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Method Approach (method + approach)
Kinds of Method Approach Selected AbstractsDetermination of adsorption isotherms by means of HPLC: Adsorption mechanism elucidation and separation optimizationJOURNAL OF SEPARATION SCIENCE, JSS, Issue 5-6 2009Nicola Marchetti Abstract The purpose of this review is to illustrate the most important techniques for isotherm determination by means of HPLC. Starting on the traditional Frontal Analysis approach, Frontal Analysis by Characteristic Point, Elution by Characteristic Point, Perturbation Method in its different applications will be considered to conclude with the most recent Inverse Method approach. Since many of these techniques are based on the fundamentals of nonlinear chromatography, a short overview of the theory of nonlinear chromatography is presented. Emphasis is given to the most recent applications of these techniques for pharmaceutical applications, characterization of binding mechanisms, bioaffinity studies, molecular and chiral recognition processes. [source] Simultaneous optimization of response variables in protein mixture formulation: constrained simplex method approachINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Issue 2 2003I. A. Castro Summary The objective of this study was to test a complex constrained simplex, direct search, sequential method for the optimization of a ternary mixture of protein ingredients used in a formulation for the preparation of a milk drink regularly consumed in institutional nutritional programmes. Three proteins [hydrolysed gelatine (HG), wheat gluten (WG) and soybean protein isolate (SPI)] were mixed according to a simplex-centroid design, in order to explore the possible synergies between the sensory, nutritional and economic attributes. Mixtures containing different proportions of the three ingredients were submitted to sensory, nutritional and economic evaluations. All responses were modelled using Scheffé's canonical equations. A microinformatics application was developed in order to permit optimization to be computed. The optimum solution obtained by this non-linear programming was HG = 20%, WG = 27% and SPI = 53%, suggesting that the program is efficient and flexible enough for multiresponse optimization. The optimal point behaviour of the entry variables (HG, WG and SPI) can be monitored with graphs of the trace plot type, in which the proportion of two variables is fixed and the third is allowed to vary in relation to the desired response. [source] Celluloid angels: a research study of nurses in feature films 1900,2007JOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 1 2008David J. Stanley Abstract Title.,Celluloid angels: a research study of nurses in feature films 1900,2007. Aim., This paper is a report of a study examining the influence on how nursing and nurses are portrayed in feature films made between 1900 and 2007, with a nurse as their main or a principle character and a story-line related specifically to nursing. Background., Nurses and the nursing profession are frequently portrayed negatively or stereotypically in the media, with nurses often being portrayed as feminine and caring but not as leaders or professionals capable of autonomous practice. Methods., A mixed method approach was used to examine feature films made in the Western world. Over 36,000 feature film synopses were reviewed (via CINAHL, ProQuest and relevant movie-specific literature) for the keywords ,nurse'/,nursing'. Identified films were analysed quantitatively to determine their country of production, genre, plot(s) and other relevant data, and qualitatively to identify the emergence of themes related to the image of nurses/nursing in films. Findings., For the period from 1900 to 2007, 280 relevant feature films were identified. Most films were made in the United States of America or United Kingdom, although in recent years films have been increasingly produced in other countries. Early films portrayed nurses as self-sacrificial heroines, sex objects and romantics. More recent films increasingly portray them as strong and self-confident, professionals. Conclusion., Nurse-related films offer a unique insight into the image of nurses and how they have been portrayed. Nurses need to be aware of the impact the film industry has on how nurses and nursing are perceived and represented in feature films. [source] Patterns and frequency of anxiety in women undergoing gynaecological surgeryJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 3 2006Eloise Carr PhD, PGCEA Aims., Within a gynaecological surgical setting to identify the patterns and frequency of anxiety pre- and postoperatively; to identify any correlation between raised anxiety levels and postoperative pain; to identify events, from the patients' perspective, that may increase or decrease anxiety in the pre- and postoperative periods. Background., It is well documented that surgery is associated with increased anxiety, which has an adverse impact on patient outcomes. Few studies have been conducted to obtain the patient's perspective on the experience of anxiety and the events and situations that aggravate and ameliorate it. Method., The study used a mixed method approach. The sample consisted of women undergoing planned gynaecological surgery. Anxiety was assessed using the State Trait Anxiety Inventory. Trait anxiety was measured at the time of recruitment. State anxiety was then assessed at six time points during the pre- and postoperative periods. Postoperative pain was also measured using a 10 cm visual analogue scale. Taped semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted approximately a week after discharge. Results., State anxiety rose steadily from the night before surgery to the point of leaving the ward to go to theatre. Anxiety then increased sharply prior to the anaesthetic decreasing sharply afterwards. Patients with higher levels of trait anxiety were more likely to experience higher levels of anxiety throughout their admission. Elevated levels of pre- and postoperative anxiety were associated with increased levels of postoperative pain. Telephone interviews revealed a range of events/situations that patients recalled distressing them and many were related to inadequate information. Conclusion., This study found higher rates of anxiety than previously reported and anxiety levels appeared raised before admission to hospital. This has important clinical and research implications. Relevance to clinical practice., Patients with high levels of anxiety may be identified preoperatively and interventions designed to reduce anxiety could be targeted to this vulnerable group. Patient experiences can inform the delivery of services to meet their health needs better. [source] A practical valence bond method: A configuration interaction method approach with perturbation theoretic facilityJOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY, Issue 4 2004Lingchun Song Abstract The previously developed valence bond configuration interaction (VBCI) method (Wu, W.; Song, L.; Cao, Z.; Zhang, Q.; Shaik, S., J. Phys. Chem. A, 2002, 105, 2721) that borrows the general CI philosophy of the MO theory, is further extended in this article, and its methodological features are improved, resulting in three accurate and cost-effective procedures: (a) the effect of quadruplet excitation is incorporated using the Davidson correction, such that the new procedure reduces size consistency problems, with due improvement in the quality of the computational results. (b) A cost-effective procedure, named VBCI(D, S), is introduced. It includes doubly excited structures for active electrons and singly excited structures for inactive pairs. The computational results of VBCI(D, S) match those of VBCISD with much less computational effort than VBCISD. (c) Finally, a second-order perturbation theory is utilized as a means of configuration selection, and lead to considerable reduction of the computational cost, with little or no loss in accuracy. Applications of the new procedures to bond energies and barriers of chemical reactions are presented and discussed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 25: 472,478, 2004 [source] Cognitive hypothesis testing and response to intervention for children with reading problemsPSYCHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS, Issue 8 2006Catherine A. Fiorello Response to intervention (RTI) must be combined with comprehensive cognitive assessment to identify children with learning disabilities. This article presents the Cognitive Hypothesis Testing (CHT) model for integrating RTI and comprehensive evaluation practices in the identification of children with reading disabilities. The CHT model utilizes a scientific method approach for interpreting cognitive and neuropsychological processes together with evaluation of ecological and treatment validity data to develop targeted interventions for students who do not respond to standard academic interventions. A case study highlights how CHT practices can lead to effective interventions for a child who did not respond to a phonologically based reading intervention. In addition, discriminant analyses of 128 children with reading disabilities revealed the presence of Global, Phonemic, Fluency-Comprehension, and Orthographic subtypes. Results suggest subtypes show disparate cognitive profiles that differentially impact their reading achievement, supporting our contention that individual assessment of cognitive processing strengths and weaknesses is not only necessary for identifying children with reading disabilities but also can lead to individualized interventions designed to meet their unique learning needs. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 43: 835,853, 2006. [source] Mixed method approaches to the investigation and mapping of buried Quaternary deposits: examples from southern EnglandARCHAEOLOGICAL PROSPECTION, Issue 2 2007Martin R. Bates Abstract The lower reaches of major river valleys usually present archaeologists with considerable problems where thick sequences of stratified alluvium bury archaeology. These situations are typical of the lower reaches of major river systems that are currently under intense pressure from urban development where the archaeological resource is consequently at risk. Here we demonstrate how mixed method approaches, utilizing a range of borehole methods, cone penetration testing and surface and subsurface geophysics coupled with microfossil assessment (Foraminifera/Ostracoda), can be used to model these deposits and predict locations and depths at which important archaeological remains may be located. The novelty of this approach is not in the application of individual techniques to the problem but in the combined methodology, which enables a structured and cost effective programme of works to be formulated and provides the best chance to understand the subsurface. Although this approach has been developed to facilitate the location of archaeological sites buried at depth within the route corridor of development projects it is also suitable for locating fossil-bearing sequences and mapping stratigraphical units in Quaternary science. We demonstrate the approach using two examples from southern England. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] |