SAFE, a new therapeutic intervention for families of children with autism: a randomised controlled feasibility trial.

Objectives: To establish the feasibility of a definitive randomised controlled trial of Systemic Autism-related Family Enabling (SAFE), an intervention for families of children with autism.

Design: A randomised, controlled, multicentred feasibility study.

Setting: Participants were identified from three National Health Service (NHS) diagnosing centres in Plymouth and Cornwall and a community pathway.

Randomised controlled trial of tailored support to increase physical activity and reduce smoking in smokers not immediately ready to quit: protocol for the Trial of physical Activity-assisted Reduction of Smoking (TARS) Study.

Introduction: Smoking reduction can lead to increased success in quitting. This study aims to determine if a client-focused motivational support package for smoking reduction (and quitting) and increasing (or otherwise using) physical activity (PA) can help smokers who do not wish to quit immediately to reduce the amount they smoke, and ultimately quit. This paper reports the study design and methods.

SAFE, a new therapeutic intervention for families of children with autism: study protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Incidence of autistic traits, mental health problems, stress and poor coping is high among family members of children with autism. These problems are coupled with challenging behaviour among children with autism. Current treatment for these families is disjointed and costly.

Multi-parameter flow cytometry and cell sorting reveal extensive physiological heterogeneity in Bacillus cereus batch cultures.

Based on two staining protocols, DiOC(6)(3)/propidium iodide (PI) and RedoxSensor Green (an indicator of bacterial reductase activity)/PI, multi-parameter flow cytometry and cell sorting has identified at least four distinguishable physiological states during batch cultures of Bacillus cereus. Furthermore, dependent on the position in the growth curve, single cells gave rise to varying numbers of colonies when sorted individually onto nutrient agar plates. These growing colonies derived from a single cell had widely different lag phases, inferred from differences in colony size.