1,053 research outputs found
Challenges of using progress monitoring measures: insights from practicing clinicians
No full textAlthough integrating progress monitoring (PM) measures into psychotherapy practice can provide numerous benefits, including improved client outcomes, relatively few clinicians use these measures (e.g., Ionita & Fitzpatrick, 2014). To better understand the reasons for clinicians’ reluctance, consensual qualitative research methodology was used to examine the challenges faced by clinicians currently using PM measures. Open-ended, semistructured interviews, with 25 clinicians who chose to use PM measures, revealed that clinicians tended to face challenges involving technical concerns, negative responses from others, and personal barriers such as anxiety. The majority of participants discussed ways to overcome the challenges they experienced, including ensuring the fit of the PM measure, explaining measures to others to help engender a positive response, adapting their own perspective, and increasing their own and others’ knowledge of the measures. Implications for practicing psychologists and for knowledge translation efforts are discussed.Peer reviewedFinal article publishedconsensual qualitative research (CQR)evidence-based practiceoutcomes monitoringprogress monitoring (PM) measurespsychotherap
GOPY: A tool for building 2D graphene-based computational models
No full textGOPY is a free and open-source Python tool specifically written to automate the generation of 2D graphene-based molecular models such as pristine graphene (PG) and several graphene derivatives i.e. graphene oxide (GO), reduced graphene oxide (rGO), aminated polyethylene glycol functionalised reduced graphene oxide (rGO-PEG-NH2), and N-doped graphene (NG) in the Protein Data Bank file format (PDB). These models are generally built manually, but the process can become lengthy and cumbersome. That is especially the case when investigating larger molecules such as those used in Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations. Using GOPY significantly speeds up the process from hours to minutes, reducing potential bias that may come with the manual placement of functional groups on a graphene layer. Moreover, the building procedure becomes effortless for the researcher, granting the possibility of producing larger and more complex molecular models than one would be able to build manually. Of its more intensive tasks, the generation of a 4 x 4 nm2 rGO-PEG-NH2 layer takes about 9 min on a CodeOcean capsule. Each model is generated in the PDB format, which is easily convertible to a wide array of other molecular formats
Bioartificial polymer membranes as innovative systems for biomedical or biotechnological uses
No full textImpact of nano-morphology, lattice defects and conductivity on the performance of graphene based electrochemical biosensors
No full textDiverse properties of graphenic materials have been extensively explored to determine properties that make good electrochemical nanomaterial-based biosensors. These are reviewed by critically examining the influence of graphene nano-morphology, lattice defects and conductivity. Stability, reproducibility and fabrication are discussed together with sensitivity and selectivity. We provide an outlook on future directions for building efficient electrochemical biosensors
Oligonucleotide detection and optical measurement with graphene oxide in the presence of bovine serum albumin enabled by use of surfactants and salts
No full textAs graphene oxide-based oligonucleotide biosensors improve, there is a growing need to explore their ability to retain high sensitivity for low target concentrations in the context of biological fluids. Therefore, we innovatively combined assay milieu factors that could influence the key performance parameters of DNA hybridization and graphene oxide (GO) colloid dispersion, verifying their suitability to enhance oligonucleotide-GO interactions and biosensor performance. As a model system, we tested single-strand (ss) DNA detection in a complex solution containing bovine serum albumin (BSA) and salts with surfactants. A fluorescein conjugated 30-mer oligonucleotide ssDNA probe was combined with its complementary cDNA target, together with solute dispersed GO and either non-ionic (Triton X-100 and Tween-20) or anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactants. In this context, we compared the effect of divalent Mg2+ or monovalent Na+ salts on GO binding for the quench-based detection of specific target-probe DNA hybridization. GO biosensor strategies for quench-based DNA detection include a "turn on" enhancement of fluorescence upon target-probe interaction versus a "turn off" decreased fluorescence for the GO-bound probe. We found that the sensitive and specific detection of low concentrations of oligonucleotide target was best achieved using a strategy that involved target-probe DNA hybridization in the solution with a subsequent modified "turn-off" GO capture and the quenching of the unhybridized probe. Using carefully formulated assay procedures that prevented GO aggregation, the preferential binding and quenching of the unhybridized probe were both achieved using 0.1% BSA, 0.065% SDS and 6 mM NaCl. This resulted in the sensitive measurement of the specific target-probe complexes remaining in the solution. The fluorescein-conjugated single stranded probe (FAM-ssDNA) exhibited linearity to cDNA hybridization with concentrations in the range of 1-8 nM, with a limit of detection equivalent to 0.1 pmoles of target in 100 μL of assay mix. We highlight a general approach that may be adopted for oligonucleotide target detection within complex solutions
Grassroots of government: strategies, attitudes and effectiveness in the Romanian local administration
No full textRoman Lisbon, the Theater and the City. The resilience of the Ancient for the design of the Contemporary City
No full textDe la proposition, la phrase et l'énoncé dans la vision des linguistes M. Ioniţă et M. Potapova aux types de prédication et a l'ambiguïté dans la phrase simple tautologique et dans la phrase complexe comparative
No full textAbstract
In the article, the author undertakes a review of research by scientists M. Potapova and M. Ionita on sentence, phrase and utterance in order to submit further to analysis the types of predication in French and the ambiguity of a simple tautological phrase and a comparative compound one in this language.
Rezumat
În articol, autoarea îşi propune o retrospectivă a cercetărilor savanţilor M. Ioniţă şi M. Potapova asupra propoziţiei, frazei şi enunţului pentru a supune analizei, mai apoi, tipurile de predicaţie în franceză şi ambiguitatea frazei simple tautologice şi a celei compuse comparative în această limbă.Bondarenco, Ana. De la proposition, la phrase et l'énoncé dans la vision des linguistes M. Ioniţă et M. Potapova aux types de prédication et a l'ambiguïté dans la phrase simple tautologique et dans la phrase complexe comparative / A. Bondarenco // Limbaj şi context = Speech and Context : Rev. de lingvistică, semiotică şi şt. literară. – 2012. – Anul IV, nr. 1. - P. 23-44. – ISSN1857-4149
Influence of graphene oxide concentration when fabricating an electrochemical biosensor for DNA detection
No full textWe have investigated the influence exerted by the concentration of graphene oxide (GO) dispersion as a modifier for screen printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs) on the fabrication of an electrochemical biosensor to detect DNA hybridization. A new pretreatment protocol for SPCEs, involving two successive steps in order to achieve a reproducible deposition of GO, is also proposed. Aqueous GO dispersions of different concentrations (0.05, 0.1, 0.15, and 0.2 mg/mL) were first drop-cast on the SPCE substrates and then electrochemically reduced. The electrochemical properties of the modified electrodes were investigated after each modification step by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), while physicochemical characterization was performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman spectroscopy. Finally, the sensing platform was obtained by the simple adsorption of the single-stranded DNA probe onto the electrochemically reduced GO (RGO)-modified SPCEs under optimized conditions. The hybridization was achieved by incubating the functionalized SPCEs with complementary DNA target and detected by measuring the change in the electrochemical response of [Fe(CN)6]3-/4-redox reporter in CV and EIS measurements induced by the release of the newly formed double-stranded DNA from the electrode surface. Our results showed that a higher GO concentration generated a more sensitive response towards DNA detection
Optical graphene-based biosensor for nucleic acid detection; influence of graphene functionalization and ionic strength
No full textA main challenge for optical graphene-based biosensors detecting nucleic acid is the selection of key parameters e.g. graphenic chemical structure, nanomaterial dispersion, ionic strength, and appropriate molecular interaction mechanisms. Herein we study interactions between a fluorescein-labelled DNA (FAM-DNA) probe and target single-stranded complementary DNA (cDNA) on three graphenic species, aiming to determine the most suitable platform for nucleic acid detection. Graphene oxide (GO), carboxyl graphene (GO-COOH) and reduced graphene oxide functionalized with PEGylated amino groups (rGO-PEG-NH2, PEG (polyethylene glycol)) were dispersed and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The influence of ionic strength on molecular interaction with DNA was examined by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) comparing fluorescence intensity and anisotropy. Results indicated an effect of graphene functionalization, dispersion and concentration-dependent quenching, with GO and GO-COOH having the highest quenching abilities for FAM-DNA. Furthermore, GO and GO-COOH quenching was accentuated by the addition of either MgCl2 or MgSO4 cations. At 10 mM MgCl2 or MgSO4, the cDNA induced a decrease in fluorescence signal that was 2.7-fold for GO, 3.4-fold for GO-COOH and 4.1-fold for rGO-PEG-NH2. Best results, allowing accurate target detection, were observed when selecting rGO-PEG-NH2, MgCl2 and fluorescence anisotropy as an advantageous combination suitable for nucleic acid detection and further rational design biosensor development
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