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Sample Tests (sample + test)
Selected AbstractsEffectiveness of pre-emptive metoclopramide infusion in alleviating pain, discomfort and nausea associated with nasogastric tube insertion: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trialINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 12 2005D. N. Ozucelik Summary Aim of this study was to demonstrate that intravenous metoclopramide can reduce pain, nausea and discomfort during nasogastric tube (NGT) insertion in ED. This prospective, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in the university-based ED. One-hundred patients were enrolled. Before NGT insertion, each eligible patient was randomised to one of the two treatment arms: one group received 2 cc of 10 mg IV metoclopramide, whereas others received 2 cc of normal saline. Before and after the procedure, pain, nausea and discomfort were evaluated using 100-mm visual analogue scale (VAS). This study was analysed using the paired sample test, the independent sample test and the ,2 test. Forty-nine patients received metoclopramide, and 51 received normal saline. Although initial VAS levels elicited for pain, nausea and discomfort were similar, consequent VAS levels of those in the metoclopramide group were significantly lower as compared with those in the normal saline group. The mean differences of VAS levels were statistically significant for three symptoms (p < 0.001). Mean VAS levels of nausea, discomfort and pain during NGT insertion were significantly lower following administration of IV metoclopramide as compared with normal saline. [source] Red blood cell quantification microfluidic chip using polyelectrolytic gel electrodesELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 9 2009Kwang Bok Kim Abstract This paper reports on a novel microfluidic chip with polyelectrolytic gel electrodes (PGEs) used to rapidly count the number of red blood cells (RBCs) in diluted whole blood. The proposed microdevice is based on the principle that the impedance across a microchannel between two PGEs varies sensitively as RBCs pass through it. The number and amplitude of impedance peaks provide the information about the number and size of RBCs, respectively. This system features a low-voltage dc detection method and non-contact condition between cells and metal electrodes. Major advantages include stable detection under varying cellular flow rate and position in the microchannel, little chance of cell damage due to high electric field gradient and no surface fouling of the metal electrodes. The performance of this PGEs-based system was evaluated in three steps. First, in order to observe the size-only dependence of the impedance signal, three different sizes of fluorescent microbeads (7.2, 10.0, and 15.0,,m; Bangs laboratories, USA) were used in the experiment. Second, the cell counting performance was evaluated by using 7.2,,m fluorescent microbeads, similar in size to RBCs, in various concentrations and comparing the results with an animal hematoanalyzer (MS 9-5; Melet schloesing laboratories, France). Finally, in human blood sample tests, intravenously collected whole blood was just diluted in a PBS without centrifuge or other pretreatments. The PGE-based system produced almost identical number of RBCs in over 800-fold diluted samples to the results from a commercialized human hematoanalyzer (HST-N402XE; Sysmex, Japan). [source] Climate,growth relationships of tropical tree species in West Africa and their potential for climate reconstructionGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 7 2006JOCHEN SCHÖNGART Abstract Most tropical regions are facing historical difficulties of generating biologically reconstructed long-term climate records. Dendrochronology (tree-ring studies) is a powerful tool to develop high-resolution and exactly dated proxies for climate reconstruction. Owing to the seasonal variation in rainfall we expected the formation of annual tree rings in the wood of tropical West African tree species. In the central-western part of Benin (upper Ouémé catchment, UOC) and in northeastern Ivory Coast (Comoé National Park, CNP) we investigated the relationship between climate (precipitation, sea surface temperature (SST)) and tree rings and show their potential for climate reconstruction. Wood samples of almost 200 trees belonging to six species in the UOC and CNP served to develop climate-sensitive ring-width chronologies using standard dendrochronological techniques. The relationship between local precipitation, monthly SST anomalies in the Gulf of Guinea, El Niño- Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and ring-width indices was performed by simple regression analyses, two sample tests and cross-spectral analysis. A low-pass filter was used to highlight the decadal variability in rainfall of the UOC site. All tree species showed significant relationships with annual precipitation proving the existence of annual tree rings. ENSO signals could not be detected in the ring-width patterns. For legume tree species at the UOC site significant relationships could be found between SST anomalies in the Gulf of Guinea indicating correlations at periods of 5.1,4.1 and 2.3 years. Our findings accurately show the relationship between tree growth, local precipitation and SST anomalies in the Gulf of Guinea possibly associated with worldwide SST patterns. A master chronology enabled the reconstruction of the annual precipitation in the UOC to the year 1840. Time series analysis suggest increasing arid conditions during the last 160 years which may have large impacts on the hydrological cycles and consequently on the ecosystem dynamics and the development of socio-economic cultures and sectors in the Guinea-Congolian/Sudanian region. [source] Non-isothermal plasticity model for cyclic behaviour of soilsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 5 2008L. Laloui Abstract On the one hand, it has been observed that liquefaction-induced shear deformation of soils accumulates in a cycle-by-cycle pattern. On the other hand, it is known that heating could induce plastic hardening. This study deals with the constitutive modelling of the effect that heat may have on the cyclic mechanical properties of cohesive soils, a relatively new area of interest in soil mechanics. In this paper, after a presentation of the thermo-mechanical framework, a non-isothermal plasticity cyclic model formulation is presented and discussed. The model calibration is described based on data from laboratory sample tests. It includes numerical simulations of triaxial shear tests at various constant temperatures. Then, the model predictions are compared with experimental results and discussed in the final section. Both drained and undrained loading conditions are considered. The proposed constitutive model shows good ability to capture the characteristic features of behaviour. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Fairness Reactions to Personnel Selection Techniques in Spain and PortugalINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SELECTION AND ASSESSMENT, Issue 1-2 2004Silvia Moscoso This paper examines the reactions to personnel selection methods in Spain and Portugal using a sample composed of 125 and 104 students, respectively. The results found are very similar in both countries. The best rated and most favorable methods are interviews, résumés and work sample tests, while contacts, integrity tests and graphology were the least favorable ones. With regard to the process dimensions used, face validity and opportunity to perform are the most important bases for considering personnel techniques favorably. The results show some similarities with the ones found by Steiner and Gilliland (1996) in French and American samples. The similarities among the countries are examined and directions for future research are discussed. [source] Effect of Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting on Risk-Adjusted and Cumulative Sum Failure Outcomes After Coronary Artery SurgeryJOURNAL OF CARDIAC SURGERY, Issue 6 2002Richard J. Novick M.D. We therefore applied CUSUM, as well as standard statistical techniques, to analyze a surgeon's experience with off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) and on-pump procedures to determine whether the two techniques have similar or different outcomes. Methods: In 320 patients undergoing nonemergent, first time coronary artery bypass grafting, preoperative patient characteristics, rates of mortality and major complications, and ICU and hospital lengths of stay were compared between the on-pump and OPCAB cohorts using Fisher's exact tests and Wilcoxon two sample tests. Predicted mortality and length of stay were determined using previously validated models of the Cardiac Care Network of Ontario. Observed versus expected ratios of both variables were calculated for the two types of procedures. Furthermore, CUSUM curves were constructed for the on-pump and OPCAB cohorts. A multivariable analysis of the predictors of hospital length of stay was also performed to determine whether the type of coronary artery bypass procedure had an independent impact on this variable. Results: The predicted mortality risk and predicted hospital length of stay were almost identical in the 208 on-pump patients ( 2.2 ± 3.9% ; 8.2 ± 2.5 days) and the 112 OPCAB patients ( 2.0 ± 2.2% ; 7.8 ± 2.1 days). The incidence of hospital mortality and postoperative stroke were 2.9% and 2.4% in on-pump patients versus zero in OPCAB patients (p= 0.09 and 0.17, respectively). Mechanical ventilation for greater than 48 hours was significantly less common in OPCAB (1.8%) than in on-pump patients (7.7%, p= 0.04). The rate of 10 major complications was 14.9% in on-pump versus 8.0% in OPCAB patients (p= 0.08). OPCAB patients experienced a hospital length of stay that was a median of 1.0 day shorter than on-pump patients (p= 0.01). The observed versus expected ratio for length of stay was 0.78 in OPCAB patients versus 0.95 in on-pump patients. On CUSUM analysis, the failure curve in OPCAB patients was negative and was flatter than that of on-pump patients throughout the duration of the study. Furthermore, OPCAB was an independent predictor of a reduced hospital length of stay on multivariable analysis. Conclusions: OPCAB was associated with better outcomes than on-pump coronary artery bypass despite a similar predicted risk. This robust finding was documented on sensitive CUSUM analysis, using standard statistical techniques and on a multivariable analysis of the independent predictors of hospital length of stay.(J Card Surg 2002;17:520-528) [source] Attitudes Towards Personnel Selection Methods: A Partial Replication and Extension in a German SampleAPPLIED PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 4 2003Bernd Marcus Cette recherche qui fait appel à un échantillon de 213 étudiants allemands porte sur les attitudes envers un ensemble de méthodes utilisées dans la sélection professionnelle. Son but premier était d'apporter un nouvel éclairage sur les différences culturelles qui marquent les réactions des candidats devant les techniques de sélection en reconstituant partiellement une étude de Steiner & Gilliland (1996) qui recueillirent des évaluations de l'acceptation du processus pour dix procédures différentes auprès d'étudiants français et américains. Des divergences significatives sont apparues au niveau des moyennes, mais aucune structure sous-jacente ne put rendre compte de ces différences. En général, les sujets des trois nations ont note les plus favorablement les méthodes répandues (l'entretien et le C.V.), ainsi que les procédures en rapport évident avec le travail (les tests d'échantillon de travail), puis les tests papier-crayon, tandis que les contacts personnels et la graphologie étaient négativement appréciés. Autre objectif important: éprouver la validité des courtes descriptions des instruments de sélection généralement utilisées dans les études comparatives portant sur ce thème. On a évalué deux fois les attitudes envers quatre types de tests imprimés, une premiére fois après la présentation de la description et une seconde fois à l'issue de la passation du test. La convergence prétest-posttest, de basse à moyenne, met en évidence de sérieux problémes en ce qui concerne ces descriptions des tests papier-crayon. On aborde aussi les leçons à en tirer quant aux jugements sur les pratiques de sélection du point de vue des candidats et pour les recherches à venir. This research examined attitudes towards a variety of personnel selection methods in a German student sample (N= 213). Its first objective was to shed further light on cultural differences in applicant reactions to selection techniques by partially replicating a study by Steiner and Gilliland (1996), who obtained ratings of process favorability for ten different procedures from two groups of French and American students. Results indicated a number of significant mean discrepancies but no systematic pattern appeared to underlie these differences. In general, subjects in all three nations rated widespread methods (e.g. interview, résumés) or obviously job-related procedures (work sample tests) most favorably, followed by paper-and-pencil tests, whereas personal contacts and graphology appeared in the negative range. A second major objective was to examine the validity of the brief descriptions of selection instruments often used in comparative studies on this topic. Attitudes towards four different types of written tests were assessed twice for this purpose, once after presenting descriptive information, and a second time after actual test administration. Low to moderate pretest,posttest convergence pointed to serious problems with these descriptions for paper-and-pencil tests. Implications for current evaluations of selection practices from the applicants' perspective and for future research are discussed. [source] Cataract surgery in previously vitrectomized eyesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 5 2008A. Akinci Summary Purpose:, To evaluate the results of extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) and phacoemulsification (PHACO) performed in previously vitrectomized eyes. Material and method:, In this retrospective study, 56 vitrectomized eyes that had ECCE and 60 vitrectomized eyes that had PHACO were included in the study group while 65 eyes that had PHACO in the control group. The evaluated parameters were the incidence of intra-operative and postoperative complications (IPC) and visual outcomes. Chi-squared, independent samples and paired samples tests were used for comparing the results. Results:, Deep anterior chamber (AC) was significantly more common in the PHACO group of vitrectomized eyes (PGVE) and observed in eyes that had undergone extensive vitreous removal (p < 0.05). Except for this there were no significant differences in the rate of IPC between the ECCE group and the PGVE (p > 0.05). Some of the intra-operative conditions such as posterior synechiae, primary posterior capsular opacification (PCO) and postoperative complications such as retinal detachment (RD), PCO were significantly more common in vitrectomized eyes than the controls (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the visual acuity gain between the ECCE group and the PGVE (p > 0.05). Conclusion:, Deep AC is more common in eyes with extensive vitreous removal during PHACO than ECCE. Decreasing the bottle height is advised in this case. Except for this, the results of ECCE and PHACO are similar in previously vitrectomized eyes. Posterior synechiaes, primary and postoperative PCO and RD are more common in vitrectomized eyes than the controls. [source] | |||||||||||||