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Sensitive Approach (sensitive + approach)
Selected AbstractsDetermination of Reserpine in Urine by Capillary Electrophoresis with Electrochemiluminescence DetectionELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 3 2004Weidong Cao Abstract A fast and sensitive approach to detect reserpine in urine using micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography with electrochemiluminescence (ECL) of Ru(bpy)32+ detection is described. Using a 25,,m i.d. capillary as separation column, the ECL detector was coupled to the capillary in the absence of an electric field decoupler. Field-amplified injection was used to minimize the effect of ionic strength in the sample and to achieve high sensitivity. In this way, the sample was analyzed directly without any pretreatment. The method was validated for reserpine in the urine over the range of 1×10,6,1×10,4,mol/L with a correlation coefficient of 0.996. The RSD for reserpine at a level of 5,,mol/L was 4.3%. The LOD (S/N=3) was estimated to be 7.0×10,8,mol/L. The average recoveries for 10,,mol/L reserpine spiked in human urine were 94%. [source] Transgenic , medaka as a new model for germ cell mutagenesisENVIRONMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MUTAGENESIS, Issue 3 2008Richard N. Winn Abstract To address the need for improved approaches to study mutations transmitted to progeny from mutagen-exposed parents, we evaluated , transgenic medaka, a small fish that carries the cII mutation target gene, as a new model for germ cell mutagenesis. Mutations in the cII gene in progeny derived from ethyl-nitrosourea (ENU)-exposed males were readily detected. Frequencies of mutant offspring, proportions of mosaic or whole body mutant offspring, and mutational spectra differed according to germ cell stage exposed to ENU. Postmeiotic germ cells (spermatozoa/late spermatids) generated a higher frequency of mutant offspring (11%) compared to premeiotic germ cells (3.5%). Individuals with cII mutant frequencies (MF) elevated more than threefold above the spontaneous MF (3 × 10,5) in the range of 10,4 to 10,3 were mosaic mutant offspring, whereas those with MFs approaching 1 × 10,2 were whole body mutant offspring. Mosaic mutant offspring comprised the majority of mutant offspring derived from postmeiotic germ cells, and unexpectedly, from spermatogonial stem cells. Mutational spectra comprised of two different mutations, but at identical sites were unusual and characteristic of delayed mutations, in which fixation of a second mutation was delayed following fertilization. Delayed mutations and prevalence of mosaic mutant offspring add to growing evidence that implicates germ cells in mediating processes postfertilization that contribute to genomic instability in progeny. This model provides an efficient and sensitive approach to assess germ cell mutations, expands opportunities to increase understanding of fundamental mechanisms of mutagenesis, and provides a means for improved assessment of potential genetic health risks. Environ. Mol. Mutagen., 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] A selective and sensitive approach to characterize odour-active and volatile constituents in small-scale human milk samplesFLAVOUR AND FRAGRANCE JOURNAL, Issue 6 2007Andrea Buettner Abstract A sensitive and selective analytical approach was developed for the characterization of trace volatile and odorous substances in body fluids. The methodology was successfully applied for identification of more than 40 characteristic odorants in human milk. The technique comprises a modified stir bar sorptive extraction system in combination with two-dimensional gas chromatographic separation and parallel mass spectrometric and olfactometric characterization of the analytes. The present study shows that the technique can be used for both direct extractive sampling and headspace analysis, and that it is applicable for small sample volumes. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Reconciling Economic and Cultural Explanations for Participation in Alternative Consumption SpacesGEOGRAFISKA ANNALER SERIES B: HUMAN GEOGRAPHY, Issue 3 2003Colin C Williams ABSTRACT With the cultural turn in economic geography, the emphasis on economic necessity when explaining participation in alternative consumption spaces (i.e. informal and/or second-hand retail channels) has been contested by an agency-orientated cultural reading that views engagement in such spaces as about the search for fun, sociality, distinction, discernment, the spectacular and so forth, and more recently by a geographically sensitive approach that ascribes agency to affluent populations and economic rationales to deprived populations. Drawing upon evidence collected during 120 face-to-face interviews in the English city of Leicester, however, this paper finds that people's reasons for engaging in such practices cannot be reduced simply to either economic necessity or agency. Instead, it reveals that such either/or thinking obfuscates how both co-exist in people's explanations for engagement and combine in contrasting ways in different neighbourhood types, modes of goods acquisition and according to the type of good sought. The outcome of this paper is thus to transcend and reconcile previous reductive explanations using a both/and approach that recognises the varying ways in which economic necessity and choice are entangled in rationales for participation in alternative consumption spaces. [source] Maintaining gender sensitivity in the family practice: facilitators and barriersJOURNAL OF EVALUATION IN CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 6 2009Halime Celik MSc LLB Abstract Objective, This study aims to identify the facilitators and barriers perceived by General Practitioners (GPs) to maintain a gender perspective in family practice. Methods, Nine semi-structured interviews were conducted among nine pairs of GPs. The data were analysed by means of deductive content analysis using theory-based methods to generate facilitators and barriers to gender sensitivity. Results, Gender sensitivity in family practice can be influenced by several factors which ultimately determine the extent to which a gender sensitive approach is satisfactorily practiced by GPs in the doctor,patient relationship. Gender awareness, repetition and reminders, motivation triggers and professional guidelines were found to facilitate gender sensitivity. On the other hand, lacking skills and routines, scepticism, heavy workload and the timing of implementation were found to be barriers to gender sensitivity. Conclusion, While the potential effect of each factor affecting gender sensitivity in family practice has been elucidated, the effects of the interplay between these factors still need to be determined. [source] Alveolar Macrophage Graded Hemosiderin Score from Bronchoalveolar Lavage in Horses with Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage and ControlsJOURNAL OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 3 2002Michele Y. Doucet The objective of this study was to determine if a quantitative scoring system for evaluation of hemosiderin content of alveolar macrophages obtained by bronchoalevolar lavage provides a more sensitive test for the detection of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) in horses than does endoscopy of the lower airways. A sample population composed of 74 Standardbred racehorses aged 2,5 years was used. Horses were grouped as either control (EIPH-negative) or EIPH-positive based on history and repeated postexertional endoscopic evaluation of the bronchial airways. Bronchoalveolar lavage was performed and cytocen-trifuge slides were stained with Perl's Prussian blue. Alveolar macrophages were scored for hemosiderin content by a method described by Golde and associates to obtain the total hemosiderin score (THS). Test performance criteria were determined with a contingency table. All subjects had some degree of hemosiderin in the alveolar macrophages, regardless of group. The distribution of cells among the different grades followed a significantly different pattern for the control group versus horses with EIPH (P < .05). When using a THS of 75 as a cutoff point, the THS test was found to have a sensitivity of 94% and a specificity of 88%. The level of agreement beyond chance, between the EIPH status and the THS test result was very good (Cohen's kappa = 74%). The conclusion was made that careful assessment and scoring of alveolar macrophages for hemosiderin by means of the Golde scoring system shows promise as a more sensitive approach than repeated postexertional endoscopy alone to detect EIPH. [source] Meaning-making in the aftermath of sudden infant death syndromeNURSING INQUIRY, Issue 3 2006Guenther Krueger The reconstruction of meaning in the aftermath of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is part of the grieving process but has to date been poorly understood. Earlier theorists including Freud, Bowlby and Kübler-Ross provided a foundation for what occurs during this time using stage theories. More recent researchers, often using qualitative techniques, have provided a more complex and expanded view that enhances our knowledge of meaning reconstruction following infant loss. This overview of representative contemporary authors compares and contrasts them with the longstanding models that are being supplanted within the emerging field of thanatology. Understanding parental reactions within this new framework can help healthcare professionals in dealing with those affected by SIDS and provide a more empathic and sensitive approach to individual differences. Parents' own accounts of their post-SIDS experience are consistent with these newer theories. Comprehending how parents cope and reconstruct their lives is an important element in providing appropriate psychological support services. [source] Homophobia and Conservative Religion: Toward a More Nuanced UnderstandingAMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 1 2007Christopher H. Rosik PhD The failure of homophobia scales to consider the normative assumptions of religious communities may result in findings that are less useful in addressing this problem. In this study, 155 undergraduate students at a Christian university were surveyed, separately assessing attitudes toward celibate versus sexually active homosexual men and women. Results of multiple regression analyses found that participants who emphasized a person-behavior distinction (an accepted tenet of conservative religious ideology) held more negative attitudes toward lesbian women than those who were comparatively more accepting and did not emphasize such a distinction. However, participants who emphasized the person-behavior distinction held more positive attitudes toward gay men than those who were comparatively more rejecting and did not emphasize such a distinction. These relationships were significant even after accounting for variance attributable to general measures of religious commitment. Attempts to reduce homophobia within conservative religious communities may benefit from a more sensitive approach to their belief systems. [source] Usefulness of mec -associated direct repeat unit (dru) typing in the epidemiological analysis of highly clonal methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in ScotlandCLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION, Issue 10 2008R. V. Goering Abstract The incidence of the epidemic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (EMRSA) strains EMRSA-15 and EMRSA-16 in Scotland has increased dramatically, now accounting for c. 70% and c. 20% of isolates, respectively. Epidemiological tracking of these EMRSA strains is difficult, as c. 50% of EMRSA-15 and c. 35% of EMRSA-16 isolates are indistinguishable using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and other typing methods. The usefulness of mec -associated direct repeat unit (dru) sequence analysis as a more sensitive approach to tracking the persistence and spread of these ,clonal' EMRSA strains in Scotland was evaluated. Analysis of 47 EMRSA-15 and 57 EMRSA-16 isolates (including two separately cultured isolates of the Harmony collection type strain) obtained from 22 hospital laboratories over an 8-year period (1997,2005) revealed 13 and 12 different dru types, respectively. Whereas some types appeared to be endemic in multiple hospitals, subtypes that may represent specific strain movement among hospitals in a given geographical region were identified in other instances. These results suggest that mec -associated dru typing may have potential for identifying and tracking specific subtypes of otherwise indistinguishable epidemic MRSA isolates such as those in Scotland. [source] Detecting Adverse Events in Dermatologic SurgeryDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 1 2010DANIEL PINNEY BS BACKGROUND Despite increasing awareness of and public attention to patient safety, little is documented about how adverse events (AEs) can or should be monitored in dermatologic surgery. Data to address this shortcoming are needed, although well-defined methodologies have yet to be implemented. OBJECTIVE To summarize current strategies in detecting adverse outcomes of dermatologic surgical procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS A Medline literature search was conducted using the terms "adverse event,""detection,""reporting,""monitoring," and "surgery." Articles selected addressed the efficacy of one or more AE reporting techniques in surgical patients. RESULTS Prospective and retrospective reporting methods were identified, with morbidity and mortality conference being the most commonly used method of AE reporting. Retrospective medical record review, the retrospective trigger tool approach, and an anonymous electronic reporting system were more sensitive approaches. The Surgical Quality Improvement Program, a program that has successfully translated AE data into lower postoperative morbidity and mortality, was analyzed. CONCLUSIONS Although generally considered safe, dermatologic surgery has no current standard for AE reporting. Standard definitions and high-quality data regarding AEs" currently limit this analysis. Pilot studies are needed to develop feasible measures, with the goal of increasing the sensitivity of AE detection and ultimately improving patient outcomes. The Center for Dermatology Research is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Galderma Laboratories. [source] | |||||||||||||