Intelligent fault diagnosis expert system for multi-parameter monitor based on fault tree / 生物医学工程学杂志

Aiming at the dilemma of expensive and difficult maintenance, lack of technical data and insufficient maintenance force for modern medical equipment, an intelligent fault diagnosis expert system of multi-parameter monitor based on fault tree was proposed in this study. Firstly, the fault tree of multi-parameter monitor was established and analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively, then based on the analysis results of fault tree, the expert system knowledge base and inference engine were constructed and the overall framework of the system was determined, finally the intelligent fault diagnosis expert system for multi-parameter monitor was developed by using the page hypertext preprocessor (PHP) language, with an accuracy rate of 80% in fault diagnosis. The results showed that technology fusion on the basis of fault tree and expert system can effectively realize intelligent fault diagnosis of multi-parameter monitors and provide troubleshooting suggestions, which can not only provide experience accumulation for fault diagnosis of multi-parameter monitors, but also provide a new idea and technical support for fault diagnosis of medical equipment.

A technique to design the framework of removable partial denture by multi-stage expert system / 华西口腔医学杂志

This study aims to apply a new expert system to design removable partial denture (RPD) framework. The RPD design is completed in three steps, namely, "selecting missing teeth", "selecting abutment condition", and "selecting personalized clasp". The system can help auxiliary dentists develop personalized treatment plans to reduce their clinical workload. It can also generate a dental preparation guideline for clinical preparation, which can prevent tooth preparation mistakes. By generating the standard electronic drawings of the framework design, the system can reduce the inconvenience caused by manual drawing, thereby facilitating dentist-technician communication and reducing the rate of remade.

Progress in Automated Urinalysis

New technological advances have paved the way for significant progress in automated urinalysis. Quantitative reading of urinary test strips using reflectometry has become possible, while complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology has enhanced analytical sensitivity and shown promise in microalbuminuria testing. Microscopy-based urine particle analysis has greatly progressed over the past decades, enabling high throughput in clinical laboratories. Urinary flow cytometry is an alternative for automated microscopy, and more thorough analysis of flow cytometric data has enabled rapid differentiation of urinary microorganisms. Integration of dilution parameters (e.g., creatinine, specific gravity, and conductivity) in urine test strip readers and urine particle flow cytometers enables correction for urinary dilution, which improves result interpretation. Automated urinalysis can be used for urinary tract screening and for diagnosing and monitoring a broad variety of nephrological and urological conditions; newer applications show promising results for early detection of urothelial cancer. Concomitantly, the introduction of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has enabled fast identification of urinary pathogens. Automation and workflow simplification have led to mechanical integration of test strip readers and particle analysis in urinalysis. As the information obtained by urinalysis is complex, the introduction of expert systems may further reduce analytical errors and improve the quality of sediment and test strip analysis. With the introduction of laboratory-on-a-chip approaches and the use of microfluidics, new affordable applications for quantitative urinalysis and readout on cell phones may become available. In this review, we present the main recent developments in automated urinalysis and future perspectives.

A computer-aided diagnostic system for kidney disease

BACKGROUND: Disease diagnosis is complicated since patients may demonstrate similar symptoms but physician may diagnose different diseases. There are a few number of investigations aimed to create a fuzzy expert system, as a computer aided system for disease diagnosis. METHODS: In this research, a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in a kidney clinic in Tehran, Iran in 2012. Medical diagnosis fuzzy rules applied, and a set of symptoms related to the set of considered diseases defined. The input case to be diagnosed defined by assigning a fuzzy value to each symptom and then three physicians asked about each suspected diseases. Then comments of those three physicians summarized for each disease. The fuzzy inference applied to obtain a decision fuzzy set for each disease, and crisp decision values attained to determine the certainty of existence for each disease. RESULTS: Results indicated that, in the diagnosis of seven cases of kidney disease by examining 21 indicators using fuzzy expert system, kidney stone disease with 63% certainty was the most probable, renal tubular was at the lowest level with 15%, and other kidney diseases were at the other levels. The most remarkable finding of this study was that results of kidney disease diagnosis (e.g., kidney stone) via fuzzy expert system were fully compatible with those of kidney physicians. CONCLUSION: The proposed fuzzy expert system is a valid, reliable, and flexible instrument to diagnose several typical input cases. The developed system decreases the effort of initial physical checking and manual feeding of input symptoms.

Uso da inteligência articial como armamento no diagnóstico e condução clínica da estenose de canal lombar / Use of Articial Intelligence in Diagnosis and Clinical Conduct of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

A estenose do canal vertebral lombar (ECL) é uma patologia complexa, com alta incidência entre pessoas acima de 65 anos de idade. No entanto, o diagnóstico correto é, por vezes, difícil de ser confirmado. O uso de modelos de Inteligência Articial (IA) na medicina é, em geral, desconhecida para a maioria da comunidade médica, mas tem sido usada há décadas na assistência em UTI, os métodos de imagem e dispositivos de diagnóstico eletrônico (ECG). Através de uma revisão sistemática da literatura, com foco nos achados clínicos e radiológicos, juntamente com todas as modalidades de tratamento, foi possível identicar o ambiente completo de pacientes LSS, para responder a quatro questões: (a) "Com base no quadro clínico, o paciente tem um, cenário moderado ou grave?"; (b) "Com base nos dados radiológicos, o paciente pode ser classicado com um cenário leve,moderada ou grave?"; (c) "Qual é a probabilidade, com base na anamnese, do paciente ter ECL?"; (d) "Qual é o melhor tratamento a ser oferecido?".þ. Como auxílio de um software usando Sistema Especialista (Expert Sinta), uma linguagem de IA, alocamos todas as variáveis e seus valores para orientar o software responder às quatro perguntas. Foi possível identicar 657 artigos cientícos, no entanto apenas 63 poderia mencionar não apenas as variáveis, mas a sua probabilidade de ocorrência ou teve disponibilidade texto completo. Foi possível classicar a intensidade do quadro clínico e radiológico, criar um índice de probabilidade para LSS e oferecer o melhor tratamento. Recomendamos o uso, sob supervisão médica, em de Neurocirurgia ou clínicas ortopédicas como um conselheiro para os pacientes com ELA.

The lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a complex pathology with high incidence among people above 65 years old. However, the correct diagnose is sometimes difcult to perform. The use of Articial Intelligence (AI) models in medicine is, in general, unfamiliar for the majority of medical community, but has been used for decades in assistance in ICUs, image methods and electronic diagnostic devices (EKG). Through a systematic literature review focused in the clinical and radiological ndings, in addition to all treatmentmodalities, we identied the complete environment of LSS patients, to answer four questions. (a) "Based on the clinical presentation, the patient has a mild, moderate or severe scenario?", (b) "Based on the radiological data, the patient can be classied having a mild, moderate or severe scenario?", (c) "What is the probability, based on the anamneses, the patient has LSS?", and (d) "What is the best treatment to be offered?".With the aid of a software using Expert System (Expert Sinta), a language of AI, we allocate all the variables and their values to orient the software to answer the four questions. It was possible to identify 657 scientic articles, however only 63 could mention not only the variables, but their occurrence probability or had full text availability. It was possible to classify the intensity the clinical and radiological scenario, create a probability index for LSS and offer the best treatment. We recommend the use, under medical supervision, in neurosurgery or orthopedic clinics as an adviser for patients with LSS.

Uma ferramenta baseada em computação evolutiva para o apoio ao diagnóstico da cardiopatia isquêmica / Una herramienta basada en la computación evolutiva para apoyar el diagnóstico de la cardiopatía isquémica / A based on evolutionary computation tool to support the diagnosis of heart disease

Objetivo: O trabalho em questão vem apresentar a proposta de uma ferramenta desenvolvida com técnicas de computação evolutiva e reconhecimento baseado em casos para auxílio no diagnóstico da cardiopatia isquêmica. Método: Análises bibliográficas e aplicação combinada das técnicas de Algoritmos Genéticos (AG?s) e reconhecimento baseado em casos (RBC?s) e derivações da função de distância euclidiana Resultado: Os testes realizados na ferramenta mostraram que esta possui grande grau de acertos em suas indicações de diagnóstico, chegando a 97,01% de acertos nas etapas de treinamento com acurácia, especificidade e sensibilidades superiores a 92%. Conclusão: A escolha das tecnologias citadas bem como dos métodos aplicados para evolução do algoritmo dentro das técnicas de AG, proporcionaram a ferramenta grande capacidade de decisão levando-a grandes taxas de acertos em sua indicação diagnóstica.

Objective: The work in question is presenting the proposal of a tool developed with evolutionary computation techniques and recognition based on cases to aid in the diagnosis of ischemic heart disease. Method: literature analysis and the combined use of techniques of Genetic Algorithms ( GAs ) and recognition based on cases (RBC ?s) and derivations of the function of Euclidean distance. Result: The tests performed on the tool showed that it has high degree of accuracy for their diagnostic indications, reaching 97.01 % accuracy in the training stages with accuracy, specificity and sensitivity higher than 92 %. Conclusion: The choice of technologies cited as well as the methods used for the evolution of the algorithm within the AG techniques, provided a great capacity for decision - taking tool to major hit ratios in the diagnostic statement.

Objetivo: La obra en cuestión es la presentación de la propuesta de una herramienta desarrollada con técnicas de computación evolutiva y el reconocimiento basado en casos para ayudar en el diagnóstico de la cardiopatía isquémica. Método: análisis de la literatura y el uso combinado de técnicas de algoritmos genéticos ( GAs ) y reconocimiento basado en casos ( RBC ) y derivaciones de la función de distancia euclídea. Resultado: Las pruebas realizadas en la herramienta demostró que tiene alto grado de respuestas correctas en sus indicaciones diagnósticas, alcanzando una precisión 97,01 % en las etapas de formación con precisión, especificidad y sensibilidad superior al 92 %. Conclusión: La elección de las tecnologías citadas, así como los métodos utilizados para la evolución del algoritmo dentro de las técnicas de AG, a condición de una gran capacidad para la toma de decisiones herramienta para los cocientes de ataque en el estado de diagnóstico.

Development of expert diagnostic system for common respiratory diseases / 浙江大学学报·医学版

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To develop an internet-based expert diagnostic system for common respiratory diseases.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>SaaS system was used to build architecture; pattern of forward reasoning was applied for inference engine design; ASP.NET with C# from the tool pack of Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 was used for website-interview medical expert system.The database of the system was constructed with Microsoft SQL Server 2005.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The developed expert system contained large data memory and high efficient function of data interview and data analysis for diagnosis of various diseases.The users were able to perform this system to obtain diagnosis for common respiratory diseases via internet.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The developed expert system may be used for internet-based diagnosis of various respiratory diseases,particularly in telemedicine setting.</p>

Healthcare Decision Support System for Administration of Chronic Diseases / 대한의료정보학회지

OBJECTIVES: A healthcare decision-making support model and rule management system is proposed based on a personalized rule-based intelligent concept, to effectively manage chronic diseases. METHODS: A Web service was built using a standard message transfer protocol for interoperability of personal health records among healthcare institutions. An intelligent decision service is provided that analyzes data using a service-oriented healthcare rule inference function and machine-learning platform; the rules are extensively compiled by physicians through a developmental user interface that enables knowledge base construction, modification, and integration. Further, screening results are visualized for the self-intuitive understanding of personal health status by patients. RESULTS: A recommendation message is output through the Web service by receiving patient information from the hospital information recording system and object attribute values as input factors. The proposed system can verify patient behavior by acting as an intellectualized backbone of chronic diseases management; further, it supports self-management and scheduling of screening. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic patients can continuously receive active recommendations related to their healthcare through the rule management system, and they can model the system by acting as decision makers in diseases management; secondary diseases can be prevented and health management can be performed by reference to patient-specific lifestyle guidelines.

Sistema interativo em ambiente móvel para o diagnóstico diferencial de cardiopatias congênitas / Interactive system on mobile environment for differential diagnosis of congenital heart disease / Sistema interactivo para el entorno móvil en el diagnóstico diferencial de la enfermedad cardíaca congénita

Objetivo: Descrever a elaboração de um sistema interativo de apoio ao diagnóstico de cardiopatias congênitas (CCs). Métodos: Para a captação da Base de Conhecimento foi usado um fluxograma elaborado por cardiologistas pediátricos sobre sinais e sintomas das CCs. Para a construção do sistema utilizou-se o ambiente de desenvolvimento para Sistema Android ?App Inventor?, elaborado pelo Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Resultados: Repostas pré-determinadas levam a grupos de CCs mais prováveis. Os sintomas iniciais foram cianose, insuficiência cardíaca congestiva (ICC), a associação de ambas ou apenas sopro isolado. Nas perguntas sequenciais também foram utilizadas características dos sopros, do raio-x, do ECG, dos pulsos e do precórdio. A resposta sequencial leva a grupos cada vez mais restritos de patologias. Conclusão: Um sistema de apoio ao diagnóstico diferencial das cardiopatias congênitas elaborada para não especialistas na área que lidam com neonatos pode ter impacto positivo na morbimortalidade neonatal.

Objective: To describe the development of an interactive system to support the diagnosis of congenital heart disease (CHDs). Methods: To capture the knowledge base we used a flow chart prepared by pediatric cardiologists about signs and symptoms of CHDs. For the construction of the system we used the environment Development System for Android ?App Inventor?, prepared by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Results: Responses lead to predetermined groups of CHDs more likely. Initial symptoms were cyanosis, congestive heart failure (CHF), the combination of both or just blowing isolated. In sequential questions were also used features of blows, x-ray, ECG, pulses and precordium. The response sequential groups leads to increasingly restricted conditions. Conclusion: A support system for differential diagnosis of congenital designed for non-specialists in the area dealing with newborns can have positive impact on neonatal morbidity and mortality.

Objetivo: Describir el desarrollo de un sistema interactivo para apoyar el diagnóstico de las cardiopatías congénitas (CCs). Métodos: Para capturar la base de conocimientos se utilizó un diagrama de flujo elaborado por cardiólogos pediatras acerca de las señales y síntomas de CCs. Para la construcción del sistema que se utiliza el medio ambiente Sistema de Desarrollo para Android ?App Inventor?, preparado por Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Resultados: Las respuestas conducen a grupos predeterminados de CC más probables. Los síntomas iniciales fueron cianosis, insuficiencia cardíaca congestiva (ICC), la combinación de ambos o simplemente soplando aislado. En las preguntas secuenciales eran características también se utilizan de golpes, rayos x, ECG, legumbres y región precordial. Los grupos secuenciales de respuesta da lugar a condiciones cada vez más restringido. Conclusión: Un sistema de apoyo para el diagnóstico diferencial de la congénita diseñado para quienes no son especialistas en el área frente a los recién nacidos pueden tener un impacto positivo en la morbilidad y mortalidad neonatal.

Sistema especialista para apoiar a decisão na terapia tópica de úlceras venosas / Expert system to support the decision in topical therapy for venous ulcers / Sistema especialita para apoyar la decisión en la terapia tópica de úlceras venosas

Apesar de o tratamento das úlceras venosas exigir um conjunto de conhecimentos específicos, os enfermeiros não especialistas desconhecem as terapias adequadas, o que constitui uma dificuldade na terapia tópica dessas lesões de pele. Este artigo tem como objetivo apresentar um sistema especialista para apoiar o processo de decisão dos enfermeiros na terapia tópica das úlceras venosas. Trata-se de uma pesquisa de desenvolvimento, operacionalizada em cinco etapas: modelagem do sistema, aquisição do conhecimento, representação do conhecimento a partir de regras de produção, implementação e avaliação do sistema. O conjunto das regras é apresentado, assim como casos que simulam o comportamento do sistema especialista, mostrando a viabilidade da sua utilização na prática do enfermeiro. O sistema poderá auxiliar na tomada de decisão sobre as condutas tópicas em úlceras venosas, porém, a avaliação da úlcera deve ser realizada de forma correta, a fim de que o sistema forneça sugestões adequadas, permitindo melhor organização e planejamento da assistência.

Although the treatment of venous ulcers requires a set of specific knowledge, non-specialist nurses are unaware of the appropriate therapy, which is a concern in the topical therapy for these skin lesions. This paper aims to present an expert system to support the nursing decision making process in the topical therapy of venous ulcers. It is a development research implemented in five stages: system modeling, knowledge acquisition, knowledge representation from production rules, and system implementation and evaluation. The production rules are presented, as well as some cases to simulate the expert system behavior, demonstrating the viability of its usage in nurse's practice. The system may support the decision making about the topical therapy of venous ulcers. However, ulcer evaluation should be correctly made, so that the system provides appropriate suggestions, allowing better organization and planning assistance.

Aunque el tratamiento de las úlceras venosas exige un conjunto de conocimientos específicos, los enfermeros no especializados desconocen la terapia adecuada, lo que constituye una dificultad en la terapia tópica de esas lesiones de piel. Este artículo tiene como objetivo presentar un sistema especializado para apoyar el proceso de decisión de los enfermeros en la terapia tópica de las úlceras venosas. Se trata de una investigación del desarrollo, operado en cinco etapas: modelaje del sistema, adquisición de conocimientos, representación del conocimiento a partir de reglas de producción, de implementación y evaluación del sistema. El conjunto de reglas es presentado, así como algunos casos que simulan el comportamiento del sistema especializado. El sistema puede ayudar a tomar decisiones sobre la terapia tópica, pero, la evaluación de la úlcera se debe realizar correctamente para que el sistema proporcione sugerencias adecuadas, lo que permite una mejor organización y planificación de la asistencia.

Developing a Biomedical Expert Finding System Using Medical Subject Headings / 대한의료정보학회지

OBJECTIVES: Efficient identification of subject experts or expert communities is vital for the growth of any organization. Most of the available expert finding systems are based on self-nomination, which can be biased, and are unable to rank experts. Thus, the objective of this work was to develop a robust and unbiased expert finding system which can quantitatively measure expertise. METHODS: Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) is a controlled vocabulary developed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) for indexing research publications, articles and books. Using the MeSH terms associated with peer-reviewed articles published from India and indexed in PubMed, we developed a Web-based program which can be used to identify subject experts and subjects associated with an expert. RESULTS: We have extensively tested our system to identify experts from India in various subjects. The system provides a ranked list of experts where known experts rank at the top of the list. The system is general; since it uses information available with the PubMed, it can be implemented for any country. CONCLUSIONS: The expert finding system is able to successfully identify subject experts in India. Our system is unique because it allows the quantification of subject expertise, thus enabling the ranking of experts. Our system is based on peer-reviewed information. Use of MeSH terms as subjects has standardized the subject terminology. The system matches requirements of an ideal expert finding system.

Classification of the severity of diabetic neuropathy: a new approach taking uncertainties into account using fuzzy logic

OBJECTIVE: This study proposes a new approach that considers uncertainty in predicting and quantifying the presence and severity of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. METHODS: A rule-based fuzzy expert system was designed by four experts in diabetic neuropathy. The model variables were used to classify neuropathy in diabetic patients, defining it as mild, moderate, or severe. System performance was evaluated by means of the Kappa agreement measure, comparing the results of the model with those generated by the experts in an assessment of 50 patients. Accuracy was evaluated by an ROC curve analysis obtained based on 50 other cases; the results of those clinical assessments were considered to be the gold standard. RESULTS: According to the Kappa analysis, the model was in moderate agreement with expert opinions. The ROC analysis (evaluation of accuracy) determined an area under the curve equal to 0.91, demonstrating very good consistency in classifying patients with diabetic neuropathy. CONCLUSION: The model efficiently classified diabetic patients with different degrees of neuropathy severity. In addition, the model provides a way to quantify diabetic neuropathy severity and allows a more accurate patient condition assessment.

The study on Delphi filtering the indicators of evaluation on the diagnosis, treatment and management of MDR-TB / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To filter the indicators of evaluation on the diagnosis, treatment and management of MDR-TB through Delphi.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Three rounds Delphi was implemented by asking for the 30 experts'score and suggestion of 60 evaluation indicators. The experts were selected from experienced MDR-TB workers. Then the concentration degree (with each indicator's score average and full mark rate to reflect) and coordination degree (with coordination coefficient w to reflect) were analyzed, and the coefficient of variation of each indicator, enthusiasm and authority coefficient Cr etc were calculated. After that, new indicators system was constructed and the experts' were asked for suggestion again. The enthusiasm and coordinate coefficient were used to measure the effect of Delphi.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All of the enthusiasm coefficients of experts in three rounds were 100% (30/30), and 40% (12/30), 53% (16/30) and 10% (3/30) of the experts gave suggestions. The degrees of experts' authority in the first 2 rounds were high and the averages were 0.82 and 0.86, respectively. A total of 34 indicators were left after 6 indicators modified and 26 indicators deleted. The 10 indicators were the core indicators, and the average scores of 34 indicators were all higher than 4.7 and the coefficients of variation were less than 0.1, respectively. The coordination coefficients of specialists' opinion were 0.36, 0.25 and 0.68, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The final evaluation indicator system include 34 indicators, and the result of the filtering indicators on the diagnosis, treatment and management of MDR-TB through Delphi is good.</p>

Expert System Shells for Rapid Clinical Decision Support Module Development: An ESTA Demonstration of a Simple Rule-Based System for the Diagnosis of Vaginal Discharge / 대한의료정보학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study demonstrates the feasibility of using expert system shells for rapid clinical decision support module development. METHODS: A readily available expert system shell was used to build a simple rule-based system for the crude diagnosis of vaginal discharge. Pictures and 'canned text explanations' are extensively used throughout the program to enhance its intuitiveness and educational dimension. All the steps involved in developing the system are documented. RESULTS: The system runs under Microsoft Windows and is available as a free download at http://healthcybermap.org/vagdisch.zip (the distribution archive includes both the program's executable and the commented knowledge base source as a text document). The limitations of the demonstration system, such as the lack of provisions for assessing uncertainty or various degrees of severity of a sign or symptom, are discussed in detail. Ways of improving the system, such as porting it to the Web and packaging it as an app for smartphones and tablets, are also presented. CONCLUSIONS: An easy-to-use expert system shell enables clinicians to rapidly become their own 'knowledge engineers' and develop concise evidence-based decision support modules of simple to moderate complexity, targeting clinical practitioners, medical and nursing students, as well as patients, their lay carers and the general public (where appropriate). In the spirit of the social Web, it is hoped that an online repository can be created to peer review, share and re-use knowledge base modules covering various clinical problems and algorithms, as a service to the clinical community.

Development of glipizide push-pull osmotic pump controlled release tablets by using expert system and artificial neural network / 药学学报

The purpose of this study is to develop glipizide push-pull osmotic pump (PPOP) tablets by using a formulation design expert system and an artificial neural network (ANN). Firstly, the expert system for the formulation design of osmotic pump of poor water-soluble drug was employed to design the formulation of glipizide PPOP, taking the dissolution test results of Glucotrol XL as the goal. Then glipizide PPOP was prepared according to the designed formulations and the in vitro dissolution was carried out. And in vivo evaluation was carried out between the samples which were similar to Glucotrol XL and the Glucotrol XL in Beagle dogs. The range of the factors of formulation and procedure, which could influence the drug release, was optimized using artificial neural network. Finally, the design space was found. It was found that the target formulation which was similar to Glucotrol XL in dissolution test could be obtained in a short period by using the expert system. The samples which were similar to Glucotrol XL were bio-equivalent to the Glucotrol XL in Beagle dogs. The design space of the key parameter coating weight gain was 9.5%-12.0%. It could be concluded that a well controlled product of glipizide PPOP was developed since the dissolution test standard of our product was more strict than that of Glucotrol XL.

The Development of Automated Bed-allocation Expert System in Clinical Research Ward

BACKGROUND: Demands for complicated and long-term administration clinical trials have been increased since investigators actively involved in early stage clinical trials including first-in-human (FIH) trials. Research wards in our clinical trial center were mainly used for phase 1 trials. In order to perform several clinical trials simultaneously during a short period with a minimum number of rooms, beds, and equipment, staffs have to spend a lot of time for efficient operation of limited numbers of facilities. In this study, automated bed-allocation system was developed for efficient scheduling of the research ward based on clinical trial condition and status like experts. METHODS: The system was developed based on clinical trial design, schedule, and the information on research bed and availability stored and updated in database (DB). Automatic assignment system was designed to find an optimal schedule according to the given information using expert rules and algorithms. The optimal solution can be visualized on Gantt chart using C# and Chart FX API. RESULTS: The system was developed to demonstrate the schedule on color chart. It turned out to be well-designed to find an optimal schedule for bed allocation. The system also allows automatic updating of the schedule and information in the DB. CONCLUSION: Automated bed-allocation system developed in this study could save time and improve the efficiency for using space and equipment in clinical trial center. The system can be also applied to similar works or tasks in other fields.

Estudo da progressão da diabetes e da neuropatia periférica: classificação da severidade e caracterização cinética da locomoção / Study of the progression of diabetes and peripheral neuropathy: classification of the severity and kinetic characterization of locomotion

Esta tese assumiu a premissa de que a neuropatia periférica é um sinal de piora da diabetes, além de levantar a questão de que estudos prévios sobre a biomecânica da marcha de diabéticos não têm distinguido os graus de progressão da diabetes nos grupos estudados. Neste contexto, não é possível identificar as diferenças nos padrões de geração da marcha entre estágios precoces e avançados da diabetes. Esta identificação poderia facilitar a intervenção terapêutica precoce nestes pacientes, o que poderá impedir a formação de úlceras e amputações recorrentes subseqüentes. Assim, apresentamos ao longo desta tese, três estudos para investigar a natureza das supostas alterações na marcha (estudo 1) e no descer escadas (estudo 2) de diabéticos, assim como para propor uma forma de classificar a progressão da diabetes levando em consideração as incertezas de fronteiras entre os subgrupos de neuropatas, por meio de um sistema especialista fuzzy (estudo 3). Os estudos 1 e 2 foram feitos com os mesmos três grupos: indivíduos diabéticos (GD) e diabéticos neuropatas (GDN) diagnosticados clinicamente e indivíduos saudáveis (GC). Para a avaliação cinemática e cinética do membro inferior foram utilizadas câmeras infravermelhas e uma plataforma de força durante o andar no plano e descendo uma escada. O cálculo dos momentos articulares de membro inferior foi feito por meio do método da dinâmica inversa. Os principais resultados do estudo 1 mostraram que independente da presença da neuropatia, os pacientes diabéticos exibiram uma maior flexão das três principais articulações do membro inferior e um importante uso da articulação do quadril como uma estratégia cinética de progressão do corpo à frente, em substituição ao tornozelo, que mostrou ser a articulação mais prejudicada. Os principais resultados do estudo 2 indicaram as mesmas mudanças significativas no padrão cinemático do tornozelo durante a fase de propulsão, mesmo na ausência da neuropatia. No entanto, não houve...

This study assumed the premise that the peripheral neuropathy is a sign of worsening of diabetes, as well as raising the issue that previous studies on the biomechanics of gait in diabetics do not have distinguished the degree of progression of diabetes in both groups. Therefore, it is not possible to identify differences in patterns of gait generation between early and advanced stages of diabetes. This identification would facilitate early therapeutic intervention in these patients, which could prevent the formation of recurrent ulcers and subsequent amputations. We present throughout this thesis, three studies to investigate the nature of the alleged changes in gait (study 1) and stair descent (study 2) of diabetics, and to propose a way to classify the progression of diabetes, taking into account the uncertainties of boundaries between the subgroups of neuropathy through a fuzzy expert system (study 3). Studies 1 and 2 were performed with the same three groups: diabetics (GD) and diabetic neuropathic (GDN) diagnosed clinically and healthy subjects (CG). For the kinematic and kinetic evaluation of the lower limb, we used infrared cameras and a force plate during walking on a level walkway (10 m) and descent a staircase. The calculation of net joint moments of the lower limb was performed using the method of inverse dynamic. The main results of Study 1 showed that, regardless of the presence of neuropathy, diabetic patients exhibited a greater flexion of the three major joints of the lower limb and an important use of the hip joint as a kinetic strategy of progression the body forward, replacing the ankle, which proved to be the most affected joint. The main results of Study 2 showed the same significant changes in the pattern of the ankle kinematics during propulsion phase, even in the absence of neuropathy. However, there was no difference between the kinetic patterns in early and advanced stages of the disease, but showed the same trend observed ...

Design push-pull osmotic pump tablets of famotidine based on an expert system for the formulation design of osmotic pump of poor water-soluble drug / 药学学报

The purpose of this study is to design push-pull osmotic pump (PPOP) tablets of famotidine using the expert system for the formulation design of osmotic pump of poor water-soluble drug which had been established by the authors. Firstly, the parameters which were requisite of the system input were obtained from literatures and experimental tests. Then the parameters were input into the system, and the program was run. The system displayed the designed formulations sequential. Finally, famotidine PPOP was prepared according to the designed formulations and the in vitro dissolution was carried out. It was found out that the target formulation of famotidine PPOP which could release for 24 hours was obtained in a very short period. Meanwhile, the practicability of the established expert system was proved.

Sistema de auxílio aos diagnósticos de enfermagem para vítimas detrauma no atendimento avançado pré-hospitalar móvel utilizando asTaxonomias NANDA e NIC / Computer-aided diagnosis system to the nursing diagnosis of trauma victims in mobile pre-hospital careusing the NANDA and NIC Taxonomies

Uma das metodologias habituais para elaboração do Diagnóstico de Enfermagem é a utilização de consulta manual à taxonomia NANDA (North American Nursing Diagnosis Association), quase sempre argumentada como morosa e de difícil aplicabilidade prática. Contudo, para auxiliar no processo de diagnóstico em enfermagem, principalmente em situações de emergência é viável a utilização de uma ferramenta computacional, que pode reduzir o período para sua efetivação, permitindo ao enfermeiro disponibilizar mais tempo para o cuidado humanizado ao paciente vítima de trauma. O objetivo desse trabalho é desenvolver um sistema de auxílio à tomada de decisão sobre os diagnósticos de enfermagem em vítimas de trauma no atendimento avançado pré-hospitalar móvel considerando a Taxonomia NANDA (North American Nursing Diagnoses Association), bem como propor a intervenção a ser realizada baseando-se na NIC (Nursing Interventions Classification). Para o desenvolvimento da aplicação utilizou-se o sistema operacional Windows XP Professional, a linguagem de programação PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) e o servidor Web Apache HTTP Server. Todavia, os dados foram gerenciados pelo Sistema Gerenciador de Banco de Dados Oracle Enterprise Edition release 8.1.7. Para validar o sistema realizou-se uma avaliação qualitativa com usuários. Os resultados apresentados indicam que as informações são gerenciadas e armazenadas corretamente, bem como o tempo de retorno das informações é ideal, tanto para a consulta do diagnóstico como para a consulta das intervenções. Assim, é possível concluir que o sistema implementado é viável aos profissionais de enfermagem, contribuindo na otimização do tempo despendido para a elaboração do diagnóstico de enfermagem de clientes vítimas de trauma.

One of the methodologies in Nursing Diagnosis makes use of manual search through the NANDA taxonomy (North American Nursing Diagnoses Association), which is regarded as time-consuming and difficult to use in practice. However, in order to help conduct nursing diagnosis, particularly in the case of emergencies, the use of computers to assist the process is viable, which may limit manual search and allow the nurse to dedicate extra time to more humanized care to trauma victims. This study aims to develop an auxiliary system to decision-making in the nursing diagnosis of trauma victims in mobile pre-hospital care using the NANDA taxonomy as well as to recommend the applicable intervention according to the NIC (Nursing Interventions Classification). The Windows XP Professional operating system was used in the development of the software written in PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor). In addition, the Apache HTTP web server and the Oracle Enterprise Edition release 8.1.7 database manager have been used. In order to validate the system, users completed a qualitative assessment of the application. The findings show that information is stored and handled correctly, and that the time used to retrieve information is short in searches for both diagnoses and interventions. Thus, it is possible to conclude that the implemented system is beneficial to nursing professionals, contributing to the optimization of the time required to complete diagnosis and to plan nursing interventions concerning trauma patients.

The use of expert systems on the differential diagnosis of urinary incontinence / Uso de sistemas especialistas para o diagnóstico diferencial de incontinência urinária / Uso de los sistemas especialistas en el diagnóstico diferencial de la incontinencia urinaria

The differential diagnosis of urinary incontinence classes is sometimes difficult to establish. As a rule, only the results of urodynamic testing allow an accurate diagnosis. However, this exam is not always feasible, because it requires special equipment, and also trained personnel to lead and interpret the exam. Some expert systems have been developed to assist health professionals in this field. Therefore, the aims of this paper are to present the definition of Artificial Intelligence; to explain what Expert System and System for Decision Support are and its application in the field of health and to discuss some expert systems for differential diagnosis of urinary incontinence. It is concluded that expert systems may be useful not only for teaching purposes, but also as decision support in daily clinical practice. Despite this, for several reasons, health professionals usually hesitate to use the computer expert system to support their decision making process.

O diagnóstico diferencial dos tipos de incontinência urinária é algumas vezes difícil de estabelecer. Via de regra, somente os resultados de exames urodinâmicos permitem um diagnóstico acurado. Entretanto, esse exame nem sempre é factível, porque requer equipamento especial e também pessoal treinado para realizar e interpretar o exame. Alguns sistemas especialistas têm sido desenvolvidos para assistir profissionais que atuam nessa área. Propõe-se aqui apresentar a definição de inteligência artificial; explicar o que são sistemas especialistas, sistemas de apoio à decisão e sua aplicação na área da saúde e, discutir alguns sistemas especialistas desenvolvidos para o diagnóstico diferencial da incontinência urinária. Conclui-se que esses sistemas podem ser úteis não somente para o ensino, mas também como apoio à decisão na prática clínica diária. A despeito disso, por várias razões, os profissionais de saúde usualmente hesitam em usar o sistema especialista computacional para dar suporte ao processo de decisão.

El diagnóstico diferencial de los tipos de incontinencia urinaria es algunas veces difícil. En general, solamente los resultados de exámenes urodinâmicos permiten uno diagnóstico preciso. Entretanto, no es siempre posible hacer ése examen porque requiere equipo especial y personal entrenado hacia realizar y interpretar lo examen. Sistemas especialistas tienen sido hechos hacia asistir los profesionales de salud en ese campo. Propone-se presentar aquí lo que es inteligencia artificial; explicar lo que son sistemas especialistas, sistemas hacia apoyo a la decisión y suya aplicación en el área de la salud y discutir sistemas especialistas hacia el diagnóstico diferencial de la incontinencia. Concluye-se que los sistemas especialistas puedan ser usados no solamente hacia la enseñanza, mas también como apoyo a la decisión en la práctica clínica. A pesar de eso, por varias razones, profesionales de salud usualmente resisten en emplear el sistema especialista computacional hacia dar soporte al proceso de decisión.