and insight into “how much” system to buy. A brief, general outline is offered describing how to approach such a study.

  12. Benefits of a relational database for computerized management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shepherd, W.W.

    1991-01-01

    This paper reports on a computerized relational database which is the basis for a hazardous materials information management system which is comprehensive, effective, flexible and efficient. The system includes product information for Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs), labels, shipping, and the environment and is used in Dowell Schlumberger (DS) operations worldwide for a number of programs including planning, training, emergency response and regulatory compliance

  13. Prognosis of the computerized tomography in the severe head injury

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garcia-Nieto, J.J.; Lorenzo Dominguez, M.T.; Martin Sanchez, M.J.; Sanchez Gonzalez, E.

    1991-01-01

    A prospective study is made with sixty five people affected of severe head injury, that is to say, with eight or less points in the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), when they get to the hospital. They are studied by computerized tomography at the income, but also, three and seven days after arriving. In this way, we appraise the type of the lesion the intensity and the possible effect-wass, considering in the last case, three features: a) ventricular collapse; b) the mean line structure s shift; c) perimesencefalic cisterns affectation. The findings of this study, are parametized and we were able to introduce them into a computer, getting. The relations between these findings ands the end-results. These last ones appraised throungh the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS). We could confirm, that certain findings in the computerized tomography have and unavoidable prognosis, where as others have a better prognosis. (Author)

  14. Computerized classification of suspicious regions in chest radiographs using subregion Hotelling observers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baydush, Alan H.; Catarious, David M. Jr.; Lo, Joseph Y.; Abbey, Craig K.; Floyd, Carey E. Jr.

    2001-01-01

    We propose to investigate the use of subregion Hotelling observers (SRHOs) in conjunction with perceptrons for the computerized classification of suspicious regions in chest radiographs for being nodules requiring follow up. Previously, 239 regions of interest (ROIs), each containing a suspicious lesion with proven classification, were collected. We chose to investigate the use of SRHOs as part of a multilayer classifier to determine the presence of a nodule. Each SRHO incorporates information about signal, background, and noise correlation for classification. For this study, 225 separate Hotelling observers were set up in a grid across each ROI. Each separate observer discriminates an 8 by 8 pixel area. A round robin sampling scheme was used to generate the 225 features, where each feature is the output of the individual observers. These features were then rank ordered by the magnitude of the weights of a perceptron. Once rank ordered, subsets of increasing number of features were selected to be used in another perceptron. This perceptron was trained to minimize mean squared error and the output was a continuous variable representing the likelihood of the region being a nodule. Performance was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and reported as the area under the curve (A Z ). The classifier was optimized by adding additional features until the A Z declined. The optimized subset of observers then were combined using a third perceptron. A subset of 80 features was selected which gave an A Z of 0.972. Additionally, at 98.6% sensitivity, the classifier had a specificity of 71.3% and increased the positive predictive value from 60.7% to 84.1%. Preliminary results suggest that using SRHOs in combination with perceptrons can provide a successful classification scheme for pulmonary nodules. This approach could be incorporated into a larger computer aided detection system for decreasing false positives

  15. Evaluation of a computerized system for mechanical ventilation of infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tehrani, Fleur T; Abbasi, Soraya

    2009-04-01

    To evaluate a computerized system for mechanical ventilation of infants. FLEX is a computerized system that includes the features of a patented mode known as adaptive-support ventilation (ASV). In addition, it has many other features including adjustment of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), fraction of inspired oxygen (F(IO2)), minute ventilation, and control of weaning. It is used as an open-loop decision support system or as a closed-loop technique. Blood gas and ventilation data were collected from 12 infants in the neonatal intensive care at baseline and at the next round of evaluation. This data were input to open-loop version of FLEX. The system recommendations were compared to clinical determinations. FLEX recommended values for ventilation were on the average within 25% and 16.5% of the measured values at baseline and at the next round of evaluation, respectively. For F(IO2) and PEEP, FLEX recommended values were in general agreement with the clinical settings. FLEX recommendations for weaning were the same as the clinical determinations 50% of the time at baseline and 55% of the time at the next round of evaluation. FLEX did not recommend weaning for infants with weak spontaneous breathing effort or those who showed signs of dyspnea. A computerized system for mechanical ventilation is evaluated for treatment of infants. The results of the study show that the system has good potential for use in neonatal ventilatory care. Further refinements can be made in the system for very low-birth-weight infants.

  16. Human Factors and Technical Considerations for a Computerized Operator Support System Prototype

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ulrich, Thomas Anthony [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Lew, Roger Thomas [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Medema, Heather Dawne [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Boring, Ronald Laurids [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Thomas, Kenneth David [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

    2015-09-01

    A prototype computerized operator support system (COSS) has been developed in order to demonstrate the concept and provide a test bed for further research. The prototype is based on four underlying elements consisting of a digital alarm system, computer-based procedures, PI&D system representations, and a recommender module for mitigation actions. At this point, the prototype simulates an interface to a sensor validation module and a fault diagnosis module. These two modules will be fully integrated in the next version of the prototype. The initial version of the prototype is now operational at the Idaho National Laboratory using the U.S. Department of Energy’s Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Human Systems Simulation Laboratory (HSSL). The HSSL is a full-scope, full-scale glass top simulator capable of simulating existing and future nuclear power plant main control rooms. The COSS is interfaced to the Generic Pressurized Water Reactor (gPWR) simulator with industry-typical control board layouts. The glass top panels display realistic images of the control boards that can be operated by touch gestures. A section of the simulated control board was dedicated to the COSS human-system interface (HSI), which resulted in a seamless integration of the COSS into the normal control room environment. A COSS demonstration scenario has been developed for the prototype involving the Chemical & Volume Control System (CVCS) of the PWR simulator. It involves a primary coolant leak outside of containment that would require tripping the reactor if not mitigated in a very short timeframe. The COSS prototype presents a series of operator screens that provide the needed information and soft controls to successfully mitigate the event.

  17. The new transnational payments law and global consumer trade : Online platforms as providers of private legal orders

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Janczuk, Agnieszka

    2015-01-01

    This article uses the example of one of the best-known global payment systems provided by an online platform, PayPal, to analyze the role of private legal orders in creating new markets beyond jurisdictional borders. It shows that a relatively uniform legal order reduces risks involved in

  18. Development and Validation of the Computerized Family Relations Test for Children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skoczń, Ilona; Cieciuch, Jan; Oud, Johan H L; Welzen, Kai

    2015-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to develop and investigate the psychometric properties of the Computerized Family Relations Test (CFRT) for children. This test assesses the quality of family relationships with the mother and father from a child's perspective. The CFRT consists of six scales relating to control (Restrictiveness and Justice), and support (Affection, Vulnerability, Acknowledgment, and Trust) within the family relationships. CFRT is an innovative approach to the Dutch Nijmegen Family Relations Test (NFRT) developed by Oud and Welzen (1989). The administration of the test has been computerized and graphical representations of female and male silhouettes were included to facilitate the child's parental identification. In total, 404 primary school children, aged 8 to 13 years (M = 11.0; SD = 1.17), took part in this study. The CFRT's reliability was assessed by McDonald's omega coefficients, and ranged from 0.71 to 0.86, except for Vulnerability which achieved the lowest reliability 0.57 for mothers' ratings and 0.56 for fathers' ratings. The test-retest procedure revealed higher stability for the ratings on father-child relationships of 0.71 compared to mother-child relationships of 0.67. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a six-factor model provided an adequate fit. Measurement invariance across the children's assessments of the quality of family relationships was achieved. The construct validity of CFRT was assessed by examining differences in the child's ratings of the relationships with the mother and father, the child's gender, and associations of CFRT scales with other variables such as depression, anxiety symptoms, and prosocial behavior.

  19. Computerized tomography in radiodiagnosis of pneumonia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Degtyareva, I.A.; Mamaev, V.V.; Savchenko, A.P.

    1989-01-01

    Experience in the use of computerized tomography (CT) in combined radiodiagnosis of pneumonia was analysed. It has been concluded that CT objectively reflects morphological inflammatory changes and permits their all-round assessment over time. The diagnosis of pneumonia in CT is based on classical x-ray symptoms. As compared to survery radiography CT reveals symptoms of pneumonia to the full at earlier stages. CT is an important additional method of investigation of inflammatory pulmonary diseases but it should not be used separately without survey radiography. In a majority of cases when CT is performed there is no need in x-ray tomography

  20. Computerized reactor power regulation with logarithmic controller

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gossanyi, A.; Vegh, E.

    1982-11-01

    A computerized reactor control system has been operating at a 5 MW WWR-SM research reactor in the Central Research Institute for Physics, Budapest, for some years. This paper describes the power controller used in the SPC operating mode of the system, which operates in a 5-decade wide power range with +-0.5% accuracy. The structure of the controller easily limits the minimal reactor period and produces a reactor transient with constant period if the power demand changes. (author)

  1. The importance of proper administration and interpretation of neuropsychological baseline and postconcussion computerized testing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moser, Rosemarie Scolaro; Schatz, Philip; Lichtenstein, Jonathan D

    2015-01-01

    Media coverage, litigation, and new legislation have resulted in a heightened awareness of the prevalence of sports concussion in both adult and youth athletes. Baseline and postconcussion testing is now commonly used for the assessment and management of sports-related concussion in schools and in youth sports leagues. With increased use of computerized neurocognitive sports concussion testing, there is a need for standards for proper administration and interpretation. To date, there has been a lack of standardized procedures by which assessments are administered. More specifically, individuals who are not properly trained often interpret test results, and their methods of interpretation vary considerably. The purpose of this article is to outline factors affecting the validity of test results, to provide examples of misuse and misinterpretation of test results, and to communicate the need to administer testing in the most effective and useful manner. An increase in the quality of test administration and application may serve to decrease the prevalence of invalid test results and increase the accuracy and utility of baseline test results if an athlete sustains a concussion. Standards for test use should model the American Psychological Association and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, as well as the recent findings of the joint position paper on computerized neuropsychological assessment devices.

  2. 45 CFR 310.40 - What requirements apply for accessing systems and records for monitoring Computerized Tribal IV-D...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false What requirements apply for accessing systems and records for monitoring Computerized Tribal IV-D Systems and Office Automation? 310.40 Section 310.40... COMPUTERIZED TRIBAL IV-D SYSTEMS AND OFFICE AUTOMATION Accountability and Monitoring Procedures for...

  3. Who is in charge? The impact of home-based computerized cognitive training on the Cognitive Training Alliance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wilms, Inge Linda

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: This case study observes and analyses how home-based computerized cognitive rehabilitation training impacts the relationship between the patient and home training assistants being either the spouse or paid care takers. The use of computerized cognitive training at home is fairly new...... to the emotional challenges of being a training assistant. A Cognitive Training Alliance model for a cognitive training alliance is proposed which takes into consideration the challenges of delegating training responsibility to computers and home-based assistants. Conclusion: It is important to understand how...... the use of computerized cognitive training in clinics or at home influences the training alliance to avoid or diminish frustration on the part of the patients and assistants....

  4. Design of aerosol face masks for children using computerized 3D face analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amirav, Israel; Luder, Anthony S; Halamish, Asaf; Raviv, Dan; Kimmel, Ron; Waisman, Dan; Newhouse, Michael T

    2014-08-01

    Aerosol masks were originally developed for adults and downsized for children. Overall fit to minimize dead space and a tight seal are problematic, because children's faces undergo rapid and marked topographic and internal anthropometric changes in their first few months/years of life. Facial three-dimensional (3D) anthropometric data were used to design an optimized pediatric mask. Children's faces (n=271, aged 1 month to 4 years) were scanned with 3D technology. Data for the distance from the bridge of the nose to the tip of the chin (H) and the width of the mouth opening (W) were used to categorize the scans into "small," "medium," and "large" "clusters." "Average" masks were developed from each cluster to provide an optimal seal with minimal dead space. The resulting computerized contour, W and H, were used to develop the SootherMask® that enables children, "suckling" on their own pacifier, to keep the mask on their face, mainly by means of subatmospheric pressure. The relatively wide and flexible rim of the mask accommodates variations in facial size within and between clusters. Unique pediatric face masks were developed based on anthropometric data obtained through computerized 3D face analysis. These masks follow facial contours and gently seal to the child's face, and thus may minimize aerosol leakage and dead space.

  5. Development of a computerized portal verification scheme for pelvic treatment fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nie, K.; Yin, F.-F.; Gao, Q.; Brasacchio, R.

    1996-01-01

    different scales. The result identified for pelvic brim from the initial larger searching range might not be desirable due to the influence of noises or very low contrast at the middle of the pelvic structure. Therefore, the feature identified from the initial snake operation was fit to a polynomial function to generate a new snake template as the second approximation of the pelvic bone. Finally a feature-weighted Chamfer matching method is applied to correlate anatomical features between reference and portal images in order to provide the quantitative assessment of patient setup. Results: The elliptic Fourier transformation method is shown to be an accurate and efficient method to verify the field setup. For a typical pelvic field edge, various shifts and rotations are simulated. A set of measures are then calculated for each shift or rotation and compared to those calculated from original field edge. This comparison demonstrated a 100% accuracy. The pyramid search using double-snake model has been tested with both clinical simulation and portal images. Results indicated that the deviation of the computer-identified pelvic brim from the actual one was within 2 mm. The curve fitting method was effective because of the strong noise form the background, such as the bladder and rectum marker in the simulation image. The technique has shown to be very promising for the extraction of pelvic features. Conclusions: A fully computerized portal verification scheme is being developed for the radiation therapy of pelvic fields. The preliminary results show that the techniques developed here are potentially useful for clinical applications

  6. Computerized x-ray radiographic system for fuel pellet measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Green, D.R.; Karnesky, R.A.; Bromley, C.

    1977-01-01

    The development and operation of a computerized system for determination of fuel pellet diameters from x-ray radiography is described. Actual fuel pellet diameter measurements made with the system are compared to micrometer measurements on the same pellets, and statistically evaluated. The advantages and limitations of the system are discussed, and recommendations are made for further development

  7. Wilderness Management... A Computerized System for Summarizing Permit Information

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gary H. Elsner

    1972-01-01

    Permits were first needed for visits to wilderness areas in California during summer 1971. A computerized system for analyzing these permits and summarizing information from them has been developed. It produces four types of summary tables: point-of-origin of visitors; daily variation in total number of persons present; variations in group size; and variations in...

  8. 45 CFR 310.35 - Under what circumstances would emergency FFP be available for Computerized Tribal IV-D Systems?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Under what circumstances would emergency FFP be... AND OFFICE AUTOMATION Funding for Computerized Tribal IV-D Systems and Office Automation § 310.35 Under what circumstances would emergency FFP be available for Computerized Tribal IV-D Systems? (a...

  9. Multidimensional Computerized Adaptive Testing for Indonesia Junior High School Biology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuo, Bor-Chen; Daud, Muslem; Yang, Chih-Wei

    2015-01-01

    This paper describes a curriculum-based multidimensional computerized adaptive test that was developed for Indonesia junior high school Biology. In adherence to the Indonesian curriculum of different Biology dimensions, 300 items was constructed, and then tested to 2238 students. A multidimensional random coefficients multinomial logit model was…

  10. Reliability of a Computerized Neurocognitive Test in Baseline Concussion Testing of High School Athletes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacDonald, James; Duerson, Drew

    2015-07-01

    Baseline assessments using computerized neurocognitive tests are frequently used in the management of sport-related concussions. Such testing is often done on an annual basis in a community setting. Reliability is a fundamental test characteristic that should be established for such tests. Our study examined the test-retest reliability of a computerized neurocognitive test in high school athletes over 1 year. Repeated measures design. Two American high schools. High school athletes (N = 117) participating in American football or soccer during the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 academic years. All study participants completed 2 baseline computerized neurocognitive tests taken 1 year apart at their respective schools. The test measures performance on 4 cognitive tasks: identification speed (Attention), detection speed (Processing Speed), one card learning accuracy (Learning), and one back speed (Working Memory). Reliability was assessed by measuring the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) between the repeated measures of the 4 cognitive tasks. Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients were calculated as a secondary outcome measure. The measure for identification speed performed best (ICC = 0.672; 95% confidence interval, 0.559-0.760) and the measure for one card learning accuracy performed worst (ICC = 0.401; 95% confidence interval, 0.237-0.542). All tests had marginal or low reliability. In a population of high school athletes, computerized neurocognitive testing performed in a community setting demonstrated low to marginal test-retest reliability on baseline assessments 1 year apart. Further investigation should focus on (1) improving the reliability of individual tasks tested, (2) controlling for external factors that might affect test performance, and (3) identifying the ideal time interval to repeat baseline testing in high school athletes. Computerized neurocognitive tests are used frequently in high school athletes, often within a model of baseline testing

  11. The Effectiveness of a 3D Computerized Tutorial to Enhance Learning of the Canine Larynx and Hyoid Apparatus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nemanic, Sarah; Mills, Serena; Viehdorfer, Matt; Clark, Terri; Bailey, Mike

    Teaching the anatomy of the canine larynx and hyoid apparatus is challenging because dissection disassembles and/or damages these structures, making it difficult to understand their three-dimensional (3D) anatomy and spatial interrelationships. This study assessed the effectiveness of an interactive, computerized 3D tutorial for teaching the anatomy of the canine larynx and hyoid apparatus using a randomized control design with students enrolled in the first-year professional program at Oregon State University College of Veterinary Medicine. All first-year students from 2 consecutive years were eligible. All students received the traditional methods of didactic teaching and dissection to learn the anatomy of the canine larynx and hyoid apparatus, after which they were divided into two statistically equal groups based on their cumulative anatomy test scores from the prior term. The tutorial group received an interactive, computerized tutorial developed by the investigators containing 3D images of the canine larynx and hyoid apparatus, while the control group received the same 3D images without the computerized tutorial. Both groups received the same post-learning assessment and survey. Sixty-three first-year students participated in the study, 28 in the tutorial group, and 35 in the control group. Post-learning assessment and survey scores were both significantly higher among students in the computerized tutorial group than those in the control group. This study demonstrates that a 3D computerized tutorial is more effective in teaching the anatomy of the canine hyoid apparatus and larynx than 3D images without a tutorial. Students likewise rated their learning experience higher when using the 3D computerized tutorial.

  12. Method of evaluation of diagnostics reference levels in computerized tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vega, Walter Flores

    1999-04-01

    Computerized tomography is a complex technique with several selectable exposition parameters delivering high doses to the patient. In this work it was developed a simple methodology to evaluate diagnostic reference levels in computerized tomography, using the concept of Multiple Scan Average Dose (MSAD), recently adopted by the Health Ministry. For evaluation of the MSAD, a dose distribution was obtained through a measured dose profile on the axial axis of a water phantom with thermoluminescence dosemeters, TLD-100, for different exam technique. The MSAD was evaluated hrough two distinct methods. First, it was evaluated by the integration of the dose profile of a single slice and, second, obtained by the integration on central slice of the profile of several slices. The latter is in of accordance with the ionization chamber method, suggesting to be the most practical method of dose evaluation to be applied in the diagnostic reference level assessment routine for CT, using TLDs. (author)

  13. Working Memory Training in Children with Mild Intellectual Disability, Through Designed Computerized Program

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mona Delavarian

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: The aim of this research is designing a computerized program, in game format, for working memory training in mild intellectual disabled children. Methods: 24 students participated as test and control groups. The auditory and visual-spatial WM were assessed by primary test, which included computerized Wechsler numerical forward and backward sub- tests, and secondary tests, which contained three parts: dual visual-spatial test, auditory test, and a one-syllable word recalling test. Results: The results showed significant differnces between working memory capacity in the intellectually disabled children and normal ones (P-value<0.00001. After using the computerized working memory training, Visual-spatial WM, auditory WM, and speaking were improved in the trained group. The mentioned four tests showed significant differences between pre-test and post-test. The trained group showed more improvements in forward tasks. The trained participant’s processing speed increased with training. Discussion: According to the results, comprehensive human-computer interfaces and the aplication of computer in children training, especially in traing of intellectual disabled children with impairements in visual and auditory perceptions, could be more effective and vaulable.

  14. A study on operators' cognitive response characteristics to the computerized working environment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Yong Hee; Lee, Jang Soo; Suh, Sang Moon; Lee, Hyun Cheol; Jung, Kwang Tae; Lee, Dhong Ha

    1998-12-01

    Although the introduction of computerized working environment to the nuclear facilities, the study on the human factors impacts of computers and automation has not been enough like the other industries. It is necessary to prepare the way to cope with the negative aspects in spite of many positive aspects of computerization in nuclear. This study is an empirical study including the survey of the human factor concerning, especially to the cognitive response of operators' and the experiments on the error proneness. At first, we survey the design and its changes of operator interface and interaction in nuclear power plants, and conclude five human factor issues. We discuss situation awareness issues as one of the major human factor concerning, and the assessment method. Secondly, a questionnaire and interviews survey to the operator's response characteristics are performed for possible criterion measures to the in-depth study on the cognitive characteristics. Finally, several experiments are conducted to test the error proneness. The issues and findings of this study could be utilized to any further study on the cognitive characteristic of operators to the computerized work environment.

  15. Computerized Design and Generation of Gear Drives With a Localized Bearing Contact and a Low Level of Transmission Errors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Litvin, F.; Chen, J.; Seol, I.; Kim, D.; Lu, J.; Zhao, X.; Handschuh, R.

    1996-01-01

    A general approach developed for the computerized simulation of loaded gear drives is presented. In this paper the methodology used to localize the bearing contact, provide a parabolic function of transmission errors, and simulate meshing and contact of unloaded gear drives is developed. The approach developed is applied to spur and helical gears, spiral bevel gears, face-gear drives, and worm-gear drives with cylindrical worms.

  16. Language networks associated with computerized semantic indices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pakhomov, Serguei V S; Jones, David T; Knopman, David S

    2015-01-01

    Tests of generative semantic verbal fluency are widely used to study organization and representation of concepts in the human brain. Previous studies demonstrated that clustering and switching behavior during verbal fluency tasks is supported by multiple brain mechanisms associated with semantic memory and executive control. Previous work relied on manual assessments of semantic relatedness between words and grouping of words into semantic clusters. We investigated a computational linguistic approach to measuring the strength of semantic relatedness between words based on latent semantic analysis of word co-occurrences in a subset of a large online encyclopedia. We computed semantic clustering indices and compared them to brain network connectivity measures obtained with task-free fMRI in a sample consisting of healthy participants and those differentially affected by cognitive impairment. We found that semantic clustering indices were associated with brain network connectivity in distinct areas including fronto-temporal, fronto-parietal and fusiform gyrus regions. This study shows that computerized semantic indices complement traditional assessments of verbal fluency to provide a more complete account of the relationship between brain and verbal behavior involved organization and retrieval of lexical information from memory. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Prediction of traumatic avascular necrosis of the femoral head by single photon emission computerized tomography and computerized tomography: an experimental study in dogs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    SHEN Feng

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available 【Abstract】 Objective: To evaluate the femoral head perfusion and to predict the traumatic avascular necrosis (AVN of the femoral head by single photon emission computerized tomography and computerized tomography (SPECT/CT. Methods: Totally 18 adult beagle dogs were divided randomly into three equal-sized (n=6 groups. Subsequently different degrees of ischemia model were developed by destroying blood vessels of the femoral head. The left hip received sham operation as normal control and the right hip underwent blood interruption. In Group A, the ligamentum teres was cut off. In Group B, the marrow cavity of the right femoral neck was destroyed while in Group C, the soft tissues at the base of the femoral neck were stripped in addition to the resection of the ligamentum teres and destruction of the marrow cavity. Three hours after surgery, SPECT/CT was performed. Laser Doppler Flowmetry (LDF measurements were also obtained at three different time points (before operation, immediately and three hours after operation in order to assess the change process of blood supply to the femoral head. Results: SPECT/CT showed no significant difference in the radionuclide uptake between the right and left femoral heads in Group A (t=-0.09, P=0.94 and Group B (t= 0.52, P=0.62. However, in Group C, it was 261±62 for the right femoral head, only 12% of that in the left femoral head. LDF measurements indicated that the femoral head perfusion was decreased from (45.0±3.3 PU to (39.1±3.7 PU in Group A, from (44.0±2.7 PU to (34.3±2.6 PU in Group B, and from (47.3±2.1 PU to (4.96±0.6 PU in Group C immediately after operation. However, the perfusion was restored and returned to normal values three hours after operation except in Group C. Conclusion: SPECT/CT could assess the perfusion of the femoral head semiquantitatively, which might be useful in predicting the development of traumatic AVN. Key words: Femur head necrosis; Femoral head; Tomography, emission

  18. Anatomic radiological study of transverse diameter of abdominal aorta by computerized tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ures, S.

    1984-01-01

    The transverse diameter of abdominal aorta by computerized tomography is studied. The purpose is establish the frequent standard diameters and then diagnose early pathologies, mainly aneurisms. (M.A.C.) [pt

  19. Human engineering considerations in designing a computerized controlled access security system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moore, J.W.; Banks, W.W.

    1988-01-01

    This paper describes a human engineering effort in the design of a major security system upgrade at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. This upgrade was to be accomplished by replacing obsolete and difficult-to-man (i.e., multiple operator task actions required) security equipment and systems with a new, automated, computer-based access control system. The initial task was to assist the electronic and mechanical engineering staff in designing a computerized security access system too functionally and ergonomically accommodate 100% of the Laboratory user population. The new computerized access system was intended to control entry into sensitive exclusion areas by requiring personnel to use an entry booth-based system and/or a remote access control panel system. The primary user interface with the system was through a control panel containing a magnetic card reader, function buttons, LCD display, and push-button keypad

  20. Warning systems in a computerized nursing process for Intensive Care Units

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniela Couto Carvalho Barra

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available A hybrid study combining technological production and methodological research aiming to establish associations between the data and information that are part of a Computerized Nursing Process according to the ICNP® Version 1.0, indicators of patient safety and quality of care. Based on the guidelines of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the American Association of Critical Care Nurses for the expansion of warning systems, five warning systems were developed: potential for iatrogenic pneumothorax, potential for care-related infections, potential for suture dehiscence in patients after abdominal or pelvic surgery, potential for loss of vascular access, and potential for endotracheal extubation. The warning systems are a continuous computerized resource of essential situations that promote patient safety and enable the construction of a way to stimulate clinical reasoning and support clinical decision making of nurses in intensive care.

  1. Computerized measures of finger tapping: effects of hand dominance, age, and sex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hubel, Kerry A; Reed, Bruce; Yund, E William; Herron, Timothy J; Woods, David L

    2013-06-01

    Computerized measures of digit tapping rate were obtained over 3 successive, 10-sec. periods in the right and left index fingers, from a community sample of 1,519 participants (ages 18 to 65 years; 607 men, 912 women). Differences between the dominant and non-dominant hands were found for tapping rate, movement initiation, and button down times, and the decline in tapping rate over the successive, 10-sec. periods. Declines were found in tapping rate in older participants in association with increased intertap variability. Men had higher tapping rates than women in all age ranges. The computerized finger tapping test is an efficient and precise measure of tapping speed and kinetics of potential utility in research and clinical studies of motor performance.

  2. Usability of computerized nursing process from the ICNP® in intensive care units

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniela Couto Carvalho Barra

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE To analyze the usability of Computerized Nursing Process (CNP from the ICNP® 1.0 in Intensive Care Units in accordance with the criteria established by the standards of the International Organization for Standardization and the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards of systems. METHOD This is a before-and-after semi-experimental quantitative study, with a sample of 34 participants (nurses, professors and systems programmers, carried out in three Intensive Care Units. RESULTS The evaluated criteria (use, content and interface showed that CNP has usability criteria, as it integrates a logical data structure, clinical assessment, diagnostics and nursing interventions. CONCLUSION The CNP is a source of information and knowledge that provide nurses with new ways of learning in intensive care, for it is a place that provides complete, comprehensive, and detailed content, supported by current and relevant data and scientific research information for Nursing practices.

  3. Computerized adaptive measurement of depression: A simulation study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mammen Oommen

    2004-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Efficient, accurate instruments for measuring depression are increasingly important in clinical practice. We developed a computerized adaptive version of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI. We examined its efficiency and its usefulness in identifying Major Depressive Episodes (MDE and in measuring depression severity. Methods Subjects were 744 participants in research studies in which each subject completed both the BDI and the SCID. In addition, 285 patients completed the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Results The adaptive BDI had an AUC as an indicator of a SCID diagnosis of MDE of 88%, equivalent to the full BDI. The adaptive BDI asked fewer questions than the full BDI (5.6 versus 21 items. The adaptive latent depression score correlated r = .92 with the BDI total score and the latent depression score correlated more highly with the Hamilton (r = .74 than the BDI total score did (r = .70. Conclusions Adaptive testing for depression may provide greatly increased efficiency without loss of accuracy in identifying MDE or in measuring depression severity.

  4. Positron transaxial emission tomograph with computerized image reconstruction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jatteau, Michel.

    1981-01-01

    This invention concerns a positron transaxial emission tomography apparatus with computerized image reconstruction, like those used in nuclear medicine for studying the metabolism of organs, in physiological examinations and as a diagnosis aid. The operation is based on the principle of the detection of photons emitted when the positrons are annihilated by impact with an electron. The appliance is mainly composed of: (a) - a set of gamma ray detectors distributed on a polygonal arrangement around the body area to be examined, (b) - circuits for amplifying the signals delivered by the gamma ray detectors, (c) - computers essentially comprising energy integration and discrimination circuits and provided at the output of the detectors for calculating and delivering, as from the amplified signals, information on the position and energy relative to each occurrence constituted by the detections of photons, (d) - time coincidence circuits for selecting by emission of detector validation signals, only those occurrences, among the ensemble of those detected, which effectively result from the annihilation of positrons inside the area examined, (e) - a data processing system [fr

  5. Computerization of the standard corsi block-tapping task affects its underlying cognitive concepts: a pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Claessen, Michiel H G; van der Ham, Ineke J M; van Zandvoort, Martine J E

    2015-01-01

    The tablet computer initiates an important step toward computerized administration of neuropsychological tests. Because of its lack of standardization, the Corsi Block-Tapping Task could benefit from advantages inherent to computerization. This task, which requires reproduction of a sequence of movements by tapping blocks as demonstrated by an examiner, is widely used as a representative of visuospatial attention and working memory. The aim was to validate a computerized version of the Corsi Task (e-Corsi) by comparing recall accuracy to that on the standard task. Forty university students (Mage = 22.9 years, SD = 2.7 years; 20 female) performed the standard Corsi Task and the e-Corsi on an iPad 3. Results showed higher accuracy in forward reproduction on the standard Corsi compared with the e-Corsi, whereas backward performance was comparable. These divergent performance patterns on the 2 versions (small-to-medium effect sizes) are explained as a result of motor priming and interference effects. This finding implies that computerization has serious consequences for the cognitive concepts that the Corsi Task is assumed to assess. Hence, whereas the e-Corsi was shown to be useful with respect to administration and registration, these findings also stress the need for reconsideration of the underlying theoretical concepts of this task.

  6. Analysis of errors during medical and computerized diagnostics of spherical lung neoplasms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pozmogov, A.I.; Petruk, D.A.

    1985-01-01

    Reasons for errors in medical and computerized diagnostics of spherical lung neoplasms are studied based on material of 212 case records and clinicoroentgenological data; it should promote improvement of their diagnostics

  7. A Comparison of Item Selection Procedures Using Different Ability Estimation Methods in Computerized Adaptive Testing Based on the Generalized Partial Credit Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, Tsung-Han

    2010-01-01

    Computerized adaptive testing (CAT) provides a highly efficient alternative to the paper-and-pencil test. By selecting items that match examinees' ability levels, CAT not only can shorten test length and administration time but it can also increase measurement precision and reduce measurement error. In CAT, maximum information (MI) is the most…

  8. Preoperative localization of parathyroid tumor by computerized tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kan, Seiji; Hiraishi, Koji; Nakamura, Shoichiro; Yamamoto, Schuzo; Odachi, Motoaki; Yamashita, Toshiyuki.

    1984-01-01

    Five patients of primary hyperparathyroidism with urolithiasis underwent CT-scanning for the preoperative localization of parathyroid tumor. The tumor was identified in all patients but one, who had a multiple adenomatous goiter. In this case, postoperative observation of the CT-scan revealed the parathyroid tumor. It appears that if the size of the parathyroid tumor is about 1cm in diameter, there is a high possibility of preoperative localization by computerized tomography. (author)

  9. Feasibility of a computerized intervention for offenders with substance use disorders: a research note.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaple, Michael; Sacks, Stanley; McKendrick, Karen; Marsch, Lisa A; Belenko, Steven; Leukefeld, Carl; Prendergast, Michael; French, Michael

    2014-01-01

    Despite evidence that treatment is effective in reducing recidivism among inmates with substance use problems, scarce resources mean that few of those in need of treatment actually receive it. Computerized substance abuse interventions could be used to expand access to treatment in prisons without placing an undue burden on resources. The major aim of the study was to compare treatment conditions in terms of their service utilization, skills acquisition, and treatment satisfaction. The study recruited men and women with substance use disorders from 10 prisons in 4 states. In an open label clinical trial, 494 subjects were randomly assigned either to the Experimental condition, a computerized drug treatment intervention, the Therapeutic Education System (TES; n  = 249), or to the Control condition, Standard Care ( n  = 245). Chi-square tests compared groups on categorical variables and independent samples t tests were used for interval level continuous variables. Initial evidence demonstrated: (1) comparable group rates of session attendance and high rates of TES module completion for experimental subjects; (2) comparable group gains in the development of coping skills; and (3) a more favorable view of TES than of Standard Care . Collectively, these results show that a computerized intervention, such as TES, can be implemented successfully in prison. Given the barriers to the delivery of substance abuse treatment typically encountered in correctional settings, computerized interventions have the potential to fill a significant treatment gap and are particularly well suited to inmates with mild to moderate substance use disorders who often are not treated.

  10. Computerized analysis of the 12-lead electrocardiogram to identify epicardial ventricular tachycardia exit sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yokokawa, Miki; Jung, Dae Yon; Joseph, Kim K; Hero, Alfred O; Morady, Fred; Bogun, Frank

    2014-11-01

    Twelve-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) criteria for epicardial ventricular tachycardia (VT) origins have been described. In patients with structural heart disease, the ability to predict an epicardial origin based on QRS morphology is limited and has been investigated only for limited regions in the heart. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a computerized algorithm is able to accurately differentiate epicardial vs endocardial origins of ventricular arrhythmias. Endocardial and epicardial pace-mapping were performed in 43 patients at 3277 sites. The 12-lead ECGs were digitized and analyzed using a mixture of gaussian model (MoG) to assess whether the algorithm was able to identify an epicardial vs endocardial origin of the paced rhythm. The MoG computerized algorithm was compared to algorithms published in prior reports. The computerized algorithm correctly differentiated epicardial vs endocardial pacing sites for 80% of the sites compared to an accuracy of 42% to 66% of other described criteria. The accuracy was higher in patients without structural heart disease than in those with structural heart disease (94% vs 80%, P = .0004) and for right bundle branch block (82%) compared to left bundle branch block morphologies (79%, P = .001). Validation studies showed the accuracy for VT exit sites to be 84%. A computerized algorithm was able to accurately differentiate the majority of epicardial vs endocardial pace-mapping sites. The algorithm is not region specific and performed best in patients without structural heart disease and with VTs having a right bundle branch block morphology. Copyright © 2014 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Computerization and skill bifurcation: the role of of task complexity in creating skill gains and losses

    OpenAIRE

    Ben-Ner, Avner; Urtasun Alonso, Ainhoa

    2013-01-01

    Does computerization increase or reduce the extent of skills that workers are required to have? Autor, Levy and Murnane (2003) show empirically that adoption of computer-based technologies (CBT) was greater in industries historically intensive in routine tasks, and that computerization increased complex problem-solving and communication activities and reduced routine cognitive and manual activities. We extend this argument and argue that the effects of CBT are neither universal nor uniform, b...

  12. Computerization of operation and maintenance for nuclear power plants. Working material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-01-01

    This report provides a resource for computerization of activities in plant operation and maintenance. Experience gained from design and implementation of various computer systems around the world is described. The material may be useful as a guide to modification and upgrading of existing plants as well as design and engineering of new plants. It should be particularly of interest to managers and engineers who are engaged in planning, bidding, specifying or designing computer systems for operation and maintenance applications. The technical document is the result of a series of advisory and consultant meetings held by the IAEA in Vienna in 1991 - 1994. The document was prepared with the participation of experts from Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Russia, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States. Refs, figs and tabs

  13. Computerized Memory Training Leads to Sustained Improvement in Visuospatial Short-Term Memory Skills in Children with Down Syndrome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bennett, Stephanie J.; Holmes, Joni; Buckley, Sue

    2013-01-01

    This study evaluated the impact of a computerized visuospatial memory training intervention on the memory and behavioral skills of children with Down syndrome. Teaching assistants were trained to support the delivery of a computerized intervention program to individual children over a 10-16 week period in school. Twenty-one children aged 7-12…

  14. Computerized tomography in diagnosis of cerebrocranial injury

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kornienko, V.N.; Vasin, N.Ya.; Kuz'menko, V.A.

    1987-01-01

    The method of computerized tomographical examination are presented. Th KT-characters of concussion of the brain, its contusion of different severity, compressions in case of traumatic intracranial hematomas, contusion injuries, brain edema and different aftereffects of cerebrocranial injury are given. On the basis of comparison of the data of clinical and KT examination the dynamics of intracranial traumatic injuries in the course of treatment is described. The problems of therapeutic and surgical tactics depending on the degree and form of intracranial structure injuries and the phase of clinical course of posttraumatic process are discussed

  15. Computerized coding system for life narratives to assess students' personality adaption

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    He, Q.; Veldkamp, B.P.; Westerhof, G.J.; Pechenizkiy, Mykola; Calders, Toon; Conati, Cristina; Ventura, Sebastian; Romero, Cristobal; Stamper, John

    2011-01-01

    The present study is a trial in developing an automatic computerized coding framework with text mining techniques to identify the characteristics of redemption and contamination in life narratives written by undergraduate students. In the initial stage of text classification, the keyword-based

  16. Development and trial operation of a site-wide computerized material accounting system at Kurchatov Institute

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roumiantsev, A.N.; Ostroumov, Y.A.; Yevstropov, A.V.

    1997-01-01

    Since August 1994 Kurchatov Institute in cooperation with several US Department of Energy Laboratories has been developing a site-wide computerized material accounting system for nuclear materials. In 1994 a prototype system was put into trial operation at two Kurchatov facilities. Evaluation of this prototype led to the development of a new computerized material accounting system named KI-MACS, which has been operational since 1996. This system is a site-wide local secure computer network with centralized database capable of dealing with strictly confidential data and performing near-real time accountancy. It utilizes a Microsoft Windows NT operating system with SQL Server and Visual Basic, and has a 'star'-like network architecture. KI-MACS is capable of dealing with materials in itemized and bulk form, and can perform statistical evaluations of measurements and material balance. KI-MACS is fully integrated with bar code equipment, electronic scales, gamma-ray spectrometers and an Active Well Coincidence Counter, thus providing almost on-line evaluation and utilization of results of measurements, item identification and accounting. At present KI-MACS is being used in Physical Inventory Taking at the Kurchatov Central Storage Facility, and by the end of 1997 will be installed at twelve Kurchatov nuclear facilities

  17. Development and trial operation of a site-wide computerized material accounting system at Kurchatov Institute

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roumiantsev, A.N.; Ostroumov, Y.A.; Yevstropov, A.V. [Kurchatov Institute RRC, Moscow (Russian Federation)] [and others

    1997-11-01

    Since August 1994 Kurchatov Institute in cooperation with several US Department of Energy Laboratories has been developing a site-wide computerized material accounting system for nuclear materials. In 1994 a prototype system was put into trial operation at two Kurchatov facilities. Evaluation of this prototype led to the development of a new computerized material accounting system named KI-MACS, which has been operational since 1996. This system is a site-wide local secure computer network with centralized database capable of dealing with strictly confidential data and performing near-real time accountancy. It utilizes a Microsoft Windows NT operating system with SQL Server and Visual Basic, and has a `star`-like network architecture. KI-MACS is capable of dealing with materials in itemized and bulk form, and can perform statistical evaluations of measurements and material balance. KI-MACS is fully integrated with bar code equipment, electronic scales, gamma-ray spectrometers and an Active Well Coincidence Counter, thus providing almost on-line evaluation and utilization of results of measurements, item identification and accounting. At present KI-MACS is being used in Physical Inventory Taking at the Kurchatov Central Storage Facility, and by the end of 1997 will be installed at twelve Kurchatov nuclear facilities.

  18. Computerized bioterrorism education and training for nurses on bioterrorism attack agents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nyamathi, Adeline M; Casillas, Adrian; King, Major L; Gresham, Louise; Pierce, Elaine; Farb, Daniel; Wiechmann, Carrie; Weichmann, Carrie

    2010-08-01

    Biological agents have the ability to cause large-scale mass casualties. For this reason, their likely use in future terrorist attacks is a concern for national security. Recent studies show that nurses are ill prepared to deal with agents used in biological warfare. Achieving a goal for bioterrorism preparedness is directly linked to comprehensive education and training that enables first-line responders such as nurses to diagnose infectious agents rapidly. The study evaluated participants' responses to biological agents using a computerized bioterrorism education and training program versus a standard bioterrorism education and training program. Both programs improved participants' ability to complete and solve case studies involving the identification of specific biological agents. Participants in the computerized bioterrorism education and training program were more likely to solve the cases critically without reliance on expert consultants. However, participants in the standard bioterrorism education and training program reduced the use of unnecessary diagnostic tests.

  19. Radiation exposure of the gonads in infant brain computerized tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berndt, L.; Rosenkranz, G.; Tellkamp, H.

    1988-01-01

    In 61 babies and infants the gonadal dose due to brain computerized tomography was determined over the symphysis by thermoluminescent dosimetry. The average radiation dose was 43 mGy corresponding with data reported. Shielding of the testes in infants is an additional burden and worth discussing because of the low absolute gonadal dose

  20. Computerized evaluation of flood impact

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gagnon, J.; Quach, T.T.; Marche, C.; Lessard, G.

    1998-01-01

    A computerized evaluation process for assessing the economic impacts of a potential dam failure is described. The DOMINO software, which was developed by Hydro-Quebec, takes into account flow data from dam break simulations of floods, the territory involved, plus the economic evaluations of the real estate and infrastructures affected. Some examples of software applications and impact evaluations are presented. The principal elements involved in estimating economic or other types of impacts induced by natural flooding or dam failure, are: (1) flow forecasting, (2) defining the contour of the involved territory, and (3) accounting for the various impacts identified in the affected zone. Owing to its wide range of functions and utilities, DOMINO has proven to be a very useful, user-friendly and portable decision-making tool. 5 refs., 6 tabs

  1. Evaluation of real-time clinical decision support systems for platelet and cryoprecipitate orders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collins, Ryan A; Triulzi, Darrell J; Waters, Jonathan H; Reddy, Vivek; Yazer, Mark H

    2014-01-01

    To evaluate cryoprecipitate and platelet ordering practices after the implementation of real-time clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) in a computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system. Uniform platelet and cryoprecipitate transfusion thresholds were implemented at 11 hospitals in a regional health care system with a common CPOE system. Over 6 months, a variety of information was collected on the ordering physicians and the number of alerts generated by the CDSSs when these products were ordered outside of the institutional guidelines. There were 1,889 orders for platelets and 152 orders for cryoprecipitate placed in 6 months. Of these, 1,102 (58.3%) platelet and 74 (48.7%) cryoprecipitate orders triggered an alert. The proportion of orders canceled after an alert was generated ranged from 13.5% to 17.9% for platelets and 0% to 50.0% for cryoprecipitate orders. CDSS alerts reduce, but do not eliminate, platelet and cryoprecipitate transfusions that do not meet institutional guidelines.

  2. Development and validation of the Computerized Family Relation Test (CFRT for children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ilona eSkoczeń

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to develop and investigate the psychometric properties of the Computerized Family Relations Test (CFRT for children. This test assesses the quality of family relationships with the mother and father from a child’s perspective. The CFRT consists of six scales relating to control (Restrictiveness and Justice, and support (Affection, Vulnerability, Acknowledgement, and Trust within the family relationships. CFRT is an innovative approach to the Dutch Nijmegen Family Relations Test (NFRT developed by Oud and Welzen (1989. The administration of the test has been computerized and graphical representations of female and male silhouettes were included to facilitate the child’s parental identification. In total, 404 primary school children, aged 8 to 13 years (M = 11.0; SD = 1.17, took part in this study. The CFRT’s reliability was assessed by McDonald’s omega coefficients, and ranged from .71 to .86, except for Vulnerability which achieved the lowest reliability.57 for mothers’ ratings and .56 for fathers’ ratings. The test-retest procedure revealed higher stability for the ratings on father-child relationships of .71 compared to mother-child relationships of .67. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a six-factor model provided an adequate fit. Measurement invariance across the children’s assessments of the quality of family relationships was achieved. The construct validity of CFRT was assessed by examining differences in the child’s ratings of the relationships with the mother and father, the child’s gender, and associations of CFRT scales with other variables such as depression, anxiety symptoms, and prosocial behavior.

  3. Computerized spirography and roentgenopneumopolygraphy in diagnosis of tracheobroncheal dyskinesia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gladkij, A.V.; Gul'ko, S.I.; Vyalyj, N.P.; Salivon, A.P.; Orlovskaya, I.I.

    1991-01-01

    The results of comprehensive examination of respiratory organs in 103 patients with hypotonic dyskinesia syndrome of trachea and large bronchi were presented. The comprehensive examination included computerized spirography and roentgenopneumopolygraphy with additional tests: exercise and drug. It was shown that the conducted comprehensive examination helped to receive an information about breathh physiology, to diagnose tracheobroncheal dyskinesia and to evaluate the degree of ventilation disorders

  4. A basic framework for the analysis of the human error potential due to the computerization in nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Y. H.

    1999-01-01

    Computerization and its vivid benefits expected in the nuclear power plant design cannot be realized without verifying the inherent safety problems. Human error aspect is also included in the verification issues. The verification spans from the perception of the changes in operation functions such as automation to the unfamiliar experience of operators due to the interface change. Therefore, a new framework for human error analysis might capture both the positive and the negative effect of the computerization. This paper suggest a basic framework for error identification through the review of the existing human error studies and the experience of computerizations in nuclear power plants

  5. COMPUTERIZATION OF EDUCATION AS A TOOL OF UNIVERSITY TEACHER’S BASIC FUNCTIONS SUPPORT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. V. Denysenko

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available The intensive process of education computerization confronts modern educators a number of economic, technical, social, psychological and educational problems that need to be solved. The use of computer technology in educational process opens enormous opportunities for the development of cognitive abilities – from sensory and perceptual to speech and mental forms. In broad dissemination and use of technical aids, optical and acoustic techniques, programmed education, cinema, television, computer, the modern scientists and researchers see one of the main factors to enhance education and upbringing level both at regular and higher education institutions. Unfortunately, the process of the organic combination of technical and pedagogical sciences in terms of theory and practice introducing computer (multimedia teaching aids is not as powerful as expected; and as it has been dictated by the needs of the modern society. The slow pace of computerization’s implementation of the learning process at high school has been caused by the reasons of different nature and scale. The main objective of the article is to highlight the problems of computer teaching aids using in teaching process at higher education institutions. The conducted analysis of studying computerization allowed us determining the impact and role in providing the university teacher’s basic functions. It has been established that the teacher is one of the management leading objects of educational and cognitive students’ activity and all its functions practically may have computer support.

  6. Detection of person misfit in computerized adaptive tests with polytomous items

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Krimpen-Stoop, Edith; Meijer, R.R.

    2000-01-01

    Item scores that do not fit an assumed item response theory model may cause the latent trait value to be estimated inaccurately. For computerized adaptive tests (CAT) with dichotomous items, several person-fit statistics for detecting nonfitting item score patterns have been proposed. Both for

  7. Evaluation of an ontology-based system for computerized cognitive rehabilitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alloni, Anna; Quaglini, Silvana; Panzarasa, Silvia; Sinforiani, Elena; Bernini, Sara

    2018-07-01

    This paper describes the results of a randomized clinical trial about the effectiveness of a computerized rehabilitation treatment on a sample of 31 patients affected by Parkinson disease. Computerized exercises were administered by the therapists to the intervention group (n = 17) through the CoRe tool, which automatically generates a big variety of exercises leveraging on a stimuli set (words, sounds and images) organized into a dedicated ontology. A battery of standard neuropsychological tests was performed for patients' assessment at baseline, after the treatment (that lasted 1 month), and after 6 months from the treatment stop. The control group underwent a sham intervention. Results show a statistically significant clinical benefit from computerized rehabilitation with respect to sham treatment. For the intervention group, response time and response accuracy were integrated into a weighted score that accounts also for the specific cognitive burden of each exercise. Differently from the control group, the majority of patients in the intervention group showed an improvement in that score, more marked in the first week of treatment, and which lasts for the entire treatment period, which could account both for a quick learning effect and for an improvement of cognitive conditions. Good usability of CoRe, already observed in previous studies, was confirmed by the present trial, where the percentage of protocol completion in the intervention group is very high (all but one patient are above 90%). The CoRe system showed to be effective to improve some cognitive abilities in patients with Parkinson disease. However, after the end of the training, the benefit is hardly maintained over time. These findings support the implementation of CoRe in the clinical routine and the continuation of the treatment after discharge through the use of a homecare version of the system. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Lessons learned from implementation of a computerized application for pending tests at hospital discharge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dalal, Anuj K; Poon, Eric G; Karson, Andrew S; Gandhi, Tejal K; Roy, Christopher L

    2011-01-01

    Patients are often discharged from the hospital before test results are finalized. Awareness of these results is poor and therefore an important patient safety concern. Few computerized systems have been deployed at care transitions to address this problem. We describe an attempt to implement a computerized application to help inpatient physicians manage these test results. We modified an ambulatory electronic medical record (EMR)-based results management application to track pending tests at hospital discharge (Hospitalist Results Manager, HRM). We trained inpatient physicians at 2 academic medical centers to track these tests using this application. We surveyed inpatient physicians regarding usage of and satisfaction with the application, barriers to use, and the characteristics of an ideal system to track pending tests at discharge. Of 29 survey respondents, 14 (48%) reported never using HRM, and 13 (45%) used it 1 to 2 times per week. A total of 23 (79%) reported barriers prohibiting use, including being inundated with clinically "irrelevant" results, not having sufficient time, and a lack of integration of post-discharge test result management into usual workflow. Twenty-one (72%) wanted to receive notification of abnormal and clinician-designated pending test results. Twenty-seven physicians (93%) agreed that an ideally designed computerized application would be valuable for managing pending tests at discharge. Although inpatient physicians would highly value a computerized application to manage pending tests at discharge, the characteristics of an ideal system are unclear and there are important barriers prohibiting adoption and optimal usage of such systems. We outline suggestions for future electronic systems to manage pending tests at discharge. Copyright © 2010 Society of Hospital Medicine.

  9. Muscle area and muscle density of osteoarthritis of the knee joint studied by computerized tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzuki, Nobuharu; Onosawa, Toshihiro; Shibata, Minoru; Yamashita, Izumi; Yoshimura, Shinichiro; Muraoka, Shunichi; Asano, Akira

    1985-01-01

    In order to investigate the etiology and pathology of osteoarthritis of the knee joints (OA), the areas and density of the muscle 10 cm above the knee were compared using computerized tomography (CT) in 26 knees from 19 normal persons, 30 knees from 17 patients with OA, and 14 knees from 7 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The areas of the quadriceps musculi of thigh were remarkably decreased and the areas of the flexor musculi were comparatively maintained in the patients with OA. Muscle density was markedly lowered in the musculi semimembranosus and biceps femoris long head. Fatty tissues were seen in the whole area of the venter on CT in some of the patients with OA. These findings are considered to be of major importance when studying the etiology of OA. (Namekawa, K.)

  10. 45 CFR 310.30 - Under what circumstances would FFP be suspended or disallowed in the costs of Computerized Tribal...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Under what circumstances would FFP be suspended or... SYSTEMS AND OFFICE AUTOMATION Funding for Computerized Tribal IV-D Systems and Office Automation § 310.30 Under what circumstances would FFP be suspended or disallowed in the costs of Computerized Tribal IV-D...

  11. Clinical evaluation of a computerized topography software method for fitting rigid gas permeable contact lenses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szczotka, L B; Capretta, D M; Lass, J H

    1994-10-01

    Computerized videokeratoscope software programs now have the ability to assist in the design of rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses and simulate fluorescein patterns. We evaluated the performance of Computed Anatomy's Topographic Modeling System (TMS-1) and its Contact Lens Fitting Program (version 1.41) in fitting RGP lenses in 31 subjects. Computerized topographic analysis, balanced manifest refraction, slit lamp examination, and keratometry were performed. Initial lens parameters were ordered according to manufacturer's programmed recommendations for base curve, power, lens diameter, optic zone diameter, and edge lift. Final lens parameters were based on clinical performance. Lenses were recorded for base curve changes of 0.1 mm or more, power alterations of +/- 0.50 D or more, or for any alteration in diameter/optic zone. Twenty-seven patients were analyzed for all five recommended parameters. Thirteen of 27 patients (48%) required no parameter changes. Nine of 27 patients (33%) required one parameter change, four of 27 patients (15%) required two parameter changes, and one patient (4%) needed three parameters altered. The most prevalent change was a power alteration, required in nine of 27 patients (33%); however, comparisons of all initial to final parameters showed no statistically significant differences. Comparison of initial base curves to that which would have been chosen via standard keratometry also showed no significant difference. This study found the TMS-1 default lens recommendations to be clinically unacceptable. This system, however, could be an alternative method of initial lens selection if used to titrate a fit or if software enhancements are incorporated to account for lens movement and flexure.

  12. Computerized accident management support system: development for severe accident management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garcia, V.; Saiz, J.; Gomez, C.

    1998-01-01

    The activities involved in the international Halden Reactor Project (HRP), sponsored by the OECD, include the development of a Computerized Accident Management Support System (CAMS). The system was initially designed for its operation under normal conditions, operational transients and non severe accidents. Its purpose is to detect the plant status, analyzing the future evolution of the sequence (initially using the APROS simulation code) and the possible recovery and mitigation actions in case of an accident occurs. In order to widen the scope of CAMS to severe accident management issues, the integration of the MAAP code in the system has been proposed, as the contribution of the Spanish Electrical Sector to the project (with the coordination of DTN). To include this new capacity in CAMS is necessary to modify the system structure, including two new modules (Diagnosis and Adjustment). These modules are being developed currently for Pressurized Water Reactors and Boiling Water REactors, by the engineering of UNION FENOSA and IBERDROLA companies (respectively). This motion presents the characteristics of the new structure of the CAMS, as well as the general characteristics of the modules, developed by these companies in the framework of the Halden Reactor Project. (Author)

  13. Development of computerized risk management tool

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kil Yoo Kim; Mee Jung Hwang; Seung Cheol Jang; Sang Hoon Han; Tae Woon Kim

    1997-01-01

    The author describes the kinds of efforts for the development of computerized risk management tool; (1) development of a risk monitor, Risk Monster, (2) improvement of McFarm (Missing Cutsets Finding Algorithm for Risk Monitor) and finally (3) development of reliability database management system, KwDBMan. Risk Monster supports for plant operators and maintenance schedulers to monitor plant risk and to avoid high peak risk by rearranging maintenance work schedule. Improved McFarm significantly improved calculation speed of Risk Monster for the cases of supporting system OOS (Out Of Service). KwDBMan manages event data, generic data and CCF (Common Cause Failure) data to support Risk Monster as well as PSA tool, KIRAP (KAERI Integrated Reliability Analysis Package)

  14. Computerized accountability program is operating - DYMCAS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Combs, S.W.; Mee, W.T.

    1983-01-01

    The nuclear materials control and accountability program in the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant has been placed on a computerized system identified as DYMCAS (Dynamic Special Nuclear Materials Control and Accountability System). The primary gola of the DYMCAS is to assist in detecting the diversion of special nuclear material (SNM). Secondly, the system is expected to assure quality inventory reconciliations both under normal and emergency situations. The system has been installed and was placed on active status in April 1982. Since that time numerous problems have surfaced and been resolved; i.e., delays of input, hardware breakdown, and misunderstandings of needs. An explanation of these problems, including examples and alterations that have made the system workable, are presented

  15. The Inter-Disciplinary Impact of Computerized Application of Spatial Visualization on Motor and Concentration Skills

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Esther Zaretsky

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available The present inter-disciplinary research is aimed at investigating the impact of computerized application of spatial visualization on motor and concentration skills. An experiment composed of experimental and control groups for checking the central hypothesis among subjects of the same age group was carried out by physical education MA students. Virtual simulations offer MA students and teachers the unique opportunity to observe and manipulate normally inaccessible objects, variables and processes in real time. The research design focused on a qualitative research comparing the pupils' percents of success in spatial visualization and motor skills between pre- and post- training. The findings showed that just as the students realized the experimental group pupils' achievements, the computer's inter-disciplinary impact on motor performance and concentration skills became clear to the MA students. The virtual computerized training based on spatial visualization mostly contributed to the inter-disciplinary research, physical education and communication. All the findings lead to the conclusion that computerized application of spatial visualization seem to mediate between virtual reality and developing motor skills in real time involving penalty kick, basketball, jumping, etc.

  16. Using mobile and web-based computerized tests to evaluate university students

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Romero, C.; Ventura, S.; De Bra, P.M.E.

    2009-01-01

    Mobile learning and testing is emerging as a potential educational environment. In this article we evaluate the use of mobile devices for testing as compared to web-based assessment systems. We also describe an authoring tool to develop adaptable and adaptive computerized tests that can be executed

  17. Serial assessment of doxorubicin cardiomyopathy with the computerized scintillation probe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Strashun, A.; Goldsmith, S.J.; Horowitz, S.F.

    1982-01-01

    Cardiac function was serially monitored in 55 patients receiving adriamycin chemotherapy over 18 months with quantitative radionuclide assessment by both a nonimaging computerized scintillation probe and gamma camera-computer imaging. Interval ejection fraction change was comparable with both techniques and predicted incipient cardiotoxicity. Probe data revealed ejection fraction decline was antedated by decline left ventricular emptying and filling rates

  18. Computerized test versus personal interview as admission methods for graduate nursing studies: A retrospective cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hazut, Koren; Romem, Pnina; Malkin, Smadar; Livshiz-Riven, Ilana

    2016-12-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare the predictive validity, economic efficiency, and faculty staff satisfaction of a computerized test versus a personal interview as admission methods for graduate nursing studies. A mixed method study was designed, including cross-sectional and retrospective cohorts, interviews, and cost analysis. One hundred and thirty-four students in the Master of Nursing program participated. The success of students in required core courses was similar in both admission method groups. The personal interview method was found to be a significant predictor of success, with cognitive variables the only significant contributors to the model. Higher satisfaction levels were reported with the computerized test compared with the personal interview method. The cost of the personal interview method, in annual hourly work, was 2.28 times higher than the computerized test. These findings may promote discussion regarding the cost benefit of the personal interview as an admission method for advanced academic studies in healthcare professions. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  19. Computerized Neuropsychological Assessment Devices: Joint Position Paper of the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology and the National Academy of Neuropsychology†

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bauer, Russell M.; Iverson, Grant L.; Cernich, Alison N.; Binder, Laurence M.; Ruff, Ronald M.; Naugle, Richard I.

    2012-01-01

    This joint position paper of the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology and the National Academy of Neuropsychology sets forth our position on appropriate standards and conventions for computerized neuropsychological assessment devices (CNADs). In this paper, we first define CNADs and distinguish them from examiner-administered neuropsychological instruments. We then set forth position statements on eight key issues relevant to the development and use of CNADs in the healthcare setting. These statements address (a) device marketing and performance claims made by developers of CNADs; (b) issues involved in appropriate end-users for administration and interpretation of CNADs; (c) technical (hardware/software/firmware) issues; (d) privacy, data security, identity verification, and testing environment; (e) psychometric development issues, especially reliability, and validity; (f) cultural, experiential, and disability factors affecting examinee interaction with CNADs; (g) use of computerized testing and reporting services; and (h) the need for checks on response validity and effort in the CNAD environment. This paper is intended to provide guidance for test developers and users of CNADs that will promote accurate and appropriate use of computerized tests in a way that maximizes clinical utility and minimizes risks of misuse. The positions taken in this paper are put forth with an eye toward balancing the need to make validated CNADs accessible to otherwise underserved patients with the need to ensure that such tests are developed and utilized competently, appropriately, and with due concern for patient welfare and quality of care. PMID:22382386

  20. Ultrasonic and computerized tomographic semiotics of cholelithiasis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kishkovskij, A.N.; Kuznetsov, S.V.; Fadeev, V.D.

    1986-01-01

    Altogether 447 patients with suspected cholelithiasis were examined by means of routine X-ray methods, ultrasound (US) and computerized tomography (CT).Of them in 104 (23.3%) chole- and/or choledocholithiasis were later confirmed. An US and CT-picture of the biliferous tracts in health were described.In cholelithiasis during US examination echogenic concrements producing a stable acoustic shadow were defined in the gall bladder cavity and/or in the biliferous ducts. A study was made of the features of the US picture with relation to size, quantity, echodensity and grouping of concrements in the biliferous ducts. CT-symptomatology of cholelithiasis was described