Behavior modification: A perspective on critical issues.

Discusses current behavior modification techniques, such as token economies, desensitization, and aversive therapy, and reviews the evidence on the efficacy of behavior modification. It is argued that the use of behavior modification has caused some individuals to express concern that these methods are manipulative and dehumanizing and that aversive techniques are especially subject to abuse. These issues are reviewed in terms of legitimate areas of concern and possible methods for developing safeguards to protect persons in behavior modification programs. Both the issues and the proposed solutions are applicable to all types of mental health programs. (41 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Competitive Contribution of Catalyst and Adsorption Roles of TiO2 on the Degradation of AO7 Dye During Plasma Treatment

In order to investigate the role of TiO2 during plasma treatment,the degradation of the dye AO7 has been studied by gliding arc discharge in the presence of a TiO2 catalyst(CGAD).The results revealed that the adsorption of the dye on TiO2 is a physical adsorption in accordance with Langmuir isotherm,with a constant of adsorption KL=0.52 mg/L and a maximum adsorption capacity b=18.1 mg/g.The temperature variation of the reaction medium made it possible to consider thermodynamic parameters.Indeed,the adsorption is exothermic(enthalpy:△H 0),and spontaneous(free enthalpy:△G 0).The negative entropy(△S0) confirms the afnity of the dye molecules for TiO2.20 min of CGAD treatment in the presence of an optimal quantity of TiO2(2 g/L enabled us to bleach the solution of AO7(100 μM) completely.The discoloration rate with and without the addition of TiO2 was 100% and 28%,respectively.40 additional minutes of treatment allowed a total abatement of the chemical oxygen demand.The elimination of AO7 molecules during the plasma-catalytic treatment follows Langmuir-Hinshelwood(L-H) model kinetics.According to this model,the speed constant is kr=14.97 mg · L 1· min 1and the adsorption coefcient is KL-H = 0.010 L/mg.The latter being negligible compared to kr,adsorption is therefore weakly performed during the plasma treatment.     

The mediation of mothers' self-fulfilling effects on their children's alcohol use: Self-verification, informational conformity, and modeling processes.

This research examined whether self-fulfilling prophecy effects are mediated by self-verification, informational conformity, and modeling processes. The authors examined these mediational processes across multiple time frames with longitudinal data obtained from two samples of mother-child dyads (N? = 486; N? = 287), with children's alcohol use as the outcome variable. The results provided consistent support for the mediational process of self-verification. In both samples and across several years of adolescence, there was a significant indirect effect of mothers' beliefs on children's alcohol use through children's self-assessed likelihood of drinking alcohol in the future. Comparatively less support was found for informational conformity and modeling processes as mediators of mothers' self-fulfilling effects. The potential for self-fulfilling prophecies to produce long-lasting changes in targets' behavior via self-verification processes are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ecological predictors of substance use in middle school students.

The current study examined important predictors of substance use during early adolescence. The authors hypothesized that adolescents' relationships with key adults (i.e., teachers and parents) influence their choices to use substances indirectly through links with their decisions regarding peer groups. A total of 461 middle school students from an affluent suburban community completed self-report measures of authoritative parenting, perceived social support from teachers, affiliation with rule-breaking and substance-using peers, and frequency of alcohol, cigarette, and drug use. Results of structural equation modeling supported the hypothesized model. Authoritative parenting and teacher support accounted for 31% of the variance in affiliation with deviant peers which, in turn, accounted for 27% of the variance in adolescent substance use; direct paths from parenting and teacher support to substance use were not indicated. Implications for school psychologists' involvement in substance use prevention and intervention are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Legal Frameworks Governing Water in the Middle East and North Africa

For millennia, countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have developed laws, regulations and other rules to govern their scarce water. These laws have been updated in recent years. This review of the legal frameworks (including regulations, decrees and other rules) reveals both progress and gaps in managing water quality, water quantity and procedural aspects. Of note, while the general frameworks are usually in place, in many instances the necessary details are lacking to give effect to the goals. However, in some instances the legal frameworks governing water lack certain key principles or approaches. In order to effectively meet the growing demands on their water resources, MENA countries will need to further strengthen and develop their legal frameworks.     

A machine learning evaluation of an artificial immune system

ARTIS is an artificial immune system framework which contains several adaptive mechanisms. LISYS is a version of ARTIS specialized for the problem of network intrusion detection. The adaptive mechanisms of LISYS are characterized in terms of their machine-learning counterparts, and a series of experiments is described, each of which isolates a different mechanism of LISYS and studies its contribution to the system's overall performance. The experiments were conducted on a new data set, which is more recent and realistic than earlier data sets. The network intrusion detection problem is challenging because it requires one-class learning in an on-line setting with concept drift. The experiments confirm earlier experimental results with LISYS, and they study in detail how LISYS achieves success on the new data set.     

Pulse-echo microwave imaging for NDE of civil structures: Image reconstruction,enhancement, and object recognition

This article presents an overview of the application of microwave imaging in nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of civil structures. The presentation includes the image formation algorithm operating in monostatic multiple-frequency mode, resolution enhancement by wavefield statistics, and object recognition procedures. Results from theoretical analysis, laboratory experiments, and full-scale field tests are discussed sequentially. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 8, 407–412, 1997     

Scaling theory for information networks

Networks distribute energy, materials and information to the components of a variety of natural and human-engineered systems, including organisms, brains, the Internet and microprocessors. Distribution networks enable the integrated and coordinated functioning of these systems, and they also constrain their design. The similar hierarchical branching networks observed in organisms and microprocessors are striking, given that the structure of organisms has evolved via natural selection, while microprocessors are designed by engineers. Metabolic scaling theory (MST) shows that the rate at which networks deliver energy to an organism is proportional to its mass raised to the 3/4 power. We show that computational systems are also characterized by nonlinear network scaling and use MST principles to characterize how information networks scale, focusing on how MST predicts properties of clock distribution networks in microprocessors. The MST equations are modified to account for variation in the size and density of transistors and terminal wires in microprocessors. Based on the scaling of the clock distribution network, we predict a set of trade-offs and performance properties that scale with chip size and the number of transistors. However, there are systematic deviations between power requirements on microprocessors and predictions derived directly from MST. These deviations are addressed by augmenting the model to account for decentralized flow in some microprocessor networks (e.g. in logic networks). More generally, we hypothesize a set of constraints between the size, power and performance of networked information systems including transistors on chips, hosts on the Internet and neurons in the brain.     

Wide varieties of cationic nanoparticles induce defects in supported lipid bilayers

Nanoparticles with widely varying physical properties and origins (spherical versus irregular, synthetic versus biological, organic versus inorganic, flexible versus rigid, small versus large) have been previously noted to translocate across the cell plasma membrane. We have employed atomic force microscopy to determine if the physical disruption of lipid membranes, formation of holes and/or thinned regions, is a common mechanism of interaction between these nanoparticles and lipids. It was found that a wide variety of nanoparticles, including a cell penetrating peptide (MSI-78), a protein (TAT), polycationic polymers (PAMAM dendrimers, pentanol-core PAMAM dendrons, polyethyleneimine, and diethylaminoethyl-dextran), and two inorganic particles (Au-NH2, SiO2-NH2), can induce disruption, including the formation of holes, membrane thinning, and/or membrane erosion, in supported lipid bilayers.