Poison control

About: Poison control is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 394709 publications have been published within this topic receiving 15781638 citations.

Defining and identifying communities in networks.

Abstract: The investigation of community structures in networks is an important issue in many domains and disciplines This problem is relevant for social tasks (objective analysis of relationships on the web), biological inquiries (functional studies in metabolic and protein networks), or technological problems (optimization of large infrastructures) Several types of algorithms exist for revealing the community structure in networks, but a general and quantitative definition of community is not implemented in the algorithms, leading to an intrinsic difficulty in the interpretation of the results without any additional nontopological information In this article we deal with this problem by showing how quantitative definitions of community are implemented in practice in the existing algorithms In this way the algorithms for the identification of the community structure become fully self-contained Furthermore, we propose a local algorithm to detect communities which outperforms the existing algorithms with respect to computational cost, keeping the same level of reliability The algorithm is tested on artificial and real-world graphs In particular, we show how the algorithm applies to a network of scientific collaborations, which, for its size, cannot be attacked with the usual methods This type of local algorithm could open the way to applications to large-scale technological and biological systems

Systematic Social Observation of Public Spaces: A New Look at Disorder in Urban Neighborhoods

Abstract: This article assesses the sources and consequences of public disorder. Based on the videotaping and systematic rating of more than 23,000 street segments in Chicago, highly reliable scales of social and physical disorder for 196 neighborhoods are constructed. Census data, police records, and an independent survey of more than 3,500 residents are then integrated to test a theory of collective efficacy and structural constraints. Defined as cohesion among residents combined with shared expectations for the social control of public space, collective efficacy explains lower rates of crime and observed disorder after controlling neighborhood structural characteristics. Collective efficacy is also linked to lower rates of violent crime after accounting for disorder and the reciprocal effects of violence. Contrary to the "broken windows" theory, however, the relationship between public disorder and crime is spurious except perhaps for robbery.

Synthetic molecular motors and mechanical machines.

Abstract: The widespread use of controlled molecular-level motion in key natural processes suggests that great rewards could come from bridging the gap between the present generation of synthetic molecular systems, which by and large rely upon electronic and chemical effects to carry out their functions, and the machines of the macroscopic world, which utilize the synchronized movements of smaller parts to perform specific tasks. This is a scientific area of great contemporary interest and extraordinary recent growth, yet the notion of molecular-level machines dates back to a time when the ideas surrounding the statistical nature of matter and the laws of thermodynamics were first being formulated. Here we outline the exciting successes in taming molecular-level movement thus far, the underlying principles that all experimental designs must follow, and the early progress made towards utilizing synthetic molecular structures to perform tasks using mechanical motion. We also highlight some of the issues and challenges that still need to be overcome.

Positive Emotions Trigger Upward Spirals Toward Emotional Well-Being

Abstract: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions pre- dicts that positive emotions broaden the scopes of attention and cogni- tion, and, by consequence, initiate upward spirals toward increasing emotional well-being. The present study assessed this prediction by testing whether positive affect and broad-minded coping reciprocally and prospectively predict one another. One hundred thirty-eight col- lege students completed self-report measures of affect and coping at two assessment periods 5 weeks apart. As hypothesized, regression analyses showed that initial positive affect, but not negative affect, predicted improved broad-minded coping, and initial broad-minded coping predicted increased positive affect, but not reductions in nega- tive affect. Further mediational analyses showed that positive affect and broad-minded coping serially enhanced one another. These find- ings provide prospective evidence to support the prediction that posi- tive emotions initiate upward spirals toward enhanced emotional well- being. Implications for clinical practice and health promotion are dis- cussed. Positive emotions feel good. Plus, the balance of people's positive and negative emotions contributes to judgments of life satisfaction (Diener & Larsen, 1993). Are these the only reasons people should care about positive emotions? We think not. We propose that positive emotions not only feel good in the present, but also increase the likeli- hood that one will feel good in the future. That is, we suggest that pos- itive emotions trigger upward spirals toward enhanced emotional well- being. This prediction stems from a new perspective on positive emotions offered within Fredrickson's (1998, 2001) broaden-and-build theory . This model posits that, unlike negative emotions, which narrow people's thought-action repertoires (e.g., fight or flight), positive emo- tions broaden people's thought-action repertoires, encouraging them to discover novel lines of thought or action. Joy, for instance, creates the urge to play, interest creates the urge to explore, and so on. A key, incidental outcome of these broadened mind-sets is an increase in personal resources: As individuals discover new ideas and actions, they build their physical, intellectual, social, and psychological re- sources. Play, for instance, builds physical, socioemotional, and in- tellectual skills, and fuels brain development. Similarly, exploration increases knowledge and psychological complexity (Fredrickson, 1998, 2000).

Toward a functional analysis of self-injury

Abstract: This study describes the use of an operant methodology to assess functional relationships between self-injury and specific environmental events. The self-injurious behaviors of nine developmentally disabled subjects were observed during periods of brief, repeated exposure to a series of analogue conditions. Each condition differed along one or more of the following dimensions: (1) play materials (present vs absent), (2) experimenter demands (high vs low), and (3) social attention (absent vs noncontingent vs contingent). Results showed a great deal of both between and within-subject variability. However, in six of the nine subjects, higher levels of self-injury were consistently associated with a specific stimulus condition, suggesting that within-subject variability was a function of distinct features of the social and/or physical environment. These data are discussed in light of previously suggested hypotheses for the motivation of self-injury, with particular emphasis on their implications for the selection of suitable treatments.