First Full Year Of Operation Research Articles

Web based information on clinical toxicology for the United Kingdom: uptake and utilization of TOXBASE in 2000.

To examine the use and uptake of TOXBASE, an Internet database for point of care provision of poisons information in the United Kingdom during its first calendar year of web-based access. Interrogation of the database software to examine: use by different types of user and geographical origin; profile of ingredient and product access; time of access to the system; profile of access to other parts of the database. Registered users of the system increased in the first full year of operation (1224 new users) and usage of the system increased to 111 410 sessions with 190 223 product monograph accesses in 2000. Major users were hospitals, in particular accident and emergency departments. NHS Direct, a public access information service staffed by nurses, also made increasing use of the system. Usage per head of population was highest in Northern Ireland and Scotland, and least in southern England. Ingredients accessed most frequently were similar in all four countries of the UK. Times of use of the system reflect clinical activity, with hospitals making many accesses during night-time hours. The most popular parts of the database other than poisons information were those dealing with childhood poisoning, information on decontamination procedures, teratology information and slang terms for drugs of abuse. This Internet system has been widely used in its first full year of operation. The provision of clinically relevant, up to date, information at the point of delivery of patient care is now possible using this approach. It has wide implications for the provision of other types of therapeutic information in clinical areas. Web-based technology represents an opportunity for clinical pharmacologists to provide therapeutic information for clinical colleagues at the bedside.

The importance of a dedicated patch test clinic.

A specialist patch test clinic was set up in April 1997 at the Department of Dermatology, South Infirmary-Victoria Hospital, Cork, Ireland. The number of batteries available was expanded from six to 21 and the routine testing of patients to their own products was introduced, as was prick testing for latex hypersensitivity. To assess the impact of introducing this clinic on the detection of allergic contact dermatitis. Patch test results for the first full year of operation of the clinic (1998) were compared with those in the year prior to setting it up (1996). Although the number of patients tested rose after the introduction of the new clinic, the difference was not significant as the number of new dermatology general referrals had also risen. Thirty-one of the 91 patients tested in 1996 had positive patch tests compared with 84 of 158 tested in 1998 (P = 0.0036). Eighteen allergens were detected in 1996 and 53 in 1998. Two patients were positive to their own products in 1996, compared with 12 in 1998 (P = 0.04). The commercial batteries were negative in four of these cases. Three cases of latex hypersensitivity were detected in 1998. The introduction of a specialist patch test clinic resulted in an increase in detected cases of allergic contact dermatitis. The larger range of batteries available and the more widespread testing of patients' own products were the principal factors involved.

Eugenics and the Misuse of Genetic Information to Restrict Reproductive Freedom: Board of Directors of the American Society of Human Genetics

Eugenics and the Misuse of Genetic Information to Restrict Reproductive Freedom: Board of Directors of the American Society of Human Genetics

Seismic Source Parameters from a New Dial-up Seismological Network in Greece

A regional dial-up PT telemetric network of eight digital short-period seismic stations has been in full operation since the beginning of 1995 in Greece. During the first year of full operation, three destructive earthquake sequences struck different regions of central and northern Greece. The dial-up network managed to successfully record more than 85% of these seismic events including foreshocks, main shocks and aftershocks, and 45 of these events were selected in order to determine their seismic source parameters by spectral analysis. The results show that seismic moment correlates very well with earthquake magnitude, fault radius and fault displacement. The determined scaling relations are in general agreement with those obtained by other studies for Greek earthquakes that used different methodologies. Since digital seismic instrumentation is now expanding in Greece, these first results from spectral analysis of digital short-period data can be considered useful for future seismic hazard studies.

Cancer in the Gizan Province of Saudi Arabia: An Eleven Year Study

The occurrence of histologically diagnosed primary malignant tumors in Saudi and Yemeni patients in Gizan Province over the 11 years from 1982 to 1992 was analyzed. During the study period, 1398 malignancies of known primary site were seen in males and 972 in females. In common with other parts of Saudi Arabia, the overall incidence of malignant disease was low by Western standards with lymphoreticular malignancies relatively common and tumors of lung, bowel, breast and the female genital system relatively uncommon. Some malignancies are more common in Gizan Province as compared to elsewhere in Saudi Arabia. Oral cancer was the most common malignancy in females and the most common overall, probably due to widespread use of oral tobacco preparations. Liver cancer was the most common malignancy in males, reflecting the endemic nature of hepatitis B in the area. The incidence of bladder cancer, and particularly of squamous carcinoma of the bladder, was also more, probably due to the high incidence of schistosomiasis in the area. No significant trends in incidence of specific malignancies were noted over the 11-year study period, even though the period has been marked by dramatic and unprecedented changes in lifestyle and public health.

Geburtshilfliche Datenverarbeitung auf einem Personalcomputer

Update computer technology is an increasingly useful tool in medicine for more accurate documentation, avoidance of multiple documentation, improvement of service performance, quicker and easier data processing and evaluation and hence quality assurance. We developed an obstetric data recording programme for an IBM compatible personal computer according to the MS-DOS command programme. A laser printer with dual paper feed is available. The relational database system Clipper is used for programming. The programme comprises at present 179 data fields and is subdivided on the input side into: data on anamnesis and partus, course of puerperium, infant data. This gives the print-outs: birth protocol, adhesive labels for the temperature curves of the mother and of the infant, respectively, birth record book and mother-infant health passport, furthermore, list print-outs: infant record book, transferred/decreased infants, birth lists relating to midwives, and, in addition, physician's report on the mother and the child, and finally, automated monthly and annual statistics. From August 1990 to July 1992, all events were stored by the computer, so that a total of 5,572 data items have been recorded to date. The primary scope of recording was 98.4% already in the first year of full operation of the database. Computer feed-in was affected directly after each data item became available. Application is fully integrated into normal clinical everyday work. To ensure best possible motivation and acceptance, special attention was paid to user friendliness and immediate print-outs whenever required. Attention was also given to the inclusion of infant follow-up data. The computer programme has been accepted for daily operation, and the necessary data quality has been attained by means of proper choice of the appropriate user groups and manifold measures to ensure integration, safe working, continual servicing and creation of suitable working and data feed conditions.

A National Teacher Network to Improve Earth Science Teaching

Project ESTEEM (Earth Science Teachers Exploring Exemplary Materials) is a Harvard-based program designed to improve the quality of earth-science teaching in American schools. Project ESTEEM is a cooperative effort between the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and the Harvard's Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and is funded by the National Science Foundation. Over a three-year period, one hundred and twenty master earth-science teachers will be become agents in this program. During an intense summer program, these precollege teachers examine, present, and evaluate the best activities for earth-science courses. After peer review, these materials are assembled into resource books which provide the basis for inservice workshops conducted by ESTEEM agents across the nation. Following the summer phase of the program, the agents are committed to conduct workshops in their own district, state, or region for other, less well prepared teachers. In the first full year of operation, over 100 work...

Continuing medical education undertaken by general practitioners using the rural registrar scheme

To evaluate the first full year of operation of the rural registrar scheme by comparing the educational activities undertaken by the participating rural general practitioners with those undertaken in the previous year. Retrospective questionnaire survey mailed to all participants. Continuing medical education (CME) for rural general practitioners (GPs) in South Australia. All 25 GPs who used the scheme from July 1989 to June 1990 were included in the study. All were from solo or two person practices in rural South Australia. One had gone abroad and could not be contacted, and 23 of the remaining 24 responded. A competent locum was supplied at no cost to the GP, so that the GP could leave the practice to undertake CME. GPs were asked to outline CME activities for two consecutive years, to rate the educational value of each activity, and to note whether skill or knowledge acquisition was most relevant. The rural registrar scheme increased the amount of time that rural GPs spent on CME. The range of topics studied increased considerably. The provision of a satisfactory locum service has enabled rural GPs to participate in a wide range of CME activities, which reflect the diversity of general practice. Most participants preferred individual, experiential study programmes to more structured CME programmes.

The Implementation of a Statewide Gynaecology Audit in Tasmania

A successful Statewide audit of Obstetric and Neonatal data has operated in Tasmania since 1974. The experience and goodwill gained from the conduct of the survey has been used to establish an audit of all hospital admissions in the State for gynaecological complaints. This paper outlines the methods used in setting up the survey, and some of the results of its first full year of operation to indicate the scope and potential of such a study.

Managing Growth at High-Technology Companies: A View from the Top

Technological developments open opportunities for new products, new markets, and sometimes entire new industries. Entrepreneurs frequently discover ways to apply new technologies profitably and found new companies based on them. Some achieve success quickly. Compaq Computer passed $100 million in sales in its first full year of operation. Eight years after its founding, Apple Computer was a multibillion-dollar international corporation. Not all high-technology companies do so well. Many fail to get off the ground and quickly disappear. Some reach a level of financial viability but fail to grow further. Still others achieve significant growth for a time, only to fail later when they cannot seem to take advantage of their initial success. Flashes in the pan such as Osborne Computer, Sinclair, and Coleco's Adam Computer have been all too common. Even high-tech companies that have thrived for years are subject to buffeting from the fast-changing environment characteristic of the high-technology industry. Digital Equipment Corp. experienced serious organizational and marketing problems in the mid1980s before its recent dramatic resurgence. HewlettPackard, another of the most successful high-technology companies, ran afoul of the winds of marketing and technological change,' as did Wang Laboratories in 1985. None of these three leaders of the computer industry was able to match the performance of newcomers such as Apple, Compaq, and SUN. The types of problems encountered may be a result of the failure of management to address successfully the vital connection between strategy and technology.2 Or they may be a result of other causes such as errors in implementing strategy in the marketplace or in not choosing the right managers to carry out plans. What distinguishes successful high-technology companies from those that make little or no progress? One essential factor is surely management competence. In their study of high-technology companies Madique and Hayes noted that leadership reinforced by proper strategy and management practices is a key to success in those firms.3 But what are the specific characteristics of the managements of the growing firms? Are management problems in high-technology companies different from those in other enterprises? How have the more successful ones solved their problems? Are the management shortcomings that have led to stagnation or failure of high-technology firms different from those that have led to similar results in other types of companies? And what distinguishes successful management of high-tech companies with niche strategies from larger companies? To find the answers to these questions, we interviewed the chief executive officers of 10 high-tech companies. The selected companies represent a range of sizes and technologies, but are all relatively small niche competitors in dynamic high-tech industries. The largest company is, in fact, a corporation made up of small niche companies. Exhibit 1 profiles the CEOs and shows their firms' annual sales and growth rates.

An Advanced Integrated Manufacturing System for Turbine and Compressor Discs

This paper describes AIMS which is a flexible manufacturing system, formally opened at Rolls-Royce plc, Derby, in January 1986, for the production of aero engine turbine and compressor discs. These are the high-value, rotating components which require structural integrity together with a high degree of precision during the manufacturing process. The prime objective for the project was to reduce the value of work-in-progress to an extent which would enable cost savings in the inventory to finance the project in its first full year of operation. The paper details its concept strategy and examines the equipment requirements, justification and benefits of the capital investment. It also describes planning and implementation aspects, together with computer hardware/software support.

The assessment of the disabled for driving: A preliminary report

An increasing number of centres are being established to give advice to the disabled driver. This study presents a preliminary report on the assessment procedures used at Banstead Place Mobility Centre to determine a person's suitability for driving, and the subsequent decisions on driving of the disabled who were assessed in the Centre's first full year of operation.

THE SHIP CHARACTERISTICS AND IMPROVEMENT BOARD: A STATUS REPORT

ABSTRACTOn 7 September 1982, Admiral W.N. Small, the Vice Chief of Naval Operations, signed a memorandum establishing the Ship Characteristics and Improvement Board (SOB). This ended months of deliberation between the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), Naval Material Command (NAV‐MAT), and the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV) on how ship characteristics should best be developed and approved for both ship acquisition and fleet modernization programs. Admiral Small's guidance was:“With the advent of the SCIB, we have the opportunity to clarify and discipline our approach to both new ship design as well as the evolution of military characteristics of existing platforms. The goal is to eliminate in so far as is possible turbulence, technical defects and the perceived lack of Fleet Modernization Program (FMP) focus.”By tracing the history of characteristics decision making for naval ship programs, this paper establishes the foundation of the present SCIB. Organizational elements of the SOB, including the functions of its permanent staff and working groups, are explained and the recent track record of the SCIB on various programs is reviewed. Based on its first full year of operation, an overall assessment of SOB performance and a projection of future efforts is made.

A Course Description: "Politics and the Arts in the GDR"

Any consideration of culture is incomplete without the inclusion of information about the GDR. The one of the four major German-speaking areas, has become industrially one of the ten strongest industrialized countries in the world. This fact alone means that the GDR has joined the constellation of world powers and can no longer be ignored, as American policy attempted during the 1950's and 1960's. Many high school and college teachers are including work from the GDR in their courses on post-war German literature, but relatively few courses appear to be devoted entirely to GDR literature or GDR culture. Even fewer programs offer advanced degrees in GDR Studies. Many teachers who received their own education during the fifties and sixties, when information about the GDR was not commonly included in our German programs, may be interested in developing courses on the but are uncertain how to organize them. This article describes a course entitled Politics and the Arts in the GDR, which was developed at the University of Kansas, where it is now possible to earn a Master of Arts degree with a specialty in GDR Studies (see Appendix B). The degree is offered through the interdisciplinary program of Soviet and East European Studies which is an NDEA Center for Area Studies. The M.A. program prepares students either to continue graduate studies in another department or to enter government or business. Because the program is in its first full year of operation, it is too early to assess its success or the candidates' employment opportunities. To date, the program has been received enthusiastically by the students who are also offered the opportunity to study in the GDR during summers. The program is also enhanced by a Writer-in-Residence program which enables students to enroll in a seminar taught by a GDR writer. The Writer-in-Residence series is financed jointly by an NDEA Grant and the Writers Union of the GDR. The course which is described here, Politics and the Arts in the GDR, is offered on a regular basis as one of the central courses for those students interested in concentrating in GDR literature and the arts. It provides an overview of literary and political development in the GDR from the post-war transitional period (1945-49) through the Stalinist era and the Ulbricht years to the period of liberalization under Honecker. It intends to introduce students to the special problems of dealing with GDR culture and to provide a survey of developments in literature, architecture, the arts, and political thought in the GDR since 1945. As such, it is an ambitious undertaking which requires that the instructor have adequate knowledge of historical developments since

The estimation of costs and effectiveness of community-based family planning services.

The decision to include Family Planning (FP) services within the auspices of the NHS was made in 1973, but their first full year of operation in the community sector was not until 1976. Incentives have been given to encourage utilisation of the services (for example, the removal of price barriers to access) and service delivery (for example, the introduction of the GP fee for contraceptive service). This paper seeks to estimate the cost of FP service provision and to demonstrate a means of showing the effectiveness of these services. Empirical results presented relate to the Grampian Health Board Area for the financial year 1977/78. This Area is located in the North‐East of Scotland. The total population is approximately 450,000. Grampian is divided into three districts, North, West and South, the last containing the City of Aberdeen with a population of over 200,000. Outside of Aberdeen the area is rural with no other major centre of population. Consequently North and West Districts and those parts of South District outside of Aberdeen are fairly sparsely populated.

Factors affecting nursing home medical review Implications for program and facility planning.

A system for the Medical Review of nursing home patients has been fully operational in the state of Rhode Island since 1973. This study examines recommendations as to the appropriate level of care required by each of 1,309 skilled nursing patients reviewed during the system's first full year of operation and relates these recommendations to a number of other factors, including patient and facility characteristics. Variables measuring patient medical condition and need for skilled nursing care correlated strongly with level of care recommendations made by the team of professional reviewers. In addition, facility licensing status emerged as a significant influence in the decision-making process concerning appropriate level of care assignments. Skilled nursing patients in multi-level (SN/ICF) facilities were much more likely to be recommended for less intensive, intermediate levels of nursing care than were patients residing in single-level (SN) facilities. This relationship persisted after controlling for variations in patient characteristics, but was strongest among those patients for whom the need for continued SN care seemed most dubious. The authors conclude that 1) the relationship can be attributed to a reluctance on the part of the review team to physically relocate aged patients, and 2) long-term care patients with complexly intertwining medical and social needs might be most appropriately placed in facilities which offer a spectrum of services and multiple levels of care.

Medical priority rehousing in Sheffield

A new medical priority rehousing scheme was introduced in Sheffield in October, 1974. After a successful 6-month trial period, the scheme was approved and this report covers the first full year of operation.

BLLD PROGRESS REPORT 1974/75

This report covers the first full year of operation of the British Library Lending Division. During the year, integration of the staff of the former NLLST and NCL has been completed, there has been an unprecedented increase in demand, arrangements with back‐up libraries came into full operation, and the International Federation of Library Associations established at Boston Spa an Office for International Lending. The Standing Conference of National and University Libraries made its first award for functional efficiency in new library buildings to Phase I of the new building, and outline planning permission was received from the local authority for an eight‐storey Phase III building. The translation service offered by the BLLD, and the seminars and courses arranged at Boston Spa, were put on a cost recovery basis from January 1975. Finally, the acquisition of music scores was expanded into a comprehensive programme, in order to give a parallel service for music scores to that given for serials and monographs.

The Framework for Insurance Marketing Changes

The movement of large life insurers into multiple-line insurance has attracted much attention in recent years. However, this movement should be viewed as the natural consequence of past changes that have taken place in the insurance industry and the business community as a whole, as well as basic social, political and economic changes. The marketing power of the thousands of debit life insurance agents promises to make the life insurers major factors in the future multiple-line insurance marketing system. Early results of Prudential Property and Casualty Insurance Company indicate impressive marketing ability and underwriting performance. The first full year of operation of Hanseco, Inc., was not impressive in either area. The movement of large life insurers into the property and liability insurance field is sometimes viewed as a new development. It would seem more appropriate to think of it as a continuation of a movement that started at least fifteen years ago, with roots reaching back at least to

The Finances of the League of Nations

In their first full year of operation, the United Nations and the specialized agencies spent under $25 million; ten years later, in 1956, their total regular budgets were almost $85 million. In that same year the Suez crisis led to the creation of the Emergency Force and the clearing of the Canal, adding about $25 million to the 1957–1958 expenditures. During the past three years 22 governments joined the Organization, adding much to its operating costs but little to its coffers. With the Middle East still in turmoil, and social upheaval dominating world politics, there is increasing agitation for both a permanent UN Force and a drastically expanded economic assistance program. As the Organization seeks to grapple with an ever-mounting range of responsibilities, with the consequent shift from reliance on voluntary programs to regular budgetary outlays, it is quite likely that the estimated expenditures of over $98 million for the Organization and the agencies in 1958 will be doubled within the next five years.