Solid-state NMR (31)P paramagnetic relaxation enhancement membrane protein immersion depth measurements.

Paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE) is a widely used approach for measuring long-range distance constraints in biomolecular solution NMR spectroscopy. In this paper, we show that (31)P PRE solid-state NMR spectroscopy can be utilized to determine the immersion depth of spin-labeled membrane peptides and proteins. Changes in the (31)P NMR PRE times coupled with modeling studies can be used to describe the spin-label position/amino acid within the lipid bilayer and the corresponding helical tilt. This method provides valuable insight on protein-lipid interactions and membrane protein structural topology. Solid-state (31)P NMR data on the 23 amino acid α-helical nicotinic acetylcholine receptor nAChR M2δ transmembrane domain model peptide followed predicted behavior of (31)P PRE rates of the phospholipid headgroup as the spin-label moves from the membrane surface toward the center of the membrane. Residue 11 showed the smallest changes in (31)P PRE (center of the membrane), while residue 22 shows the largest (31)P PRE change (near the membrane surface), when compared to the diamagnetic control M2δ sample. This PRE SS-NMR technique can be used as a molecular ruler to measure membrane immersion depth.

Psychometric assessment of dynamic risk factors for child molesters.

To explore the relationship between dynamic risk factors and recidivism in child molesters, we studied a sample of men (N=495) who completed an intensive, prison-based treatment program in New Zealand. During the follow-up period (M=5.8 years), 9.9% were reconvicted for a sexual offense. A self-report psychometric battery was administered at pre-treatment that assessed a range of variables related to sexual attitudes and beliefs, emotional functioning, and interpersonal competency. Factor analysis showed that individual differences in the battery could be described by four dimensions-Social Inadequacy, Sexual Interests, Anger/Hostility, and Pro-Offending Attitudes. Factor scores for each dimension were significantly correlated with sexual recidivism. Logistic regression analyses confirmed that the Sexual Interests and Pro-Offending Attitudes factor scores, as well as an Overall Deviance score which combined the dimensions, provided significant additional validity for predicting recidivism beyond the Static-99 (Hanson and Thornton Law and Human Behavior 24:119-136, 2000). When added to the Static-99, the Overall Deviance score increased the area under the Receiver-Operating Characteristic curve (AUC) from 0.72 to 0.81. These results show that psychometric self-reports can provide valid measures of dynamic risk factors, and that inclusion of such measures can improve risk prediction beyond that achievable by static factors alone.

Motivational interviewing in health settings: a review.

There is evidence that patient-centred approaches to health care consultations may have better outcomes than traditional advice giving, especially when lifestyle change is involved. Motivational interviewing (MI) is a patient-centred approach that is gathering increased interest in health settings. It provides a way of working with patients who may not seem ready to make the behaviour changes that are considered necessary by the health practitioner. The current paper provides an overview of MI, with particular reference to its application to health problems.

Dynamic risk factors: the Kia Marama evaluation.

Risk assessment is an essential part of clinical practice. Each of the three aspects of risk (static, stable, and acute dynamic) are important at various points of contact between the man and the systems that are responsible for providing service. Dynamic factors, the typical treatment and supervision targets, have received less research attention than static factors. This paper examined the extent to which pretreatment, posttreatment and change scores were associated with reoffending among men incarcerated for sexually molesting. The results were generally supportive of change in prooffending attitudes as the key to not reoffending and suggested that the perspective-taking component of empathy and the use of fantasy may be important mechanisms. Affect scales generally failed to show any relationship with reoffending, outside decreases in trait and suppressed anger. Moreover, these data suggest that we could improve our assessments and treatment through increased sensitivity to offense pathways.

Links between psychological sense of control and disturbed eating behavior in women with diabetes mellitus. Implications for predictors of metabolic control.

PURPOSE: Eating disturbances and aspects of psychological control are both repeatedly cited as significant correlates of metabolic control in diabetes mellitus (DM), yet such findings are typically discussed in separate literatures and have been criticized for overreliance on outdated constructs of psychological control when more complex means of analysis are available. METHODS: Utilizing a multidimensional control inventory, this study investigates the relationship between eating disturbance and psychological sense of control, and assesses the utility of these two constructs in predicting metabolic control in 96 women recruited from a specialist diabetes clinic. RESULTS: Despite significantly overlapping relationships between these two predictor variables and metabolic control, it is control specific to the domain of interpersonal relationships, along with eating disturbance in the form of bulimia/food preoccupation, that independently predicts level of metabolic control. CONCLUSIONS: These findings have implications for the current form and content of psychological interventions in the management of DM.