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Complementary Methods (complementary + methods)
Selected AbstractsA systematic review of structured group interventions with mentally disordered offendersCRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 4 2006Edward A.S. Duncan Background,Over the last 15 years, rehabilitation of offenders has been rigorously researched, resulting in new knowledge and understanding about factors decreasing recidivism amongst them. Typically, such interventions have been based on cognitive behavioural therapy. However, until recently, little research had been carried out on the rehabilitation of offenders with mental disorder. The authors present the first systematic review of the efficacy of structured group interventions with mentally disordered offenders. Aim,To evaluate structured group interventions with mentally disordered offenders through systematic review of the evidence for their efficacy and effectiveness. Methods,A standardized search strategy, with complementary methods of data retrieval to ensure a high degree of recall, was employed. Meta-analysis was not undertaken due to sample heterogeneity and lack of comparable data. Instead, effect sizes were calculated on all papers with sufficient data. Pooled effect sizes were calculated for groups of interventions with a similar focus. Results,Twenty studies were retrieved that fitted the inclusion criteria. It was possible to categorize these, predominantly British, studies into four main themes: problem-solving; anger/aggression management; self-harm; and other. The mean pooled effect sizes for the first two groups were suggestive of a moderate to high effect, but methodological variation means that these findings should still be treated as preliminary. Discussion and conclusions,Calculated effect sizes give optimism for the efficacy of structured group interventions with mentally disordered offenders. It is important now that more rigorous and consistent research methods be applied, even in secure hospital environments. Some suggestions towards achieving this are offered, drawing from the work to date, inclusive of the need for agreement on common outcome measures and development of networks to improve sample sizes. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Screen for genes differentially expressed during regeneration of the zebrafish caudal finDEVELOPMENTAL DYNAMICS, Issue 3 2004Bhaja K. Padhi Abstract The zebrafish caudal fin constitutes an important model for studying the molecular basis of tissue regeneration. The cascade of genes induced after amputation or injury, leading to restoration of the lost fin structures, include those responsible for wound healing, blastema formation, tissue outgrowth, and patterning. We carried out a systematic study to identify genes that are up-regulated during "initiation" (1 day) and "outgrowth and differentiation" (4 days) of fin regeneration by using two complementary methods, suppression subtraction hybridization (SSH) and differential display reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (DDRT-PCR). We obtained 298 distinct genes/sequences from SSH libraries and 24 distinct genes/sequences by DDRT-PCR. We determined the expression of 54 of these genes using in situ hybridization. In parallel, gene expression analyses were done in zebrafish embryos and early larvae. The information gathered from the present study provides resources for further investigations into the molecular mechanisms of fin development and regeneration. Developmental Dynamics 231:527,541, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Analysis of plasma protein adsorption onto PEGylated nanoparticles by complementary methods: 2-DE, CE and Protein Lab-on-chip® systemELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 13 2007Hyun Ryoung Kim Abstract The biodistribution of colloidal carriers after their administration in vivo depends on the adsorption of some plasma proteins and apolipoproteins on their surface. Poly(methoxypolyethyleneglycol cyanoacrylate- co -hexadecylcyanoacrylate) (PEG-PHDCA) nanoparticles have demonstrated their capacity to cross the blood,brain barrier (BBB) by a mechanism of endocytosis. In order to clarify this mechanism at the molecular level, proteins and especially apolipoproteins adsorbed at the surface of PEG-PHDCA nanoparticles were analyzed by complementary methods such as CE and Protein Lab-on-chip® in comparison with 2-D PAGE as a method of reference. Thus, the ability of those methodologies to identify and quantify human and rat plasma protein adsorption onto PEG-PHDCA nanoparticles and conventional PHDCA nanoparticles was evaluated. The lower adsorption of proteins onto PEG-PHDCA nanoparticles comparatively to PHDCA nanoparticles was evidenced by 2-D PAGE and Protein Lab-on-chip® methods. CE allowed the quantification of adsorbed proteins without the requirement of a desorption procedure but failed, in this context, to analyze complex mixtures of proteins. The Protein Lab-on-chip® method appeared to be very useful to follow the kinetic of protein adsorption from serum onto nanoparticles; it was complementary to 2-D PAGE which allowed the identification (with a relative quantification) of the adsorbed proteins. The overall results suggest the implication of the apolipoprotein E in the mechanism of passage of PEG-PHDCA nanoparticles through the BBB. [source] Nitrided Amorphous Stainless Steel Coatings Deposited by Reactive Magnetron Sputtering from an Austenitic Stainless Steel TargetADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 1-2 2009Salvatore Cusenza Abstract Stainless steel films were reactively magnetron sputtered in argon/nitrogen gas flow onto oxidized silicon wafers using austenitic AISI 316 stainless-steel targets. The deposited films of about 300,nm thickness were characterized by conversion electron Mö-i;ssbauer spectroscopy, magneto-optical Kerr-effect, X-ray diffraction, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, and resonant nuclear reaction analysis. These complementary methods were used for a detailed examination of the nitriding effects for the sputtered stainless-steel films. The formation of an amorphous and soft ferromagnetic phase in a wide range of the processing parameters was found. Further, the influence of postvacuum-annealing was examined by perturbed angular correlation to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the nitriding process and phase formation. The amorphous phase is not very stable and crystallization can be observed at 973,K. [source] Evidence for the accelerations of sea level on multi-decade and century timescalesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2009P. L. Woodworth Abstract A modification in the rate of change of sea level (i.e. an ,acceleration' or ,nonlinear trend') is an important climate-related signal, which requires confirmation and explanation. In this study, the evidence for accelerations in regional and global average sea level on timescales of several decades and longer is reviewed by inter-comparison of the recent findings of different researchers and by inspection of original tide gauge records. Most sea-level data originate from Europe and North America, and both the sets display evidence for a positive acceleration, or ,inflexion', around 1920,1930 and a negative one around 1960. These inflexions are the main contributors to reported accelerations since the late 19th century, and to decelerations during the mid- to late 20th century. However, these characteristic features are not always found in records from other parts of the world. Although some aspects of the sea-level time series are consistent with changes in rates of globally averaged temperature changes, volcanic eruptions and natural climate variability, modelling undertaken so far has been unable to describe these features adequately. This emphasizes the need for a major enhancement of the sea-level data set, especially for those parts of the world without long tide gauge records, in order to obtain greater insight into the spatial dependence of accelerations. A number of complementary methods must be employed, of which salt marsh techniques offer the possibility of obtaining time series similar to those that would have been obtained from coastal tide gauges. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society [source] The use of simulation and post-simulation interview to examine the knowledge involved in community nursing assessment practiceJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 5 2000Alison Bryans PhD MSc BA DipHV RGN RNT The use of simulation and post-simulation interview to examine the knowledge involved in community nursing assessment practice This paper describes the development of an innovative research approach which used the complementary methods of simulation and post-simulation interview to examine the knowledge-base involved in community nursing assessment practice in the United Kingdom. The study commenced in 1994 and the main phase of data-gathering took place over a 3-week period in 1995. Having outlined the study's aim, context and theoretical background, this paper focuses on the two main methods of data-gathering used. Detailed description of the simulation method and the post-simulation interview and the rationales for their use are followed by critical discussion which identifies their particular strengths and weaknesses. Threats to validity are also considered. It is argued that the combined use of a simulated assessment and a post-simulation structured interview has great potential as a means of exploring the knowledge involved in community nursing assessment practice. [source] Emerging drugs: mechanism of action, mass spectrometry and doping control analysisJOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (INCORP BIOLOGICAL MASS SPECTROMETRY), Issue 4 2009Mario Thevis Abstract The number of compounds and doping methods in sports is in a state of constant flux. In addition to ,traditional' doping agents, such as anabolic androgenic steroids or erythropoietin, new therapeutics and emerging drugs have considerable potential for misuse in elite sport. Such compounds are commonly based on new chemical structures, and the mechanisms underlying their modes of action represent new therapeutic approaches arising from recent advances in medical research; therefore, sports drug testing procedures need to be continuously modified and complementary methods developed, preferably based on mass spectrometry, to enable comprehensive doping controls. This tutorial not only discusses emerging drugs that can be categorized as anabolic agents (selective androgen receptor modulators, SARMs), gene doping [hypoxia-inducible factor stabilizers, peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR),-agonists] and erythropoietin-mimetics (Hematide) but also compounds with potentially performance-enhancing properties that are not classified in the current list of the World Anti-Doping Agency. Compounds such as ryanodine-calstabin-complex modulators (benzothiazepines) are included, their mass spectrometric properties discussed, and current approaches in sports drug testing outlined. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Mass and lifetime measurements of exotic nuclei in storage ringsMASS SPECTROMETRY REVIEWS, Issue 5 2008Bernhard Franzke Abstract Mass and lifetime measurements lead to the discovery and understanding of basic properties of matter. The isotopic nature of the chemical elements, nuclear binding, and the location and strength of nuclear shells are the most outstanding examples leading to the development of the first nuclear models. More recent are the discoveries of new structures of nuclides far from the valley of stability. A new generation of direct mass measurements which allows the exploration of extended areas of the nuclear mass surface with high accuracy has been opened up with the combination of the Experimental Storage Ring ESR and the FRragment Separator FRS at GSI Darmstadt. In-flight separated nuclei are stored in the ring. Their masses are directly determined from the revolution frequency. Dependent on the half-life two complementary methods are applied. Schottky Mass Spectrometry SMS relies on the measurement of the revolution frequency of electron cooled stored ions. The cooling time determines the lower half-life limit to the order of seconds. For Isochronous Mass Spectrometry IMS the ring is operated in an isochronous ion-optical mode. The revolution frequency of the individual ions coasting in the ring is measured using a time-of-flight method. Nuclides with lifetimes down to microseconds become accessible. With SMS masses of several hundreds nuclides have been measured simultaneously with an accuracy in the 2,×,10,7 -range. This high accuracy and the ability to study large areas of the mass surface are ideal tools to discover new nuclear structure properties and to guide improvements for theoretical mass models. In addition, nuclear half-lives of stored bare and highly charged ions have been measured. This new experimental development is a significant progress since nuclear decay characteristics are mostly known for neutral atoms. For bare and highly charged ions new nuclear decay modes become possible, such as bound-state beta decay. Dramatic changes in the nuclear lifetime have been observed in highly charged ions compared to neutral atoms due to blocking of nuclear decay channels caused by the modified atomic interaction. High ionization degrees prevail in hot stellar matter and thus these experiments have great relevance for the understanding of the synthesis of elements in the universe and astrophysical scenarios in general. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., Mass Spec Rev 27: 428,469, 2008 [source] A new standard for the assessment of disease progression in murine cutaneous leishmaniasisPARASITE IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 5 2000Lynden J.roberts Infection of mice with Leishmania major has been used both as a model for the cutaneous disease in humans and as a model for the more general control and function of helper T cells in immunity. In both cases, disease patterns and disease progression have been assessed by two complementary methods, lesion size and parasite burden in the draining lymph nodes. We propose a much improved method for the graphical representation of lesion development which conveys more information with better accuracy. We also describe a polymerase chain reaction method for determining parasite burden, which is faster and allows the analysis of larger numbers of experimental animals than the current limiting dilution analysis. Moreover, these methods are equally applicable to other infectious diseases, an obvious one being schistosomiasis. [source] BrainProfileDB , a platform for integration of functional genomics dataPROTEINS: STRUCTURE, FUNCTION AND BIOINFORMATICS, Issue 6 2008Johannes Schuchhardt Dr. Abstract BrainProfileDB is a database system for integrating large sets of high throughput functional genomics data of the Human Brain Proteome Project (HBPP). Within HBPP (http://www.smp-proteomics.de/) the molecular pathology of neurodegenerative diseases is investigated, using complementary methods from transcriptomics, proteomics, toponomics and interaction measurements. Aim of the database system is to provide a broad spectrum of scientific users joined in the consortium with a practical integrated view on their data. Employing appropriate mapping techniques and levels of data representation the user is relieved from technical details of gene identification or experimental measurement technique. [source] MONETARY POLICY INDICATORS AS PREDICTORS OF STOCK RETURNSTHE JOURNAL OF FINANCIAL RESEARCH, Issue 4 2008David A. Becher Abstract We explore the linkage between stock return predictability and the monetary sector by examining alternative proxies for monetary policy. Using two complementary methods, we document that failure to condition on the Fed's broad policy stance causes a substantial understatement in the ability of monetary policy measures to predict returns. Industry analyses suggest that cross-industry return differences are also linked to changes in monetary conditions, as monetary policy has the strongest (weakest) relation with returns for cyclical (defensive) industries. Overall, we find that monetary conditions have a prominent and systematic relation with future stock returns, even in the presence of business conditions. [source] Developments in the application of photography to ecological monitoring, with reference to algal bedsAQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS, Issue 2 2001Jean-Paul A. Ducrotoy Abstract 1.,The potential for using photographic methods in ecological monitoring of intertidal rocky shores was investigated at two scales: the scale of a bay, and at sampling quadrat level. 2.,The macroalgal beds at Selwicks Bay, Flamborough Head (north Humberside Coast, England) were used as a case study. 3.,At each station on three 90 m transects, a photograph was taken of a 50 cm2 quadrat. These images were analysed using SigmaScanÔ to measure the cover of algal species. These data were highly correlated with field data collected using a grid quadrat. 4.,Ground techniques were developed for drawing a scaled overhead map of the bay. The potential for a quantitative survey of the extent of the algal beds using cliff top photographs was investigated. The photographs were merged, and rectified using Arc/InfoÔ (a Geographical Information System package) to produce scaled overhead images of the bay. 5.,The two complementary methods developed are suitable for involving amateur naturalists into field-data collection. They were also designed to meet long-term statutory monitoring requirements. They are quick, so are well suited to intertidal areas where field sampling windows are limited. In long-term monitoring strategies, the use of photography produces interactive permanent records of the sample area for back reference. Reporting on the conservation status of sites of European interest could be greatly facilitated by such techniques. 6.,There are obvious applications for overseas monitoring and base-line surveys, which demand large data sets to be collected in limited periods of time. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Analysis of Escherichia coli anaplerotic metabolism and its regulation mechanisms from the metabolic responses to altered dilution rates and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase knockoutBIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOENGINEERING, Issue 2 2003Chen Yang Abstract The gluconeogenic phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxykinase is active in Escherichia coli during its growth on glucose. The present study investigated the influence of growth rates and PEP carboxykinase knockout on the anaplerotic fluxes in E. coli. The intracellular fluxes were determined using the complementary methods of flux ratio analysis and metabolic flux analysis based on [U- 13C6]glucose labeling experiments and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy of cellular amino acids and glycerol. Significant activity of PEP carboxykinase was identified in wild-type E. coli, and the ATP dissipation for the futile cycling via this reaction accounted for up to 8.2% of the total energy flux. Flux analysis of pck deletion mutant revealed that abolishment of PEP carboxykinase activity resulted in a remarkably reduced flux through the anaplerotic PEP carboxylase and the activation of the glyoxylate shunt, with 23% of isocitrate found being channeled in the glyoxylate shunt. The changes in intracellular metabolite concentrations and specific enzyme activities associated with different growth rates and pck deletion, were also determined. Combining the measurement data of in vivo fluxes, metabolite concentrations and enzyme activities, the in vivo regulations of PEP carboxykinase flux, PEP carboxylation, and glyoxylate shunt in E. coli are discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 84: 129,144, 2003. [source] Enantioselective Synthesis of Non-Natural Aromatic ,-Amino AcidsCHEMISTRY - A EUROPEAN JOURNAL, Issue 2 2004Andreas Krebs Abstract We present two complementary methods for the stereoselective synthesis of non-natural ,-amino acids with aromatic or heteroaromatic side chains. One approach is based on the chemical transformation of methionine, whereas the other applies the stereoselective Myers alkylation of glycine. The resulting product types differ in the linker length between glycine and the aromatic substituent. Since methionine and pseudoephedrine are available in both absolute configurations, R - or S -configured enantiopure amino acids with either C2 or C3 linkers can be obtained on gram scales. In each case the key step of the synthesis is hydroboration of the unsaturated building blocks 9 and 17, followed by palladium-catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling with aryl halides. Attention must in certain cases be paid to the stereochemical integrity when basic Suzuki conditions are applied. Our initial difficulties are reported as well as the final "racemization-proof" procedures. The protecting groups chosen for the ,-amino acids should be compatible with solid-phase peptide synthesis. This was confirmed by the successful synthesis of a series of tripeptides. [source] | ||||||||||||||||