PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

K A Johns

Publications and source records attributed to K A Johns.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1988

The computerization of the Cardiff Births Survey.

The Cardiff Births Survey (CBS) is a major ongoing study of childbirth in a well defined population, and has formed the basis for a number of important investigations in its field. It started at a time when computers were about to become readily available in United Kingdom universities, and it has made use of them from its earliest days. The changing ways in which this has been done over the years are here described in parallel with the changes that have taken place to the survey itself. Conclusions are drawn concerning the characteristics of other studies to which similar methods might be applied, and the inherent advantages and limitations of these methods are considered. Finally brief discussion is made of future prospects for the use of computers in the Cardiff Births Survey itself.

Birth Rate↗
PubMed1986

The Programming Environment for Statistical Tabulation.

The Programming Environment for Statistical Tabulation (PEST) is a system which adopts an unusual approach to statistical computing. Most such systems present one or more complete programs which are controlled by parameters of varying degrees of complexity; PEST adopts a different method and provides an incomplete program to which extra instructions must be added to specify the analysis that is required. Designed originally as a replacement for a similar system written in Algol 60, it now uses instead the more powerful and flexible Algol 68. This much neglected language is ideal for the purpose, enabling an ordinary user to obtain results with a limited range of simple statements and at the same time allowing an experienced programmer free access to facilities that compare most favourably with those of comparable languages. The efficiency of modern Algol 68 compilers means that the overhead of compiling the user's instructions as often as required is small and incurs no disadvantage by comparison with conventional packages.

Biometry↗
PubMed1976

Obstetric practice and outcome of pregnancy in Cardiff residents 1965-73.

Trends in management and outcome of pregnancy in Cardiff residents from 1965 to 1973 were reviewed. The mean age and parity of parturients fell. Hospital delivery became almost universal, monitoring the fetus during pregnancy was introduced, and induction and acceleration of labour became commonplace. These developments were not associated with any striking change in either the total perinatal death rate or the timing or cause of perinatal death. Possibly a real change in perinatal mortality between 1965 and 1973 was masked by random fluctuation of small numbers, or possibly factors peculiar to the Cardiff population prevented a decrease in perinatal mortality that would otherwise have resulted from improved medical care. Only by large-scale randomised trials can the true value of induction and other medical developments be assessed.

Cesarean Section↗