Five-year experience with setup and implementation of an integrated database system for clinical documentation and research

In radiation oncology, where treatment concepts are elaborated in interdisciplinary collaborations, handling distributed, large heterogeneous amounts of data efficiently is very important, yet challenging, for an optimal treatment of the patient as well as for research itself. This becomes a strong focus, as we step into the era of modern personalized medicine, relying on various quantitative data information, thus involving the active contribution of multiple medical specialties. Hence, combining patient data from all involved information systems is inevitable for analyses. Therefore, we introduced a documentation and data management system integrated in the clinical environment for electronic data capture. We discuss our concept and five-year experience of a precise electronic documentation system, with special focus on the challenges we encountered. We specify how such a system can be designed and implemented to plan, tailor and conduct (multicenter) clinical trials, ultimately reaching the best clinical performance, and enhancing interdisciplinary and clinical research.     

Metrics for Quantifying the Similarities and Differences between IFC Files

Recently, several papers reported problems in data exchange using industry foundation classes (IFC). However, most comparisons were made based on a visual check, a manual count, and observation of properties that were selectively chosen. This study proposes a set of metrics for quantifying the similarities and differences between IFC files. The proposed metrics include the similarity rate, the matching rate, the globally unique identifier (GUID) preservation rate, the missing rate, and the addition rate. A long-term goal of this study is to develop a set of metrics for quantifying the information exchange rate between two IFC files. Automated identification of modified information versus newly generated information is an unsolved challenge. The proposed metrics were used in analyzing 88 IFC files generated from different systems to demonstrate the potential use of the proposed metrics.     

贯标工作的几个关键

以作者从事质量体系审核工作的实践为基础,表明了对贯彻ISO9000工作中几个关键问题的看法。     

In-Service Durability Performance of Water Tanks

With an alarmingly increased rate of deterioration in reinforced concrete structures due to durability performance, efforts are being made to quantify in situ performance. Performance is a function of time and it is related to degradation and the parameters influencing it. Although state-of-the-art modeling of various deterioration mechanisms is available in the literature, evaluation of the influence of various deterioration mechanisms that decrease performance with time is difficult. However, in situ condition documentation, survey, and assessment of deteriorated structures reflect the resultant deterioration process and also helps in validation of experimental and theoretical methods of performance evaluation. In this research, a systematic in situ condition documentation, survey, and assessment of water tank structures has been done based on an empirical damage scale similar to that suggested in the literature and a bilinear graphical deterioration model for such water retaining structures in a semitropical region like India is presented on the basis of case studies.     

Human factors in user documentation

Writing user documentation is a job most programmers do not enjoy and are not normally trained in. As computer users become aware of the importance of ease of use, so must computer suppliers be aware of ways to improve user documentation. As well as abilities in technical communication, people who generate high quality computer user documentation require system programming experience and human understanding of computer users. The paper relates the importance of good documentation to user productivity, analyzes the process of generating documentation, and discusses the skills needed by persons employed in that industry.     

An improvement for the McGill University Random Number Package

This paper documents and provides code for two new entry points which increase the flexibility of the McGill University Random Number Package. With these additions the user can access internal locations containing the pseudo-random integers that control the random sequences produced by the generator. A detailed example of the use of the new entry points is provided. Finally, some comments about the documentation of random number generators are made.     

Documenting information systems for management: A key to maintaining user satisfaction

Executives responsible for the information system function need to be concerned about developing a base of satisfied users and maintaining continuing user satisfaction after implementation. This article focuses on user satisfaction among on-going user manager, explores the role of good user documentation, and examines the results of a survey of 144 user managers from 55 firms. The results indicate that good user documentation appears to be an important factor in insuring user understanding and continuing user satisfaction. Thus firms considering alternative ways of keeping users satisfied (i.e., personal computer applications, end user computing, or information centers) might well examine their user documentation practices before exploring other alternatives.     

The design of the MUSS operating system

This paper describes the design of a general purpose operating system called MUSS. One of the major objectives of the MUSS system is that it should be adaptable. The paper discusses the features of its design which lead to adaptability, in particular the method of structuring the system and the techniques and tools used in documenting it.     

Designing structured cobol programs

COBOL is now more than 20 years old and will probably survive to become much older. Since it has some features which are out of date it is desirable to adapt at least the program style to some standards of modern programming languages. The adaption is not only a matter of style but also of costs of program production and program maintenance. This paper presents constructional rules for programming in COBOL which by-pass some of the drawbacks and allow more readable and more maintainable program structures. Finally a postprocessor is presented, that allows verification of the chosen constructional rules and documentation of the resulting programs.