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Results for “Functional verification”

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At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

[Intraoperative electromyographic identification of the recurrent laryngeal nerve].

BACKGROUND: Recurrent nerve palsy is the most important complication of thyroid surgery. Correct identification of the nerve during the surgical procedure is essential to avoid damage. METHOD: We evaluated the intraoperative electromyographic identification procedure of the recurrent laryngeal nerves in 77 consecutive patients. The operations performed were 63 subtotal resections, 6 hemithyroidectomies, 4 hemithyroidectomies in combination with subtotal resection of the opposite side and 4 thyroidectomies. RESULTS: Identification of the recurrent laryngeal nerve by electrophysiologic nerve stimulation was successful in 97.4%. Recurrent nerve palsy was not seen in postoperative laryngoscopic control. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative electromyography improves the identification rate of the recurrent laryngeal nerve and allows electrophysiologic verification of nerve function as a result of injury to the thyroid.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Distribution of cell types and aromatase activity in the sculpin (Myoxocephalus) pituitary.

Although aromatase activity is exceptionally high in the teleost pituitary, it is not known which of the secretory cell types are responsible. Pituitary glands from the longhorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus octodecimspinosus) were sectioned transversely into "cephalic" and "caudal" fragments and cultured for 24 hr in medium containing [7-3H]androstenedione. Radiolabeled estrone and estradiol-17 beta production were measured as an estimate of aromatization. In order to determine the distribution pattern of different cell types, the in situ pituitary and dissected fragments were analyzed by standard cytological procedures. Further verification of cell function was obtained by somatostatin (SRIF) and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) immunocytochemistry. Estrogen yields obtained from caudal fragments in two separate experiments averaged four times higher per milligram protein than yields from matched cephalic fragments. In addition, female glands synthesized significantly more estrogen than those of males. Due to an anteroflexion of the longitudinal axis and a disposition of the gonadotropic (GTH) cells at the periphery of the gland and surrounding the neurointermediate lobe (NIL), the classical subdivisions of the teleost adenohypophysis were not strictly applicable to the sculpin. The predominance of growth hormone (GH) secreting cells in the caudal fragment suggests their participation in aromatization, a finding which is consistent with a previous study of rodent pituitary; however, a role for gonadotropes and other hypophysial cells in this transformation cannot be ruled out.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMed1996

Static in situ calibration of force plates.

An in situ calibration protocol for ground-to-foot force measuring platforms is described. The methodology allows verification of the function of the force plate and allows accurate calibration for three force and moment channels. The effect of cross-sensitivity on recorded data is discussed along with the need for improvements in methodology to quantify this property.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1997

Issues on functional analysis in behavioral assessment.

The rebirth of interest in functional analysis is described. Clarification among conflicting terms is offered as a way of facilitating research in the area. Three phases of functional approach to assessment are identified: (a) descriptive, (b) interpretive, and (c) verification. Five assessment methods common to assessment, generally, are shown to be useful in both descriptive and verification phases. Evaluation of functional approaches requires attention to the psychometric adequacy of these methods. Accuracy, reliability, and validity concepts are reviewed briefly and their application to functional strategies is described. The use of treatment validity in the functional analysis of functional analysis is mentioned as the ultimate strategy for evaluating the adequacy of this assessment approach. The paper ends with a discussion of problems of multiple control of behavior, behavioral classification systems, training parents and other mediators in the functional approach, cost-effectiveness, and the place of functional analysis in a reorganized health care delivery system.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Negative self-efficacy and goal effects revisited.

The authors address the verification of the functional properties of self-efficacy beliefs and document how self-efficacy beliefs operate in concert with goal systems within a sociocognitive theory of self-regulation in contrast to the focus of control theory on discrepancy reduction. Social cognitive theory posits proactive discrepancy production by adoption of goal challenges working in concert with reactive discrepancy reduction in realizing them. Converging evidence from diverse methodological and analytic strategies verifies that perceived self-efficacy and personal goals enhance motivation and performance attainments. The large body of evidence, as evaluated by 9 meta-analyses for the effect sizes of self-efficacy beliefs and by the vast body of research on goal setting, contradicts findings (J. B. Vancouver, C. M. Thompson, & A. A. Williams, 2001; J. B. Vancouver, C. M. Thompson, E. C. Tischner, & D. J. Putka 2002) that belief in one's capabilities and personal goals is self-debilitating.

Anxiety↗
PubMed1993

The need for replication.

Replication provides verification and disconfirmation functions for the scholarly fields. Relatively few replications were found in a survey of studies in JSHD and JSHR over a recent decade. Based on the probabilities of Type I and Type II errors, there are likely to be approximately 50 to 250 false findings in this literature. Because many studies had relatively small sample sizes, replication would be helpful for extending the generalization of their results. These data underscore the urgency for more replications in the field.

Audiology↗
PubMed1986

The clinical utility of pacemaker follow-up visits.

Because of the increased complexity of modern pacemakers, pacemaker follow-up visits in specialized centers become more and more indispensable. In this study, the results of 15,000 outpatient visits to the cardiac pacing center between the years 1983-1985 are presented. In most cases (92.8%), verification of normal function was made; however, mandatory reprogramming was required in 1.2%, and hospitalization for various reasons was required in 6% of visits. Careful outpatient monitoring of pacemakers is therefore very important for detecting early or late pacemaker complications.

Electrocardiography↗
PubMed2006

Ancient genes in contemporary persistent microbial pathogens.

Autotrophs, the earliest prokaryotes, use CO(2) as the sole or the key source in the reductive citric acid cycle for carbon fixation. This pathway, also known as the reductive tricarboxylic acid (rTCA) cycle, has as its center the Krebs cycle running in the reductive direction, using reduced cofactors for energy. During the infection process, persistent pathogenic bacteria like Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Helicobacter pylori, and Salmonella typhi experience diverse and hostile environments both intracellularly (in macrophages) and extracellularly. M. tuberculosis, for example, must adapt to nutrient-deprived, hypoxic conditions in the granuloma. Genomic annotations reveal the presence of the key enzymes of the rTCA cycle--citrate lyase (Enzyme Commission number EC 4.1.3.6) and 2-oxoglutarate synthase (EC 1.2.7.3)--along with the rest of the TCA cycle enzymes. It is possible that there is a metabolic switch to anaerobic respiration in which a complete or a partial TCA cycle may operate in the reductive mode. This switch would both facilitate carbon fixation and restore the balance of oxidative and reductive reactions during environmental transitions, thus enabling the pathogen to survive, grow, and persist. Verification of enzyme function by biochemical investigations and validation of gene essentiality by knockout studies may reveal these enzymes to be rational drug targets for treatment of persistent microbial infections in mechanism-based drug discovery processes.

Archaea↗
PubMed2003

Patient ventilation and oxygenation. A new day is dawning.

Maintaining an airway and providing adequate ventilation and oxygenation to the patient can be challenging in the prehospital environment. Ventilation and oxygenation are a complex series of interactions between the patient, EMS providers and emergency airway equipment. Routine ventilation techniques carry significant risk of long-term complications. New ventilatory equipment is available to perform this function and provide verification of its effectiveness. This opportunity for improved patient care is available to all EMS providers and sets new standards for delivery of ventilation and oxygenation. The technical methods available to EMS personnel vary considerably and are reviewed in this article.

Costs and Cost Analysis↗
PubMed1985

[Advantages and constraints of recent multichannel selective analyzers].

The analyzers have been defined as follows: the analyzers are multiparametric (at least 5 parameters available simultaneously), selective, operating patient by patient, list price on May 1, 1984 below 1,000,000 francs, and distributed in France after January 1, 1981. This definition applies in particular to systems already widely used in French Laboratories, such as the Technicon RA 1000, and the Hitachi Boehringer 705. It also applies to systems distributed more recently, such as the Kone "Progress" and the Coultronics "Dacos". Based on data provided by the manufacturers (technical instructions, operating instructions, evaluation reports, etc) and data provided by a certain number of users, we have tried to appraise the advantages and constraints of these analyzers with respect to the following points: required environment (installation, electrical current, temperature), training of personnel, ease of adaptation, work organization, rhythms, operating cost, ease of use, verification of correct function, format of results, maintenance, etc. Lastly, we discuss the problem of the reliability of the results (precision, accuracy), in particular the problems of referencing in substrate assays, and the problems of accuracy in the measurement of enzymatic activities, considering the current norms of standardization.

Autoanalysis↗
PubMed1993

Fetal vibroacoustic stimulation test: vibrator response characteristics in pregnant sheep postmortem.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of small decreases in battery voltage on the sound pressure level and spectral features of sound within the uterus during vibroacoustic stimulation with a battery-powered electronic artificial larynx. METHODS: In eight pregnant, recently sacrificed sheep, the fluid-borne, intra-amniotic sound pressures resulting from vibration of the abdominal wall with an electronic artificial larynx were compared with airborne sound pressures produced by an artificial larynx and measured at 50 cm. RESULTS: At all frequencies, the intrauterine sound pressure was higher than the sound pressure in air. Decreasing battery voltage from 9 to 7 V resulted in a 5-18-dB decrease in intrauterine sound pressure at the electronic artificial larynx fundamental frequency and most overtones, but only a 4-8-dB decrease in the airborne signal. The results indicate that for frequencies relevant to fetal hearing, the reduction of sound pressure level caused by inadequate battery voltage may result in a difference in fetal response. CONCLUSION: Routine verification of the function of a vibroacoustic device by means of a battery voltage check is recommended.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed2003

Integrated functional and bioinformatics approach for the identification and experimental verification of RNA signals: application to HIV-1 INS.

Regulation of gene expression involves sequence elements in nucleic acids. In promoters, multiple sequence elements cooperate as functional modules, which in combination determine overall promoter activity. We previously developed computational tools based on this hierarchical structure for in silico promoter analysis. Here we address the functional organization of post-transcriptional control elements, using the HIV-1 genome as a model. Numerous mutagenesis studies demonstrate that expression of HIV structural proteins is restricted by inhibitory sequences (INS) in HIV mRNAs in the absence of the HIV-1 Rev protein. However, previous attempts to detect conserved sequence patterns of HIV-1 INS have failed. We defined four distinct sequence patterns for inhibitory motifs (weight matrices), which identified 22 out of the 25 known INS as well as several new candidate INS regions contained in numerous HIV-1 strains. The conservation of INS motifs within the HIV genome was not due to overall sequence conservation. The functionality of two candidate INS regions was analyzed with a new assay that measures the effect of non-coding mRNA sequences on production of red fluorescent reporter protein. Both new INS regions showed inhibitory activity in sense but not in antisense orientation. Inhibitory activity increased by combining both INS regions in the same mRNA. Inhibitory activity of known and new INS regions was overcome by co-expression of the HIV-1 Rev protein.

Computational Biology↗
PubMed2006

ALAMEDA, a structural-functional model for faba bean crops: morphological parameterization and verification.

BACKGROUND: Plant structural (i.e. architectural) models explicitly describe plant morphology by providing detailed descriptions of the display of leaf and stem surfaces within heterogeneous canopies and thus provide the opportunity for modelling the functioning of plant organs in their microenvironments. The outcome is a class of structural-functional crop models that combines advantages of current structural and process approaches to crop modelling. ALAMEDA is such a model. METHODS: The formalism of Lindenmayer systems (L-systems) was chosen for the development of a structural model of the faba bean canopy, providing both numerical and dynamic graphical outputs. It was parameterized according to the results obtained through detailed morphological and phenological descriptions that capture the detailed geometry and topology of the crop. The analysis distinguishes between relationships of general application for all sowing dates and stem ranks and others valid only for all stems of a single crop cycle. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The results reveal that in faba bean, structural parameterization valid for the entire plant may be drawn from a single stem. ALAMEDA was formed by linking the structural model to the growth model 'Simulation d'Allongement des Feuilles' (SAF) with the ability to simulate approx. 3500 crop organs and components of a group of nine plants. Model performance was verified for organ length, plant height and leaf area. The L-system formalism was able to capture the complex architecture of canopy leaf area of this indeterminate crop and, with the growth relationships, generate a 3D dynamic crop simulation. Future development and improvement of the model are discussed.

Computer Simulation↗
PubMed1998

Verification of the hygienic adequacy of beef carcass cooling processes by microbiological culture and the temperature-function integration technique.

To enhance food safety and keeping quality, beef carcasses are cooled immediately after leaving the slaughter floor. Within hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) systems, this cooling process needs to be monitored by the industry and verified by regulatory agencies. This study assessed the usefulness of the temperature-function integration technique (TFIT) for the verification of the hygienic adequacy of two cooling processes for beef carcasses at one abattoir. The cooling process passes carcasses through a spray cooler for at least 17 h and a holding cooler for at least 7 h. The TFIT is faster and cheaper than culture methods. For spray cooler 1, the Escherichia coli generations predicted by TFIT for carcass surfaces (pelvic and shank sites) were compared to estimated E. coli counts from 120 surface excision samples (rump, brisket, and sacrum; 5 by 5 by 0.2 cm) before and after cooling. Counts of aerobic bacteria, coliforms, and E. coli were decreased after spray cooler 1 (P < or = 0.001). The number of E. coli generations (with lag) at the pelvic site calculated by TFIT averaged 0.85 +/- 0.19 and 0.15 +/- 0.04 after emerging from spray coolers 1 and 2, respectively. The TFIT (with lag) was considered convenient and appropriate for the inspection service to verify HACCP systems for carcass cooling processes.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed2002

[Progress in human disease proteomics].

In the post-genomic era, with the accomplishment of the sequence mapping of human genome, one of the most important tasks for life science is the explanation and identification of human genome, that is, about 1/3 genes of human genome and their functions need further revealment and verification on the level of protein. In the field of functional proteomics, the human disease proteomics shows great potential in the discovery of new molecular targets and biomarkers for medicine and biopharmacy. In this article, we have made a concise discussion on the current status, existing problems and future development in the research of human disease proteomics both in and out of China.

Biomarkers↗
PubMed2005

MCL-1 (myosin light chains-1) in differential diagnosis of dyspnea.

Myosin light chains-1 (MLC-1) have been recently associated with the markers of heart function (NYHA, LVEF, NT-proBNP). Verification of the relationship between markers of heart function (New York Heart Association classification (NYHA), left ventricle ejection fraction determination (LVEF), N terminal prohormone of natriuretic peptide B type BNP (NT-proBNP) and concentrations of myosin light chains-1 (MLC-1) was assessed. Patients examined for dyspnea without signs of acute coronary syndrome. All patients underwent echocardiography (calculation of left ventricle ejection fraction--LVEF) and in the serum of all subjects NT-proBNP (ELEIA) and MLC-1 (ELISA) were determined. In the 38 patients (21 men, 17 women), mean age of 58 years (+/-12 years as 1 SD), a significant negative correlation was found between NT-proBNP and LVEF (r = - 0.47; p = 0.02, Spearman). The median levels of NT pro-BNP were closely associated with NYHA classification (type II--584 ng/l, type III--2792 ng/l, type IV--6400 ng/l; p < 0.05). Individuals with clinical NYHA IV differed significantly in median MLC-1 concentrations from persons with clinical NYHA classification II and III (type II--5.7 ng/l, type III--8.9 ng/l, type IV--17 ng/l; p < 0.05). A significant negative correlation between MLC-1 and LVEF (-0.35; p < 0.03) and significant positive correlations between MLC-1 and NT-proBNP (0.42; p < 0.012) were found. In conclusion MLC-1 cannot be used as a diagnostic marker in differential diagnosis of dyspnea.

Biomarkers↗