8,365 research outputs found
Systems validation: application to statistical programs
BACKGROUND: In 2003, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a guidance document on the scope of "Part 11" enforcement. In this guidance document, the FDA indicates an expectation of a risk-based approach to determining which systems should undergo validation. Since statistical programs manage and manipulate raw data, their implementation should be critically reviewed to determine whether or not they should undergo validation. However, the concepts of validation are not often discussed in biostatistics curriculum. DISCUSSION: This paper summarizes a "Plan, Do, Say" approach to validation that can be incorporated into statistical training so that biostatisticians can understand and implement validation principles in their research. SUMMARY: Validation is a process that requires dedicated attention. The process of validation can be easily understood in the context of the scientific method
Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Malta for the first time
The emergence of E coli O157:H7 in Malta is a sign of the times. It represents one of the newly emerging infections associated with food. The first two documented cases of E coli 0157:H7 infection in Malta occurred in July and August, 1996. Food types classically incriminated were surveyed by the Department of Public Health. Epidemiological investigation aimed to trace the environmental sources of infection.• Microbiology was performed jointly by diagnostic and public health laboratories. Facts about infection and control of the disease are highlighted with a view to alerting local practitioners to the condition.peer-reviewe
Multifactorial analysis of human blood cell responses to clinical total body irradiation
Multiple regression analysis techniques are used to study the effects of therapeutic radiation exposure, number of fractions, and time on such quantal responses as tumor control and skin injury. The potential of these methods for the analysis of human blood cell responses is demonstrated and estimates are given of the effects of total amount of exposure and time of protraction in determining the minimum white blood cell concentration observed after exposure of patients from four disease groups
Dosimetry for radiobiological studies of the human hematopoietic system
A system for estimating individual bone marrow doses in therapeutic radiation exposures of leukemia patients was studied. These measurements are used to make dose response correlations and to study the effect of dose protraction on peripheral blood cell levels. Three irradiators designed to produce a uniform field of high energy gamma radiation for total body exposures of large animals and man are also used for radiobiological studies
Well structured program equivalence is highly undecidable
We show that strict deterministic propositional dynamic logic with
intersection is highly undecidable, solving a problem in the Stanford
Encyclopedia of Philosophy. In fact we show something quite a bit stronger. We
introduce the construction of program equivalence, which returns the value
precisely when two given programs are equivalent on halting
computations. We show that virtually any variant of propositional dynamic logic
has -hard validity problem if it can express even just the equivalence
of well-structured programs with the empty program \texttt{skip}. We also show,
in these cases, that the set of propositional statements valid over finite
models is not recursively enumerable, so there is not even an axiomatisation
for finitely valid propositions.Comment: 8 page
Towards developing an industry led educational framework using LEAN approach
The poor performance and inefficient manner in which the construction industry operates has been recognised through a variety of combined government and industry initiatives over the years. A major challenge towards improvement is recognised as lying with education and industry stakeholders actively creating closer and more effective relationships to facilitate a greater mutual understanding.
The application of Information Technology (IT) systems can well enhance ‘Lean’ initiatives through improving process flow, reduction of the non-added value activities, better meet customers’ requirements and adding value which will increase the performance of the industry.
This paper presents a project that is focused on developing an industry led framework for educational training programmes. The outcomes of two workshops organised with the industry that have resulted in a Continued Professional Development (CPD) training framework comprising of three distinct levels in terms of strategic, operational and technology aspects of that particular key area are discussed. The essence of this work is based on adopting the ‘Lean’ approach and adding value by identifying the IT skills gaps recognised ‘by the industry’ ‘for the industry’ and addressing them in developing training programmes
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An investigation of ground based and aeromagnetic data over the Cairngorm and other Caledonian granites in the UK
The aeromagnetic map of Great Britain shows a number of granites associated with magnetic anomalies. One of the largest of these granites, the Cairngorm pluton, has a complex overlying aeromagnetic anomaly, yet measurements show that the surface rocks have a magnetic susceptibility too low to account for this aeromagnetic field.
The purpose of this investigation was to determine the likely reasons for this discrepancy employing a range of computer based techniques, and using new land-based data.
Potential field data for the Cairngorm area, together with a region of the Southern Uplands, was subjected to frequency domain reduction and filtering. Hand specimens from the granite and host rock were collected for susceptibility measurements. The results have been integrated with profile models to explain the variations observed in the aeromagnetic and ground based magnetic field.
The Cairngorm granites appear to be zoned at depth, with a variable thickness cap of low density, low magnetic susceptibility granite. The presence of intermediate composition rock in the upper reaches of the granite mass provides evidence for stoping, whilst the presence of intermediate composition rock at deeper levels is thought to be due to multiple magma pulses and/or differentiation.
The Loch Doon granite has a low magnetic susceptibility subsurface core extending off its eastern flank. A number of correlations between the geophysics and geochemistry of the granites investigated were noted. The concept of gravrnag space has been developed and applied as a framework in which to explore the relationships between the granites of Scotland and northern England. Relationships between the background geophysics and the geochemistry of granites in the area of the proposed Iapetus Subduction zone have also been investigated
Rehabilitation interventions for foot drop in neuromuscular disease
"Foot drop" or "Floppy foot drop" is the term commonly used to describe weakness or contracture of the muscles around the ankle joint. It may arise from many neuromuscular diseases
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