Application Of Quality Control Procedures Research Articles

Demystifying In Vivo Bioluminescence Imaging of a Chagas Disease Mouse Model for Drug Efficacy Studies.

To control and decrease the public health impact of human protozoan diseases such as Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, and human African trypanosomiasis, expediting the development of new drugs and vaccines is necessary. However, this process is filled with difficulties such as highly complex parasite biology and disease pathogenesis and, as typical for neglected tropical diseases, comparatively limited funding for research and development. Thus, in vitro and in vivo study models that can sufficiently reproduce infection and disease key features while providing rational use of resources are essential for progressing research for these conditions. One example is the in vivo bioluminescence imaging (BLI) mouse model for Chagas disease, which provides highly sensitive detection of long wavelength light generated by Trypanosoma cruzi parasites expressing luciferase. Despite this technique becoming the standard approach for drug efficacy in vivo studies, research groups might still struggle to implement it due to a lack of proper practical training on equipment handling and application of quality control procedures, even when suitable BLI equipment is readily available. Considering this scenario, this protocol aims to guide from planning experiments to data acquisition and analysis, with details that facilitate the implementation of protocols in research groups with little or no experience with BLI, either for Chagas disease or for other infectious disease mouse models.

Spatial regression test for ensuring temperature data quality in southern Spain

Quality assurance of meteorological data is crucial for ensuring the reliability of applications and models that use such data as input variables, especially in the field of environmental sciences. Spatial validation of meteorological data is based on the application of quality control procedures using data from neighbouring stations to assess the validity of data from a candidate station (the station of interest). These kinds of tests, which are referred to in the literature as spatial consistency tests, take data from neighbouring stations in order to estimate the corresponding measurement at the candidate station. These estimations can be made by weighting values according to the distance between the stations or to the coefficient of correlation, among other methods. The test applied in this study relies on statistical decision-making and uses a weighting based on the standard error of the estimate. This paper summarizes the results of the application of this test to maximum, minimum and mean temperature data from the Agroclimatic Information Network of Andalusia (southern Spain). This quality control procedure includes a decision based on a factor f, the fraction of potential outliers for each station across the region. Using GIS techniques, the geographic distribution of the errors detected has been also analysed. Finally, the performance of the test was assessed by evaluating its effectiveness in detecting known errors.

Chapter 3 Cell Line Availability: Where to Get the Cell Lines You Need

The availability and utility of cell lines with limited and continuous doubling potential are summarized and documented. Reference to national cell banks is included with pertinent and current contact information. The continuing need for vigorous application of quality control procedures is emphasized with data illustrating frequencies of microbial infection in cultured cell lines as well as high incidences of cross-contamination of one cell line with another.

Application of quality control procedures to large scale rearing of the Mediterranean fruit fly

AbstractQuality control charting was applied to a number of criteria implemented to monitor the large scale (ca 10 million pupae per week) production of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), and to assess the quality of the flies so produced. The control chart procedure was useful and indicated the development of a problem involving adult flight ability. It also illustrated the variability inherent in some parameters e.g. percent recovery of pupae from eggs, but in the absence of similar data from other rearing facilities it is not possible to state whether or not that level of variability is inherent in the process.RésuméMise au point d'un procédé de contrôle de la qualité dans les élevages de masse de Ceratitis capitataUne procédure de contrôle de la qualité a été appliquée à une série de critères de l'élevage de masse (c'est‐à‐dire 10 millions de pupes var semaine) de C. capitata pour garantir la qualité des mouches produites. La charte de contrôle a été utile et a permis de mettre en évidence un problème concernant l'aptitude au vol des adultes. Elle a illustré la variabilité de certains paramètres, par exemple le taux de pupes obtenues à partir des oeufs, mais en l'absence de données semblables provenant d'autres élevages, il n'est pas possible de savoir quelle part du taux de variabilité est inhérente ou non à la méthode.

Detection of specific IgG and IgM antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii with a commercially available enzyme immunoassay kit system.

A total of 138 serum samples submitted for toxoplasma serology have been examined by enzyme immunoassay using kits produced by Labsystems Oy for the detection of specific antibodies of the IgG and IgM class. Results were compared with the dye test, an indirect haemagglutination test, and an indirect immunofluorescence test for specific IgM. The enzyme immunoassay was less sensitive than the dye test, but by running both IgG and IgM enzyme immunoassays, 92.4% sensitivity was achieved. The specificity of the enzyme immunoassay was good, with only one dye test negative serum giving a positive (but weak) IgG enzyme immunoassay reaction. Thirty serum samples from patients with no evidence of exposure to Toxoplasma gondii gave negative results in the IgM enzyme immunoassay. Enzyme immunoassay results were expressed in enzyme immunoassay units, as a percentage value of a standard serum. This convention will be of value in the direct comparison of assay systems and in the application of quality control procedures.

Acute care/blood gas laboratories: profile of current operations.

A survey of acute care/blood gas laboratories was conducted through the memberships of the Society of Critical Care Medicine ( SCCM ) and the National Association of Medical Directors of Respiratory Care ( NAMDRC ). Data were obtained from 227 laboratories and analyzed for operational characteristics, personnel, analyses performed, and quality assurance procedures. Analyses included blood gases/pH, saturation, P50, oxygen content, hematocrit/hemoglobin concentration, as well as sodium, potassium, calcium, osmometry, and glucose. Application of appropriate quality control was uneven in terms of types and frequencies of procedures. Education of laboratory personnel ranged from high school to graduate degrees, with the greatest numbers having associate-level and baccalaureate-level educations . Certification of laboratory personnel primarily was through the National Board for Respiratory Therapy, although 36% of the personnel had no certification or registration. Aspects of the acute care laboratory identified as needing improvement are educational and certification requirements for laboratory personnel and application of quality control procedures. The database developed from this survey will serve for ongoing assimilation of information related to the operation of acute care laboratories.

Quality considerations in medical records abstracting systems.

Health Information Systems utilizing computerized medical records abstracting services are widely applied to clinical research, utilization review, health statistics, and similar programs. The utility of such systems is determined primarily by the accuracy of stored abstracts. Even very low per-character error rates can result in a relatively high proportion of abstracts in error. Application of quality control procedures and purposeful design of error identification systems is essential for establishing face validity. Acceptance sampling with comparison of abstracts to medical records can be employed to assure content validity.

Application of Quality Control Procedures to Environmental Radioassay-Iodine-131 in Milk

In a widespread surveillance program of environmental radioactivity such as that carried out by the Division of Radiological Health, U.S. Public Health Service, reliability of analytical data is of primary importance if measurements by different laboratories are to be comparable and valid. This paper describes the application of quality control techniques to the analysis of samples of fluid milk. The specific technique used for examining the data was the control chart, which was applied to samples of known radionuclide content. This technique facilitated the study of the analytical data so that laboratories producing divergent data could be identified and corrective measures instituted. As practiced under this program, specially prepared samples of milk with known iodine-131 concentrations were analyzed by the laboratories in their routine manner, and the resulting analytical data were statistically compared with the expected values. Control charts were so constructed as to determine whether the accuracy, including precision and bias, of reported results met empirically selected criteria. Through periodic submission of samples, the control-chart method produced a record of laboratory response to quality control efforts. Data depicting the improvement of laboratory agreement with known values, for two sets of samples submitted several months apart, illustrate the usefulness of this quality control measure.

The L3 Coaxial System

The application of quality control procedures, in addition to conventional maximum and minimum limits, is an important factor in the manufacture of components for the L3 carrier repeaters. In this application, control chart techniques are used for providing assurance that the average of each characteristic subject to control is held close to a desired value and that, collectively, individual units have a desired distribution about this average value. The three-cell method is frequently used under certain conditions encountered in the manufacture of these components when sampling procedures cannot be applied. This method consists of measuring each unit of product, classifying conforming units into one of three cells and the selection of groups of five units each to provide the desired distribution. Case histories of a number of factory applications of these methods are presented.