Accelerator Mass Spectrometry as a Bioanalytical Tool for Nutritional Research

Accelerator Mass Spectrometry is a mass spectrometric method of detecting long-lived radioisotopes without regard to their decay products or half-life. The technique is normally applied to geochronology, but recently has been developed for bioanalytical tracing. AMS detects isotope concentrations to parts per quadrillion, quantifying labeled biochemicals to attomole levels in milligram- sized samples. Its advantages over non-isotopeic and stable isotope labeling methods are reviewed and examples of analytical integrity, sensitivity, specificity, and applicability are provided

Psychometric Properties and Development of the Brief Adolescent Prosocial Perception Scales (BAPPS)

Prosociality represents an important aspect of social functioning in adolescents and is related to the risk of psychological problems. The current paper describes the development and psychometric testing of two new short-form versions of prosocial perceptions named the Brief Adolescent Prosocial Perceptions Scale Self- (BAPPS-S) and Parent-report (BAPPS-P). Parent and child dyads (N = 3,976; 89 \% White; aged 11-17 years) took part in a large cross-sectional survey. The BAPPS were completed alongside other measures of prosociality, social support and emotional and behavioural problems. Exploratory (n = 1,988) and confirmatory (n = 1,988) factor analysis supported a single factor solution that is related to, although separate from, conduct disorders. The scales showed good internal consistency and concurrent validity. Moreover, the BAPPS demonstrated incremental validity by accounting for significant variance in clinical outcome measures over and above that explained by existing measures of prosociality. The study demonstrated that the BAPPS have good initial psychometric properties. Potential clinical uses are discussed, including providing valuable information on young people's strengths and resiliencies that can inform clinical formulation and intervention