cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Treatment at the front end of the criminal justice continuum: the association between arrest and admission into specialty substance abuse treatment.

To reduce criminal recidivism and drug use, it has been proposed that the substance abuse treatment delivery system cut across different components of the criminal justice continuum. Arrest, at the front end of this continuum, may represent a critical moment to motivate people with substance use disorders (SUD) to seek treatment but is often over looked as an intervention point. We used data from the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) to compare treatment need and recent treatment admission for participants with no criminal justice (CJ) involvement in the past year, past-year arrest, and CJ supervision (i.e., probation or parole status). Of those arrested, 44.8% met criteria for an SUD. However, only 14% of those arrested with an SUD received treatment in the year of their arrest. In multivariate modelling, arrest was an independent predictor of treatment admission (odds ratio (OR) = 8.74) similar in magnitude to meeting criteria for an SUD (OR = 8.22). Those further along the continuum – under supervision – were most likely to receive treatment (OR = 22.62). Arrest involves the largest number of individuals entering the criminal justice system. The NSDUH suggests that nearly 6 million individuals in the US experience an arrest annually and that nearly half meet criteria for an SUD. Although arrest involves the largest number of individuals entering the criminal justice system, it is also the most fleeting point as individuals can move in and out rather quickly. Minimally, arrest imposes contact between the individual and a law enforcement person and can be an opportunity for early intervention strategies such as pre-arraignment diversion into treatment or brief intervention strategies. Using brief intervention at this early point in the continuum may motivate a greater number of individuals to seek treatment or decrease drug and alcohol use. Training and procedural shifts at this point of contact could have important policy implications in reducing the number of subsequent arrests or preventing individuals moving further along the criminal justice continuum, as well as decreasing the fiscal and resource burdens associated with criminal justice processing and confinement.
Aseptic meningitis following posterior fossa surgery in children.

✓ The results of suboccipital craniectomy for varying types of posterior fossa pathology in 50 children are reported. Thirty-five (70%) experienced aseptic meningitis postoperatively, with spiking fever and meningismus; cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) studies revealed pleocytosis, high protein values, and depression of glucose. The absence of bacterial pathogens in serial CSF cultures distinguishes this syndrome from septic meningitis. Aseptic meningitis does not respond to antibiotics, but steroids in suitable doses will modify or suppress the clinical and CSF picture. This syndrome may predispose to postoperative hydrocephalus, but steroid therapy may diminish this risk.
A Clinical Approach to the Classification of Seizures and Epileptic Syndromes

Seizures and epilepsies are heterogeneous. Their classifications are essential for clinicians to achieve a common understanding of the disorders. The diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of seizure disorders depend on the correct identification of the types of seizures and epilepsy. The two currently accepted classifications are the International Classification of Epileptic Seizures and the International Classification of Epilepsies and Epileptic Syndromes. Both are based on clinical and electrophysiologic data, and both maintain a basic dichotomy between partial (focal, localization-related) and generalized epileptic disorders. Partial seizures are further classified into those that are simple partial, complex partial, and partial with secondary generalization. Generalized seizures are classified predominantly on the basis of their motor manifestations. Epilepsies are divided into idiopathic, cryptogenic, and symptomatic types. The utility and the limitations of these two classifications are discussed. A simplified system that encompasses neuroradiologic advances is offered to enhance the clinical usefulness of classifying epileptic disorders.
A new drug-sensing paradigm based on ion-current rectification in a conically shaped nanopore.

Aims: To utilize the ion-current rectification phenomenon observed for conically shaped nanopores as the basis for designing sensors for drug molecules that adsorb to the walls of the nanopore. Methods: The conically shaped nanopore was prepared by the well-known track-etch method in a polyimide (Kapton) membrane. The ion current flowing through the nanopore was measured as a function of applied transmembrane potential in the presence of the analyte drug molecule, Hoechst 33258. Results: The pore walls in the Kapton membrane are hydrophobic yet have fixed carboxylate groups that give the walls a net negative charge. This fixed anionic surface charge causes the nanopore to rectify the ion current flowing through it. The analyte drug molecule, Hoechst 33258, is cationic yet also hydrophobic. When the membrane is exposed to this molecule, it adsorbs to the pore walls and neutralizes the anionic surface charge, thus lowering the extent of ion-current rectification. The change in rectification is proportional to the concentration of the drug. Conclusions: This nanopore sensor is selective for hydrophobic cations relative to anions, neutral molecules and less hydrophobic cations. Future work will explore ways of augmenting this hydrophobic effect-based selectivity so that more highly selective sensors can be obtained.
T-Cell Responses to Islet Antigens Improves Detection of Autoimmune Diabetes and Identifies Patients With More Severe β-Cell Lesions in Phenotypic Type 2 Diabetes

Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults or type 1.5 diabetes is considered to be a T-cell-mediated autoimmune disease. However, identification of patients is based commonly on autoantibody (Ab) detection. To determine whether measuring T-cell reactivity to islet proteins compared with measuring Abs improves detection of autoimmune diabetes and how beta-cell function correlates with T-cell reactivity compared with Ab positivity, we assessed the T-cell proliferative responses and Ab responses (islet cell autoantibodies, insulin autoantibodies, insulinoma-associated protein-2 autoantibodies, and GAD Abs) to islet proteins of 36 phenotypic type 2 diabetic patients. To be considered Ab(+) or T-cell(+), patients were required to be positive for a minimum of two consecutive time points. beta-Cell function was measured with fasting and glucagon-stimulated C-peptide. Independent of T-cell reactivity, Ab(+) and Ab(-) patients had comparable fasting and glucagon-stimulated C-peptide. Independent of Ab status, T-cell(+) patients demonstrated significantly lower glucagon-stimulated (P < 0.003) C-peptide compared with T-cell(-) patients. These data suggest that measuring T-cell responses to multiple islet proteins in phenotypic type 2 diabetic patients improves identification of patients with autoimmune diabetes and delineates those who have a more severe beta-cell lesion compared with Ab assessment alone.
Nucleation and dynamics of vortices in type-II superconductors

The oneand two-dimensional Ginzburg-Landau equations are numer­ ically integrated in a slab geometry, which is appropriate for com­ parison to experimental work done on films. When two-dimensional var­ iations become energetically favorable, a vortex is found to nucleate and move to the center of the film with the Gibbs free energy decreasing during the process. An important process by which the energy is lowered during this nucleation procedure is found to be the savings in conden­ sation energy arising from the shrinking size of the vortex core as it moves to the center of the fi1m. The solutions of the Ginzburg-Landau equations are used to explain anomalies observed experimentally in the tunneling characteristics of thin films of Pbln. Excellent agreement between theory and experiment is found with the Ginzburg-Landau equations correctly predicting the field at which flux would first enter the films. We then use the Clem model of an isolated vortex to model vortex nucleation and dynamics under the influence of a transport current. The entry fields predicted by the model are found to be off by almost a factor of two but have the advantage of requiring simple computer programs for their solution, while the Ginzburg-Landau solutions require substantially more numerical work.
Christianity and its legacy in education

Much of the discussion regarding religion and schooling in the US has been limited to ideological clashes surrounding the role of the courts and, ostensibly, the much litigated issue of prayer in schools. This comes at the expense of an examination of deeper curricular issues rooted in language and school mechanisms borne of historical consequences. The authors seek to reframe the discussion of religion and schooling, arguing that to suggest that the removal of explicit prayerfulness equates to the cleansing of US public education of its religious character is facile and ahistorical. They suggest, instead, that religion remains in the language, practices, and routines of schooling but also in conceptions of the “’child” ‘ and assumptions about the role of schools emanating from such conceptions. Evoking the notion of pentimento, the piece seeks to elucidate the JudeoChristian character of schooling in the US as a way of re-imagining discussions regarding the relationship between religion and/as curriculum. The piece concludes with a discussion of the implications of such an examination for curriculum studies and teacher education.
Low-density parity-check codes over Gaussian channels with erasures

We consider low-density parity-check code (LDPCC) design for additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channels with erasures. This model, for example, represents a common situation in magnetic and optical recording where defects or thermal asperities in the system are detected and presented to the decoder as erasures. We give thresholds of regular and irregular LDPCCs and discuss practical code design over the mixed Gaussian/erasures channel. The analysis is an extension of the Gaussian approximation work of Chung et al. In the two limiting cases of no erasures and large signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the analysis tends to the results of Chung et al. (see ibid., vol. 47, p.657-670, Feb. 2001) and Luby et al. (1997), respectively, giving a general tool for a class of mixed channels. We derive a steady-state equation which gives a graphical interpretation of decoder convergence. This allows one to estimate the maximum erasure capability on the mixture channel, or conversely, to estimate the additional signal power required to compensate for the loss due to erasures. We see that a good (capacity-approaching) LDPCC over an AWGN channel is also good over the mixed channel up to a moderate erasure probability. We also investigate practical issues such as the maximum number of iterations of message-passing decoders, the coded block length, and types of erasure patterns (random/block erasures). Finally, we design an optimized LDPCC for the mixed channel, which shows better performance if the erasure probability is larger than a certain value (0.1 in our simulation) at the expense of performance degradation at unerased (AWGN channel) and lower erasure probability regions (less than 0.1 in our simulation).
Improved BLAST searches using longer words for protein seeding

Motivation: The blastp and tblastn modules of BLAST are widely used methods for searching protein queries against protein and nucleotide databases, respectively. One heuristic used in BLAST is to consider only database sequences that contain a high-scoring match of length at most 5 to the query. We implemented the capability to use words of length 6 or 7. We demonstrate an improved trade-off between running time and retrieval accuracy, controlled by the score threshold used for short word matches. For example, the running time can be reduced by 20-30% while achieving ROC (receiver operator characteristic) scores similar to those obtained with current default parameters. Availability: The option to use long words is in the NCBI C and C++ toolkit code for BLAST, starting with version 2.2.16 of blastall. A Linux executable used to produce the results herein is available at: ftp://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/agarwala/protein_longwords Contact: richa@helix.nih.gov
Hormonal fountains of youth

Any hope of a fountain of youth to stop people from getting older is a long way off, with science just beginning to understand the complex genetic, physical, and hormonal causes of aging. Clearly, modem research has demonstrated that the concept of a hormonal fountain of youth is predominantly mythology. The best evidence supporting use of hormonal replacement is vitamin D and estrogen replacement to prevent hip fractures. Other than that, treatment should be limited to hormone replacement in persons who have endocrine disease.
The Moral Psychology of Revenge

The tendency and ability to take adequate revenge for an insult or injury inflicted in the past have been often glorified as part of a ‘just and honourable’ individual or communal character. This a...
When cloud virtual machine images need to be updated

Updates to cloud images typically come in the form of patches and either correct bugs and security vulnerabilities or introduce new functionality. The complexity and effort required to patch an image is much higher than what is required to patch an instance. This is due to the risk of incorrectly modifying configurations, breaking the cloud provisioning for the image or preventing the correct operation of the management stack. In a managed cloud, if a patch is not applied to an image it must be applied to each instance of the image. This process results in wastage of compute resources and causes the customer to receive an initial instance that has not been tested by the cloud provider. This paper proposes an algorithm to identify when an image should be updated based on the frequency of instantiation requests and the outstanding patches as actually experienced in a production data centre.
The effect of an acetic acid dip on carcass appearance, microbiological quality, and cooked breast meat texture and flavor.

In Experiment 1, broiler carcasses were subjected to a 10-min prechill treatment with and without a food grade vinegar at a concentration of .6% acetic acid. After treatment the carcasses were monitored for visual appearance and microbiological quality. Color change and skin appearance were subjectively monitored. Microbiological quality was determined using the low volume whole carcass rinse. Shear values of cooked muscle were determined using a Warner-Bratzler attachment to an Instron. In a second experiment using the same treatment protocol, treated carcasses were chilled in an ice slush for 30 min and held overnight at 2 C. The breast muscles were removed and cooked by two methods. Triangle tests to determine sensory differences due to acetic acid were conducted. The skin color of treated carcasses turned a light yellow, and the feather follicles were protruded or puckered. Total aerobic counts were not affected by any of the treatments, but Enterobacteriaceae (ENT) counts of treated carcasses were significantly lower than the counts for the water control carcasses. Log10 ENT counts ranged from 4.51 for the control to 3.80 for the carcasses treated with acetic acid. Based on sensory triangle tests using a trained panel, there were no significant differences in the samples from either cooking method.
Immunoblot Method To Detect Streptococcus pneumoniae and Identify Multiple Serotypes from Nasopharyngeal Secretions

Conventional culture techniques are limited in the ability to detect multiple Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes in nasopharyngeal (NP) secretions. We developed an immunoblot (IB) method with monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to detect S. pneumoniae and to identify serotypes. NP specimens stored in skim milk-tryptone-glucose-glycerol medium were assessed by the IB method and the reference culture method (RM). In the RM, four optochin-sensitive alpha-hemolytic colonies resembling pneumococci were typed by the Quellung reaction. In the IB method, a nitrocellulose membrane blot of surface growth was reacted with a pneumococcal surface adhesion (PsaA) MAb and visualized. Of 47 NP specimens, 32 (68%) were found to be positive and 13 (28%) were found to be negative for pneumococci by both methods; each method alone yielded one positive result. The sensitivity and specificity of the IB method for the detection of pneumococci were 97 and 93%, respectively. To identify serotypes, blots were tested with serotype-specific MAbs (4, 6A, 6B, 9V, 14, 18C, 19F, and 23F). To detect the remaining serotypes, positive serotype-specific replicate blots were compared visually to an original anti-PsaA-positive blot; four unidentified colonies were subcultured and serotyped by the Quellung reaction. Fifty-eight S. pneumoniae-positive NP specimens containing 69 pneumococcal strains (23 serotypes) were tested; 68 (98.6%) of the strains were detected by the IB method, and 66 (95.6%) were detected by the RM. For 11 specimens found to contain two serotypes, both methods detected both serotypes in 7 (63.6%), the IB method alone detected the two serotypes in 3 (27.3%), and the RM alone detected both serotypes in 1 (9%). The IB method identified multiple clones and minor populations of pneumococci in NP secretions. This method is useful for detecting specific serotypes and carriage of multiple serotypes in epidemiologic surveillance and carriage studies.
The Center for Computational Science and Engineering at the U.S. Naval Academy

There is a strong and increasing desire for more multidisciplinary activities within mathematical, scientific and engineering education. This has found particularly strong voice in the rise of graduate programs in Computational Science and Engineering. The growth of such programs and centers is only just beginning to take root in the undergraduate curriculum. In this paper, the authors describe the proposal, founding and development of a Center for CSE at an undergraduate school. The center grew from an initial proposal to planning and running its first multidisciplinary course in one year. In the paper, they describe the chronology of this process as well as giving some pointers on how to go about creating the right environment for such a development in undergraduate colleges. The development of a special team-taught multidisciplinary course is also described.
Estimating stimulus response latency

Stimulus response latency is the delay in the onset of stimulus-evoked neuronal activity. We develop maximum likelihood and least squares estimators of stimulus response latency and present a comparison of the performance of these methods with estimators commonly used in the neuroscience literature. The formal statistical change-point estimation problem is nontrivial due to the inclusion of a 'nuisance parameter', the end of stationarity in the stimulus-evoked activity. Our results suggest that the automation of the estimation of stimulus response latency will benefit from the use of the maximum likelihood estimator.
Interpersonal Distance as a Function of Task Difficulty, Praise, Status Orientation, and Sex of Partner:

Interpersonal distance between Ss and confederates was measured in the laboratory. Ss placed themselves relatively far away from partners who flattered them and who were ascribed lower status. In t...
Copolymers containing alternating sequences of nucleic acid–base pairs. I. Monomer synthesis

To provide suitable monomers for a study designed to synthesize copolymers containing alternating sequences of nucleic acid base pairs, the following electron-donor monomers were synthesized: 9-(2-vinyloxyethyl)adenine, 1-(2-vinyloxyethyl)thymine, and 1-(2-vinyloxyethyl)-cytosine. The following electron-acceptor monomers were also synthesized: 9-(2-maleimidoethyl)adenine, 1-(2-maleimidoethyl)thymine, and 1-(2-maleimidoethyl)cytosine. The methods of synthesis are described along with their characterization by the usual methods, and their physical properties are reported. A variety of novel compounds were required as intermediates in the above identified syntheses. This paper also includes characterization of these compounds and a report of their physical properties.
A Grand Gender Convergence: Its Last Chapter

Abstract The converging roles of men and women are among the grandest advances in society and the economy in the last century. These aspects of the grand gender convergence are figurative chapters in a history of gender roles. But what must the “last” chapter contain for there to be equality in the labor market? The answer may come as a surprise. The solution does not (necessarily) have to involve government intervention and it need not make men more responsible in the home (although that wouldn't hurt). But it must involve changes in the labor market, especially how jobs are structured and remunerated to enhance temporal flexibility. The gender gap in pay would be considerably reduced and might vanish altogether if firms did not have an incentive to disproportionately reward individuals who labored long hours and worked particular hours. Such change has taken off in various sectors, such as technology, science, and health, but is less apparent in the corporate, financial, and legal worlds. (JEL J3, J16, ...
Photodynamic therapy with verteporfin of choroidal neovascularization in angioid streaks: Conventional versus early retreatment

PURPOSE. To evaluate the effectiveness of conventional photodynamic therapy with verteporfin (PDT) in a series of patients with macular choroidal neovascularization (CNV) due to angioid streaks and to compare it to the effectiveness of early PDT retreatment. METHODS. This is a retrospective study of 24 eyes (22 consecutive patients) with subfoveal or juxtafoveal CNV secondary to angioid streaks treated with PDT from September 2000 through February 2003 and that completed at least the first year of follow-up. Until August 2001, retreatments were performed according to the conventional protocol for PDT every 3 months (Group 1, consisting of 11 eyes of 9 patients). After August 2001 (13 more eyes of 13 new patients), retreatments were performed earlier (every 8 weeks) when indicated (Group 2). The follow-up time ranged from 30 to 42 months and from 12 to 30 months in Groups 1 and 2. RESULTS. At the end of the follow-up, final best-corrected visualacuity decreased in 21 (87.5%), stabilized in 2 (8.3%), and improved in 1 (4.2%) of the total 24 eyes. In all, 19 of the 24 eyes (79.2%) had a final best-corrected visual acuity equal to or less than 20/400. There were not any statistically significant differences in final visual acuity between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS. In this large series of patients with macular CNV secondary to angioid streaks, the functional and the anatomic results of PDT were not satisfactory, even when retreatments were performed earlier than the conventional time of 3 months.
Abstract T P411: Correlation of Neurocognitive Function and Brain Lesion Load on Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Background: Neurocognitive dysfunction and brain injury on MRI are common in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. However, brain MRI is expensive, non-specific, and does not necessarily predict neurocognitive dysfunction. In contrast, neurocognitive assessment is a clinical tool that is easily available, inexpensive, safe, and may better select patients who require an MRI or other cerebrovascular imaging. Methods: 76 patients with SLE [71 women, age 36±12 years] and 26 age-and-gender matched healthy subjects [22 women, age 34±11 years] underwent neurocognitive testing for assessment of global neurocognitive function, attention, memory, processing speed, executive function, and motor function (expressed as z-scores). All 102 subjects underwent brain MRI. T1 weighted, fluid attenuated inversion recovery, and diffusion weighted images were obtained. Whole brain and hemispheric lesion load in cm3 were determined using a semi-automated method. Results: All assessments of neurocognitive function were significantly worse in SLE patients than in controls, including global cognitive function (-1.82±1.90 versus -0.07±0.52,), attention (-1.80±2. versus -0.06±0.82,), memory (-1.23±1.15 versus -0.056±0.81 ), processing speed (-1.38 ±1.63 versus -0.06±0.93 ), executive function (-2.39±2.96 versus -0.10±0.79,) and motor function (-3.14±5.90 versus -0.06±0.63) (all p≤0.003). Also, white matter brain lesion load of the whole brain, left hemisphere, and right hemisphere were greater in SLE patients than in controls (1.10±2.65 versus 0.10±0.28 cm3 , 0.41±0.98 versus 0.04±0.13 cm3 and 0.68±1.97 versus 0.057±0.16 cm3, respectively, all p≤0.02]. Neurocognitive scores in each domain were significantly negatively correlated with brain lesion load of the whole brain, left and right hemispheres (r = 0.33 - 0.46, all p≤0.02, Pearson Correlation Coefficients ) . Conclusions: In SLE patients each neurocognitive domain score correlates negatively with brain lesion on MRI. These findings suggest that neurocognitive testing may be an effective initial clinical tool to assess for ischemic brain injury in SLE patients.
Detection of methionine in pernicious anemia megaloblasts and other types of erythroid precursors

Utilizing a bacterial-agar overlay technic incorporating the methionine-requiring bacterium Leukonostoc mesenteroides, little or no bacterial growth was seen surrounding the megaloblasts and proerythroblasts of eight patients who had severe untreated pernicious anemia. Similarly, scant bacterial growth was observed in five cases of chronic erythremic myelosis (DiGuglielmo syndrome). Heavy bacterial growth, indicating ample amounts of methionine, was seen in two cases of autoimmune hemolytic anemia, and in two cases of severe untreated folate-deficiency anemia. The results are consistent with the "methyltetrahydrofolate trap" hypothesis in pernicious anemia, in which a defect in the methylcobalamin-dependent methyltransferase leads to reduced amounts of methionine. These studies also suggest that a similar methyltransferase defect does not occur in folate deficiency or autoimmune hemolytic anemia. The generation of methionine, as estimated by the present technic, may also be defective in chronic erythremic myelosis.
Photo-induced proton-coupled electron transfer reactions of acridine orange: comprehensive spectral and kinetics analysis.

The triplet excited state of acridine orange (3*AO) undergoes a proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reaction with tri-tert-butylphenol (ttbPhOH) in acetonitrile. Each of the reaction components possesses a spectroscopic signature, providing a rare opportunity to monitor the individual proton transfer, electron transfer, and H•-transfer components in parallel via transient absorption spectroscopy. This enhanced optical tracking, along with excited-state thermochemical analysis, facilitates assignment of the mechanism of excited-state PCET reactivity. 3*AO is quenched via concerted proton–electron transfer (CPET) from ttbPhOH to form acridine radical (AOH•) and ttbPhO• (kCPET = 3.7 × 108 M–1 s–1, KIE = 1.3). Subsequently, AOH• reduces the phenoxyl radical (kET = 5.5 × 109 M–1 s–1), forming AOH+ and ttbPhO–, followed by proton transfer (kPT = 1.0 × 109 M–1 s–1) to regenerate the starting reactants.
Coronary Bypass — Survival Benefit in Heart Failure

Velazquez and colleagues report the outcomes from the 10-year extended follow-up of the surgical revascularization component of the Surgical Treatment for Ischemic Heart Failure (STICH) study.1 This STICH Extension Study (STICHES) was a tenacious 15-year effort, achieving a 98% rate of follow-up from 99 institutions of 1212 patients with heart failure and severe left ventricular dysfunction who were randomly assigned to receive either medical therapy alone or medical therapy plus coronary-artery bypass grafting (CABG). CABG was found to confer a significant and substantial survival benefit at 10 years, with a rate of death from any cause that was 16% lower . . .
Development of a transdermal Salmonella challenge model in calves.

Recent investigations have found that Salmonella can be routinely recovered from peripheral lymph nodes (PLNs) of cattle presented for harvest. When contained within the PLNs, this foodborne pathogen is protected from currently used postharvest, in-plant intervention strategies and, therefore, PLNs harboring Salmonella may be a potential contaminant of ground beef. The objective of this work was to develop a challenge model that effectively and repeatedly results in Salmonella-positive PLNs. A 10-lancet skin-allergy instrument was inoculated with Salmonella, and calves were inoculated intra- and/or transdermally by applying the device over various ventral regions of the skin. Salmonella was successfully and predictably recovered from region-specific PLNs up to 8 days postchallenge. Furthermore, serotypes inoculated within specific regions were only recovered from the PLNs draining those regions. This model provides a method to predictably infect PLNs with Salmonella. Further, this model makes it possible ...
Catalytic reduction of NO by hydrocarbons over a mechanical mixture of spinel Ni–Ga oxide and manganese oxide

NO reduction with propylene over Mn2O3, spinel Ni–Ga oxide and their mechanical mixtures has been investigated. Mn2O3 has no activity to NO reduction, but has a high activity for NO oxidation to NO2. Spinel Ni–Ga oxide showed an apparent activity to NO reduction only at temperatures above 400°C. Mixing of Mn2O3 to the Ni–Ga oxide resulted in a significant enhancement of NO reduction in the temperature range of 250–450°C. The optimal Mn2O3 content in the mixture catalyst was about 10–20 wt%. It is suggested that the synergetic effect of Mn2O3 and Ni–Ga oxide plays an important role in the catalysis of NO reduction. The Ni–Ga oxide and Mn2O3 mixture catalyst is superior to Pt/Al2O3 and Cu-ZSM-5 by showing a higher NO reduction conversion, resistance to water and negligible harmful by-product formation. Other lower hydrocarbons C2H4, C2H6 and C3H8 also give a maximum NO reduction conversion as high as 50%. The difference from using C3H6 is that the temperature at the maximum NO reduction is higher than it is with C3H6.
SU-F-T-152: Experimental Validation and Calculation Benchmark for a Commercial Monte Carlo Pencil BeamScanning Proton Therapy Treatment Planning System in Heterogeneous Media.

Purpose: Eclipse AcurosPT 13.7, the first commercial Monte Carlo pencil beam scanning (PBS) proton therapy treatment planning system (TPS), was experimentally validated for an IBA dedicated PBS nozzle in the CIRS 002LFC thoracic phantom. Methods: A two-stage procedure involving the use of TOPAS 1.3 simulations was performed. First, Geant4-based TOPAS simulations in this phantom were experimentally validated for single and multi-spot profiles at several depths for 100, 115, 150, 180, 210 and 225 MeV proton beams, using the combination of a Lynx scintillation detector and a MatriXXPT ionization chamber array. Second, benchmark calculations were performed with both AcurosPT and TOPAS in a phantom identical to the CIRS 002LFC, with the exception that the CIRS bone/mediastinum/lung tissues were replaced with similar tissues that are predefined in AcurosPT (a limitation of this system which necessitates the two stage procedure). Results: Spot sigmas measured in tissue were in agreement within 0.2 mm of TOPAS simulation for all six energies, while AcurosPT was consistently found to have larger spot sigma ( 5% quenching effect in the conversion of Lynx measurements to dose. Conclusion: We recommend the use of an ionization chamber array in combination with the scintillation detector to measure absolute dose and relative PBS spot characteristics. We also recommend the use of an independent Monte Carlo calculation benchmark for the commissioning of a commercial TPS. Partially supported by Varian Medical System under the master agreement between Varian and University of pennsylvania
Introduction: Consciousness, Subjectivity, and the History of the Organism

This book is inspired by the deeply historical science of the organism found in contemporary biology. Since P.S. Churchland’s Neurophilosophy (1986), “neuro” has become a familiar prefix. Neuroethics, neuroeco-nomics, neuroaesthetics, neurophenomenology and the neurodiversity movement are all contemporary expressions of an intellectual zeitgeist. A neurobiological image of mind and person is emerging, a picture in which we are hide-bound animal subjects, neurologically enabled, ecologically situated, and historically conditioned. But the true philosophical payoff of the newfangled neuroscience remains unclear. What does it contribute, exactly, to our understanding of human experience? In particular, can it really help us understand how anything like a first-person perspective could arise in the world? (Levine, 2001). My answer is yes. The new biology provides real insight into the nature of “for-me” subjectivity and how it is elaborated in the life of an animal. Evolutionary developmental biology offers the framework for an historical account of the way first-person experience arises and how it functions to enable organisms like us to navigate their world. In short, subjectivity is historically conditioned embodiment. In what follows I set forth a philosophical analysis of the first-person perspective, its central place in mental life, and its probable neurobiological basis. My aim is to articulate a conceptually powerful and empirically informed account of subjectivity that will be relevant to audiences across the humanities and life sciences.
Advantages wth Using the Levonorgestrel-Releasing Intrauterine System in Females with Hemostatic Disorders.

Abstract BACKGROUND: The levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) is a small device placed within the uterus that is used for both contraception and treatment of menorraghia. This system releases 20 micrograms of levonorgestrel every 24 hours over 5 years. We hypothesized that females with inherited or acquired bleeding disorders would have decreased menstrual bleeding with the LNG-IUS and improved quality of life. METHODS: A small, retrospective case series of females with hemostatic disorders who used the LNG-IUS within a 2 year period and who were seen at a tertiary medical center. RESULTS: Seven females were treated with the LNG-IUS for menorrhagia and contraception. We did not reverse anticoagulation for placement of the device and there were no bleeding complications associated with the LNG-IUS insertion. The average age was 36.7 years (range 28 – 48 years). Four females had von Willebrand's disease (VWD). Four females were on antithrombotic therapy, 2 warfarin and 2 aspirin. One female with VWD was heterozygous for factor V Leiden and was on warfarin for treatment of deep venous thrombosis. Six females had menorrhagia and one had bleeding most of the time. The average days of menstrual bleeding prior to LNG-IUS was 8.3 days which improved to 4.5 days after placement of the LNG-IUS. Three of 7 females discontinued use of the LNG-IUS, yet one had the LNG-IUS removed because she no longer required contraception. This female became pregnant and after an uncomplicated normal spontaneous vaginal delivery elected to use the LNG-IUS again for contraception and the benefit of decreased menstrual bleeding. The other 2 females (2/7, 29%) discontinued use of the LNG-IUS because there was worsening of heavy menses or ‘failed' therapy - one with VWD and one on anticoagulation. The female on anticoagulation in this case also had significant uterine fibroids. A ten item quality of life questionnaire developed by Kouides was administered, and showed overall improvement in quality of life. CONCLUSION: The levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system is an effective method of contraception and an effective treatment for heavy menses. For females with hemostatic disorders, this device has unique advantages: it is technically easy to use in females at increased bleeding risk, offers effective control of menorrhagia, and may likely improve overall quality of life. Additional prospective large scale studies are required to validate these findings.
Anterior Compartment Repair

Potential native tissue anterior colporrhaphy complications are rare but include intraoperative hemorrhage and blood transfusion, genitourinary tract injury, onset of de novo SUI, and postoperative urinary retention. The risk of these complications varies from 1 to 10%. Attention to detail and intraoperative identification are imperative to reduce the risk of complications and potential patient morbidity.
Oxidized LDL activated eosinophil polarize macrophage phenotype from M2 to M1 through activation of CD36 scavenger receptor.

Abstract Background and aims Inflammation, particularly innate immunity, plays an important role in cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate whether atherogenic determinants such as oxidized LDL modulate the phenotype of eosinophils. Methods Cultured eosinophils were treated with oxidized LDL and the expression of selective inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines was determined. In addition, the eosinophil receptor and signaling that mediate these events were identified. Results Treatment of cultured eosinophils with oxidized LDL (Ox-LDL) specifically induced the expression of IFNα and IFNβ without affecting expression of other proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNFα, IL-1β, and IL-6. In macrophages, Ox-LDL downregulated expression of both IFNα and IFNβ, suggesting that the effect of Ox-LDL on the expression of type I interferons is specific to eosinophils. Furthermore, we noted that eosinophils constitutively expressed IL-4 and IL-13, and Ox-LDL markedly downregulated their expression. Analysis of Ox-LDL signaling revealed that eosinophils constitutively expressed SRB2, CD36, and CD68 scavenger receptors, and Ox-LDL markedly induced the expression of CD36. Further analysis of CD36 signaling by siRNA and neutralizing antibodies showed that the induction of type I IFN by Ox-LDL is mediated by CD36 signaling whereas downregulation of IL-4 is independent of CD36 activation. We further showed that peritoneal macrophages treated with condition medium collected from Ox-LDL treated eosinophils markedly induced the expression of M1 markers such as iNOS, IL6, SOSC3 and TNFα whereas the condition medium from non-treated eosinophils significantly induced expression of M2 markers like ARG1 and CCL24. Conclusions Our data suggest that an atherogenic condition could activate eosinophils and modulate the phenotype of macrophages (from M2 to M1 phenotype), in part, through the CD36 receptor signaling.
Identification of a novel gene product: Resveratrol-Induced Nuclear Protein (RINP)

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 3254 Background and Aim: Resveratrol is an antioxidant found in grape skins and other natural food products. Many studies have shown that resveratrol has anti-cancer properties. We have reported that Resveratrol significantly inhibits pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and induces apoptosis. The current study is aimed to To elucidate underlying molecular mechanisms for anti-cancer properties of resveratrol. Methods and results: An oligonucleotide microarray analysis was used to identify genes modified by resveratrol in CD18 pancreatic cancer cell line. Among multiple genes that are up- or down-regulated, we found an uncharacterized novel gene is significantly upregulated by Resveratrol, which is further confirmed by real time RT-PCR. With 5-RACE and 3-RACE (Rapid Amplification of cDNA End) PCR based on the EST sequence of the novel gene, a full length cDNA of the novel gene is cloned out. The cDNA is 1879 bp long containing a 615 bp open reading frame, which encodes a protein with 205 amino acid residues. Computational analysis using PSORT II online software suggests that the novel gene product contains a putative single strand DNA binding domain. Therefore, we named this novel gene product Resveratrol-induced DNA binding protein (RINP). By fusing ORF of the novel gene with V5 epitope sequence in a pLenti 6/V5 expression vector, we studied the localization of RINP by immunofluoresence staining and confocal microscope. We found that full length RINP is localized in the nucleus. Since both the N and C terminals of RINP are heavily basic and thus are possible sites for a nuclear localization signal, therefore, we established two truncated RINP expression vectors containing only either N-terminal or C-terminal RINP alone. We found that either N-terminal or C-terminal RINP alone is enough to signal the novel protein to nucleus. We also examined distribution of RINP in multiple normal human tissues using real time RT-PCR. We found that RINP is expressed in every tissue tested with highest expression in liver and placenta and the lowest in brain. Conclusion: We have characterized a novel gene induced by Resveratrol in pancreatic cancer cells, CD18 cell line, which contains a putative single strand DNA binding site and is localized to the nucleus. Further studies are undergoing to identify the function of this gene with a focus on its role in resveratrol-induced growth inhibition and apoptosis in cancer cells.
The hypertension of hemophilia is associated with vascular remodeling in the joint

Objective Hemophilic arthropathy is associated with pronounced vascular joint remodeling. Also, compared to the general population, PWH have a higher prevalence of hypertension not explained by usual risk factors. Since vascular remodeling in various vascular beds is a hallmark of hypertension, we hypothesized that vascular joint remodeling is associated with elevated blood pressures and hypertension. Methods Elbows, knees and ankles of 28 adult PWH were evaluated for vascular abnormalities with MSKUS/PD, as well as for radiographic and clinical status and pain. Logistic and linear regression models were fitted to examine associations between hypertension, blood pressure and PD score. Results The extent of vascular abnormalities was associated with hypertension and blood pressures. Hypertensive patients had a higher PD score compared to non-hypertensive patients and the risk of hypertension increased steeply with PD score. SBP was also strongly associated with PD score, while DBP was only weakly associated. Conclusions Vascular remodeling in hemophilic joints is associated with hypertension and elevated blood pressures. Since hypertension is a grave risk factor for intracranial hemorrhage, a prominent cause of mortality in hemophilia patients, future studies are needed to address the causal pathways between vascular joint remodeling and blood pressure. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Comorbidity in Rheumatic Diseases

Comorbidity is a condition that coexists along with the disease of interest. It could be related to the primary disease, its treatment, or be completely independent. Because certain comorbidities occur more frequently in rheumatic diseases, it is likely that the rheumatic diseases and/or their treatments could have a causative role in these comorbidities.
Material Geographies of House Societies: Reconsidering Neolithic Çatalhöyük, Turkey

This paper explores how people within Neolithic villages were connected to co-resident multi-family households, and considers the potential material footprint of multi-family households within Neolithic villages. Drawing upon data from Catalhoyuk, I suggest that Neolithic communities were organized around multiple competing and cooperating Houses, similar to House Societies, where house members resided in clusters of abutting buildings, all largely the same size and with similar internal organization. These space were deeply connected to telling the generative narratives of the House as a historical and genealogical social unit, including the lives and actions of the ancestors, and in some cases embedding them physically within the fabric of the building. Catalhoyuk multi-family House members decorated some important rooms with display elaboration that focused on the past, the future and the family, while the dead from the households, who in many ways were still alive and part of the ancestral House, lived beneath the floor. This study underlines that researchers need to consider social scales beyond the single-family household and consider how the multi-family House existed as an organizational foundation within Neolithic villages.
Vasodilator therapy for decompensated heart failure.

What was once old is now new again —Author unknown Sodium nitroprusside (SNP) has been available as a parenteral agent in cardiovascular medicine for >30 years. It exists as a dianion [Fe(CN)5NO]2− in which the iron moiety is an octahedral surrounded by 5 cyanide ligands and 1 nitric oxide
Examining the Relationship between Teachers' Discussion Facilitation and Their Students' Reasoning.

We conducted a two-year study with four teachers (two mentors and two mentees), one university researcher, and a political science professor focused on improving discussion facilitation. This article examines the facilitation of a collaboratively developed seminar/deliberation discussion by four teachers and the relationship between their facilitation and the reasoning of the students. We found that all four teachers explored the factual questions of the discussion topic, but that two of the teachers led more substantive explorations of the definitional and value questions by purposefully teaching the students norms of behavior in a quality seminar/deliberation, practicing discussion throughout the course, allowing more student-tostudent talk, and focusing students’ attention on the persistent definitional and value issues that connected the case to analogous cases.
Noise Reduction in DLA

The question of whether noise reduction changes the asymptotic behavior of DLA-type aggregates is tested. The models used are DLA with short range interactions and DLA with a nearest-neighbor dependent sticking probability. It is shown that in some cases noise reduction can change the asymptotic behavior of DLA-type aggregates.
Applications of k -Anonymity and ℓ -Diversity in Publishing Online Social Networks

Many online social network (OSN) owners, such as Facebook and Twitter, regularly publish data they have collected from their users’ online activities to third parties, such as sociologists and commercial companies. These third parties mine these data and extract information for their particular purposes. This data-sharing elicits users’ concerns regarding disclosures of their privacy. This chapter takes a systematic look at the applications of some classical privacy preservation models, including k-anonymity and l-diversity, which were originally developed to protect tabular data privacy to secure users’ privacy contained in OSN data.
The politics of history textbooks in South African classroom in the era of Curriculum 2005

South Africa has recently celebrated twenty years of political transition from apartheid government to a democratic nation. One of the important changes in this transition was the reform of classroom curriculum, including the nature of textbook content taught in post-apartheid South African schools. This article discusses the textbook content in the era of Curriculum 2005, a national curriculum statement introduced in 1997 and subsequently revised in 2002. First, I discuss the socio-political history of education in South Africa, including the transition from apartheid to post-apartheid as a context to this analysis. Second, I describe the limitations of history textbooks content taught in post-apartheid classrooms. Using critical theory, I argue that the content of newly adopted history textbooks did not radically interrupt the long-standing misrepresentation and underrepresentation of the political histories of marginalized groups in South Africa, although some textbooks have made progress than others. Keywords: History Textbooks. South Africa. Post-Apartheid. Curriculum 2005. Critical Theory.