Developing a prototype system of computer-aided appointment scheduling: A radiology department case study.

BACKGROUND: Scheduling patient appointments in hospitals is complicated due to various types of patient examinations, different departments and physicians accessed, and different body parts affected. OBJECTIVE: This study focuses on the radiology scheduling problem, which involves multiple radiological technologists in multiple examination rooms, and then proposes a prototype system of computer-aided appointment scheduling based on information such as the examining radiological technologists, examination departments, the patient's body parts being examined, the patient's gender, and the patient's age. METHODS: The system incorporated a stepwise multiple regression analysis (SMRA) model to predict the number of examination images and then used the K-Means clustering with a decision tree classification model to classify the patient's examination time within an appropriate time interval. RESULTS: The constructed prototype creates a feasible patient appointment schedule by classifying patient examination times into different categories for different patients according to the four types of body parts, eight hospital departments, and 10 radiological technologists. CONCLUSION: The proposed patient appointment scheduling system can schedule appointment times for different types of patients according to the type of visit, thereby addressing the challenges associated with diversity and uncertainty in radiological examination services. It can also improve the quality of medical treatment.

Measuring the zonal responses of nitrogen output to landscape pattern in a flatland with river network: a case study in Taihu Lake Basin, China.

Landscape pattern changes induced by rapid urbanization and intensified agricultural activities have exerted great pressure on regional water purification services. Relationship between landscape metrics and nitrogen-related ecosystem services has been a major concern of many scholars and has been widely used for guidance for land use and cover (LULC) management. However, clear zonal differences may exist, especially in highly developed reticular river network area, thus limiting our understanding of nitrogen output (NOP) to landscape pattern in the details. The spatial distribution of regional NOP was obtained based on the InVEST model. The zonal responses of NOP to landscape patter were examined under hydraulic subregions and subbasin scale. The results show that the unit value of average NOP in the Taihu Lake Basin (TLB) was 146.14 (kg/km2), and the total output reached 23677.92 t in 2020. The simulation NOP showed reasonable agreement with verified water quality observations in the lake inlet stations, with an R2 of 0.76. In terms of space composition, merely cropland have significant effects on NOP in the whole basin scale, while the explanatory variables include cropland and developed land in Pudong (PD), Puxi (PX), Wuchengxiyu (WC), and Hangjiahu (HJ) regions. In Huxi (HX) and Yangchengdianmao  (YC) regions, cropland and forest are the significant impact types, while in (Zhexi) ZX region, cropland, developed land, and forest are significant impact types. In the space configuration, the percentage of landscape (PLAND) or largest patch index (LPI) of cropland showed positive effects about NOP, whether in the whole basin or the hydraulic subregions. Edge density (ED) (-3.48), number of patches (NP) (-3.91), and percentage of like adjacencies (PLAND) (-2.80) of the forest exhibit negative correlations with NOP, in the HX, ZX, and YC region, respectively. It displays diversiform in the response of NOP to the landscape metric of developed land, which speculate that the heterogeneity of developed land can also have a constraint on NOP, in the highly urbanized areas with less forest area. In addition, the total nitrogen output of the TLB needs to be controlled, especially in HJ region which was identified as the sensitive area of pollution sources with the largest NOP and should be paid more attention to. Compared with the administrative management unit, it is more reasonable to control and manage the pollution sources by referring to the hydraulic subregions and subbasin units. Senior managers are required to strengthen communication and cooperation with hydraulic subregions across administrative regions. However, when managing NOP through the landscape modifications, measures should be taken to reduce the aggregation of nitrogen sources and increase the fragmentation of nitrogen sinks. As for high aggregation developed and agricultural land regions, the types of land used should be enriched to help the sustainable development.

Prediction of Effective Lens Position Using Multiobjective Evolutionary Algorithm.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prediction accuracy of effective lens position (ELP) after cataract surgery using a multiobjective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA). METHODS: Ninety-six eyes of 96 consecutive patients (aged 73.9 ± 8.6 years) who underwent cataract surgery were retrospectively studied; the eyes were randomly distributed to a prediction group (55 eyes) and a verification group (41 eyes). The procedure was repeated randomly 30 times to create 30 data sets for both groups. In the prediction group, based on the parameters of preoperative optical coherence tomography (OCT), biometry, and anterior segment (AS)-OCT, the prediction equation of ELP was created using MOEA and stepwise multiple regression analysis (SMR). Subsequently, the prediction accuracy of ELPs was evaluated and compared with conventional formulas, including SRK/T and the Haigis formula. RESULTS: The rate of mean absolute prediction error of 0.3 mm or higher was significantly lower in MOEA (mean 4.9% ± 3.2%, maximum 9.8%) than SMR (mean 7.3% ± 4.8%, maximum 24.4%) (P = 0.0323). The median of the correlation coefficient (R 2 = 0.771) between the MOEA predicted and measured ELP was higher than the SRK/T (R 2 = 0.412) and Haigis (R 2 = 0.438) formulas. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrated that ELP prediction by MOEA was more accurate and was a method of less fluctuation than that of SMR and conventional formulas. TRANSLATIONAL RELEVANCE: MOEA is a promising method for solving clinical problems such as prediction of ocular biometry values by simultaneously optimizing several conditions for subjects affected by various complex factors.

Associations among circulating branched-chain amino acids and tyrosine with muscle volume and glucose metabolism in individuals without diabetes.

OBJECTIVES: Amino acid metabolites, including branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) and tyrosine (Tyr), affect glucose metabolism. The effects of BCAA on insulin resistance in patients with diabetes seem to conflict with mechanisms determined in animal models and cultured cells. The aim of this study was to clarify the controversy surrounding the effects of BCAA by investigating the physiological effects of BCAA and Tyr on glucose metabolism in healthy community dwellers. METHODS: We investigated associations among BCAA and Tyr and metabolic parameters in 78 residents (median age, 52 y) of Mie, Japan, who did not have prediabetes, diabetes, or a body mass index >30 kg/m(2). RESULTS: Muscle volume, serum BCAA, and Tyr levels were higher in men than in women (n = 32 and 46, respectively; all P < 0.0001). Stepwise multiple regression analysis associated BCAA positively with muscle volume (regression coefficient/t/p/95% confidence interval, 281.8/3.7/0.0004/129.7-433.8), fasting blood glucose (FBG; 12699.4/3.22/0.0020/4830.9-20567.8), fasting immunoreactive insulin (IRI; 8505.1/2.75/0.0078/2322.5-14687.6), and homeostasis model assessment of ß-cell function (HOMA-ß; 893.6/2.58/0.0122/201.8-1585.5), and negatively with the HOMA-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR; -9294.1/-2.89/0.0052/-15711.0 to -2877.1). Tyr positively correlated with fasting IRI (26/2.77/0.0072/7.3-44.7). CONCLUSIONS: Insulin sensitivity and muscle volume are positively associated with BCAA in individuals without diabetes. In turn, BCAA correlate with increased FBG and fasting IRI levels. Tyr correlated with fasting IRI, but not with insulin sensitivity.

[Research on photosynthetic and eco-physiological characteristics of Epimedium pseudowushannense in different growing age].

Epimedium is a widely used medicinal plants. Due to excessive use of wild resources and resource constraints, artificial cultivation is the only way to achieve sustainable use of resources. E. pseudowushannense is intended to achieve the first cultivated species, but plant production technology is not yet fully mature.The diurnal variation of photosynthetic and eco-physiological characteristics of E. pseudowushannense in different growing age was studied by the CI-340 Portable Photosynthesis System under natural conditions. The net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (C), intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), relative humidity (RH), air temperature (Ta), apparent mesophyll conductance (ALMC), transpiration rate (E), leaf temperature (Tl), water use efficiency (WUE) and other photosynthetic physiological factors and environmental factors were measured. The obtained data was analyzed by correlation analysis, path analysis and stepwise multiple-regression analysis to explore the relationship between net photosynthetic rate and physiological and ecological factors. The results show that： ①The daily variation of the Pn, E, ALMC, C of E. pseudowushannense in different growing age took on"two peak type", the Pn was with an obvious midday depression phenomenon at noon.②The Pn, ALMC and C of annuals' were significantly higher than biennial or three-year; but the Ci was basically a three-year > biennial> annual.③The correlation analysis, path analysis and stepwise regression analysis showed that ALMC, Ci, Ta might played important role in the Pn and ranked as ALMC>Ci>Ta.

Research on photosynthetic and eco-physiological characteristics of Epimedium pseudowushannense in different growing age / 中国中药杂志

Epimedium is a widely used medicinal plants. Due to excessive use of wild resources and resource constraints, artificial cultivation is the only way to achieve sustainable use of resources. E. pseudowushannense is intended to achieve the first cultivated species, but plant production technology is not yet fully mature.The diurnal variation of photosynthetic and eco-physiological characteristics of E. pseudowushannense in different growing age was studied by the CI-340 Portable Photosynthesis System under natural conditions. The net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (C), intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), relative humidity (RH), air temperature (Ta), apparent mesophyll conductance (ALMC), transpiration rate (E), leaf temperature (Tl), water use efficiency (WUE) and other photosynthetic physiological factors and environmental factors were measured. The obtained data was analyzed by correlation analysis, path analysis and stepwise multiple-regression analysis to explore the relationship between net photosynthetic rate and physiological and ecological factors. The results show that： ①The daily variation of the Pn, E, ALMC, C of E. pseudowushannense in different growing age took on"two peak type", the Pn was with an obvious midday depression phenomenon at noon.②The Pn, ALMC and C of annuals' were significantly higher than biennial or three-year; but the Ci was basically a three-year > biennial> annual.③The correlation analysis, path analysis and stepwise regression analysis showed that ALMC, Ci, Ta might played important role in the Pn and ranked as ALMC>Ci>Ta.

Prediction analysis of ametropia in children aged from 5 to 13 years old / 重庆医学

Objective To investigate the characteristics of children ametropia in the development process ,predict and analyze the refractive state with the measurement data of refractive factors on the children aged from 5 to 13 years old .Methods 461 children (922 eyes) ,aged from 5 to 13 years old ,were selected from outpatients who went to ophthalmology clinic from January 2011 to September 2012 .The static diopter was measured by the optometry with the continuous mydriasis of 5 days using the ophthalmic gel of 1% atropine .And the biological measured values of refractive factors were obtained by the A type ultrasonic and keratome-ter .Meanwhile ,the parameters including the height (H) ,weight and the dominant eye were recorded to analyze the characteristics of children ametropia in the development process ,and then the equation between the diopter and the correlative factors including the measurement data of refractive factors and growth factors was established by the stepwise multiple regression analysis .Results (1) The myopia degree of the right eye static diopter was significantly deeper than the left (P0 .05) .In the group in which the right eye was dominant ,the difference of the left eye and right eye refractive factors was not statistically significant (P>0 .05) except the instance in which K1 of the right eye was bigger than the left eye(P<0 .05) .(2) In the period of 5 to 13 years old ,the myopia developing trend of girls was earlier than boys .(3) The ocular axis length(AL) and H development had a close relationship ,and the correlation equation of them was AL =16 .135+0 .052H(r=0 .993) .(4) The multiple linear regression equation for the relationship between the static diopter (D) ,ocular AL and mean value of the corneal curvature (K) was D=84 .271-0 .937K -1 .878AL(r=0 .871) .Conclusion The ocular AL and H development of children have a close relationship .The static diopter(D) of the children aged from 5 to 13 years old can be predicted by the ocular axis length(AL) and corneal curvature(K) , w hich can be used to prevent myopia reasonably .

Effects and Influent Agents of Early Education on Well-Being Infants / 中国心理卫生杂志

Object: To explore the effects and the influent agents of early education on the healthy termed infants. Methods: 52 healthy termed infants voluntary to the exercise center as experimental group were early educated. The other 52 infants as control group were in the same elementary conditions comparing to the experimental group. The experimental group was trained the corresponding projects and examined DQ at the beginning and the 3 rd,6 th,9 th month after training. The control group was only examined DQ at the beginning and after 9 months. Results:①At the 9 th month after training, DQ of the experimental group was improved 21.9?13.6, which was much 7 times higher than that of the control group, which was improved 3?3.0 (P