Computer analysis in oral lichenoid reactions

To improve diagnostic procedures and facilitate clinical decision-making, computer-assisted image analysis was performed on color slides from 30 patients with histopathologically verified oral lichenoid reactions. Areas from white hyperkeratotic and adjacent red inflamed areas of the lesions were selected and subjected to image analysis. The digitization of the color slides was done by means of an image scanner, and the digital information was transmitted to a personal computer for subsequent feature extraction and analysis. The different oral lesions were characterized as the difference in mean values between white hyperkeratotic and red inflamed areas, respectively, compared with clinically normal tissue. Statistical analyses were made on three different color systems: Red-Green-Blue (RGB), normalized red-green-blue (rgb), and Intensity-Hue-Saturation (IHS). The results showed statistically significant differences in all color systems for both the hyperkeratotic areas and adjacent inflammatory reactions. A linear correlation was obtained when the results of the image analysis of color variations were compared with a clinical score system for hyperkeratosis and inflammation evaluated by two investigators independently.     

Measurement and assessment in campus climate research: A scientific imperative.

This article provides a brief introduction to this special issue of the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education on "Measurement and Assessment in Campus Climate Research." As institutions across the country seek to increase structural diversity, campus climate has become an integral component on diversity initiatives. In the face of ongoing attacks against diversity efforts, campus climate researchers will be under increasing scrutiny and pressure to provide evidence for the validity of their findings. To date, there has been little attention in the scholarly literature regarding the quality of methods of measurement and assessment in campus climate research. This special issue provides a set of five articles addressing important issues in this important area of inquiry. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Computer graphics in research: Some state-of-the-art systems.

Describes the structure of 3 graphics systems: a high-speed programmable display capable of displaying 50,000 short vectors, flicker free; a shaded-color video display for gray-scale color images; and a hard-copy output system capable of producing multifont text, line drawing, and half-tone images. The construction of an image-processing system, based on these 3 systems, is also outlined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The undergraduate student as research assistant: promoting scientific inquiry

As nurse scientists, we must find a way to excite our undergraduate students about research so that they will value it and include it as an integral part of their practice. The ambience surrounding scientific inquiry cannot be captured from readings and classroom activities alone, but must be modelled by enthusiastic faculty who are actively involved in research. Two exemplary cases involving the use of undergraduate students as integral members of faculty-directed research teams are described.     

Alternative therapies: abuses of scientific method and challenges to dental research

Research with the mismatch negativity component of event-related potentials has uncovered a system that detects change in the acoustic environment on an automatic basis. The system is considered to compare incoming stimuli to representations of the past and to emit an MMN if change is detected. Previous investigations have shown that the relevant memory of the past can become dormant and then be reactivated by a reminder stimulus. It is unclear, however, whether what is reactivated is an holistic representation of stimuli or separate representations of features of stimuli. The present study provides data that supports the latter possibility but leaves open the former one.     

A guiding framework and approach for implementation research in substance use disorders treatment.

This paper introduces readers to the concepts of implementation science, implementation theory, and implementation frameworks and models. A wide range of models has been published in the literature related to implementation. The paper will present an overview of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), which is a comprehensive typology that unifies and consolidates the array of constructs that influence implementation from the perspective of these models. The CFIR is then used to evaluate implementation models used in studies of substance use disorder (SUD) treatments. Implementation research is scarce, with few prospective studies of theory-driven implementation. We assert that future research in SUD needs to meet three overarching objectives to promote wider implementation of evidence-based practices: (a) differentiation of core versus adaptable components of evidence-based interventions need; (b) development of methods to design implementation strategies, effectively adapted to the broad context; and (c) design and testing of predictive models to assess likelihood of effective implementation and prospects for sustainability while taking into account salient contextual factors. A recommended strategy for accomplishing these objectives is described. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Concerns regarding the traditional paradigm for causal research: The unified paradigm and causal research in scientific psychology.

The traditional paradigm refers to the assumption held by most methodologists and researchers that causal research must be defined in terms of the causal powers evident in a closed system. The traditional paradigm does not concord, however, with the nature of scientific theories often cited in the methodological and research literature. The unified paradigm is introduced and causal research defined in terms of the causal powers evident in an open system. Notable implications of the unified paradigm are that experimental methods do not provide a better opportunity than modeling methods to conduct a causal analysis and that the nomenclature often used to describe the validity of causal conclusions must be amended. Additional implications of the unified paradigm are discussed and includes a comparison of the traditional paradigm and the unified paradigm when applied to treatment-outcome research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Diagnostic process in internal medicine: decision analysis or intuition?

The diagnostic process is a hypothesis-testing approach under conditions of uncertainty. Experience-based intuition plays an important role in complex clinical situations. Serious cognitive errors may be avoidable if possible heuristic problems are considered. Probabilistic reasoning according to Bayes' theorem, especially for determination of pretest probability, is crucial for coping with uncertainty and the myriad available diagnostic tests and procedures. Their proper interpretation depends on fundamental test variables such as sensitivity, specificity and likelihood ratio. Computers and neural networks cannot replace cognitive reasoning and probabilistic strategies in daily clinical practice. Decision analysis is pivotal, particularly when the aim is to maintain high-quality medical care at a time of limited resources.     

科研机构项目管理的创新探析

科研机构是国家科技创新体系中的重要组成部分,科研项目管理是科研机构日常工作的重要内容之一,对提高科研工作效率,促进科技工业发展具有重要意义。当前,中国的科研机构对项目管理越来越重视,如何更好的将科研机构与项目管理有效地联系起来,探索新的管理形式,已成为科研机构今后的发展趋势。从分析科研项目管理存在的问题入手,阐明了科研机构实施项目管理的必要性,最后提出了科研机构如何进行项目管理的创新,以适应科技创新的发展趋势。     

试验设计在科研项目中的应用

以试制MC尼龙产品时寻找原料最佳配比为例,系统介绍了正交试验设计这种统计方法的基本步骤,同时说明了它的应用场合。通过本文介绍,说明应用一个周密而完善的试验设计是提高科研成果质量的保证。     

Two applications of transmucosal milled ceramic in implantology: preliminary clinical examples

Two new implant systems, the Compound Implant and the TFM coping/abutment, are based on the association of titanium in the infrabony portion and a dense milled ceramic in the transgingival portion. The coating of zirconium ceramic on the transmucosal collar of the Compound Implant is particularly indicated for a single-stage surgical implant technique. The isolating properties and the high wettability of this material favor gingival healing and reduce the accumulation of plaque; the esthetic collar permits a supragingival or juxtagingival cervical margin favoring plaque control and minimizing the consequences of tissue remodeling. The hardness of the ceramic also allows it to undergo conventional prophylaxis with ultrasonic scalers without alteration of its surface quality. In addition to the above-mentioned advantages, the TFM coping/abutment, an implant-prosthesis connector in alumina ceramic, for use in a two-stage technique, provides electrogalvanic isolation of the implant, and personalized abutment preparation allows for simplified fabrication of an implant-supported prosthesis.     

Finding our balance: The investigation and clinical application of intuition.

This article explores the topic of intuition, a phenomenon that has received remarkably little attention in the clinical literature. Its purpose is to (a) raise awareness of the nature and promise of intuition, (b) demonstrate the feasibility of systematically studying it and refining its use, and (c) discuss implications for its application in clinical practice. A review of important quantitative and qualitative literature provides evidence about the quality, experience, and improvement of intuition. Based on this evidence, three assumptions and five precepts are proposed for the effective and responsible use of clinical intuition. A brief case study of a 40–yr–old women is also provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Direct apprehension and social construction: Revisiting the concept of intuition.

Reviews the role of intuition or an analogous concept within several divergent philosophical systems (including those in which claims concerning the certainty of what is intuited are not relevant) and argues that the salient feature common to various accounts of intuition is its non-inferential status. As such, it is argued to be highly relevant to contemporary theory. The paper offers several examples of points of compatibility with contemporary theory, including perception of social affordances, the apprehension linguistic rules and the construction of social norms. In claiming specific ways in which the concept of intuition is relevant to contemporary theoretical psychology, the paper moves toward developing a more comprehensive and historically informed framework for intuition than is currently offered. It also underscores the historical underpinnings of contemporary debates. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Functional cerebral imaging in psychiatry: a new approach in research

The data on cerebral physiology accumulated over the last decade, and also the ideas of cognitive psychology affect the way studies of mental disorders are modelized through the cerebral functional imaging techniques. Present aspects of these relations are considered and highlighted by recent results of this type of research. The contribution of these techniques for a better understanding of the cerebral neuro-transmission and of the mechanism of action of psychotropic drugs is also reported.     

The 1955 and 1957 research conferences: The identification of creative scientific talent.

2 conferences, one in August 1955 and the other in August 1957, on "The Identification of Creative Scientific Talent" were supported financially by the National Science Foundation. Titles of research reports and authors are presented. Reports of special committees at each conference are summarized. "A multiplicity of hypotheses and problems needing research… emerged throughout both conferences. It is hoped that concurrent attacks on problems of creativity will be undertaken by researchers in industry, government, universities, and school systems." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)