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Results for “Knowledge base”

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At least 1,171 records · Page 65Linked to original sources

PubMed2005

Web-based toolkits for topology prediction of transmembrane helical proteins, fold recognition, structure and binding scoring, folding-kinetics analysis and comparative analysis of domain combinations.

We have developed the following web servers for protein structural modeling and analysis at http://theory.med.buffalo.edu: THUMBUP, UMDHMM(TMHP) and TUPS, predictors of transmembrane helical protein topology based on a mean-burial-propensity scale of amino acid residues (THUMBUP), hidden Markov model (UMDHMM(TMHP)) and their combinations (TUPS); SPARKS 2.0 and SP3, two profile-profile alignment methods, that match input query sequence(s) to structural templates by integrating sequence profile with knowledge-based structural score (SPARKS 2.0) and structure-derived profile (SP3); DFIRE, a knowledge-based potential for scoring free energy of monomers (DMONOMER), loop conformations (DLOOP), mutant stability (DMUTANT) and binding affinity of protein-protein/peptide/DNA complexes (DCOMPLEX & DDNA); TCD, a program for protein-folding rate and transition-state analysis of small globular proteins; and DOGMA, a web-server that allows comparative analysis of domain combinations between plant and other 55 organisms. These servers provide tools for prediction and/or analysis of proteins on the secondary structure, tertiary structure and interaction levels, respectively.

Amino Acids↗

PubMed1997

NéoGanesh: a working system for the automated control of assisted ventilation in ICUs.

Automating the control of therapy administered to a patient requires systems which integrate the knowledge of experienced physicians. This paper describes NéoGanesh, a knowledge-based system which controls, in closed-loop, the mechanical assistance provided to patients hospitalized in intensive care units. We report on how new advances in knowledge representation techniques have been used to model medical expertise. The clinical evaluation shows that such a system relieves the medical staff of routine tasks, improves patient care, and efficiently supports medical decisions regarding weaning. To be able to work in closed-loop and to be tested in real medical situations, NéoGanesh deals with a voluntarily limited problem. However, embedded in a powerful distributed environment, it is intended to support future extensions and refinements and to support reuse of knowledge bases.

Artificial Intelligence↗

PubMed2006

Structure-activity relationships for skin sensitization: recent improvements to Derek for Windows.

Derek for Windows (DfW) is a knowledge-based expert system that predicts the toxicity of a chemical from its structure. Its predictions are based in part on alerts that describe structural features or toxicophores associated with toxicity. Recently, improvements have been made to skin sensitization alerts within the DfW knowledge base in collaboration with Unilever. These include modifications to the alerts describing the skin sensitization potential of aldehydes, 1,2-diketones, and isothiazolinones and consist of enhancements to the toxicophore definition, the mechanistic classification, and the extent of supporting evidence provided. The outcomes from this collaboration demonstrate the importance of updating and refining computer models for the prediction of skin sensitization as new information from experimental and theoretical studies becomes available.

Allergens↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Development of software in the study of carotid artery in the neck.

The aim of this work was to develop and employ software for the study of the common carotid artery and its branches in the neck. We first constructed geometric models of anatomic components, for the building of knowledge bases to be used in automatic feature extraction techniques from images. Then, we developed a software system characterised by three-dimensional visualisation, image processing functions, knowledge base and a programming language to describe classification processing by means of fuzzy logic. The software system was used to perform automatic reconstruction of three-dimensional models of carotid arteries from contiguous CT scans of the neck. These findings suggest that such software systems represent a useful help in the study of image based diagnosis of carotid arteries.

Carotid Artery, Common↗

PubMed1997

Visualizing the logic of a clinical guideline: a case study in childhood immunization.

IMM/Graph is a visual model designed to help knowledge-base developers understand and refine the guideline logic for childhood immunization. The IMM/Graph model is domain-specific and was developed to help build a knowledge-based system that makes patient-specific immunization recommendations. A "visual vocabulary" models issues specific to the immunization domain, such as (1) the age a child is first eligible for each vaccination dose, (2) recommended, "past due" and maximum ages, (3) minimum waiting periods between doses, (4) the vaccine brand or preparation to be given, and (5) the various factors affecting the time course of vaccination. Several lessons learned in the course of developing IMM/Graph include the following: (1) The intended use of the model may influence the choice of visual presentation; (2) There is a potentially interesting interplay between the use of visual and textual information in creating the visual model; (3) Visualization may help a development team better understand a complex clinical guideline and may also help highlight areas of incompleteness.

Child, Preschool↗

PubMed1994

Writing Arden Syntax Medical Logic Modules.

The Arden Syntax for Medical Logic Modules is a language for encoding medical knowledge bases that consist of independent modules. The Arden Syntax has been used to generate clinical alerts, diagnostic interpretations, management messages, and screening for research studies and quality assurance. An Arden Syntax knowledge base consists of rules called Medical Logic Modules (MLMs), which are stored as simple ASCII files that can be written on any text editor. An MLM is made of slots grouped into three categories: maintenance information, library information, and the actual medical knowledge. Most MLMs are triggered by clinical events, evaluate medical criteria, and, if appropriate, perform an action such as sending a message to a health care provider. This paper provides a detailed tutorial on how to write MLMs.

Artificial Intelligence↗

PubMed1995

Quantitative structure-activity relationships and ecological risk assessment: an overview of predictive aquatic toxicology research.

In the field of aquatic toxicology, quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) have developed as scientifically credible tools for predicting the toxicity of chemicals when little or no empirical data are available. A fundamental understanding of toxicological principles has been considered an important component to the acceptance and application of QSAR approaches as biologically relevant in ecological risk assessments. As a consequence, there has been an evolution of QSAR development and application from that of a chemical-class perspective to one that is more consistent with assumptions regarding modes of toxic action. In this review, techniques to assess modes of toxic action from chemical structure are discussed, with consideration that toxicodynamic knowledge bases must be clearly defined with regard to exposure regimes, biological models/endpoints and compounds that adequately span the diversity of chemicals anticipated for future applications. With such knowledge bases, classification systems, including rule-based expert systems, have been established for use in predictive aquatic toxicology applications. The establishment of QSAR techniques that are based on an understanding of toxic mechanisms is needed to provide a link to physiologically based toxicokinetic and toxicodynamic models, which can provide the means to extrapolate adverse effects across species and exposure regimes.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

META. 2. A dictionary model of mammalian xenobiotic metabolism.

META is a new knowledge-based expert system that provides computer simulation of the biotransformation of chemicals. The program is based on the recognition of key functional groups within the complete chemical structure and therefore can predict the metabolites of new xenobiotics. Here, we describe a comprehensive knowledge base built for the purposes of modeling mammalian metabolism with META methodology.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Instant medical history.

We introduce a knowledge-based patient driven screening expert system used in an outpatient family practice for 10,000 consecutive visits. The nurse hands the patient a laptop computer. Using knowledge-based questioning, subjective complaints are collected directly from the patient. The questions are response driven. Simultaneous analysis of the pattern of answering also determines the direction of the questioning. If indicated by the patient's answers, standardized published self-rating and self-assessment scales from the medical literature are administered totally unseen by the patient. The patient's complaints are succinctly presented to the physician as he enters the exam room. The physician can usually glance at the positive answers and graphically depicted scales and arrive at a working clinical impression in a few seconds before he begins his interview. Both he and the patient are totally focused on the problem at hand. Limitless potential for enhancing physician productivity is evoked.

Expert Systems↗

PubMed1996

Processes in the creation and diffusion of nursing knowledge: an examination of the developing concept of family-centred care.

The creation of a knowledge base to underpin and direct nursing practice has been the pursuit of nurse academics, educationists and practitioners over recent decades. Much of this work has concerned the explication of major theories of nursing, whilst some has sought to elucidate specific areas of knowledge. This paper outlines processes of creation and diffusion, considering the influence of factors from both within and without the nursing profession on the epistemology of its knowledge base. An examination of the developing concept of family-centred care is utilized to illustrate the convolutionary process of knowledge creation.

Child↗

PubMed1996

Development and evaluation of a urine protein expert system.

Based on the quantitative determination of creatinine, total protein, albumin, alpha 1-microglobulin, IgG, alpha 2-macroglobulin, and N-acetyl-beta, D-glucosaminidase in urine in combination with a test strip screening, the findings of hematuria, leukocyturia, and proteinuria can be assigned to prerenal, renal, or postrenal causes. Using this graded diagnostic strategy as a knowledge base, we developed a computerbased expert system for urine protein differentiation ("UPES") as a decision-supporting tool. The knowledge base was implemented as a combination of "if/then" rules and two-step bivariate distance classification of marker proteins. The knowledge for this form of pattern recognition was derived from the results for a set of 267 patients with clinically and histologically documented nephropathies. To determine the diagnostic value of UPES, we tested another set of data: results for 129 urine analyses from 94 patients. Using these data, the system reached 98% concordance with the clinical diagnoses for the patients and was superior to the diagnostic interpretations of four human experts. UPES has been successfully integrated into the laboratory routine process, including automated data import.

Acetylglucosaminidase↗

PubMed2001

AI in medicine on its way from knowledge-intensive to data-intensive systems.

The last 20 years of research and development in the field of artificial intelligence in medicine (AIM) show a path from knowledge-intensive systems, which try to capture the essential knowledge of experts in a knowledge-based system, to data-intensive systems available today. Nowadays enormous amounts of information is accessible electronically. Large datasets are collected continuously monitoring physiological parameters of patients. Knowledge-based systems are needed to make use of all these data available and to help us to cope with the information explosion. In addition, temporal data analysis and intelligent information visualization can help us to get a summarized view of the change over time of clinical parameters. Integrating AIM modules into the daily-routine software environment of our care providers gives us a great chance for maintaining and improving quality of care.

Artificial Intelligence↗

PubMed1998

Cultural competence for nurses: canonical correlation of two culture scales.

As the diversity of the US residential population increases, healthcare professionals need to recognize the importance of culturally competent care on health outcomes of individuals and communities. The purpose of this descriptive correlational pilot study (N = 51) was to describe the relationship among scores and sub-scores on scales measuring concepts of cultural competence. An additional purpose was to develop reliability and validity data on each of three culture scales for the population of hospital based registered nurses. Each of the scales had previously reported reliability and validity data but were administered to populations potentially different from southern-based, hospital-employed RNs. A large medical center located in Southeastern US was chosen as the study's site due to its diverse staff and client base. The Giger and Davidhizar Transcultural Assessment Model and Theory was the theoretical foundation for the study and Cultural Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES), Cultural Attitude Scale as developed by Bonaparte (1977, 1979) and modified by Rooda (1990, 1992) (CAS-Modified), and knowledge base questions (Rooda, 1990) were the chosen instruments. For this group of hospital based RNs, the reliability analysis--scale (Alpha) for the 58 item CSES was .9778. The reliability analysis (Alpha) for the 22 knowledge base questions was .6038 and .6412 for the 40 item CAS-M. Canonical correlation analysis was performed between a set of attitude variables and a set of self efficacy variables using SPSS (1995). Both sets of variables demonstrated statistically significant relationships (at an a priori alpha of .05) to each other (with an approximate Eta squared value for practical significance of .336), providing sufficient evidence to reject the non-relationship null hypothesis. For this sample and for these data, cultural self-efficacy toward Asian, Black, Hispanic clients, and self-efficacy regarding nursing skills when caring for diverse clients related to cultural attitudes and cultural self-efficacy. Nursing care, cultural health beliefs, and cultural health attitudes related to attitudes toward care of diverse clients. Both sets of variables related to each other as qualities of culturally competent nursing care.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Inferential knowledge acquisition.

This paper describes the approach we are pursuing for modeling inferential processes in knowledge-based systems. It is aimed at overcoming the lack of generality affecting many of the systems described in the literature. This mainly happens since the problem-solving method adopted by those systems is too closely tied to the particular domain problem over which the method itself has been modeled. We also describe a system called M-KAT (Medical Knowledge Acquisition Tool) which is useful in simplifying the process of acquiring inferential knowledge. M-KAT relies on an epistemological model of medical reasoning which represents a generalization of most of the problem-solving methods adopted in medical knowledge-based systems. The metarules formalism has been adopted as a mean for representing inferential knowledge and making its acquisition easier, thus allowing the computational implementation of the epistemological model of medical reasoning.

Artificial Intelligence↗

PubMed2001

Structured physical examination data: a modeling challenge.

The success of systems facilitating collection of structured data by clinicians is largely dependent on the flexibility of the interface. The Open Record for CAre (ORCA) makes use of a generic model to support knowledge-based structured data entry for a variety of medical domains. An endeavor undertaken recently aimed to cover the broader area of Physical Examination by expanding the contents of the knowledge base. The model was found to be adequately expressive for supporting this task. Maintaining the balance between flexibility of the interface and constraints dictated by reliable retrieval, however, proved to be a considerable challenge. In this paper we illustrate through specific examples the effect of this trade off on the modeling process, together with the rationale for the chosen solutions and suggestions for future research focus.

Artificial Intelligence↗

PubMed2006

Educational supervisors evaluate the preparedness of graduates from a reformed UK curriculum to work as pre-registration house officers (PRHOs): a qualitative study.

INTRODUCTION: In 1996 the University of Liverpool introduced an integrated problem-based learning (PBL) medical curriculum incorporating the recommendations of Tomorrow's Doctors. This paper investigates whether the PRHO (pre-registration house officer) educational supervisors who supervise Liverpool graduates believe that the reformed curriculum is producing house officers who have the competencies outlined by the General Medical Council. METHODS: Forty-one interviews were arranged with a sample of educational supervisors in the Mersey Deanery area to ascertain their views on the competencies of Liverpool PRHOs. The interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed and analysed. RESULTS: The supervisors felt that the PRHOs had been well prepared to work as PRHOs, and compared with traditional graduates they were actually better prepared for the job of PRHO. They saw the PRHOs as competent communicators with improved clinical skills, who had good attitudes, were aware of limitations, were team workers, good at history-taking and examination and had different approaches to finding information. There was a very confusing picture regarding basic knowledge, with some consultants expressing concerns, despite saying they had adequate knowledge to work as PRHOs. It emerged that there was little consensus about the knowledge base of the traditional or PBL graduates or what knowledge level was needed at this stage. DISCUSSION: Educational supervisors believe that the reformed curriculum in Liverpool is producing competent PRHOs who have been better prepared for the role of PRHO than previous graduates. It could be that uncertainty over knowledge base may be the price paid for reducing the factual burden and improving preparedness for professional practice.

Cohort Studies↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Nurses' attitudes towards health care assistants.

This descriptive study aims to evaluate trained nurses' knowledge base and attitudes towards the introduction of HCAs, as a basis for future programmes of training, and the formulation of policies. The possibility of a relationship between the demographic variables of the subjects and the knowledge base and the attitudes of the nurses is also examined. A questionnaire was sent to trained nurses working in specific ward areas at two hospitals in the Plymouth Health Authority, Devon. The results indicated that heterogeneous nature of the group and illustrated that nurses have a poor knowledge of HCA issues, with more respondents giving incorrect responses than correct ones. However, responses showed generally that attitudes towards the introduction of HCAs were positive.

Allied Health Personnel↗

PubMed2005

Value of the evidence-based consensus conference.

The purpose of this paper is to describe how the inherent strengths of an evidence-based (EB) workshop can be combined with the conventional wisdom generated by a group of experts participating in a consensus conference. A traditional consensus conference is an appropriate way to arrive at the best current way to do something if the knowledge base is insufficient to make a scientifically rigorous EB analysis of the clinical problem. The result is the best opinion of experts in the field. The EB approach is the application of a repeatable review process to an existing knowledge base that is relevant to a focused question of clinical importance. It is a powerful tool that can help dentists in clinical decision-making processes. A combination of the EB approach with a consensus conference provides the highest level of evaluation and the strongest level of evidence upon which to make clinical decisions. Application of any of these sources of information can be used in the development of healthcare standards. However, standards are complicated statements that blend current scientific knowledge and clinical judgment with cultural, societal, and economic issues. When healthcare standards are being developed or revised, it is important that all sources of information be considered and the target population and purposes of the standards be identified.

Consensus↗