User Friendly (user + friendly)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


EXPO2009: structure solution by powder data in direct and reciprocal space

JOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, Issue 6 2009
Angela Altomare
The program EXPO2009 is the evolution of EXPO2004 [Altomare, Caliandro, Camalli, Cuocci, Giacovazzo, Moliterni & Rizzi (2004). J. Appl. Cryst. 37, 1025,1028]. EXPO2009 performs all the steps of ab initio structure solution by powder data: indexing, space-group determination, estimation of the reflection integrated intensities, structure solution by direct/Patterson methods and/or by a direct-space/hybrid approach, and model refinement by the Rietveld technique. New procedures have been introduced in EXPO2009 for enhancing the structure solution process, particularly in the case of low-resolution data and/or organic compounds, when traditional approaches like direct methods may fail. The EXPO2009 graphical interface has been optimized and made very user friendly. [source]


New techniques for indexing: N-TREOR in EXPO

JOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, Issue 4 2000
Angela Altomare
Indexing of a powder diffraction pattern is still a critical point in procedures aiming at solving crystal structures from powder data. New code has been associated to the program TREOR90 in order to define an efficient peak search procedure, to modify the crystallographic decisions coded into TREOR90 to make it more exhaustive, to refine the selected unit cell automatically, and to make the entire procedure user friendly, via a graphical interface. The new program, called N-TREOR, has been integrated into the package EXPO to create a suite of programs able to provide a structural model from the analysis of the experimental pattern. N-TREOR is also available as a stand-alone program. [source]


Overview of total intravenous anesthesia in children

PEDIATRIC ANESTHESIA, Issue 3 2010
VAITHIANADAN MANI MBChB FRCA
Summary Total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) can be defined as a technique, in which general anesthesia is induced and maintained using purely i.v. agents. TIVA has become more popular and possible in recent times because of the pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic properties of propofol and the availability of short-acting synthetic opioids. Also, new concepts in PK modeling and advances in computer technology have allowed the development of sophisticated delivery systems, which make control of anesthesia given by the i.v. route as straightforward and user friendly as conventional, inhalational techniques. Monitoring of depth of anesthesia is being validated for these techniques, and in the future, measurements of expired propofol may be possible to guide administration. TIVA is being used increasingly in children. [source]


Determination of total homocysteine in dried blood spots using high performance liquid chromatography for homocystinuria newborn screening

PEDIATRICS INTERNATIONAL, Issue 1 2004
Andi Dwi Bahagia Febriani
AbstractBackground: The most widely used method for newborn screening for homocystinuria (HCU) is a semi­quantitative bacterial inhibition assay for measuring methionine concentration in dried blood spots (DBS). Because this method has resulted in a number of missed cases due to many factors, we developed a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with fluorescence detection to measure total homocysteine (tHcy) in DBS which might be useful for newborn screening for HCU. Methods: One disk of DBS 3 mm in diameter was sonicated in 10 min. The extract was reduced with dithioerythritol and was derivatized with 4-aminosulfonyl-7fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole before injection into HPLC. Results: This method showed good linearity (r = 0.996), precision (coefficient of variation range 2.7,5%), and excellent correlation coefficient between DBS and serum tHcy, both in control (r = 0.932) and patient samples (r = 0.952). By this method, the mean tHcy concentration in DBS of preterm newborns, full-term newborns, and adults was 1.4 ± 1.0, 2.5 ± 1.6, and 4.9 ± 1.5 µmol/L, respectively. The mean tHcy DBS concentration in two cases of cystathionine-,-synthase deficiency and one case of 5,10-methylentetrahydrofolate reductase deficiency was 22.7 ± 2.88, 29.3 ± 1.90, and 41.3 µmol/L, respectively. Conclusions: The present method, which is rapid, user friendly and reliable, seems applicable to newborn screening of HCU in place of methionine measurement. [source]


,Are you being converted to partial,?'

PRACTICAL DIABETES INTERNATIONAL (INCORPORATING CARDIABETES), Issue 2 2003
FRCP Honorary Consultant Physician, JK Wales MD
Abstract A new system of partial booking for outpatients is being introduced in the NHS, which will include hospital diabetic clinics. What is the likely impact on the care of patients? Some believe it will make the service more user friendly; others think it will be a long-term disaster. What do you think? Let us know. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Predictive models of toxicity with external radiotherapy for prostate cancer,

CANCER, Issue S13 2009
Clinical issues
Abstract The objective of the current study was to analyze the state of the art and present limitations of available predictive clinical models (when available) estimating the risk of genitourinary tract and small bowel complications, erectile dysfunction, and acute and late symptoms of the rectal syndrome caused by prostate cancer external irradiation. An analysis of the literature indicated that very limited attention has been devoted to the development of "integrated," patient-tailored, user-friendly, and clinically usable tools for the prediction of external beam radiotoxicity. In this article, the authors reported on the multivariate correlation between late genitourinary and gastrointestinal toxicities and clinical/dosimetric risk factors, as well as on the first set of nomograms developed to predict acute and late rectal side effects. At the present state of knowledge, the use of nomograms as predictive instruments of radiotoxicity appears to be particularly attractive for several main reasons. They are "user friendly" and easily developed using the results of multivariate analyses, as they weigh the combined effects of multiple independent factors found to be correlated with the selected clinical endpoint. The integrated evaluation of clinical and dosimetric parameters in the single patient can help to provide a tailored probability of the specific outcome considered. Predicting a high probability of toxicity could avoid unnecessary daily costs for the individual patient in terms of quality of life modification during and after treatment, helping patients in the decision-making process of choosing the best individual, quality of life,related treatment, and clinicians in better tailoring the treatment to patient's characteristics. Cancer 2009;115(13 suppl):3141,9. © 2009 American Cancer Society. [source]


MutationView/KMcancerDB: A database for cancer gene mutations

CANCER SCIENCE, Issue 3 2007
Nobuyoshi Shimizu
It is known that cancers are caused by accumulated mutations in various genes and consequent functional alterations of proteins that are important for maintenance of normal cellular functions. The changes in nucleotide sequences and expression patterns of cancer-related genes are being extensively studied to better understand the mechanisms of tumorigenesis and to develop methods for DNA protein diagnosis and drug discovery. At present, a number of computer databases for molecular information on cancer-related genes are available publicly through the internet. These databases deal with familial cancer and sporadic cancer at the levels of germline mutation or somatic mutation, genomic or chromosomal abnormalities, and changes in the expression levels of relevant genes. Previously, we constructed a human gene mutation database named MutationView (http://mutview.dmb.med.keio.ac.jp/) and have accumulated mutation data for ,300 genes that are involved mainly in monogenic diseases. Forty-two genes are cancer-related and therefore a separate cancer database named KMcancerDB was constructed. MutationView/KMcancerDB utilizes a graphic display function for both queries and search results much more often than other existing databases, making the system quite user friendly. MutationView/KMcancerDB provides a highly sophisticated search function for all genes through a single internet URL. In the present paper, we briefly review various useful databases for cancer-related genes, and describe MutationView/KMcancerDB in more detail. (Cancer Sci 2007; 98: 259,267) [source]