A hybrid intelligent system for medical data classification

In this paper, a hybrid intelligent system that consists of the Fuzzy Min–Max neural network, the Classification and Regression Tree, and the Random Forest model is proposed, and its efficacy as a decision support tool for medical data classification is examined. The hybrid intelligent system aims to exploit the advantages of the constituent models and, at the same time, alleviate their limitations. It is able to learn incrementally from data samples (owing to Fuzzy Min–Max neural network), explain its predicted outputs (owing to the Classification and Regression Tree), and achieve high classification performances (owing to Random Forest). To evaluate the effectiveness of the hybrid intelligent system, three benchmark medical data sets, viz., Breast Cancer Wisconsin, Pima Indians Diabetes, and Liver Disorders from the UCI Repository of Machine Learning, are used for evaluation. A number of useful performance metrics in medical applications which include accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, as well as the area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve are computed. The results are analyzed and compared with those from other methods published in the literature. The experimental outcomes positively demonstrate that the hybrid intelligent system is effective in undertaking medical data classification tasks. More importantly, the hybrid intelligent system not only is able to produce good results but also to elucidate its knowledge base with a decision tree. As a result, domain users (i.e., medical practitioners) are able to comprehend the prediction given by the hybrid intelligent system; hence accepting its role as a useful medical decision support tool.     

水中苯胺类化合物检测8-羟基喹啉试剂盒的研制

本文提出一种能方便、快速、灵敏地检测水中苯胺类化合物的试剂盒。该方法是以N -氯代丁二酰亚胺和 8-羟基喹啉与苯胺的显色反应为基础。显色反庆所得的蓝绿色化合物的最大吸收波长为 6 1 0nm ,在苯胺为 0 .2～ 8mg/L的浓度范围内符合比尔定率 ,最低检出限为 0 .0 1mg/L ,测定的重现性在± 5 %以内。本方法已成功地用于环境水样的分析测定     

Evaluation of a haptics-based virtual reality temporal bone simulator for anatomy and surgery training

Introduction

Virtual reality simulation training may improve knowledge of anatomy and surgical skills. We evaluated a 3-dimensional, haptic, virtual reality temporal bone simulator for dissection training.

Methods

The subjects were 7 otolaryngology residents (3 training sessions each) and 7 medical students (1 training session each). The virtual reality temporal bone simulation station included a computer with software that was linked to a force-feedback hand stylus, and the system recorded performance and collisions with vital anatomic structures. Subjects performed virtual reality dissections and completed questionnaires after the training sessions.

Results

Residents and students had favorable responses to most questions of the technology acceptance model (TAM) questionnaire. The average TAM scores were above neutral for residents and medical students in all domains, and the average TAM score for residents was significantly higher for the usefulness domain and lower for the playful domain than students. The average satisfaction questionnaire for residents showed that residents had greater overall satisfaction with cadaver temporal bone dissection training than training with the virtual reality simulator or plastic temporal bone. For medical students, the average comprehension score was significantly increased from before to after training for all anatomic structures. Medical students had significantly more collisions with the dura than residents. The residents had similar mean performance scores after the first and third training sessions for all dissection procedures.

Discussion

The virtual reality temporal bone simulator provided satisfactory training for otolaryngology residents and medical students.     

A usability evaluation of medical software at an expert conference setting

Introduction

A usability test was employed to evaluate two medical software applications at an expert conference setting. One software application is a medical diagnostic tool (electrocardiogram [ECG] viewer) and the other is a medical research tool (electrode misplacement simulator [EMS]). These novel applications have yet to be adopted by the healthcare domain, thus, (1) we wanted to determine the potential user acceptance of these applications and (2) we wanted to determine the feasibility of evaluating medical diagnostic and medical research software at a conference setting as opposed to the conventional laboratory setting.

Methods

The medical diagnostic tool (ECG viewer) was evaluated using seven delegates and the medical research tool (EMS) was evaluated using 17 delegates that were recruited at the 2010 International Conference on Computing in Cardiology. Each delegate/participant was required to use the software and undertake a set of predefined tasks during the session breaks at the conference. User interactions with the software were recorded using screen-recording software. The ‘think-aloud’ protocol was also used to elicit verbal feedback from the participants whilst they attempted the pre-defined tasks. Before and after each session, participants completed a pre-test and a post-test questionnaire respectively.

Results

The average duration of a usability session at the conference was 34.69 min (SD = 10.28). However, taking into account that 10 min was dedicated to the pre-test and post-test questionnaires, the average time dedication to user interaction of the medical software was 24.69 min (SD = 10.28). Given we have shown that usability data can be collected at conferences, this paper details the advantages of conference-based usability studies over the laboratory-based approach. For example, given delegates gather at one geographical location, a conference-based usability evaluation facilitates recruitment of a convenient sample of international subject experts. This would otherwise be very expensive to arrange. A conference-based approach also allows for data to be collected over a few days as opposed to months by avoiding administration duties normally involved in laboratory based approach, e.g. mailing invitation letters as part of a recruitment campaign.Following analysis of the user video recordings, 41 (previously unknown) use errors were identified in the advanced ECG viewer and 29 were identified in the EMS application. All use errors were given a consensus severity rating from two independent usability experts. Out of a rating scale of 4 (where 1 = cosmetic and 4 = critical), the average severity rating for the ECG viewer was 2.24 (SD = 1.09) and the average severity rating for the EMS application was 2.34 (SD = 0.97). We were also able to extract task completion rates and times from the video recordings to determine the effectiveness of the software applications. For example, six out of seven tasks were completed by all participants when using both applications. This statistic alone suggests both applications already have a high degree of usability. As well as extracting data from the video recordings, we were also able to extract data from the questionnaires. Using a semantic differential scale (where 1 = poor and 5 = excellent), delegates highly rated the ‘responsiveness’, ‘usefulness’, ‘learnability’ and the ‘look and feel’ of both applications.

Conclusion

This study has shown the potential user acceptance and user-friendliness of the novel EMS and the ECG viewer applications within the healthcare domain. It has also shown that both medical diagnostic software and medical research software can be evaluated for their usability at an expert conference setting. The primary advantage of a conference-based usability evaluation over a laboratory-based evaluation is the high concentration of experts at one location, which is convenient, less time consuming and less expensive.     

Continuous Levels‐of‐Detail and Visual Abstraction for Seamless Molecular Visualization

Molecular visualization is often challenged with rendering of large molecular structures in real time. We introduce a novel approach that enables us to show even large protein complexes. Our method is based on the level‐of‐detail concept, where we exploit three different abstractions combined in one visualization. Firstly, molecular surface abstraction exploits three different surfaces, solvent‐excluded surface (SES), Gaussian kernels and van der Waals spheres, combined as one surface by linear interpolation. Secondly, we introduce three shading abstraction levels and a method for creating seamless transitions between these representations. The SES representation with full shading and added contours stands in focus while on the other side a sphere representation of a cluster of atoms with constant shading and without contours provide the context. Thirdly, we propose a hierarchical abstraction based on a set of clusters formed on molecular atoms. All three abstraction models are driven by one importance function classifying the scene into the near‐, mid‐ and far‐field. Moreover, we introduce a methodology to render the entire molecule directly using the A‐buffer technique, which further improves the performance. The rendering performance is evaluated on series of molecules of varying atom counts.     

测定医疗废水中总余氯方法的改进

对现场快速测定医疗废水中总余氯的方法进行了改进，该方法方便、容易掌握，现场测定总余氯能在较短时间内完成，对防止医疗废水的二次污染和交叉感染作用明显．     

医疗产品设计中的人性化研究

在经济飞速发展的今天,传统的医疗产品行业应该顺应社会的需求,更加重视人的情感需求,从人性化的设计角度,着眼于造型、色彩、人机上对医疗产品进行更深入的设计研究。     

The Basic Clinical Applications of Ozone Therapy

Medical ozone is a mixture of ozone and oxygen, prepared via silent electrical discharge, within a concentration range of 0.05 volume % O₃ to max. 5.0 volume % O₃.

In order to exclude its toxic effect on the pulmonary epithelium, the medical ozone/oxygen mixture is administered so that exposure of the respiratory tract is avoided at all times, i.e., without the disturbing effects of its odor.     

基于小波的医学图像去噪方法研究

为有效地表现医学图像原有信息中有用的信息,降低医学图像受噪声干扰的现象,减少诊断误差,本文将现有的小波图像去噪方法运用于医学图像,并对各种方法进行实验分析比较,以提供医学参考。实验发现,与较常用的均值滤波与中值滤波相比,小波去噪方法有效提高了医学图像的去噪PSNR值。     

我国医疗体制改革中政府主导的困境与对策分析

目前,我国医疗体制改革强调结合中国国情,提出了强化政府责任、明确医疗卫生事业的基本目标定位,但在政府主导的医疗体制改革中出现了政府缺位、错位等问题。本文基于我国医疗体制改革现状,针对该问题进行深入分析,并提出相应对策,以期为我国医疗体制深化改革提供决策参考。