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Different Instruments (different + instruments)
Selected AbstractsThe design of single particle laser mass spectrometers,MASS SPECTROMETRY REVIEWS, Issue 2 2007Daniel M. MurphyArticle first published online: 16 OCT 200 Abstract This review explores some of the design choices made with single particle mass spectrometers. Different instruments have used various configurations of inlets, particle sizing techniques, ionization lasers, mass spectrometers, and other components. Systematic bias against non-spherical particles probably exceeds a factor of 2 for all instruments. An ionization laser tradeoff is the relatively poor beam quality and reliability of an excimer laser versus the longer wavelengths and slower response time of an Nd-YAG laser. Single particle instruments can make special demands on the speed and dynamic range of the mass spectrometers. This review explains some of the choices made for instruments that were developed for different types of measurements in the atmosphere. Some practical design notes are also given from the author's experience with each section of the instrument. Published 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., Mass Spec Rev 26:150,165, 2007 [source] Outcome measures used in forensic mental health research: a structured reviewCRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 1 2009Jemma C. Chambers Background,The evidence base for forensic mental health (FMH) services has been developing since the late 1990s. Are outcome measures sound enough for the evaluation tasks? Aims,To identify, from published literature, outcome measures used in FMH research and, where feasible, assess their quality. Method,A structured review was undertaken of trials and intervention studies published between 1990 and 2006. Details of outcome variables and measures were abstracted. Evidence regarding most frequently occurring outcome measures was assessed. Results,Four hundred and fifty different instruments were used to assess outcomes, incorporating 1038 distinct variables. Very little evidence could be found to support the measurement properties of commonly used instruments. Conclusions and implications for practice,There is little consistency in the use of outcome measure in FMH research. Effort is required to reach consensus on validated outcome measures in this field in order to better inform practice. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The Amiel-Tison neurological assessment at term: Conceptual and methodological continuity in the course of follow-upDEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES RESEARCH REVIEW, Issue 1 2005Julie Gosselin Abstract The Amiel-Tison Neurological Assessment at Term (ATNAT) is part of a set of three different instruments based on a neuro-maturative framework. By sharing a same methodology and a similar scoring system, the use of these three assessments prevents any rupture in the course of high risk children follow-up from 32 weeks post-conception to 6 years of age. The ATNAT which takes 5 minutes to administer may be used in clinical setting as well as in research. Clustering of severe to mild neuro-cranial signs in the neonatal period permits identification of children who could benefit from early intervention. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. MRDD Research Reviews 2005;11:34,51. [source] Mechanical preparation of root canals: shaping goals, techniques and meansENDODONTIC TOPICS, Issue 1 2005Michael Hülsmann Preparation of root canal systems includes both enlargement and shaping of the complex endodontic space together with its disinfection. A variety of instruments and techniques have been developed and described for this critical stage of root canal treatment. Although many reports on root canal preparation can be found in the literature, definitive scientific evidence on the quality and clinical appropriateness of different instruments and techniques remains elusive. To a large extent this is because of methodological problems, making comparisons among different investigations difficult if not impossible. The first section of this paper discusses the main problems with the methodology of research relating to root canal preparation while the remaining section critically reviews current endodontic instruments and shaping techniques. [source] Influence of cervical preflaring on apical file size determinationINTERNATIONAL ENDODONTIC JOURNAL, Issue 7 2005J. D. Pecora Abstract Aim, To investigate the influence of cervical preflaring with different instruments (Gates-Glidden drills, Quantec Flare series instruments and LA Axxess burs) on the first file that binds at working length (WL) in maxillary central incisors. Methodology, Forty human maxillary central incisors with complete root formation were used. After standard access cavities, a size 06 K-file was inserted into each canal until the apical foramen was reached. The WL was set 1 mm short of the apical foramen. Group 1 received the initial apical instrument without previous preflaring of the cervical and middle thirds of the root canal. Group 2 had the cervical and middle portion of the root canals enlarged with Gates-Glidden drills sizes 90, 110 and 130. Group 3 had the cervical and middle thirds of the root canals enlarged with nickel-titanium Quantec Flare series instruments. Titanium-nitrite treated, stainless steel LA Axxess burs were used for preflaring the cervical and middle portions of root canals from group 4. Each canal was sized using manual K-files, starting with size 08 files with passive movements until the WL was reached. File sizes were increased until a binding sensation was felt at the WL, and the instrument size was recorded for each tooth. The apical region was then observed under a stereoscopic magnifier, images were recorded digitally and the differences between root canal and maximum file diameters were evaluated for each sample. Results, Significant differences were found between experimental groups regarding anatomical diameter at the WL and the first file to bind in the canal (P < 0.01, 95% confidence interval). The major discrepancy was found when no preflaring was performed (0.151 mm average). The LA Axxess burs produced the smallest differences between anatomical diameter and first file to bind (0.016 mm average). Gates-Glidden drills and Flare instruments were ranked in an intermediary position, with no statistically significant differences between them (0.093 mm average). Conclusions, The instrument binding technique for determining anatomical diameter at WL is not precise. Preflaring of the cervical and middle thirds of the root canal improved anatomical diameter determination; the instrument used for preflaring played a major role in determining the anatomical diameter at the WL. Canals preflared with LA Axxess burs created a more accurate relationship between file size and anatomical diameter. [source] A quick, practical test procedure to evaluate the performance of instruments used for in vitro UV protection measurementsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COSMETIC SCIENCE, Issue 6 2002E. Klette Synopsis The in vitro determination of the UV protection of sunscreens is usually performed by means of transmission measurements with special photometers. Many different instruments are used. Besides numerous commercially available instruments, which are equipped by the manufacturer for the specific measurement, other modular instruments are used. We present here a quick and practical method to evaluate the performance of these instruments with respect to their measuring ranges and to compare the uniformity and reliability of the results obtained with these instruments. Résumé La détermination in vitro de la protection anti-UV de produits solaires est généralement réalisée par la mesure de la transmission à l'aide de photomètres spéciaux. De nombreux appareils peuvent être utilisés à cette fin. A côté des instruments disponibles dans le commerce et spécialement équipés par les fabricants, d'autres appareils modulaires peuvent être employés. Nous présentons ici une méthode rapide et pratique pour évaluer les performances de ces appareils en respectant leurs gammes de mesure et pour comparer la crédibilité et l'uniformité des résultats obtenus. [source] The Twin Inventory of Relationships and Experiences (TIRE): psychometric properties of a measure of the non-shared and shared environmental experiences of twins and singletonsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF METHODS IN PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH, Issue 2 2001Rene Carbonneau Abstract We examined longitudinally the psychometric properties of the Twin Inventory of Relationships and Experiences (TIRE), an instrument designed to assess non-shared and shared environmental experiences in twins and siblings. A community sample of 1,117 pairs of like-sex monozygotic and dizygotic twins, aged eight to 16, and their parents, was used. Results indicated that the TIRE provided constructs that are consistent across informants, gender and time. These dimensions showed good longitudinal stability within raters, and low to moderate inter-rater agreement; the results are consistent with those of other studies using different instruments to assess family environment. It is concluded that the TIRE may be used to assess dimensions of the non-shared environment of twins and siblings and their influence on children's development. Copyright © 2001 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source] Zero acquaintance benchmarking at travel destination websites: what is the first impression that national tourism organizations try to make?INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TOURISM RESEARCH, Issue 6 2006Jee-Hee Han Abstract This paper examines the marketing effectiveness of hospitality and tourism websites. An extensive review of literature on website effectiveness in hospitality and tourism revealed a total of 47 different instruments that have been used to evaluate hospitality and tourism websites. Using the grounded theory technique, a website evaluation tool called the online promotion evaluation instrument was developed with the aim of condensing the 47 existing tools into one benchmarked instrument with applicability across the various hospitality and tourism sectors. The developed online promotion evaluation instrument comprised three main features,aesthetics features (destination visualisation and Web design); informative features (uniqueness, monetary value and cultural promotion); and interactive features (e-travel planners and online communities). The instrument was tested using a random sample of 25 National Tourism Organization websites worldwide. The results of the instrument development and testing process are presented in this paper with directions for future research in website evaluation. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] High-throughput powder diffraction.JOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, Issue 4 2004Powder pattern matching techniques, using all the experimentally measured data points, coupled with cluster analysis, fuzzy clustering and multivariate statistical methods are used, with appropriate visualization tools, to analyse a set of 27 powder diffraction patterns of alumina collected at seven different laboratories on different instruments as part of an International Center for Diffraction Data Grant-in-Aid program. In their original form, the data factor into six distinct clusters. However, when a non-linear shift of the form (where a0 and a1 are refinable constants) is applied to optimize the correlations between patterns, clustering produces a large 25-pattern set with two outliers. The first outlier is a synchrotron data set at a different wavelength from the other data, and the second is distinguished by the absence of K,2 lines, i.e. it uses Ge-monochromated incident X-rays. Fuzzy clustering, in which samples may belong to more than one cluster, is introduced as a complementary method of pinpointing problematic diffraction patterns. In contrast to the usual methodology associated with the analysis of round-robin data, this process is carried out in a routine way, with minimal user interaction or supervision, using the PolySNAP software. [source] Stacked partial least squares regression analysis for spectral calibration and predictionJOURNAL OF CHEMOMETRICS, Issue 10 2009Wangdong Ni Abstract Two novel algorithms which employ the idea of stacked generalization or stacked regression, stacked partial least squares (SPLS) and stacked moving-window partial least squares (SMWPLS) are reported in the present paper. The new algorithms establish parallel, conventional PLS models based on all intervals of a set of spectra to take advantage of the information from the whole spectrum by incorporating parallel models in a way to emphasize intervals highly related to the target property. It is theoretically and experimentally illustrated that the predictive ability of these two stacked methods combining all subsets or intervals of the whole spectrum is never poorer than that of a PLS model based only on the best interval. These two stacking algorithms generate more parsimonious regression models with better predictive power than conventional PLS, and perform best when the spectral information is neither isolated to a single, small region, nor spread uniformly over the response. A simulation data set is employed in this work not only to demonstrate this improvement, but also to demonstrate that stacked regressions have the potential capability of predicting property information from an outlier spectrum in the prediction set. Moisture, oil, protein and starch in Cargill corn samples have been successfully predicted by these new algorithms, as well as hydroxyl number for different instruments of terpolymer samples including and excluding an outlier spectrum. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Clinical attachment loss produced by curettes and ultrasonic scalersJOURNAL OF CLINICAL PERIODONTOLOGY, Issue 7 2005Renato Vasconcelos Alves Abstract Objectives: The aim of this study was to clinically detect the immediate effect of root instrumentation with curettes and ultrasonic scalers on clinical attachment level. Material and Methods: Twelve subjects with moderate chronic periodontitis, presenting probing depths of 3.5,6.5 mm on anterior teeth, upper and/or lower, were selected. Teeth were randomly assigned to one of the following groups: US group , scaled with an ultrasonic scaler; and CC group , scaled and planed with 5,6 Gracey curettes. The selected teeth were probed with a computerized electronic probe, guided by an occlusal stent and subjected to scaling and root planing. Immediately following instrumentation, teeth were probed again. The difference between relative attachment level (RAL) immediately before and after instrumentation was considered trauma from instrumentation. Results: Intra-group analysis revealed statistically significant differences between RAL immediately before and after instrumentation in both groups (0.77±0.51 for US group; and 0.73±0.41 for CC group, p<0.0001). However, inter-group analysis did not show statistically significant difference in trauma from instrumentation caused by the two different instruments (p=0.816). Conclusions: Within the limits of this study, it was concluded that root instrumentation causes a mean immediate attachment loss of 0.75 mm, and that instrumentation with either curettes or ultrasonic scalers do not seem to reduce significantly the trauma from of instrumentation produced. [source] Attachment loss after scaling and root planing with different instrumentsJOURNAL OF CLINICAL PERIODONTOLOGY, Issue 1 2004A clinical study Abstract Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate clinically the immediate effect of trauma from instrumentation after scaling and root planing with different instruments. Material and Methods: Ten subjects with moderate chronic periodontitis, presenting probing depths ranging from 3.5 to 6.5 mm on anterior teeth, upper and/or lower, were selected. Teeth were randomly assigned to one of the following groups: MC group , scaled and planed with Gracey mini-curettes (MiniFiveTM); CC group , scaled and planed with Gracey conventional curettes. The selected teeth were probed with a computerized electronic probe, guided by an occlusal stent, and then subjected to scaling and root planing. Immediately following instrumentation, teeth were probed again. The difference between relative attachment level (RAL) immediately before and after instrumentation was considered as trauma from instrumentation. Results: Intra-group analysis revealed statistically significant differences between RAL immediately before and after instrumentation in both groups (0.68±0.32 for MC group; and 0.83±0.41 for CC group ,p<0.05). However, inter-group analysis did not show a statistically significant difference in trauma from instrumentation caused by the different instruments. Conclusions: Within the limits of this study, it was concluded that root instrumentation causes an average trauma from instrumentation of 0.76 mm with no differences between the tested instruments. [source] Subgingival polishing with a teflon-coated sonic scaler insert in comparison to conventional instruments as assessed on extracted teethJOURNAL OF CLINICAL PERIODONTOLOGY, Issue 8 2001(II). Subgingival roughness Abstract Aim: To assess the root surface roughness and topography on extracted teeth using different instruments. Material and Methods: In the present study, laser profilometry was used to examine the 3-D roughness values Ra and Rz and topography of root surfaces of periodontally-involved teeth instrumented in vivo with curette, conventional ultrasonic device, conventional or teflon-coated sonic scaler insert, or the Periotor instrument (12 teeth per instrument type), and compare these with uninstrumented cementum surfaces. Results: The roughness values Ra and Rz of the roots treated with the different instruments showed a similar pattern: curettes and the Periotor instrument produced the smoothest surfaces (Ra about 1.5 ,m, Rz 30 ,m); the 4 other instruments created similar Ra values of approximately 2,3 ,m and Rz roughness of about 50,70 ,m, which equals the untreated root surface. For Ra, the difference between the curette or the Periotor instrument and the teflon-coated sonic insert or ultrasonic insert was significant, and for Rz, a significant difference was found between the curette or the Periotor instrument and ultrasonic insert. As opposed to surfaces debrided with the Periotor and teflon-coated sonic scaler, it appears that hand instruments markedly reconfigure surfaces. Conclusion: The lowest root-surface roughness values were obtained with hand instruments. The teflon tubing on the sonic scaler insert effected no change of topography or roughness as compared to uninstrumented, control surfaces. However, it must be pointed out that hard-tissue removal was not investigated. Zusammenfassung Einführung: Wir wollten die Rauhigkeit und die Topographie der Wurzeloberfläche an extrahierten Zähnen infolge unterschiedlicher Instrumentation einschätzen. Material und Methoden: In der vorliegenden Studie wurde die Laserprofilometrie genutzt, um die 3D Rauhigkeitswerte Ra und Rz sowie die Topographie der Wurzeloberfläche von parodontal erkrankten Zähnen, die in vivo mit Küretten, konventionellen Ultraschallgeräten, konventionellen oder mit Teflon beschichteten Schallscalereinsätzen oder mit dem Periotorgerät (12 Zähne pro Instrumentenart) bearbeitet worden waren, zu überprüfen und dies mit unbehandelten Zementoberflächen zu vergleichen. Ergebnisse: Die Rauhigkeitswerte Ra und Rz der Wurzeln, die mit verschiedenen Instrumenten behandelt worden waren, zeigten ein ähnliches Muster: Küretten und das Periotorinstrument erbrachten die glattesten Oberflächen (Ra ungefähr 1.5 ,m, Rz 30 ,m); die 4 anderen Instrumente schufen gleiche Ra-Werte von ungefähr 2,3 ,m und Rz-Rauhigkeit von ungefähr 50,70 ,m, was den unbehandelten Wurzeloberflächen glich. Für Ra war die Differenz zwischen Kürette oder Periotorinstrument und mit Teflon beschichteten Schalleinsätzen oder Ultraschalleinsätzen signifikant, und für Rz wurde eine signifikante Differenz zwischen der Kürette oder dem Periotorinstrument und dem Ultraschalleinsatz gefunden. Im Gegensatz zu Oberflächen, die mit Periotor und mit Teflon beschichteten Schallscalern bearbeitet wurden, scheint es, daß Handinstrumente die Oberflächen deutlich rekonfigurieren. Schlußfolgerung: Die geringsten Wurzeloberflächenrauhigkeitwerte wurden mit Handinstrumenten erzielt. Die Teflonröhrchen auf den Schallscalereinsätzen erbrachten keine Veränderungen der Topographie oder der Rauhigkeit im Vergleich zu unbehandelten Kontrolloberflächen. Jedoch muß ausgeführt werden, daß die Entfernung des Hartgewebes nicht untersucht wurde. Résumé Nous voulions mettre en évidence la rugosité de la surface radiculaire et sa topographie sur des dents extraites à la suite de polissage avec différents instruments. Dans cette étude, la profilométrie par laser a été utilisée pour examiner les valeurs Ra et Rz de rugosité tridimensionnelle et la topographie des surfaces radiculaires de dents atteintes de maladies parodontales instrumentées in vivo à l'aide de curettes, d'un appareil ultrasonique conventionnel, d'insert de détargrage sonique recouvert de téflon ou du Periotor (12 dents par type d'instrument) et de les comparer avec les valeurs des surfaces cémentaires non-instrumentées. Les valeurs Ra et Rz de rugosité des racines traitées avec les différents instruments montraient des caractéristiques similaires: les curettes et le Periotor produisait les surfaces les plus lisses (Ra environ 1.5 ,m, Rz 30 ,m); les 4 autres instruments donnaient des valeurs Ra de 2,3 ,m approximativement et une rugosité Rz d'environ 50,70 ,m, équilavent aux surfaces non traitées. Pour Ra, la différence entre les curettes ou le Periotor et les inserts soniques recouverts de téflon ou l'insert ultrasonique étaient significatifs, et pour Rz, une différence significative apparaissait entre les curettes ou le priotor et les inserts ultrasoniques. Contrairement aux surfaces débridées avec le periotor et le détartreur sonique recouvert de téflon, il apparaissait que les instruments manuels reconfiguraient la surface remarquablement. Les valeurs les plus basses de rugosité de la surface radiculaire étaient obtenues avec les instruments à mains. Le revètement de téflon sur l'insert sonique n'entrainait pas de modifications de topographie ni de rugosité par rapport au surfaces controles non-instrumentées. Cependant, il faut signaller que l'élimination des tissus durs n'a pas étéétudiée. [source] Tuning compounds for electrospray ionization/in-source collision-induced dissociation and mass spectra library searchingJOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (INCORP BIOLOGICAL MASS SPECTROMETRY), Issue 9 2001Wolfgang Weinmann Abstract Tuning compounds for positive and negative electrospray ionization (ESI) were tested for the tuning of in-source collision-induced dissociation (ESI/CID) with three types of SCIEX API instruments (API 365, 2000 and 3000) in the single-quadrupole mode. The vacuum interfaces of these instruments differ slightly in geometry, but the principles of ionization and solvent evaporation by nebulizer and curtain gases, orifice and skimmer are identical. For comparison of in-source CID, breakdown curves of haloperidol, paracetamol, metronidazole and metamizole were acquired by increasing the orifice voltages. The API 2000 and 3000 required higher orifice voltages than did the API 365 to induce a similar degree of fragmentation of the protonated or deprotonated molecules to characteristic fragment ions. This increase of orifice voltage could be demonstrated with each of the four compounds tested by a shift of the maxima of the breakdown curves to higher orifice voltages. A procedure with three collision energy (CE) levels for drug identification with a mass spectra library set up with an API 365 therefore required an adjustment of the orifice voltages to higher values when being transferred to an API 2000 or API 3000. The corresponding orifice voltages for the three instruments were 20/50/80 V (API 365), 30/90/130 V (API 2000) and 40/80/120 V (API 3000). However, a change in orifice voltage of ±10 V (with the API 2000 and 3000) hardly influenced the fit values of a library search for each single CE level. For adjusting orifice voltages with different instruments, a tuning procedure with haloperidol and paracetamol is presented. With this tuning procedure an ESI/CID mass spectra library set up for API 365 and API 150 could also be used for drug identification with an API 2000 and an API 3000 with good library search results. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Staff attitudes towards aggression in health care: a review of the literatureJOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 1 2005G. J. JANSEN rn mnsc The aim of this literature review was to explore the attitudes of health care workers towards inpatient aggression and to analyse the extent to which attitudes, as defined from a theoretical point of view, were addressed in the selected studies. Databases from 1980 up to the present were searched, and a content analysis was done on the items of the selected studies. The concepts ,cognition' and ,attitude' from the framework of ,The Theory of Reasoned Action' served as categories. The self-report questionnaire was the most common instrument used and three instruments specifically designed to measure attitudes were found. These instruments lacked profound validity testing. From a total of 74 items, two thirds focussed on cognitions and only a quarter really addressed attitudes towards aggression. Research was particularly concerned with the cognitions that nurses had about aggression, and attitudes were studied only to a limited extent. Researchers used different instruments, which makes it difficult to compare results across settings. [source] COMPARISON OF INSTRUMENTAL METHODS FOR MEASURING SEED HARDNESS OF FOOD-GRADE SOYBEANJOURNAL OF TEXTURE STUDIES, Issue 1 2008BO ZHANG ABSTRACT Breeding specialty soybeans for the soyfood market requires proper methodology in evaluation of seed quality attributes. In this study, efficient methods that could be potentially used for testing soybean seed hardness were developed by examining different instruments and seed parameters. Five food-grade soybean genotypes with different seed sizes were used to determine seed water-absorption capacity and hardness. Water absorption capacity was expressed by swell ratios for seed weight, seed dimension, and volume of water changes before and after soaking. Seed hardness test was conducted by a one-bite method using a food texture analyzer equipped with five different probes. The results showed that hardness testing by a 75 mm cylinder with 10 steamed seeds, single blade with five steamed seeds, and shear cell with 30 g steamed seeds produced dependable and consistent results with low coefficient of variance. However, shear cell may not be practical for early plant selection in a breeding program due to a relatively large sample requirement. Seed size can be used as indirect selection indicators for seed hardness. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Seed hardness is an important factor in determining soybean suitability for natto production. This study used two texture analyzers equipped with five different probes to test hardness of five soybean genotypes with different seed size. The methodologies for testing the seed texture of soybean have been established, which can help regulate the seed hardness testing for commercial production and provide consistent hardness references for natto breeding programs and the seed industry. [source] PROBABILISTIC CHARACTERISTICS OF STRESS CHANGES DURING CEREAL SNACK PUNCTUREJOURNAL OF TEXTURE STUDIES, Issue 2 2007YOSHIKI TSUKAKOSHI ABSTRACT During puncture tests of Japanese cereal snacks, the force increases and decreases alternately. We herein compare the force,deformation curves recorded by two different testing machines and show that the number of changes in the curves depends on the testing machine. Thus, it is impossible to compare results obtained using different instruments. By removing the higher-frequency components of the force,deformation curves, small events are easily missed. The number of large events decreases when lower-frequency components are eliminated. This suggests the importance of providing the information on the frequency range of the testing machines. Nevertheless, the number of large force changes is similar between the examined machines. To model the size,frequency distribution, we selected a parametric probabilistic model from among the Weibull, exponential and Pareto distributions using Akaike information criterion and found that the Weibull or exponential distributions have a fit better than the Pareto distribution. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The methods developed in this work can be used to evaluate the quality of crisp snack food. By analyzing the samples obtained from a lot, samples with poor texture because of abnormal moisture levels and/or ingredients can be discerned and can be used to accept or reject the lot. [source] Calculating power for the comparison of dependent , -coefficientsJOURNAL OF THE ROYAL STATISTICAL SOCIETY: SERIES C (APPLIED STATISTICS), Issue 4 2003Hung-Mo Lin Summary. In the psychosocial and medical sciences, some studies are designed to assess the agreement between different raters and/or different instruments. Often the same sample will be used to compare the agreement between two or more assessment methods for simplicity and to take advantage of the positive correlation of the ratings. Although sample size calculations have become an important element in the design of research projects, such methods for agreement studies are scarce. We adapt the generalized estimating equations approach for modelling dependent , -statistics to estimate the sample size that is required for dependent agreement studies. We calculate the power based on a Wald test for the equality of two dependent , -statistics. The Wald test statistic has a non-central ,2 -distribution with non-centrality parameter that can be estimated with minimal assumptions. The method proposed is useful for agreement studies with two raters and two instruments, and is easily extendable to multiple raters and multiple instruments. Furthermore, the method proposed allows for rater bias. Power calculations for binary ratings under various scenarios are presented. Analyses of two biomedical studies are used for illustration. [source] Comparison of clinical outcome parameters, the Patient Benefit Index (PBI-k) and patient satisfaction after ablative fractional laser treatment of peri-orbital rhytides,LASERS IN SURGERY AND MEDICINE, Issue 3 2010Syrus Karsai MD Abstract Background Laser treatment of facial rhytides has evolved as a major modality of aesthetic surgery. Published results, while generally encouraging, feature highly diverse evaluation methods, which makes an evidence-based assessment of treatment efficacy and safety all but impossible. Objective To compare the results of different instruments of measurement. Patients/Methods Twenty-eight patients were enrolled and completed the entire study. They received a single ablative fractional treatment of the peri-orbital region. The evaluation included the Fitzpatrick wrinkle score, the profilometric measurement of wrinkle depth and the Patient Benefit Index (both before and 3 months after treatment) as well as the assessment of patient satisfaction (1, 3, 6 days and 3 months after treatment). Results All assessment instruments showed a significant, albeit moderate, improvement. The agreement between assessment methods was poor. Despite claiming to assess basically the same parameter, the Fitzpatrick wrinkle score and profilometry differed significantly, and neither assessment instrument showed any appreciable correlation with any other. Conclusions The outcome assessment of rhytide therapy,regardless of the method used,shows substantial room for improvement. Strict methodological precautions ought to be applied for ,objective' evaluation methods like photographic scoring and profilometry. Subjective methods of assessment are essential and might serve as a main outcome parameter. Finally, critical reappraisal of published treatment results seems warranted to review the quality of their methodology. Lasers Surg. Med. 42:215,223, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Towards a universal product ion mass spectral library , reproducibility of product ion spectra across eleven different mass spectrometersRAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, Issue 12 2008Chris Hopley Product ion spectra produced by collision-induced dissociation (CID) in tandem mass spectrometry experiments can differ markedly between instruments. There have been a number of attempts to standardise the production of product ion spectra; however, a consensus on the most appropriate approach to the reproducible production of spectra has yet to be reached. We have previously reported the comparison of product ion spectra on a number of different types of instruments , a triple quadrupole, two ion traps and a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (Bristow AWT, Webb KS, Lubben AT, Halket JM. Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom. 2004; 18: 1). The study showed that a high degree of reproducibility was achievable. The goal of this study was to improve the comparability and reproducibility of CID product ion mass spectra produced in different laboratories and using different instruments. This was carried out experimentally by defining a spectral calibration point on each mass spectrometer for product ion formation. The long-term goal is the development of a universal (instrument independent) product ion mass spectral library for the identification of unknowns. The spectra of 48 compounds have been recorded on eleven mass spectrometers: six ion traps, two triple quadrupoles, a hybrid triple quadrupole, and two quadrupole time-of-flight instruments. Initially, 4371 spectral comparisons were carried out using the data from eleven instruments and the degree of reproducibility was evaluated. A blind trial has also been carried out to assess the reproducibility of spectra obtained during LC/MS/MS. The results suggest a degree of reproducibility across all instrument types using the tuning point technique. The reproducibility of the product ion spectra is increased when comparing the tandem in time type instruments and the tandem in space instruments as two separate groups. This may allow the production of a more limited, yet useful, screening library for LC/MS/MS identification using instruments of the same type from different manufacturers. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Mass measurement accuracy comparisons between a double-focusing magnetic sector and a time-of-flight mass analyzerRAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, Issue 10 2008Michael S. Bereman We report a direct comparison of the mass measurement accuracies (MMAs) obtained on different mass spectrometry instrument types; a magnetic sector as the ,gold standard' and an electrospray ionization time-of-flight (ESI-TOF) instrument. Sixty samples, obtained from the Department of Chemistry at North Carolina State University, were analyzed on each instrument. Data are presented and compared between the different instruments. The average absolute MMAs achieved for the magnetic sector and Agilent ESI-TOF mass spectrometers were 3.0 and 1.1,ppm, respectively. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Bauphysikalische, ökologische und ökonomische Bewertung von geförderten Sanierungskonzepten in WienBAUPHYSIK, Issue 3 2009Azra Korjenic Univ.-Ass. Energieeinsparung; Gebäudebestand Abstract In diesem Beitrag wird die Nachhaltigkeit von Gebäudesanierungen untersucht, wobei die Reduzierung des Energieverbrauchs das oberste Ziel ist, was mit bis zu 80 % erreicht werden kann. Während in anderen Großstädten Europas das Konzept der Flächensanierung praktiziert wurde und wird, wird in Wien die "sanfte Sanierung" propagiert und auch gefördert. Die Stadt Wien hat dafür verschiedene Sanierungskonzepte bei der Hand. In dieser Untersuchung werden die verschiedenen geförderten Sanierungskonzepte anhand eines realen Beispiels gezeigt und rechnerisch überprüft. Ein Vergleich der verschiedenen Konzepte beleuchtet die einzelnen Punkte der Sanierung: Energieeffizienz, Sanierungskosten, Belastung für den Eigentümer bzw. Mieter der Wohnungen und Belastung für den Fördergeber (Land Wien). Die Ergebnisse ausgeführter Sanierungskonzepte brachten folgende Erkenntnisse bzw. Problemstellungen: , die Sanierungsmaßnahmen kommen hauptsächlich den Mietern zugute, während der Kostenträger (Eigentümer) nur die Wertsteigerung als Nutzen hat; , mangelnde Bereitschaft der Bewohner zur Sanierung; , erhebliche Mehrkosten für Passivhaustechnik; , zu geringe höchstzulässige Gesamtsanierungskosten. Evaluation of retrofitting concepts and municipal sponsoring in Vienna. Major energy efficiency improvements can be achieved via building stock retrofit. While in some major cities in Europe, mostly large-area building retrofit measures have been targeted; in Vienna a gradual thermal improvement of the building stock has been practiced. Thereby, a number of different instruments and programs have been promoted by the regional government. In the present contribution, a number of such programs are compared and evaluated based on the demonstrative case of a concrete example. Thereby, multiple related issues were addressed: energy efficiency, retrofit expenses, burden for the building owners and tenants, and burden for the funding agency (Municipal of Vienna). The results suggest: , the main beneficiary of retrofit programs are typically the tenants. The landlords benefit indirectly due to the appreciation of property value; , there is a certain lack of willingness on the side of the occupants toward thermal building retrofit measures; , achieving passive house standard in the course of retrofit measures cause significant additional costs; , permissible (fundable) maximum total retrofit expenses has been set too low. [source] Psychopathy scores and violence among juvenile offenders: a multi-measure study,BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & THE LAW, Issue 1 2004Daniel C. Murrie Ph.D. This study examined the relations between psychopathy scores and violent behavior in 113 incarcerated adolescents. We compared the results of four different instruments designed to assess psychopathy features among juveniles,the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV), two versions of the Antisocial Processes Screening Device (APSD), and a Psychopathy Content scale on the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI). We found that PCLY:YV scores were significantly correlated with violent offense history, unadjudicated violence, and institutional violence, as well as measures of the severity and instrumentality of prior violence. Receiver operating characteristic analyses generated statistically significant effect sizes (AUC values) ranging from 0.64 to 0.79. The three other measures generated statistically significant correlations with one or more of the violence criteria, although correlations and effect sizes tended to be smaller in magnitude. Our results offer some support for the validity of these measures of psychopathic features, and the value of the PCL:YV in particular, with respect to short-term measures of violence outcome among juvenile offenders. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Review of singleton fetal and neonatal deaths associated with cranial trauma and cephalic delivery during a national intrapartum-related confidential enquiryBJOG : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 5 2005Fidelma O'Mahony Objective To review delivery details of intrapartum-related fetal and neonatal deaths with singleton cephalic presentation and birthweight of 2500 g or more in which traumatic cranial or cervical spine injury or substantial difficulty at delivery of the head was a dominant feature. Design Review of freestyle summary reports and standard questionnaire responses submitted to the national secretariat for the Confidential Enquiry into Stillbirths and Death in Infancy (CESDI) during the 1994/1995 intrapartum-related mortality enquiry following regional multidisciplinary panel review. Setting United Kingdom. Sample Of the 873 cases of intrapartum-related deaths reported in the 1994,1995 national enquiry, 709 weighed more than 2499 g. Reports from 181 (89 from 1994 and 92 from 1995) with a chance of meeting criteria for cranial or cervical trauma as significant contributors to death were examined in detail. Thirty-seven were judged to meet the criteria stated in the objectives (23 from 1994 and 14 from 1995) and form the basis for this review. Methods Electronic and hand search of CESDI records relating to intrapartum-related deaths. Main outcome measures Intrapartum events and features of care. Results There was evidence of fetal compromise present before birth in 33 of the 37 (89%) study group cases reviewed. One delivery was performed vaginally without instrumentation, and in one there was no attempt at vaginal delivery before caesarean section (CS) in the second stage of labour. Twenty-four cases (65%) were delivered vaginally and 11 (30%) by CS after failure to deliver vaginally with instruments. A single instrument was used in six cases of vaginal delivery (four ventouse and two Kjelland's forceps). At least two separate attempts with different instruments were made in 24 cases. Overall, the ventouse was used in 27 cases and forceps in 29 cases. In six cases, three separate attempts were made with at least two different instruments, all of which included use of ventouse. The grade of operator was recorded in 27 cases. Of these, a consultant obstetrician was present at only one delivery and no consultant was recorded to have made the first attempt to deliver a baby. In six cases, shoulder dystocia was also reported. Conclusions This study suggests a lower incidence of death from difficult cephalic delivery and cranial trauma than previously reported. The CESDI studies were believed to have achieved high levels of ascertainment for all intrapartum-related deaths from which the cases reported here were selected. Strictly applied entry criteria used in this study could have restricted the number of cases considered as could limited in vivo or postmortem investigations and lack of detailed autopsy. When cranial traumatic injury was observed, it was almost always associated with physical difficulty at delivery and the use of instruments. The use of ventouse as the primary or only instrument did not prevent this outcome. Some injuries occurred apparently without evidence of unreasonable force, but poorly judged persistence with attempts at vaginal delivery in the presence of failure to progress or signs of fetal compromise were the main contributory factor regardless of which instruments were used. [source] Instrument-, age- and site-dependent variations of dermoscopic patterns of congenital melanocytic naevi: a multicentre studyBRITISH JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2006S. Seidenari Summary Background, Recently, we identified and described dermoscopic aspects, present with a higher frequency in congenital melanocytic lesions with respect to acquired naevi. We also classified small- and medium-sized congenital naevi (CN) into nine subtypes according to their macroscopic and dermoscopic aspects. Objectives, Because the recognition of dermoscopic features may be instrument dependent, in this study, we wanted to check whether dermoscopic patterns specific for CN can be identified in digital images acquired by means of different instruments. We also wanted to check the validity of our previously proposed classification and assess possible age- and site-dependent variations of dermoscopic patterns and naevus subtypes. Patients/methods, Images corresponding to 384 small- or medium-sized CN were collected in eight different centres employing four different instruments. Lesion images were evaluated and checked for the presence of specific dermoscopic criteria, classified, and compared with a database of 350 acquired naevi. Results, Specific and unspecific dermoscopic features were identifiable in images acquired by means of all four instrument types. The mean number of identified features per lesion did not vary according to the instrument employed for the acquisition of the images; however, it was lower for lesions recorded employing low magnifications. The previously proposed classification was easily applied to the whole image database. The variegated naevus type was identified as a highly specific clinical/dermoscopic pattern. Dermoscopic features varied according to age and location. The globular type prevailed in subjects under 11 years of age and on the trunk, whereas the majority of reticular lesions were located on the limbs. Conclusions, Because definite clinical and histological criteria for the diagnosis of the congenital nature of naevi are lacking, the use of dermoscopy can be of great help in identifying those lesions where the presence of specific dermoscopic features makes the diagnosis of CN more likely. Moreover, dermoscopy can be useful both for the classification of lesions already identified as congenital according to definite clinical and anamnestic data and for a possible correlation of naevus phenotype and dermoscopic patterns to the risk of developing a malignant melanoma in prospective studies. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||