What's the difference between ascertain and discern?

Ascertain


Definition:

  • (v. t.) To render (a person) certain; to cause to feel certain; to make confident; to assure; to apprise.
  • (v. t.) To make (a thing) certain to the mind; to free from obscurity, doubt, or change; to make sure of; to fix; to determine.
  • (v. t.) To find out or learn for a certainty, by trial, examination, or experiment; to get to know; as, to ascertain the weight of a commodity, or the purity of a metal.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) We have investigated the effect of methimazole (MMI) on cell-mediated immunity and ascertained the mechanisms of immunosuppression produced by the drug.
  • (2) Prior to oral feeding, little or no ELA was detected in stools and endotoxinemia was ascertained in only six of 45 infants (13%).
  • (3) A total of 13 ascertainments of folate sensitive autosomal fragile sites is observed, of which 10q23 fragility appears to be the most frequent.
  • (4) A similar examination of the effects of PD was also carried out in vitro to ascertain whether PD itself or its metabolites are involved in its action.
  • (5) The purity and configuration of each isomer of the free acid and N-chloroacetylated derivative were ascertained by: (a) paper chromatography in five solvent systems, (b) elemental analysis, (c) Van Slyke nitrous acid determination of alpha-carbonyl carbon, and (d) Van Slyke ninhydrin determination of alpha-carbonyl carbon, and (e) optical rotation.
  • (6) In an anthropologic study of illness referral among Latin-American immigrants three phases were ascertained: First, there was extended use of self-treatment.
  • (7) In 20 adult patients with asthma, we evaluated bronchodilation to a single administration of metered-dose glycopyrrolate aerosol (GA) to ascertain its onset and duration of action along with evaluation of safety.
  • (8) 64% of the patients without nodular metastases and 45% of the patients with histologically ascertained nodular metastases and 45% of the patients with histologically ascertained nodular metastases survived the 3-year interval.
  • (9) The results indicated a very good comparability between the dot-blot assay and IF-tests, and this dot-blot method was ascertained as a simple and useful method for the scrub typhus serodiagnosis.
  • (10) Combinations of YM534 with other anti-cancer agents were examined to ascertain whether YM534 potentiated other anti-cancer agents against the KB cell line and its multidrug-resistant counterpart, VJ-300.
  • (11) Three experiments in person perception were conducted to investigate the conditions under which naive observers label an actor as aggressive and to ascertain how this label affects the reactions of the observers to the actor.
  • (12) This study was designed to ascertain the frequency of these problems in our RS patients, whether they were related to other clinical features of RS and what was the extent of the resulting disability.
  • (13) The nutritional requirements for optimal production of biologically active l-asparaginase by a strain of Escherichia coli have been ascertained.
  • (14) Fifty-seven strains of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli isolated from humans and pigs and producing thermolabile (LT) enterotoxin were used to ascertain the efficiency of the Biken test compared to the passive immune haemolysis test (PIH), considered as very sensitive for detecting that enterotoxin.
  • (15) In the formation of the transformation index the difference between the two groups could be statistically ascertained.
  • (16) This was a highly significant (p less than 0.0001) predictor of 5-year total mortality, whose ascertainment was virtually complete.
  • (17) On the basis of segregating phenotypes, the genetic potentials of these compatible nocardiae were ascertained as follows: the formation of a diploid with subsequent segregation of parental or haploid recombinant genomes or both; persistence of the diploid through many generations; continuing reassortment of genetic information by multiple matings between parental or recombinant organisms; and, very probably, second-round recombinations within the diploid.
  • (18) Based on the ratio of plasma membrane marker enzyme activity determined in the nuclear preparation, the purity of the isolated nuclei was ascertained.
  • (19) The amount of free testosterone in the saliva was also ascertained for 23 of the subjects.
  • (20) In addition, re-analysis of previous investigations of the MAB underscores the importance of ascertaining the reading level of subjects prior to the administration of the MAB.

Discern


Definition:

  • (v. t.) To see and identify by noting a difference or differences; to note the distinctive character of; to discriminate; to distinguish.
  • (v. t.) To see by the eye or by the understanding; to perceive and recognize; as, to discern a difference.
  • (v. i.) To see or understand the difference; to make distinction; as, to discern between good and evil, truth and falsehood.
  • (v. i.) To make cognizance.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) However, no evidence could be discerned to support its validity as a measure of a patient's treatment outcome.
  • (2) Of 55 new open reading frames analysed by gene disruption, three are essential genes; of 42 non-essential genes that were tested, 14 show some discernible effect on phenotype and the remaining 28 have no overt function.
  • (3) This was apparent by standard flux techniques only in low (65 mM) Na solutions, but was readily discernible in normal Na (125 mM) with the "lanthanum-residual" technique.
  • (4) By this method two types of granules have been discerned according to their different contrasts.
  • (5) Several stages in its histogenesis may be discerned: I. focal necroses of hepatic cells associated with their invasion with lister Listeria; 2. appearance of cellular elements around the foci of necroses with subsequent formation of granulemas consisting mainly of leucocytes and lymphoid cells; 3. development of necrobiotic changes in the central areas of granulemas with concomitance of exudative processes; 4. organization of necrotic foci with subsequent scarring.
  • (6) Significant increment in lipid peroxidation was discernible in brain, liver and muscle.
  • (7) While there's no discernible forró influence in the dreamy 80s indie-guitar music of Fortaleza's Cidadão Instigado, they do take influence from popular local style brega, a 1970s and 80s Brazilian romantic pop music.
  • (8) Furthermore, individual AgNOR dots were much more readily discerned in cell imprints than in sections, and this appears to be the method of choice if pathologists wish to at least approach absolute rather than relative AgNOR counts.
  • (9) In order to assess the sensitivity of these techniques, and to discern minimal criteria for their conduct, a survey of 113 human lymphocyte cytogenetic surveillance studies conducted between 1965 and 1984 has been undertaken.
  • (10) Changes in the secretory process were discernible as of day 1 in all three tumors, with a dramatic reduction of exocytosis and intracellular accumulation of PRL-immunoreactive granules.
  • (11) The advent of cyclosporine A provides the dermatologist with a new therapeutic strategem in the management of psoriasis, although the long-term safety of such interventional therapy remains to be discerned.
  • (12) Histologically, no discernible changes in the hair cells or sensory hairs were found with a scanning electron microscope at about 6 hours after 10 krad irradiation, while with a transmission electron microscope, the outer hair cells in the basal coil of the cochlea were found to be mostly destroyed.
  • (13) However, by phase microscopy, no changes are discernible within the first 12-18 h. Since the primary NGF receptor appears to be a membrane receptor, it seemed likely that some of the initial responses to the factor may be surface related.
  • (14) Whereas no discernible differences on survival were documented on a long-term basis, when patient who ultimately recurred in each group were compared, a substantial and statistically significant prolongation of the free-of-disease interval from surgery to recurrence and of survival from recurrence to death are revealed.
  • (15) The results suggest that TGF-beta 1 has powerful anti-inflammatory effects, mimicking in some respects the beneficial effects of immunosuppressive drugs in these experimental models of autoimmune disease, but without discernable adverse effects.
  • (16) Temporal differences in the expression of sugar-binding proteins and different patterns of staining of the component cell types of human placenta were discerned, especially pronounced for alpha-fucoside-specific binding in the trophoblast and alpha-glucoside-specific binding in fetal and maternal macrophages.
  • (17) They’re all basically the same, but the tiny, barely discernible differences between them consume vast amounts of energy and generate heartache for everyone involved.
  • (18) Judged radiographically, partial obliteration (pulp chamber not discernible, root canal markedly narrowed but clearly visible) had occurred in 44 teeth (36%).
  • (19) Starch ingestion had no discernible effect on postprandial lipemia.
  • (20) We conclude that long-term prophylaxis with TMP-SMZ does not produce discernable hematologic, renal, or hepatic toxicity in renal transplant recipients nor does it augment nephrotoxicity with cyclosporine or increase the risk of rejection.