Pedophilia: Understanding the Origins and Problems within the Criminal Justice System

Societal stigma, criminal sanctions, and the mental illness or disorder of pedophilia are explored in this paper because of the considerable research gaps that have accumulated over the past decade. Most of the data acquired regarding individuals with pedophilia have been predominantly from male offenders, with most of the information coming from reports to local law enforcement and the FBI. The outcome of multiple studies shows that neuroimaging, associated brainwaves, and related sexual attraction are significantly different for individuals with pedophiliac tendencies than for others. Studies also reveal that research has been limited to prevention techniques and therapy for nonoffenders seeking help as well as the criminal justice system\u27s definition of pedophilia. Most minor-attracted people are subjected to self-reporting, and the definition of pedophiliac tendencies within mental illness is vague and can be misused. Additionally, many reporting systems and avenues exist for professionals working with individuals with pedophilia. Still, mandatory reporting has long been part managing mental illness and the potential for offending or reoffending. Using qualitative research methods, this approach is assessed in light of newer studies and interviews with mental health professionals; examination results show that pedophilia is both a mental disorder and a criminal consideration for which society currently has no established proactive measures to prevent offenses. The need and potential for handling pedophiliac acts before they can occur, the accurate risk assessment of pedophilia in the criminal justice system, and society\u27s view of the topic are all judged based on previous treatment options that have not worked

Check valve failure experience in the nuclear industry

Check valves are critical components in the operation of current generation nuclear power plants and may serve an increasingly critical role in the designs of future advanced passive light water reactors. Recognizing that check valve failures can result in significant operating transients, increased maintenance costs, and/or decreased system availability, the nuclear industry has taken a proactive approach to failure detection and prevention. As part of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission`s (NRC`s) program to evaluate the effects of age and wear on nuclear systems components, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has analyzed hundreds of check valve failures in safety-related applications. This research, combined with efforts by industry, regulatory, and codes and standards organizations, has provided insight into check valve performance history and may be used to provide a basis for evaluation of changes to utilities inservice test and inspection practices

On the miscibility of cardiolipin with 1,2-diacyl phosphoglycerides: Binary mixtures of dimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine and tetramyristoylcardiolipin

The thermotropic phase behavior and organization of model membranes composed of binary mixtures of the quadruple-chained, anionic phospholipid tetramyristoylcardiolipin (TMCL) with the double-chained zwitterionic phospholipid dimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DMPE) were examined by a combination of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. After equilibration at low temperature, DSC thermograms exhibited by binary mixtures of TMCL and DMPE containing < 80 mol DMPE exhibit a fairly energetic lower temperature endotherm and a highly energetic higher temperature endotherm. As the relative amount of TMCL in the mixture decreases, the temperature, enthalpy and cooperativity of the lower temperature endotherm also decreases and is not calorimetrically detectable when the TMCL content falls below 20 mol%. In contrast, the temperature of the higher temperature endotherm increases as the proportion of TMCL decreases, but the enthalpy and cooperativity both decrease and the transition endotherms become multimodal. The FTIR spectroscopic results indicate that the lower temperature endotherm corresponds to a lamellar crystalline (Lc) to lamellar gel (Lβ) phase transition and that the higher temperature transition involves the conversion of the Lβ phase to the lamellar liquid-crystalline (Lα) phase. Moreover, the FTIR spectroscopic signatures observed at temperatures below the onset of the Lc/Lβ phase transitions are consistent with the coexistence of structures akin to a TMCL-like Lc phase and the L β phase, and with the relative amount of the TMCL-like L c phase increasing progressively as the TMCL content of the mixture increases. These latter observations suggest that the TMCL and DMPE components of these mixtures are poorly miscible at temperatures below the L β/Lα phase transition temperature. Poor miscibility of these two components is also suggested by the complexity of the DSC thermograms observed at the Lβ/Lα phase transitions of these mixtures and with the complex relationship between their Lβ/Lα phase transition temperatures and the composition of the mixture. Overall, our data suggests that TMCL and DMPE may be intrinsically poorly miscible across a broad composition range, notwithstanding the homogeneity of the fatty acid chains of the two components and the modest (~ 10 °C) difference between their Lβ/Lα phase transition temperatures.Fil: Frías, María de los Ángeles. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Benesch, Matthew G. K.. University of Alberta; CanadáFil: Lewis, Ruthven N. A. H.. University of Alberta; CanadáFil: McElhaney, Ronald N.. University of Alberta; Canad

Superior antigen-specific CD4+ T-cell response with AS03-adjuvantation of a trivalent influenza vaccine in a randomised trial of adults aged 65 and older

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of trivalent influenza vaccines may be reduced in older versus younger adults because of age-related immunosenescence. The use of an adjuvant in such a vaccine is one strategy that may combat immunosenescence, potentially by bolstering T-cell mediated responses. METHODS: This observer-blind study, conducted in the United States (US) and Spain during the 2008-2009 influenza season, evaluated the effect of Adjuvant System AS03 on specific T-cell responses to a seasonal trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV) in >/=65 year-old adults.Medically-stable adults aged >/=65 years were randomly allocated to receive a single dose of AS03-adjuvanted TIV (TIV/AS03) or TIV. Healthy adults aged 18-40 years received only TIV. Blood samples were collected on Day 0, Day 21, Day 42 and Day 180. Influenza-specific CD4+ T cells, defined by the induction of the immune markers CD40L, IL-2, IFN-gamma, or TNF-alpha, were measured in ex vivo cultures of antigen-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells. RESULTS: A total of 192 adults were vaccinated: sixty nine and seventy three >/=65 year olds received TIV/AS03 and TIV, respectively; and fifty 18 - 40 year olds received TIV. In the >/=65 year-old group on Day 21, the frequency of CD4+ T cells specific to the three vaccine strains was superior in the TIV/AS03 recipients to the frequency in TIV (p /=65 year-old recipients of TIV/AS03 than in the 18 - 40 year old recipients of TIV on Days 21 (p = 0.006) and 42 (p = 0.011). CONCLUSION: This positive effect of AS03 Adjuvant System on the CD4+ T-cell response to influenza vaccine strains in older adults could confer benefit in protection against clinical influenza disease in this population. TRIAL REGISTRATION: (Clinicaltrials.gov.). NCT00765076

Learning to trust: trust and attachment in early psychosis

Background Distrust and social dysfunction are characteristic in psychosis and may arise from attachment insecurity, which is elevated in the disorder. The relationship between trust and attachment in the early stages of psychosis is unknown, yet could help to understand interpersonal difficulties and disease progression. This study aimed to investigate whether trust is reduced in patients with early psychosis and whether this is accounted for by attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety. Method We used two trust games with a cooperative and unfair partner in a sample of 39 adolescents with early psychosis and 100 healthy controls. Results Patients had higher levels of attachment anxiety, but the groups did not differ in attachment avoidance. Basic trust was lower in patients than controls, as indicated by lower initial investments. During cooperation patients increased their trust towards levels of controls, i.e. they were able to learn and to override initial suspiciousness. Patients decreased their trust less than controls during unfair interactions. Anxious attachment was associated with higher basic trust and higher trust during unfair interactions and predicted trust independent of group status. Discussion Patients showed decreased basic trust but were able to learn from the trustworthy behaviour of their counterpart. Worries about the acceptance by others and low self-esteem are associated with psychosis and attachment anxiety and may explain behaviour that is focused on conciliation, rather than self-protection

Influenza nucleoprotein delivered with aluminium salts protects mice from an influenza virus that expresses an altered nucleoprotein sequence

Influenza virus poses a difficult challenge for protective immunity. This virus is adept at altering its surface proteins, the proteins that are the targets of neutralizing antibody. Consequently, each year a new vaccine must be developed to combat the current recirculating strains. A universal influenza vaccine that primes specific memory cells that recognise conserved parts of the virus could prove to be effective against both annual influenza variants and newly emergent potentially pandemic strains. Such a vaccine will have to contain a safe and effective adjuvant that can be used in individuals of all ages. We examine protection from viral challenge in mice vaccinated with the nucleoprotein from the PR8 strain of influenza A, a protein that is highly conserved across viral subtypes. Vaccination with nucleoprotein delivered with a universally used and safe adjuvant, composed of insoluble aluminium salts, provides protection against viruses that either express the same or an altered version of nucleoprotein. This protection correlated with the presence of nucleoprotein specific CD8 T cells in the lungs of infected animals at early time points after infection. In contrast, immunization with NP delivered with alum and the detoxified LPS adjuvant, monophosphoryl lipid A, provided some protection to the homologous viral strain but no protection against infection by influenza expressing a variant nucleoprotein. Together, these data point towards a vaccine solution for all influenza A subtypes

Pandemic Influenza A H1N1 2009 Infection versus Vaccination: A Cohort Study Comparing Immune Responses in Pregnancy

Background: With the emergence of H1N1 pandemic (pH1N1) influenza, the CDC recommended that pregnant women be one of five initial target groups to receive the 2009 monovalent H1N1 vaccine, regardless of prior infection with this influenza strain. We sought to compare the immune response of pregnant women to H1N1 infection versus vaccination and to determine the extent of passive immunity conferred to the newborn. Methods/Findings: During the 2009-2010 influenza season, we enrolled a cohort of women who either had confirmed pH1N1 infection during pregnancy, did not have pH1N1 during pregnancy but were vaccinated against pH1N1, or did not have illness or vaccination. Maternal and umbilical cord venous blood samples were collected at delivery. Hemagglutination inhibition assays (HAI) for pH1N1 were performed. Data were analyzed using linear regression analyses. HAIs were performed for matched maternal/cord blood pairs for 16 women with confirmed pH1N1 infection, 14 women vaccinated against pH1N1, and 10 women without infection or vaccination. We found that pH1N1 vaccination and wild-type infection during pregnancy did not differ with respect to (1) HAI titers at delivery, (2) HAI antibody decay slopes over time, and (3) HAI titers in the cord blood. Conclusions: Vaccination against pH1N1 confers a similar HAI antibody response as compared to pH1N1 infection durin

Advanced biological age is associated with improved antibody responses in older high-dose influenza vaccine recipients over four consecutive seasons

Background Biological aging represents a loss of integrity and functionality of physiological systems over time. While associated with an enhanced risk of adverse outcomes such as hospitalization, disability and death following infection, its role in perceived age-related declines in vaccine responses has yet to be fully elucidated. Using data and biosamples from a 4-year clinical trial comparing immune responses of standard- and high-dose influenza vaccination, we quantified biological age (BA) prior to vaccination in adults over 65 years old (n = 292) using a panel of ten serological biomarkers (albumin, alanine aminotransferase, creatinine, ferritin, free thyroxine, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, tumour necrosis factor, interleukin-6) as implemented in the BioAge R package. Hemagglutination inhibition antibody titres against influenza A/H1N1, A/H3N2 and B were quantified prior to vaccination and 4-, 10- and 20- weeks post-vaccination. Results Counter to our hypothesis, advanced BA was associated with improved post-vaccination antibody titres against the different viral types and subtypes. However, this was dependent on both vaccine dose and CMV serostatus, as associations were only apparent for high-dose recipients (d = 0.16–0.26), and were largely diminished for CMV positive high-dose recipients. Conclusions These findings emphasize two important points: first, the loss of physiological integrity related to biological aging may not be a ubiquitous driver of immune decline in older adults; and second, latent factors such as CMV infection (prevalent in up to 90% of older adults worldwide) may contribute to the heterogeneity in vaccine responses of older adults more than previously thought

An empirical approach towards the efficient and optimal production of influenza-neutralizing ovine polyclonal antibodies demonstrates that the novel adjuvant CoVaccine HT(TM) is functionally superior to Freund's adjuvant

Passive immunotherapies utilising polyclonal antibodies could have a valuable role in preventing and treating infectious diseases such as influenza, particularly in pandemic situations but also in immunocompromised populations such as the elderly, the chronically immunosuppressed, pregnant women, infants and those with chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to optimise current methods used to generate ovine polyclonal antibodies. Polyclonal antibodies to baculovirus-expressed recombinant influenza haemagglutinin from A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 H1N1 (PR8) were elicited in sheep using various immunisation regimens designed to investigate the priming immunisation route, adjuvant formulation, sheep age, and antigen dose, and to empirically ascertain which combination maximised antibody output. The novel adjuvant CoVaccine HT™ was compared to Freund’s adjuvant which is currently the adjuvant of choice for commercial production of ovine polyclonal Fab therapies. CoVaccine HT™ induced significantly higher titres of functional ovine anti-haemagglutinin IgG than Freund’s adjuvant but with fewer side effects, including reduced site reactions. Polyclonal hyperimmune sheep sera effectively neutralised influenza virus in vitro and, when given before or after influenza virus challenge, prevented the death of infected mice. Neither the age of the sheep nor the route of antigen administration appeared to influence antibody titre. Moreover, reducing the administrated dose of haemagglutinin antigen minimally affected antibody titre. Together, these results suggest a cost effective way of producing high and sustained yields of functional ovine polyclonal antibodies specifically for the prevention and treatment of globally significant diseases.Natalie E. Stevens, Cara K. Fraser, Mohammed Alsharifi, Michael P. Brown, Kerrilyn R. Diener, John D. Haybal

A new method to determine the elastopalstic properties of ductile materials by conical indentation

Based on load-displacement curves, indentation is widely used to extract the elastoplastic properties of materials. It is generally believed that such a measure is non-unique and a full stress-strain curve cannot be obtained using plural sharp and deep spherical indenters. In this paper we show that by introducing an additional dimensionless function of DA / A (the ratio of residual area to the area of an indenter profile) in the reverse analysis, the elastoplastic properties of several unknown materials that exhibit visually indistinguishable load-displacement curves can be uniquely determined with a sharp indentation