The dartboard problem is to arrange n numbers on a circle to obtain maximum risk, which is the sum of the q-th power of the absolute differences of adjacent numbers, for q ≥ 1. Curtis showed that the dartboard problem admits a greedy algorithm. We generalize the dartboard problem by considering more circles and the goal is to arrange kn number on k circles to obtain the maximum risk. In this pa...

PermutMatrix is a work space designed to graphically explore gene expression data. It relies on the graphical approach introduced by Eisen and also offers several methods for the optimal reorganization of rows and columns of a numerical dataset. For example, several methods are proposed for optimal reorganization of the leaves of a hierarchical clustering tree, along with several seriation or u...

OBJECTIVE Critically ill patients sometimes require transport to another location. Longer intra-hospital transport time increases the risk of hemodynamic instability and associated complications. Therefore, reducing intra-hospital transport time is critical. Our objective was to evaluate whether or not a new device the easy tube arrange device (ETAD) has the potential to reduce intra-hospital t...

BACKGROUND The 5 A's (Assess, Advise, Agree, Assist and Arrange) is a model that can be used by primary care physicians and practitioners to promote patient behaviour change. The 5 A's model is a viable intervention for encouraging weight management in response to the epidemic of obesity among patients. AIM To identify and summarize quantitative research related to the 5 A's patients want to ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES More than two thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. Physician counseling may help patients lose weight; however, physicians perceive these discussions as somewhat futile and time-consuming. An effective and efficient tool for smoking cessation is the Five A's (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, and Arrange). We studied the effectiveness of the Five A's in weight-loss ...

BACKGROUND The US Public Health Service clinical practice guideline treating tobacco use and dependence: 2008 update established an expanded standard of care, calling on physicians to consistently identify their patients who use tobacco and treat them using counseling and medication. FINDINGS To assess compliance, we examined the extent to which physicians self-report following four of the fi...