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Biomedical subjects

P Wilding

Publications and source records attributed to P Wilding.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

The application of backpropagation neural networks to problems in pathology and laboratory medicine.

Neural networks are a group of computer-based pattern recognition technologies that have been applied to problems in clinical diagnosis. This review focuses on one member of the group of neural networks, the backpropagation network. The steps in creating a backpropagation network are (1) collecting adequate training facts, (2) choosing the specific network structure, (3) training the network, and (4) cross-validating the trained network. The first published applications of backpropagation networks to problems in pathology and laboratory medicine have appeared recently. These applications are in the areas of image analysis and interpretation of laboratory results, and they demonstrate the feasibility of the approach.

Evaluation Studies as Topic

Spectral analysis of urinary reactions: a preliminary study based on a novel concept.

The concept of spectral analysis of urinary reactions (a range of simple chemical tests combined with pattern analysis) is described. A preliminary study in which we used 10 nonspecific tested on untimed urine specimens from 20 controls and 20 diabetics, matched for age and sex, suggested that a combination of these tests could be used to separate diabetics from healthy subjects. This combination, however, did not prove satisfactory for a further group of 13 diabetics. Closer examination revealed that factors such as therapy and glycosuria affected the results of these tests. This approach, which should extend the usefulness of urinalysis, may prove viable when larger groups, and possibly a different set of tests, are used to establish a more robust combination of tests.

Adult

Drug interference in clinical chemistry: studies on ascorbic acid.

The expert group "Drug Interference in Clinical Chemistry" of the Bureau of Reference, Directorate General for Research, Science and Education of the Commission of the European Communities, consisting of one participant of each member of the European Communities, presents this first report on the final results of its activities. Within the framework of a first stage basic program, the paper describes interferences of therapeutic and elevated doses of ascorbic acid on commonly used clinical chemical methods. This is the result of a bipartite study that was jointly planned, carried out and evaluated. Local and personal influences have been eliminated, as have variations due to methodology, measurement equipment and reagents, in order to be able to present distinct causal effects of ascorbic acid. No definite influence of ascorbic acid on analytical values for urea, cholesterol, calcium, protein, bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase could be detected. At therapeutic concentrations, ascorbic acid distinctly interferes with the analysis of glucose, uric acid, creatinine and inorganic phosphate. The extent and direction of interferences vary, depending on the type of reaction, kit and apparatus. In some cases the influence of ascorbic acid results in severe disturbance of the analytical methods leading to useless values.

Ascorbic Acid

Factors involved in the determination of triglycerides in serum: an international study.

Ten laboratories analysed five different specimens in duplicate on ten separate occasions by one, or several, of five common triglyceride methods. Simple statistical data are presented and, as far as possible, these are interpreted in the light of the methods used and the results of chemical analyses of the materials. Great variability was found between the results of the participating laboratories. The major factor involved seems to be the material specific nature of the methods under study. At least one method in common use is contraindicated.

Chromatography, Gas

The application of thin-layer gel filtration chromatography in the rapid assessment of protein-protein coupling reactions.

The use of enzymes as markers when covalently coupled to various antigens or antibodies has wide application in medical science. A variety of bifunctional reagents has been used to produced the conjugates, and there have been some attempts to investigate the conditions of reaction necessary to obtain good coupling, whilst preserving the biological function of the molecules. The present study describes the influence of coupling conditions on the coupling of a alpha-amylase and albumin by a range of commercially available bifunctional coupling reagents, and the application of thin-layer gel filtration chromatography for the rapid qualitative/semi-quantitative assessment of coupling reactions.

Albumins

Evaluation of a new enzymatic kit for serum triglycerides.

We evaluated a new enzymatic kit for serum triglycerides (triacylglycerols) in two laboratories. The procedure involved both enzymatic hydrolysis of the triglycerides and conversion of the glycerol, which was linked to an indicator reaction. There was excellent agreement with the mechanized procedure of Kessler and Lederer and with a manual method. The test requires 50 mul of serum and can be completed in about 50 min. Inter- and intra-laboratory variation, linearity, accuracy, and specimen storage were studied.

Autoanalysis

Letter: SI units.

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Clinical Laboratory Techniques

The influence of drugs and disease activity on biochemical and haematological data in rheumatoid arthritis.

Biochemical and haematological data from 218 patients with rheumatoid arthritis were analysed and compared with data from a reference hospital population. The comparison demonstrated significant differences in several biochemical and haematological tests and that the patterns of change are different between males and females. The data were also analysed by conventional statistical methods and discriminant analysis using a computer to establish which tests were most influenced by the activity of the disease and drug therapy. The results obtained demonstrate marked difference between groups of patients with different disease activity or receiving different drugs. The discriminant analysis also identified those tests which differentiate these groups most effectively.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid

Letter: SI units.

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International Cooperation