Forbidden induced subgraphs and the price of connectivity for feedback vertex set.

Let fvs(G) and cfvs(G) denote the cardinalities of a minimum feedback vertex set and a minimum connected feedback vertex set of a graph G, respectively. For a graph class G, the price of connectivity for feedback vertex set (poc-fvs) for G is defined as the maximum ratio cfvs(G)/fvs(G) over all connected graphs G in G. It is known that the poc-fvs for general graphs is unbounded. We study the poc-fvs for graph classes defined by a finite family H of forbidden induced subgraphs. We characterize exactly those finite families H for which the poc-fvs for H-free graphs is bounded by a constant. Prior to our work, such a result was only known for the case where |H|=1

Mental Health Stigma - Impact and Interventions

Research shows that negative stereotyping leads to social stigmatization of those with mental illness resulting in self-stigmatization, lower self-esteem, diminished self-efficacy, and limited access to social support and mental health services for those with mental illness. Few studies have been conducted to identify who is most predisposed to be supportive of those with mental illness and who may be willing to advocate for greater access to services. The purpose of this study is to clarify who is most open to support and advocate for those with mental illness. Responses from a sample of 48 volunteer college students to a researcher-developed survey of attitudes towards mental illness were analyzed to determine which demographic factors were related to more accepting attitudes of those with mental illness. Results yielded significant main effects for gender F (1, 47) = 5.49, p \u3c .05, and for those who have a relative with a mental illness, F (1, 47) = 17.82, p \u3c .01. Results suggest that females and relatives of those with mental illness are more accepting and could be targeted to help reduce mental health stigma by advocating for, and serving as allies to, those with mental illnesses

The price of connectivity for feedback vertex set

Let View the MathML source and View the MathML source denote the cardinalities of a minimum feedback vertex set and a minimum connected feedback vertex set of a graph G, respectively. The price of connectivity for feedback vertex set (poc-fvs) for a class of graphs G is defined as the maximum ratio View the MathML source over all connected graphs G∈G. We study the poc-fvs for graph classes defined by a finite family H of forbidden induced subgraphs. We characterize exactly those finite families H for which the poc-fvs for H-free graphs is upper bounded by a constant. Additionally, for the case where ∣H∣=1, we determine exactly those graphs H for which there exists a constant cH such that View the MathML source for every connected H-free graph G, as well as exactly those graphs H for which we can take cH=0

Comprehensive School Guidance Programs in Nebraska: Implications for Rural Schools

Archival data from an in-state survey of 428 elementary and secondary school counselors completed by the Nebraska Department of Education regarding comprehensive guidance programs was reviewed for relevant information. This information is discussed relative to the current views and knowledge regarding the state of comprehensive developmental guidance and their implications for school counselors and administrators

Parameterized Complexity of Two Edge Contraction Problems with Degree Constraints

Motivated by recent results of Mathieson and Szeider (J. Comput. Syst. Sci. 78(1): 179–191, 2012), we study two graph modification problems where the goal is to obtain a graph whose vertices satisfy certain degree constraints. The Regular Contraction problem takes as input a graph G and two integers d and k, and the task is to decide whether G can be modified into a d-regular graph using at most k edge contractions. The Bounded Degree Contraction problem is defined similarly, but here the objective is to modify G into a graph with maximum degree at most d. We observe that both problems are fixed-parameter tractable when parameterized jointly by k and d. We show that when only k is chosen as the parameter, Regular Contraction becomes W[1]-hard, while Bounded Degree Contraction becomes W[2]-hard even when restricted to split graphs. We also prove both problems to be NP-complete for any fixed d ≥ 2. On the positive side, we show that the problem of deciding whether a graph can be modified into a cycle using at most k edge contractions, which is equivalent to Regular Contraction when d = 2, admits an O(k) vertex kernel. This complements recent results stating that the same holds when the target is a path, but that the problem admits no polynomial kernel when the target is a tree, unless NP ⊆ coNP/poly (Heggernes et al., IPEC 2011)

Addiction Counseling Practice Competencies and Curriculum in CACREP-Accredited Programs

Addiction counseling is a growing field with emerging practice competencies and standards that have implications for counselor education programs. This study examined addiction counseling practice competencies and curriculum elements in CACREP-accredited programs to determine curriculum and program needs. A survey of 62 CACREP programs found that programs are including addiction counseling content into the curriculum, employing faculty who have experience in addiction counseling, and addressing the skill practice competency by adding increased credit hours in addiction counseling and teaching from a didactic and constructivist pedagogy. Recommendations are made to align addiction counseling training curriculum, including adding an addiction counseling specialization track that incorporates practice experiences

Title IX and the Cleary Act: What Counselor Educators Must Know

Because of the far-reaching legal, monetary, academic, and public relations ramifications of the sex abuse scandal at Pennsylvania State University, campus administrators are reviewing and more strictly enforcing the mandatory reporting requirements of Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments and the Clery Act related to sexual harassment and sexual violence. This creates challenges in didactic and clinical coursework for counselor educators who must balance adhering to university reporting guidelines with the ethical responsibilities to provide informed consent and maintain confidentially of information disclosed by students and their clients during training. Issues involved for counselor educators and student counselors-in-training, the process of securing appropriate exceptions to mandatory reporting, and a sample exception policy are presented

The Use of Social Media in Counselor Education

Examined in this article are ways the use of social media can enhance a counselor education program’s activities in the areas of recruitment, curriculum, pedagogy, extracurricular student contact, and alumni connections. Also discussed are privacy, confidentiality, informed consent, boundary, copyright, liability, and free speech issues related to the administrative and instructional use of social media in a counselor education program. A social media policy is proposed to help counselor educators use this potent tool ethically and effectively

A novel approach to non-biased systematic random sampling : a stereologic estimate of Purkinje cells in the human cerebellum

Non-biased systematic sampling using the principles of stereology provides accurate quantitative estimates of objects within neuroanatomic structures. However, the basic principles of stereology are not optimally suited for counting objects that selectively exist within a limited but complex and convoluted portion of the sample, such as occurs when counting cerebellar Purkinje cells. In an effort to quantify Purkinje cells in association with certain neurodegenerative disorders, we developed a new method for stereologic sampling of the cerebellar cortex, involving calculating the volume of the cerebellar tissues, identifying and isolating the Purkinje cell layer and using this information to extrapolate non-biased systematic sampling data to estimate the total number of Purkinje cells in the tissues. Using this approach, we counted Purkinje cells in the right cerebella of four human male control specimens, aged 41, 67, 70 and 84 years, and estimated the total Purkinje cell number for the four entire cerebella to be 27.03, 19.74, 20.44 and 22.03 million cells, respectively. The precision of the method is seen when comparing the density of the cells within the tissue: 266,274, 173,166, 167,603 and 183,575 cells/cm3, respectively. Prior literature documents Purkinje cell counts ranging from 14.8 to 30.5 million cells. These data demonstrate the accuracy of our approach. Our novel approach, which offers an improvement over previous methodologies, is of value for quantitative work of this nature. This approach could be applied to morphometric studies of other similarly complex tissues as well

A Qualitative Analysis of Counseling Students\u27 Thoughts, Attitudes, and Beliefs about Addition Counseling and Treatment

An estimated 21.7 million people need treatment for their substance use problem. As barriers to treatment are removed with health care reform, this number will continue to grow. Simultaneous to this need for treatment, a workforce crisis is occurring in the addiction counseling field due to high turnover rates, an aging workforce, worker shortages, and lingering stigma about substance abuse. Given this climate, counselor education programs are challenged to develop programs that adequately train future counselors to address the unique needs of clients who are struggling with addiction and to better understand how students construct their knowledge regarding addictions and addiction counseling. The purpose of this study was to explore and qualitatively examine the development of counseling students’ thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs about addiction and treatment that may help educators understand how to better design addiction counseling curriculum to address attitude and self-awareness competencies. Themes identified in the study are explored as well as the implications for counselor educators